What safety jackets are you wearing?
- Thread starter DavidFL
- Start date
My 2-cents...though I'm a far less experienced rider than many of the forum members.
I've had a number of crashes, when riding my dirt bike in Cambo/Laos, but never any physical injuries except to the bike and my ego.
My first and only tarmac accident occurred last November, when riding the twisties to MHS.
The bike tossed me off, when whatever first dug into the tarmac. But, I think I bounced :mrgreen: instead of a long slide, as there was
very little damage to my jacket:
Like 'brian_bkk', I have an RS-Taichi jacket. Unlike Brian's jacket, mine is mesh (nice for hot Thai days), has CE armor (shoulders, elbows and back)
and many other padded areas. I bought the jacket at Paddock, 6-years ago.
I don't know the brand of my knee protection. They were given to me by my landlord, who was an experienced MX rider, until he broke a bone in his
neck during a race. The knee guards have saved my knees and have never shifted to the side when in an accident. They are hinged at the knee for easy walking.
I've had a number of crashes, when riding my dirt bike in Cambo/Laos, but never any physical injuries except to the bike and my ego.
My first and only tarmac accident occurred last November, when riding the twisties to MHS.
The bike tossed me off, when whatever first dug into the tarmac. But, I think I bounced :mrgreen: instead of a long slide, as there was
very little damage to my jacket:
Like 'brian_bkk', I have an RS-Taichi jacket. Unlike Brian's jacket, mine is mesh (nice for hot Thai days), has CE armor (shoulders, elbows and back)
and many other padded areas. I bought the jacket at Paddock, 6-years ago.
I don't know the brand of my knee protection. They were given to me by my landlord, who was an experienced MX rider, until he broke a bone in his
neck during a race. The knee guards have saved my knees and have never shifted to the side when in an accident. They are hinged at the knee for easy walking.
Well it's time to upgrade.Davidfl;290314 wrote: Thanks for all the feedback guys. If some of you want to post photos of your jackets - please do - because that would be more helpful to other riders I am sure.
Brian commented on my knee sliders
these worked well -stayed in place.
The old ones did their job, but they do have a problem with the elastic stretching far too easily.
Ive doubled up the elastic & re-sewn it a few times, but it never lasts too long - I was on my 3rd pair of these Scoycos!
And the new ones, are.......another pair of Scoyco brand.
But these are Kenn Guards
not knee guards, oh well.
They are bigger & stronger looking than the old ones
Plus they have a locking clip to fasten them, which would seem to be better than the Velcro-ed elastic. So might last a lot longer.
Shame about the colour some of you might say.
The other colour choice was black & white.
And the price: 1,300 baht from Zeromet in Chiang Mai.
this is what I plan on wearing for my next trip. It's about $26 US plus $14 US for shipping. I guess you can wear it with or without a large shirt over it. I tried it on though not during a ride. It runs a size small. I'm 5'8" 155 lbs, and a large fits me just right.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004VIA0JI/sr=/qid=/ref=olp_tab_all?ie=UTF8&colid=&coliid=&me=&qid=&seller=&sr=
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004VIA0JI/sr=/qid=/ref=olp_tab_all?ie=UTF8&colid=&coliid=&me=&qid=&seller=&sr=
Bump for Jurgen.Davidfl;291801 wrote: Well it's time to upgrade.
The old ones did their job, but they do have a problem with the elastic stretching far too easily.
Ive doubled up the elastic & re-sewn it a few times, but it never lasts too long - I was on my 3rd pair of these Scoycos!
And the new ones, are.......another pair of Scoyco brand.
But these are Kenn Guards
not knee guards, oh well.
They are bigger & stronger looking than the old ones
Plus they have a locking clip to fasten them, which would seem to be better than the Velcro-ed elastic. So might last a lot longer.
Shame about the colour some of you might say.
The other colour choice was black & white.
And the price: 1,300 baht from Zeromet in Chiang Mai.
Jurgen I think that you would really apprecciate these for taking photos down on your knees too. I know I do.
Wow, that's quite a collection. You must be doing some riding. Have you got any photos of the gear for us to see? Id especially love to see one of that Dainese Nylon 66 jacket that saved you at 160KP. Thanks.
I mostly wear my Teknic Violater perf leather jacket (which I feel like I stole-$279 including a CE-rated back protector shipped to LOS, and no import taxes)- I'll rotate in my Dainese Rebel and Vanson Sportrider (both of which were pricier than the Teknic- it's really a shame they went under, as their stuff is excellent), but I don't wear them nearly as often. I've also got a dirt-cheap AGV Sport Topanga perf leather jacket I got for $150 off Motorcyclegear.com, but I haven't worn it yet.
For hotter days, I've been very happy with my Dainese Air Tex-3 (I think that's the model) that I got from the Dainese shop in BKK for 7K- I've also got an Alpinestars T-GP Plus jacket, but the Dainese fits me better.
For the absolute hottest days, I've got an Icon Stryker Rig, but I don't feel very well protected in it as it has almost no abrasion resistance.
