Great Summary Of "necessary" Gear And Why. Quoted From User ~Moldbuster~ On Ninjette.org

[BRad704]

The below information is a direct copy from another user's post on the ninjette.org forum. I can't take credit for any of it, but it is too good not to share. Just keep in mind that he's a huge Motoport fan, and there are other options out there...

Safety Gear. What You Need...

3 Decades, that is how long I have been riding two wheel forms of transportation. Enough to have gone down more than once. Enough to have serious injuries, to see others with serious injuries...and yes, long enough to see people I know die. Long enough to know that safety gear isn't a nice thing to have..it is an absolute necessity. Something which you need to budget for when you purchase your first motorcycle. The question is, WHAT gear to get? This is a question that is asked on forums with beginning riders time and time again. The quantity of equipment out there is staggering and confusing So, here is a little guide which hopefully will help the newbies...

Why do you need safety gear? Riding a Motorcycle involves a degree of risk. The purpose of safety equipment is to minimize some of the risk. When you fall off a bike, the forces involved are very high and those forces can cause injury.

What Causes Injuries?

There are two things that you are going to experience in a crash which are likely to cause injury...

1) Impact. Impact from your body hitting the pavement whether it be a small distance as in a slow low side crash, or impact from up high as in a high side crash or an trip over the hood of a car. There is impact from other objects...your bike, an SUV with somebody on the cell, animals or static objects like curbs. If a cyclist tumbles during a crash, this is likely to cause impact injuries. Typically, impacts are going to break things...usually bones.

2) Friction. Friction from parts of your body skimming slong the pavement. Friction typically causes two types of injuries...

1) Road Rash. Road Rash is caused by pavement directly contacting your skin at speed and ablating (wearing away) layers of it. The higher the speed, the more layers which are removed. Serious Road Rash is life threatening or disfiguring. The treatment is identical to burn treatment. Take a drill, put a wire wheel on it, turn it on high...apply to a bare portion of skin, rub dirt in the wound...that is the equivalent of a medium speed road rash.

2) Burns. Friction causes heat. The heat can be great enough to cause severe burns under your clothing. It can be enough to melt things. See the note on coated fabric at the end.

What Proper Gear Must Do.

Proper Gear must protect the body from impact. This is done thru padding the material or added layers, and thru armor. Armor is additional impact protection added to safety gear to protect the most vulnerable and commonly damaged parts of the body in a crash. This includes the head, shoulders, scapula, elbows, hands, knees, hips, thighs, spine/back and chest. The amount of impact armor varies. The better the equipment is, the more impact coverage it has. Impact armor also comes wearable. It is strapped to the body. Very common to see knee armor worn under jeans (see Jeans).

Proper Gear must protect from friction and heat. The degree of friction resistance varies tremendously. See individual notes on fabric types.

The Gear
So...what gear do you need and what are the differences? Lets take them one by one.

HELMET. If you need to ask why you need to wear a helmet to ride a motorcycle, stop reading now. Call your insurance agent and buy a catastrophic coverage policy and a large life policy. At least take care of your loved ones. People have died from simple tip overs, stopped...in parkimg lots. Nuff said. You want a FULL FACE HELMET. Why? Because far and away statistically the most common impact point on a helmet in a crash is the front lower jaw. Your helmet should fit you properly. There are many guides on helmet fitment. If you are unsure, ask for help. It is best to try helmets on. Everybody has a different shape head. Get a recognized brand and ALWAYS BUY A NEW HELMET!

GLOVES. Hand Injuries SUCK. And unfortunately, instinct causes a majority of hand injuries. Why instinct? If you fall, what is your reaction? You Put your hand down. Onto pavement. Moving at 70 mph. You need gloves. Gloves vary wildly in design and cost. Expensive gloves offer several things you won't get in a cheap glove. Stronger stitching, if your hand hits the pavement and a seam blows open from the force, you got hamburger. Better gloves now employ slippery materials in the palm. You fall, put your hand down, the glove slides, taking the stress off the stitching and preventing arm and hand fractures from sudden decelleration if the leather catches. At a minimum, you want gloves with reinforced palms and knuckle and finger armor. Full length, or Gauntlet gloves are unquestionably better. The extra length allows for additional securing of the glove to your hand, helping preventing the glove from being torn off in an ass backwards slide and securing the sleeves in place.

