Armored Hoody - DIY

[daver314]

I joined this board a couple years back when I bought my '07, but haven't done much by the way of posting. I thought I would share my little evening project with everyone though.

I'm a bit of a gear guy, so please don't jump on me for the lack of safety with the idea of an armored hoody. I've got leather, kevlar, nylon, etc. Everything's got it's place and time.

Anyway, I've been intrigued by the few armored hoodies I've seen on the interwebs for the past bit, but I can't say I like any of them. And by any of them, I mean to say, I've only been able to find two of them and they're not really my style. Then I got to thinking about the old Joe Rocket Ballistic Nylon jacket I bought a little over 10 years ago that I don't wear anymore. I'd been hanging on to it because I figured no one would want to pay for it and it may come in handy some day. Well today's that day.

Basically, I deconstructed the jacket as far as removing the entire liner as one piece. I was a little alarmed as to how easy it came out. The liner in this jacket was single stitched and really only required a couple of stitches to be cut before the whole thing tore out effortlessly.

I matched it up to an Alpinestars zip-up hoody that I have (scored it from Winner's a couple years ago for pretty cheap). I sewed around the perimeter (yeah, I know how to sew), added a couple of darts in the arm pits, and I had my own, sorta home-made armored hoody. Fits quite well, not too bulky. The padding actually sits in place a bit better than it ever did in the original jacket. If someone were to do this, I think it would be easy to re-enforce the elbows and shoulders from within with some kevlar or "ballistic" nylon.

Anyway, I thought I'd pass along the idea in case anyone was interested and didn't want to spend a hundred bucks. Here are a couple of pic's of what I started and ended with.

Cheers,

~Dave

[Dutchy]

I suppose it is better than wearing a T-Shirt. But why take a knife to a gunfight?

Or are you not intending to wear it on your M/C, but it can get rowdy at the McDonalds counter?

Having said this, thanks for posting, and I mean that.

[Knife]

What purpose does the hood serve? Just a fashion statement, or to wear when off the bike?

[Monk]

I'm 67 and I understand what you're doing.......... Basicly it's something you like/want to wear and being protected at the same time...... Way to go.

And from what I can see you did a nice job, sewing into the sleeves isn't easy, When you get the elbow pads in ..........

[Beck]

Personally, I hate hoodies! i think it almost got us in trouble when going through customs in England last winter and my college age nephew decided that it was Kewhl to put up his hood while he was on the line to see the custom inspectors at the airport. We actually saw the scurity personel starting to eye him and we had to pull his hoody down so that they don't go and pull him off the line for maybe some questioning why he's hiding his face.

Heck, hoodies (hooded sweatshirts) weren't any sort of fashion statement when we wore it in highschool in the 70's, it was as utilitarian as a pair of straight cut Levis jeans back then. In fact we never even wated to put up our hoods as we thought it looked goofy doing so, unless it was really cold or snowing. Now we have people walking around with their hoods up in CA in 70+ degree weather!

Gosh....I'm really starting to feel old now

JMOs

Chombi

[Monk]

For me the only peeps wearing their baseball caps backwards was the catcher.(That was also before batters wore hard hats).

The times, they are a changing.

[Olive]

My concern would be with the actual fabric utilized in the construction of the jacket. How well will fleece hold up to abrasion from asphalt? It will wear through a lot faster than denim (also a questionable choice) and you will quickly be parted from your armour.

When I look at gear, there are a number of considerations:

1. Abrasion control. Face it, road rash sucks. I don't want to sit in an ER watching a nurse scrub gravel out of my skin using a steel brush. That is not my idea of a good time. The exterior fabric of the gear must be tough enough to minimize or eliminate road rash. Leather, specialty nylon, denim with kevlar are all good choices. Even the mesh nylon/polyester gear, while it may look like it will not last on the road, has been manufactured to provide a layer of protection. Fleece doesn't fare well in this category.