Some are my pics- others are 'borrowed' from the net:
For hotter days, I've been very happy with my Dainese Air Tex-3 (I think that's the model) that I got from the Dainese shop in BKK for 7K- I've also got an Alpinestars T-GP Plus jacket, but the Dainese fits me better.
For the absolute hottest days, I've got an Icon Stryker Rig, but I don't feel very well protected in it as it has almost no abrasion resistance.
Some are my pics- others are 'borrowed' from the net:
^
It was incorrectly priced on Amazon, and I picked it up for $199 (the seller sent me an email letting me know the actual price should have been $250 but he was honoring it)- for $250 it would have been more than it was worth, IMHO, but for $199 it was a decent deal.
There are some excellent deals on the just-discontinued Alpinestars Bionic 2 jacket, which is very similar (it has better chest protection)- take a gander on eBay- they should be around $175.
It was incorrectly priced on Amazon, and I picked it up for $199 (the seller sent me an email letting me know the actual price should have been $250 but he was honoring it)- for $250 it would have been more than it was worth, IMHO, but for $199 it was a decent deal.
There are some excellent deals on the just-discontinued Alpinestars Bionic 2 jacket, which is very similar (it has better chest protection)- take a gander on eBay- they should be around $175.
Thanks Dude!
I'm loathe to order from abroad- I haven't had much luck with the tax man lately, even shipping via USPS, so think I'll just wait till I go back to the States in a couple months and pick something up then.
My current compression armor is RS Taichi that I picked up on sale from one of the booths at the Bangkok Motor Show a few years ago. Perhaps I can find another deal at this year's Motor Show. If not, I'll see if I can pick up an Alpinestars Bionic 2 on clearance when I'm back in the US.
I'm loathe to order from abroad- I haven't had much luck with the tax man lately, even shipping via USPS, so think I'll just wait till I go back to the States in a couple months and pick something up then.
My current compression armor is RS Taichi that I picked up on sale from one of the booths at the Bangkok Motor Show a few years ago. Perhaps I can find another deal at this year's Motor Show. If not, I'll see if I can pick up an Alpinestars Bionic 2 on clearance when I'm back in the US.
That's a shame actually as it sounds like you've ridden in some pretty far out and interesting places and I for one would have liked to have seen some of your pictures.
Ride reports and sharing pictures is a big part of what motorcycle and travel forums are all about after all.
Certainly David doesn't have time to be your personal photo caddy so once again, I'd encourage you to take a few minutes to sign up for one of the dozens of FREE photo hosting sites so that you can share your pictures here.
Photobucket and Imgur seem really popular at the moment, but there are tons of others. Check out this link:
[h=1]Top 15 Most Popular Photo Sharing Websites | March 2014[/h]
http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/photo-sharing-sites
I mostly wear my Teknic Violater perf leather jacket (which I feel like I stole-$279 including a CE-rated back protector shipped to LOS, and no import taxes)- I'll rotate in my Dainese Rebel and Vanson Sportrider (both of which were pricier than the Teknic- it's really a shame they went under, as their stuff is excellent), but I don't wear them nearly as often. I've also got a dirt-cheap AGV Sport Topanga perf leather jacket I got for $150 off Motorcyclegear.com, but I haven't worn it yet.
I'm a Spidi fan. I like the functionality combined with the Italian styling. I wear both their Voyager 3 (Hi Viz) and Multi-tech Armour jackets. The chest and back protectors are interchangeable as is the H2Out waterproof inner jacket.
The summer gloves are great for BKK daily commutes too. Perforated leather with light knuckle protection. Lots of cool airflow when your hands are in the horizontal position.
The summer gloves are great for BKK daily commutes too. Perforated leather with light knuckle protection. Lots of cool airflow when your hands are in the horizontal position.
Apart from ordering expensive jackets from abroad what's available in Thailand at bike shops? I don't live in BKK and it's been years that I've been up there, so no Paddocks or other well-known biker supply shops for me!
I've discovered a "Bacuda" jacket with elbow, shoulder and spine pads sewn in for 3,800 B at a Kawasaki dealer here in Songkhla. Guess it's better than what I've been wearing, but I feel it's a bit of overkill in this hot weather.
Is there anything you could recommend that's available in bigger cities like Hat Yai or in Phuket?
I've discovered a "Bacuda" jacket with elbow, shoulder and spine pads sewn in for 3,800 B at a Kawasaki dealer here in Songkhla. Guess it's better than what I've been wearing, but I feel it's a bit of overkill in this hot weather.
Is there anything you could recommend that's available in bigger cities like Hat Yai or in Phuket?
Good thread! I've got a few thoughts but more questions than thoughts!
Random thoughts off the top of my head - I ride every day, +/- 40,000KM a year, my safety is important to me so I would be willing to pay big $ for a set up that really works.
It has to be at least semi comfortable though. (I think David mentioned in the first post you have a better jacket but its too hot!)
I know its irresponsible, but if what I have is too uncomfortable I might have something with really good protection and just not wear it.