BOOTS. Aside from head and hand injuries, foot injuries are the most debilitating. Why? Because feet are incredibly complicated and have the least bloodflow. Foot injuries are very common. Why? Because the most common form of crash is the low side crash and it is very common for the feet to be trapped under the bike as it skids along the pavement. Also, your feet are in a vulnerable place on the bike. Good full length riding boots are an absolute must. Notice I said FULL LENGTH boots. There is a disturbing trend among sportbike riders...the "Street Shoe" this is essentially an armored shoe or short boot. Why is this a bad idea? Crashes often involve feet impacting with objects. The bike, the curb, the cage that didn't see you. When those impacts happen, two things often occur. First, the object will often catch the boot/shoe and try to tear it off. Second, the impact will cause the foot to be twisted in unnatural ways. A short shoe or boot does not have enough surface area to resist being torn off and it does not have the height or holding power to prevent from being torn off . It does not have enough height to provide for enough structure to deliver ankle stability. The result is a drastic increase in the chances of a debilitating foot injury. Full length motorcycle specific boots stabilize the foot ankle and heel. The extra height and additional fasteners keeps the boot secured to the foot. They also provide one other degree of protection. Remember the foot trapped under the bike thing? What else is under the bike? How about a sizzling hot exhaust? If your shin is trapped, that extra long boot will help prevent you from hearing the sound of sizzling until you can get your leg out. The best boots are race boots. They are armor for your feet with multiple systems to protect the foot, heel, ankle and shin. They are nearly impossible to get off in a collision and more than one rider has kept their leg after being side swiped by a car wearing top notch race boots.

JACKET AND PANTS. Your Jacket amd Pants protect the majority of your body from impact and friction. You will note I put down Jacket AND Pants. Why? Because all too many riders buy a jacket and then wear jeans. This is a very bad idea.

JEANS...NO! Denim Jeans are perhaps the most commonly worn pant on a motorcycle. They are also utterly useless as protective equipment. Denim has a tear resistance of 4.5 lbs. Compare this to good leather at 80-110 lbs and Air Mesh Kevlar fabric at 1250 lbs. The abrasion and heat resistance of cotton denim is nearly non existant. This means if you go down in them, they are likely to rip open and if you are lucky enough to not have them tear, the friction is likely to burn the fabric into your skin. A special mention must go to "Kevlar Jeans". In this version, the jeans are lined with Kevlar. However...there is a problem. The jeans are the same cotton denim as regular jeans so ther is no additional tear resistance. Even if the denim is doubled up, it is pretty weak. They fail often. The kevlar is loosely sown in and it adds no strength. Why? Because Kevlar, in order to be strong, must be woven in with other fabrics. Pure Kevlar doesn't have much strength. It does have good insulating properties. In addition jeans have no armor protection for impact.

PROPER PANTS AND JACKET. You want pants and a jacket designed for motorcycle riding. Designed to handle friction, heat and impact. The choice of material is what determines how well the article will work, how long it will last and whether it will survive after a crash. Here are the most common materials...

MESH. Used in warm weather gear, mesh is cool and flows a lot of air. Unfortunately, most mesh gear is so so when it comes to protection and it is usually a 1 crash only item. It offers poor friction burn protection. The exception to the rule is Air Mesh Kevlar made by a company called Motoport. It is the strongest motorcycle fabric available, has exceptionak heat reistance and comes with a lifetime crash warranty. It is, as you would expect, more expensive.

Textile. Textile Is typically 500 Denier Polyester, Ballistic Nylon, or 500 Denier Cordura. A compromise between mesh and leather or Kevlar, it offers decent protection at low to medium cost. Most textile gear is about 1/2 the strength and abrasion resistance of full leather. There is an exception...1000 Denier Cordura has the same strength and abrasion resistance as full competition leather at a significant price discount. The only company I know of making full pants, jacket and suits from it is Motoport. If others do, please post.