2. Impact protection. Armour will provide some protection from impact, but it is limited in what it can provide. Positioned properly it can also provide some abrasion control, but if the outer fabric it is attached to is shredded it won't stay in place for long.

3. Visibility. I ride in traffic and in a variety of conditions. Even in high viz yellow I seem to be invisible to some inattentive drivers. However anything I can do to assist in being noticed is worthwhile, and minimizes the risk of being hit by the other guy who didn't see me.

4. Comfort. Yes, comfort in gear is important. If you are too cold, too hot or too wet the ride is going to be miserable and you will be distracted. Decent vents help out in warm temperatures at speed, and a liner is a must in cooler conditions.

I definitely appreciate that you are looking for ways to convert the hoodie into bike gear, but I think that you have overlooked a very important point. Have you considered perhaps picking up a nylon mesh jacket (that is DESIGNED for riding - the type of mesh that is manufactured to be abrasion resistant) and sewing that inside your hoodie? Remember the internal mesh liner of your old jacket is not designed to this specification.

Ride safe!

[Cogswell]

Good concept - a lot of riding for a lot of folks is about making a personal statement. Lots of gear out there is plastered with giant logos, so doing one's own thing is great. With that said though, this is what would concern me:

". . . this jacket was single stitched and really only required a couple of stitches to be cut before the whole thing tore out effortlessly."

The only way you'll test this is when you need it the most and your description of it probably gives a pretty good indication of how well it's going to protect you in a crash. If the seams blow out when you hit the pavement your skin will pay the price. Do a search on "road rash queen". She's one brave girl that survived a horrendous get-off without the right gear. She had a long stay in the hospital and has set up a website to promote the use of proper gear. If I were doing this I'd get a 3XL hoody and sew it around the best jacket my wallet could afford. Ride safely.

[TimC]

I'm with Beck on this one - I hate hoodies. Seems like so many people wearing them are such wannabe's. Hooded sweatshirts used to be functional, now they're a fashion statement.

That being said, I think Dave's armor job is great. I won't wear any jacket without armor, and I'm not crazy about mesh jackets, so something lightweight with armor would be a great idea. Of course, it's also a functional garment off the bike - maybe something great to wear to a dinner with friends when you don't want to have to wear a riding jacket.

[Monk]

One step at a time.........

[Olive]

With that said though, this is what would concern me:

". . . this jacket was single stitched and really only required a couple of stitches to be cut before the whole thing tore out effortlessly."

Cogswell,

I have to call you on quoting out of context - the sentence read "The liner in this jacket was single stitched and really only required a couple of stitches to be cut before the whole thing tore out effortlessly."

Remember that his description was of the LINER of the jacket. The lining isn't put under any great stress in the event of a crash and I haven't read any posts about people having issues with the liner of their jacket during a crash. When it comes down to it the exterior panels of the jacket are what need to hold together. At minimum they ought to be double stitched.

I haven't heard of many people who, after a "gear test" had issues with seams ripping apart and the gear disintegrating around them. Usually if the gear is wrecked it is the fabric that takes the beating, and seam damage is ancillary. The key point is that the gear MUST protect the rider in the event of a crash. If you rip out a seam generally snipping a few key threads will allow it to unravel if the fabric is pulled in the right direction, and the odds of that during a crash are fairly minimal. (Feel free to share your experiences if they contradict mine.)

Cogswell and myself are definitely on the same page with the idea of buy a decent jacket and sew the hoodie around it It really is about function not fashion. Fashion can accompany the proper gear, but the key to remember is that road rash is anything BUT fashionable. The Road Rash Queen that he refers to (www.rockthegear.org) is an example of why jeans and a sweatshirt are inadequate gear. (Thank you for the reminder about this site Cogswell - I think it is a must read for any new rider, an a great reminder for the seasoned ones).

