 
| Excerpt from: Motorcycle Addict
|  | | March 05, 2007 | | Choices for Riding Apparel | Preparation for track time has me revisiting body armor, leather v. fabric, and how the CE standard affects our choices.
Before discussion of what is available, it would be good to review the criteria.
There are two basic requirements. The first is that the clothing protect from abrasion. The second is that there be body armor to protect from more serious damage. (I won't deal with footgear, although the most common injuries involve lower limbs and feet).
Abrasion is simple. Good quality leather that is at least 1.2 mm thick will provide protection from sliding. So will heavy weight cordura (at least 500 dernier), and "Kevlar". "Kevlar" is in quotes, because in reality it is used in conjuction with other synthetics.
There are two issues with abrasion. The material must protect, which is measured in the number of abrasion cycles it takes to wear through (this number is multiplied by weight on the sliding fabric), and the other is that the material must not tear. The fabric itself must have strength, and the stitching must hold. Cheap gear has cheap stitching.
Kevlar and heavyweight cordura both have the same or significantly greater tear resistance than leather. Further, leather degrades when it gets wet and dries, and the chemicals in sweat can literally rot the leather, so that it becomes brittle. If you don't wash your gloves, the palm can develop holes in less than a year of use.
Kevlar and cordura should be made without polyethylene, because the heat from a slide can cause melted material to stick to the road rash. This can be an ugly and painful problem.
Force absorbtion is far more difficult. Body armor standards involve measurement of force applied to the armor, in comparison to the amount of force transmitted. This is a problem. For example, 40 joules of force applied through the bottom of a shoe will have a quite different effect from 40 joules of force applied through the point of a nail. To date, the standards don't really differentiate. Further, the amount of force needed to break a collarbone is significantly less than that required to break a femur. Breaking a bone is a somewhat different proposition than driving the femoral head into the hip socket. And so on.
Then again, there is a potential problem with spreading force though padding, because if the armor is overwhelmed by a great force, the spreading effect can cause more crushing of the bone, as opposed to simpler breaking.
Body armor has become significantly thinner and more comfortable, although some manufacturers still believe in a hard covering to a soft backing.
Putting this all together, most track suits are leather, and you generally get what you pay for. Armor should exceed the CE standard, and the CE2 standard where applicable. Kevlar is a good alternative, and more comfortable from a heat perspective as well as movement. Track suits need to be double layer Kevlar to meet most standards. Track clothing needs to be 1 piece, or zip together, although Motoport feels that their 3/4 length jacket has enough overlap that connection to the pants is unnecessary.
For the street, the options are dizzying. I ordered a Motoport Kevlar shirt just to try it, as used by a number of police departments. It is cool in the summer, lightweight, washable, and has an expensive nylon lining to keep it comfortable. These are not really in the catalog yet, and are a custom order in any event.
A lot of reviewers like the Forcefield armor a lot. Again, it is thinner and more flexible than what you are used to, and it comes in an underjacket that can be worn beneath leather, and in shorts (which can be supplemented with knee and shin protection) or pants of a stretch material that can be worn under riding pants.
I did not have much time to look at the Knox equivalent, but some reviewers found the cross jacket and back protector to be more comfortable. Others preferred the Forcefield. I did not look at the Bohn armor, and have not looked at it for a few years.
One other possible thing to consider, especially with race leathers, is that the close fit will better guarantee that the armor is where it needs to be, rather than flopping. Of course, the undergarment approach can closely match the location of the armor as well.
Alpinestar, Dainese, and Vanson all make top quality race leathers, and, if you don't order a back protector, you can couple these with the Forcefield protection. Another alternative is the new BMW back protector, which is unique because it also pads part of the collarbone. By the way, if you are having issues with a back protector not lying flat against the back, some of the protectors work better if you cross the straps in front.
All in all, it was a dizzying experience. For the moment, I am supplementing my Motoport stretch Kevlar Ultra II with the option of Motoport's Cordura jeans in 1000 weight (you send in your favorite jeans, with knees marked. It takes a few weeks), the newer thinner, more flexible three layer Motoport body armor, and the aforementioned shirt.
I also went for Kangaroo leather gloves, with hard protection on the knuckles and joints. Most embarassingly, I forget the brand at the moment. The Kangaroo is quite thin, but I was assured it is more abrasion resistant than the deerskin I had previously.
This leaves a new leather jacket for another time. After all, tradition requires that motorcyclists have at least one really great looking leather jacket.
By the way, although I did not opt for the leather racing gear, my personal choice would be the Dainese. I liked the details, the feel of the leather, and the fit. The only drawback was the weight, which was considerable.
As always, I did not receive any kind of promotional consideration for the brands mentioned above, and your mileage may vary.
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