Leather. Leather has been the gold standard for decades. For good reason. It is strong, abrasion resistant, heat resistant and will often hold up for multiple crashes. It does have its' drawbacks however. Leather is warm, hot to be precise. You can get perforated leather which helps. Leather is a natural material and the quality of the material varies. Good leather is expensive and it has a limited lifespan. It weakens with age and sweat. It can be spendy. Plan on spending from $800-$3000 for a leather track suit. It is heavy. You want thick but thick means weight. Some manufacturers get around this by using alternate animal hides. Kangaroo turns out to be the best, but a full Roo suit will run $1500 or more. For the average rider on the street, halfway decent leathers can be had for $500.

Kevlar blended fabrics. These are rare. The company known for them is a small California company called Motoport. Kevlar blended fabrics offer a good blend of airflow, light weight, and extreme crashworthiness. The gear runs moderately expensive, about $1000 for 1 or 2 piece suit. It will last decades.

SUIT. eventually, as a rider, you will get a suit. What kind of suit will depend on the type of riding you do....

1 piece. Hardcore street, track day and racing. Tightly fitted, a pain to get on and off but the best protection.

2 Piece. Jacket and pants zip together. Good for general riding, sport riding, and track days.

Oversuit. For the commuter or touring person. Goes on over your street clothes. Okay for sport riding, not usually track approved. Examples include the Aerostitch and the Motoport Ultra Trek.

A CAUTIONARY NOTE ON COATED TEXTILES
Some textiles use a polypropylene coating on the fabric. Avoid this. If you go down, the friction can melt the polypropylene into your skin requiring skin grafts.

Followup comment by Gfloyd2002, also from the ninjette.org conversation

Tear and Abrasion Strength by the numbers:Pounds of force until fabric tears Abrasion cycles on pavement until fabric fails

CottonJeans 4.5 pounds to tear 50 cycles to failure
70 Denier Standard Nylon 4.5 pounds to tear 165 cycles to failure
500 Denier Polyester 8 pounds to tear 180 cycles to failure
200 Denier Standard Nylon 7.5 pounds to tear 275 cycles to failure
500 Denier Cordura 22 pounds to tear 710 cycles to failure
620 Denier Cordura 35 pounds to tear 1200 cycles to failure
Motorcycle Leather 80-110 pounds to tear 1200-1700 cycles to failure
1000 Denier Cordura 110 pounds to tear 1780 cycles to failure
Air Mesh Kevlar 1260 pounds to tear 970 cycles to failure *** EDIT: Notice that airmesh is less abrasion resistant than stretch or leather, this comes as a big surprise to many that believe that air mesh is superior ***
Stretch Kevlar Blend 420lbs pounds to tear 1800 cycles to failure
Leather, Competition Weight, (no tear weight available) 3 oz./sq. ft. 2600 cycles to failure

[Polarbear]

Interesting. Reinforces my feelings about the need for good protective helmet, gloves, boots and leather suit. Now I need to get one for my wife for when she wants to come riding with me (when the kids grow up).

Thanks for posting this.

C

[2thdr]

Great write up on gear and protection...I think everything I have read agrees with this.

[FJ12Ryder]

Does this mean since I've been riding for 5 decades and never been down, that I don't need to wear any protective gear?

[MaxSwell]

Fabulous write up. I never go anywhere on my mc without either my Roadcrafter Two-Piece or my leather Transit Suit. I've been down a time or two and due to the gear, I remain in one piece.

[BRad704]

That article/post has got me on a MAJOR hunt for quality affordable gear for both myself and my gf. Mainly looking at better gloves, boots and pants for both of us.

It also makes me feel stupid for buying some "kevlar cargo pants". Since there is really only kevlar in the butt, and 4" wide down the outside of each leg.

[Polarbear]

You know, one thing that strikes me is --and this is based only on my own situation--that I should have purchased the right gear when I first started out instead of going half way with a baggy leather jacket, Doc Martin shoes for foot protection and jeans (yeah, I was too stupid and cheap to try and invest in life-saving protection. I did have a good helmet, but not as good as the Arai I have now and it was to big. I never had to use it, but I wish I had read this 15 years ago so I could have purchased the gear only once if I had purchased the right stuff (I now wear good protection).

As it is often the case, you can actually save money by buying the right/better equipment right from the get go instead of having to replace the cheap gear (in addition of maybe being alive after a crash). Same with tools, computers, and many other things I think. Just my cents --speaking of which, we have done away with pennies in Canada, so should I say my two loonies???!?!

Ride safe people.