[daver314]

Well, thanks for the kind feedback from those of you who offered it haha. I can't say I was looking to open a debate about gear or what does and does not suffice for proper gear. I don't like to share personal information on the internet, but I'll go as far as to say that I wear and own very high quality gear (leather, textile, and mesh) and take motorcycle safety seriously. I am also not trying to make any sort of a fashion statement, but that some of you for passing judgement on someone you don't know. I live in a time and place where I see that the hoody is the new sweatshirt. I know that a good number of people are interested in this kind of product, myself included, and was only trying to offer what I thought was a decent take on something that was already available for what I thought to be a bit too much money for what the product offered.

I have been riding for a lot of years and have known many who have both good and bad outcomes from "testing" their gear. I happened to have a conversation about ten years ago or so with a VP from Joe Rocket. We talked about gear safety and the main context was with regard to the safety of mesh jackets which were still fairly new to the market at the time. He told me that their take on gear was that it's vital to have reasonable expectations of what your equipment can do to protect you. I believe this and am selective when choosing what riding apparel to where when I leave the garage each time. I think TimC is the only one who really sees the purpose behind a garment like this, and that is for heading down to the pub for a burger and a coke (I don't drink when I'm riding either), or to the coffee shop. I would never wear something like this on the highway and would never recommend something like this for anything more than what I plan to use it for.

Thanks again for the feedback. . Stay safe out there,

~Dave

[YoshiHNS]

For a cruise around town it's going to be just as effective as a mesh jacket. Looks like it came out really nice.

[Duc2V4]

The one complaint you hear about ATGATT is that it takes too long to get all geared up, especially if they're just heading to the corner for bite to eat or to pick up something from the store. Which is probably why you'll see a lot riders out in their t-shirts, jeans and tennis shoes. That's their choice, as short sighted as it is. Yes, an accident can happen at anytime and at any speed but any amount of additional protection is better than none at all IMO. For me I'm always wearing at a minimum, jacket (I have several I can choose from), boots (low cut or std. length), gloves, helmet (full face or modular) and long pants (sturdy jeans mostly with Bohn Armor underneath), call it MOTGATT (Most Of The Gear All of The Time). To me this is reasonable to no gear at all, this is risk management and I take full responsibility for my actions. That being said, if I am doing any kind of "spirited" riding, I have my leathers on...NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS!

I get where daver314 is coming from and I applaud the idea, he took something that he wasn't wearing anymore and turned into something he would wear more often. How well this hybrid jacket will hold up on impact, who can say, but I think it's safe to say that he won't be knee dragging with it...will you daver?? As he stated, he has different clothing for different purposes and this is adding to his different choices. All I can say to daver is don't get a false sense of security while wearing this, it has not been stress tested and is probably not as abrasion resistant as it should be. Maybe adding some kevlar patches in the impact areas would help make it the perfect "around the corner" jacket.

Cheers!

[JZH]

I've got a black Kevlar-lined hoodie, from my knife-dodging London days... Not for riding, though!

Ciao,

[Guest]

Hey guys, just saw this post on the site. We actually manufacture an armored, Kevlar hoodie. It has kevlar lining inside the back of the jacket and inside the back length of the sleeves. It has a mesh lining sewn to the kevlar which is what the armor pockets are sewn to. All the armor is CE-approved (back, shoulders, elbows). Has YKK zippers, front pockets are zippered and has YKK zippered underarm vents for air circulation. I've attached a photo of what it looks like in case you're interested. You can see more info about it at http://www.gogogearla.com It retails for $129.

Arlene

[2thdr]

...the purpose behind a garment like this, and that is for heading down to the pub for a burger and a coke (I don't drink when I'm riding either), or to the coffee shop. I would never wear something like this on the highway and would never recommend something like this for anything more than what I plan to use it for.

~Dave

My first reaction was to school Dave on his choices, but I think I can get my mind around this intended use. I am still conflicted about riding a short distance, close to home, low speeds, without ATGATT. I would love to be able to ride these types of rides without gearing up completely. Maybe HS has the right idea and I should get a scooter for such jaunts. The other side is that the asphalt is just as hard and unforgiving and the cagers just as inattentive close to home as they are far away...

[The Phantom]

Very clever work, well done Dave.