C

[Stucky]

e careful with some companies advertising claims. Tensile strength numbers are of little use (IMO), and abrasion resistance is the only number which should be considered.

[Roebling3]

This kind of information is not new. It's also been around for many years. It may not be as concise and complete as we see herein, but it appears in some form of nearly every motorcycling related publication. We see the evidence on the backs of those that race, in all categories. Like most information, we only take it in and actually act on it when we are willing to do so. My earliest recall of claims for abrasion, tear resistance and cautions about melting materials was when Aerostich first came to the market. That may have been 30 years ago, or more.

I remember 'club racing' on little used airports wearing work boots, work gloves (because all so-called mc gloves were pretty lame), a Vanson jacket (at that time all their mc jackets were full thickness horse hide, now there's a choice), and jeans. An open face Bell helmet topped it off. I've been street and track riding for 62 years. The dangers on the street are greater today by 6 or 8 times. Good fortune, R3~

[Duc2V4]

That article/post has got me on a MAJOR hunt for quality affordable gear for both myself and my gf. Mainly looking at better gloves, boots and pants for both of us.

As far as gloves go, I like the ones that have the Knox SPS* built into the palm. Teknic has a pair (Lightning) that are very affordable ~$99.00 and in my case worked really well! Below is a picture of the Teknic Lightning and a pair of the Knox Biomech gloves that have the SPS setup. I use the Teknic for daily use and the Knox when I'm out sport riding. The Knox have a little better airflow and a Kangaroo skin palm

*Scaphoid Protection System

It also makes me feel stupid for buying some "kevlar cargo pants". Since there is really only kevlar in the butt, and 4" wide down the outside of each leg.

You shouldn't feel stupid for buying the Kevlar pants, it meant that you were at least thinking about better protection than plain jeans, that is more than most riders do. However, without any armor or padding underneath them Kevlar pants, they probably would only help just slightly more than jeans alone. That being said, I opted for that compromise. I have at least 4 pairs of Kevlar lined pants, two jeans, one pair of khaki and one pair of cargo pants, however I also wear armor underneath (Bohn Adventure pants [Fall/Winter] or Alpinestar compression shorts with Knee/shin guards [spring/Summer]). My jackets vary too, depending on temperatures. Will Kevlar + armor prevent any injuries, probably not completely, but I think it may help reduce the level of injury(ies). Most motorcycling clothing manufacturers have the same dilemma, making gear that is both protective and comfortable. If something is not comfortable to wear, you are less likely, if at all, to wear it and how much good would it do hanging in your closet?

BTW, I have the 'Slider' brand of Kevlar pants, I bought them after Motorcycle Consumer News give their jeans a best buy award. For the record, I do have the more protective gear for those "sport" rides. Nothing says you can only have one type of outfit, right?

[HumalogAddict]

now that I have tried and realised how awesome the sps is, I would not buy other gloves that do not have it.

[luvtoleanit]

As far as gloves go, I like the ones that have the Knox SPS* built into the palm. Teknic has a pair (Lightning) that are very affordable ~$99.00 and in my case worked really well! Below is a picture of the Teknic Lightning and a pair of the Knox Biomech gloves that have the SPS setup. I use the Teknic for daily use and the Knox when I'm out sport riding. The Knox have a little better airflow and a Kangaroo skin palm

*Scaphoid Protection System

Knox are on sale at STG.

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Categories.bok?category=KNOX+Armor%3AGloves

I'm considering buying some during the sale. I've got multiple pairs of Sidi boots, 'Stitch, 2 piece leather suit, and 1 piece racing suit for the track as well as various helmets but even my high end A* gloves cannot compare with the Knox. I might need to try a pair because of the protection offered.

As far as the OP I can only say what is your body worth? So often I see people buy motorcycles that cost thousands of dollars but then they want to skimp and go cheap on gear. Doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If you can't afford proper gear then keep it parked until you can. It's not worth the risk.

[BRad704]

As far as the OP I can only say what is your body worth? So often I see people buy motorcycles that cost thousands of dollars but then they want to skimp and go cheap on gear. Doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If you can't afford proper gear then keep it parked until you can. It's not worth the risk.

I completely understand what you are saying about not skimping. I am a custom knifemaker, and it makes me crazy to see guys with $4,000 shotguns, or $50,000 trucks or even $3,000 bicycles... but they hassle me over charging $150+ for a completely hand ground and hand built hunting knife, when "they can get a knife at Walmart for $30".

The thing for me.. is that I'm not at that level at all. I found my bike for a steal of $1900, and am completely bound by my budget. I'm always looking to improve the gear I have one-by-one, but not everyone can go out and spend $750 on a full set of mid-grade gear all at once.

I am in more of the $400 shotgun, $16,000 car, $800 bicycle range. :) for now.

[Polarbear]

Hey BRad,

Little by little, and some things can be had on sale or used sometimes (back protectors, leathers maybe...). But especially if you don't have much money, there is no point in buying it twice. Spend the money once (even gradually) but spend it well so you don't have to spend it a second time.

C

[luvtoleanit]

As far as the OP I can only say what is your body worth? So often I see people buy motorcycles that cost thousands of dollars but then they want to skimp and go cheap on gear. Doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If you can't afford proper gear then keep it parked until you can. It's not worth the risk.

I completely understand what you are saying about not skimping. I am a custom knifemaker, and it makes me crazy to see guys with $4,000 shotguns, or $50,000 trucks or even $3,000 bicycles... but they hassle me over charging $150+ for a completely hand ground and hand built hunting knife, when "they can get a knife at Walmart for $30".

The thing for me.. is that I'm not at that level at all. I found my bike for a steal of $1900, and am completely bound by my budget. I'm always looking to improve the gear I have one-by-one, but not everyone can go out and spend $750 on a full set of mid-grade gear all at once.

I am in more of the $400 shotgun, $16,000 car, $800 bicycle range. :) for now.

I understand. When i started I was at the same place as you, nothing wrong with that. Check out newenough (now motorcyclegear.com) and Ebay. If you can figure out your size in a suit you can find a deal if you have patience and hunt. A lot (and I mean a metrick f*** ton) of guys will get in the sport then get out of it once their wife finds out, or parents, or get a scare, or whatever situation. They'll sell the bike and have some pretty mint gear going for pennies on the dollar.

[voiceoffire]

As far as the OP I can only say what is your body worth? So often I see people buy motorcycles that cost thousands of dollars but then they want to skimp and go cheap on gear. Doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If you can't afford proper gear then keep it parked until you can. It's not worth the risk.

I completely understand what you are saying about not skimping. I am a custom knifemaker, and it makes me crazy to see guys with $4,000 shotguns, or $50,000 trucks or even $3,000 bicycles... but they hassle me over charging $150+ for a completely hand ground and hand built hunting knife, when "they can get a knife at Walmart for $30".

The thing for me.. is that I'm not at that level at all. I found my bike for a steal of $1900, and am completely bound by my budget. I'm always looking to improve the gear I have one-by-one, but not everyone can go out and spend $750 on a full set of mid-grade gear all at once.

I am in more of the $400 shotgun, $16,000 car, $800 bicycle range. :) for now.

Watching for "closeout" deals is really beneficial. I re-kitted myself, the wife and son two winters ago for under $2000. That was with Shoei helmets, Icon and Joe Rocket leathers and textiles and Sidi boots.

[BRad704]

I've decided on Cortech Latigo RR gloves and Latigo boots as soon as I have that much $$ saved. both have had really good reviews and are in the "affordable" mid-range.

As for jacket and pants, I'm already watching all the normal sites/listings. Just hoping to luck into something good before the Memphis summer hits. :)

[dgordon]

Agree with everything stated by all. Imho, the kryptonite to proper protection is heat. Easy to wear the right gear in the spring and fall. However, in deep summer, what are the thoughts of the forum on good compromise gear? (Balance between protection and not passing out from heat stroke :-) )

[luvtoleanit]

Agree with everything stated by all. Imho, the kryptonite to proper protection is heat. Easy to wear the right gear in the spring and fall. However, in deep summer, what are the thoughts of the forum on good compromise gear? (Balance between protection and not passing out from heat stroke :-) )

Perfed leather and nothing less. Once you are moving its no prob and I live in summers where it stays at 100 or above and very high humidity. If trying to commute in those temps you take the cage instead

[wera803]

Adventure Rider (www.advrider.com) is another good site for used gear. Picked up a Motoport suit with liners for my GF along with Sidi boots and 2 pairs of gloves for about 1/2 what the suit alone cost new.

[vfrcapn]

Keep looking on the usual sites, Craigslist, eBay, m/c sites. I got my first Aerostich suit for a couple hundred, it wasn't a custom fit but worked well enough for a couple seasons until I went for a new custom fit suit. I've only gone down on the track but my $80 Craigslist leathers paid for themselves that day.

[spud786]

Does this mean since I've been riding for 5 decades and never been down, that I don't need to wear any protective gear?

If You mean , no crashing experience at all, thats concerning. If you have crashing experience and just never been down on the street, thats a different story. While crashing in itself doesnt provide needed experience, the ability to adjust through bike control measures in the process is where the experience is gained over the long term. I guess those who press the edge, are forced into that pass or fail mode much more frequently. And really why beginners are normally going down, they just lack the physics understanding, of how to get out of the situation.

I saw a guy who had been riding 40 years on the street, who claimed to never had incident, till it happened, and it was a sizeable event.

I dont know anyone who's ridden competition, whos' not crashed a motorcycle, but Ive never been down on the street, but Im not ignorant of the bike control and threat level control needed to maintain that status.

Im more mixed in gear use on the street, I mainly dress for the weather and not the crash, but if I can wear gear that isnt a henderence at the time, I'll do so.

[FJ12Ryder]

I was mostly kidding about not wearing gear. I do ride mostly in jeans, leather jacket, with mesh jacket when it gets hot, boots, gloves, and helmet. I do have some leather pants and have worn them when I'm going out for a spirited ride and I know I'll be riding more than casually. I've never been very interested in riding professionally, as I don't have the mental discipline to do so. I rode dirt bikes for several years and crashed quite a few times on them, but I always figured if you don't crash on a dirt bike you're not having enough fun.

From my observations, most of the accidents I've seen on the roads were caused by inattention followed by lack of ability to have the bike under control, whether it be high siding because you hit the back brake too hard, low siding because you hit the front brake to quick and hard, or hitting something because you couldn't avoid it. I've avoided many would-be accidents because I was paying attention, not driving too fast for conditions, and had the ability to stop very quickly if necessary. FWIW some things cannot be avoided i.e. wild animals running into you, people hitting you despite the best of evasion techniques, etc.

Also I don't group ride except very occasionally and believe that "pushing the envelope" on the street with traffic is foolish. If I ride fast it's on roads with little to no traffic. I've ridden several hundred thousand miles over the years on many different bikes. I've always wanted to do a track day, but never have. i did a bicycle race down at the Topeka road course quite a few years ago.

And one of the most important and fickle things: luck, and not being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'd kind of like to meet some of the people on here at the Arkansas meet in September, but we'll have to see about that whole "group ride" thing.

[Duc2V4]

S#!t happens is all I can say. Oddly, the two times I've been down recently have been under the 20 mph mark. Both times I was geared up, once with Armor under/Kevlar with mesh jacket and the other in my 2 piece leather suit. Both times I came out unscathed, nothing bruised except my ego!

Having raced ATCs in the desert many years ago, I can say that I have lots of crash experience, thankfully not on the streets at similar speeds, but every time I was lucky to be able to walk away and not suffer any broken bones! Bruised as hell in some cases, but nothing that put me in the hospital or out of action for more than one race.

Gear up any way that will reduce injury I say, cause you never know...

[RoadToed]

Great info, and most know it but choose ignorance. I am blissful I guess or mabey just lucky. Been getting by with a leather jacket made in the late 60s, gloves and a helmet for the past 13 yrs. Down twice; one tank slapper high side at 60mph no jacket or gloves, low side due to gravel and end up under a van that was stopped thank baby jesus. Both on first bike I do think it was a devil bike or had it out for me, never rode it again after. Was lucky twice and as I get older I think more about consequences and I am finally ponying up for good gear.

I am ordering a 2 piece suit and gloves custom sized from Lion Heart Moto. Check the Bargain section for more info they have a group deal on gear. I just talked to Scott the owner yesterday about a custom suit design and he sent me back a sketch this morning. He is a great guy and from what I have heard a great product at a good price. http://lionheartmoto.com

Does anyone have any recommendation on boots?

Thanks Andrew