David looking at your elbow in the crash thread I'm pretty positive it would not have burned thru IF the elbow pad was in place - kind of like a bullet proof vest; exact same amount of force but focused in a small spot by your elbow or spread out over the pat + having the pad there.
I don't have any research to prove this, but I would think having straps that can cinch the elbow pad tight to the elbow easily would be super helpful as you can see in cdrw's picture of his red Taichi. So that makes me think you could get away with lighter/cooler materials and still come out better in a crash if everything was buttoned down really well and fit properly as opposed having far better abrasive resistance in a jacket where the pads didn't stay in place.
I spent about $1,300 USD on a motoport airmesh kevlar jacket and pants. Worst purchasing experience ever in my life! (Story here: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=685652) I believe it is strong material - best jacket ever to use as a rope to tow a truck with, but it was insanely hot and uncomfortable. I was initially drawn to the idea of all their jackets being custom tailored to fit right; reality was they fit terrible and I soon found the majority of customers had the same experience. Of course it makes a huge difference if the "taylor" is down the street and you can walk in and talk to them/show them or if you have to take pictures then mail them to him paying huge shipping/duty fees! Lessoned learned: It's crazy to spend a lot of money on jacket/pants without trying them on first!
Before I bought the motoport gear I normally rode without anything. Shortly after getting the motoport gear I had my first ever real road crash. I was so grateful I had it on and was amazed I had ridden 1/4 million miles without a spill and had my first one right after I got my gear.
Looking back on that I'm very grateful I had the gear on, BUT I do wonder if the gear contributed to the crash. One of the "brags" of motoport but I believe is actually a negative is how uniform their thick material is. They claim to have equal coverage on the whole garment whereas all the other "cheaper" brands have it in just certain points. From my experience I would say you don't need as good of coverage on the back of your knees/elbows and that thicker coverage makes it harder to move/react quickly.
Important point to ponder: It is possible that while heavy safety gear is definitely a good thing when you get into a crash, it could help to contribute to a crash!
I'm in no way advocating not wearing safety gear but rather just encouraging anyone when trying on gear before buying to consider your range of motion; does the gear restrict you very much?
As for me I'm still looking! As I tend to not go that fast, and can too easily stuff my jacket in my Givi box when feeling hot, I'm looking for jacket that leans to the less protective but cooler side. I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment where it is definitely cooler than back home in Malaysia. (Have accuweather on my phone which gives the interesting "real feel" numbers. Right now in Penang, Malaysia it is 88F with a "real feel" of 110F. Here in Chiang Mai it is 86 with a real feel of 102F. Right now is our coolest time; the difference would be exaggerated in December.) It's hard to dress responsibly in this weather!
Random thoughts off the top of my head - I ride every day, +/- 40,000KM a year, my safety is important to me so I would be willing to pay big $ for a set up that really works.
It has to be at least semi comfortable though. (I think David mentioned in the first post you have a better jacket but its too hot!)
I know its irresponsible, but if what I have is too uncomfortable I might have something with really good protection and just not wear it.
David looking at your elbow in the crash thread I'm pretty positive it would not have burned thru IF the elbow pad was in place - kind of like a bullet proof vest; exact same amount of force but focused in a small spot by your elbow or spread out over the pat + having the pad there.
I don't have any research to prove this, but I would think having straps that can cinch the elbow pad tight to the elbow easily would be super helpful as you can see in cdrw's picture of his red Taichi. So that makes me think you could get away with lighter/cooler materials and still come out better in a crash if everything was buttoned down really well and fit properly as opposed having far better abrasive resistance in a jacket where the pads didn't stay in place.
I spent about $1,300 USD on a motoport airmesh kevlar jacket and pants. Worst purchasing experience ever in my life! (Story here: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=685652) I believe it is strong material - best jacket ever to use as a rope to tow a truck with, but it was insanely hot and uncomfortable. I was initially drawn to the idea of all their jackets being custom tailored to fit right; reality was they fit terrible and I soon found the majority of customers had the same experience. Of course it makes a huge difference if the "taylor" is down the street and you can walk in and talk to them/show them or if you have to take pictures then mail them to him paying huge shipping/duty fees! Lessoned learned: It's crazy to spend a lot of money on jacket/pants without trying them on first!
Before I bought the motoport gear I normally rode without anything. Shortly after getting the motoport gear I had my first ever real road crash. I was so grateful I had it on and was amazed I had ridden 1/4 million miles without a spill and had my first one right after I got my gear.
Looking back on that I'm very grateful I had the gear on, BUT I do wonder if the gear contributed to the crash. One of the "brags" of motoport but I believe is actually a negative is how uniform their thick material is. They claim to have equal coverage on the whole garment whereas all the other "cheaper" brands have it in just certain points. From my experience I would say you don't need as good of coverage on the back of your knees/elbows and that thicker coverage makes it harder to move/react quickly.
Important point to ponder: It is possible that while heavy safety gear is definitely a good thing when you get into a crash, it could help to contribute to a crash!
I'm in no way advocating not wearing safety gear but rather just encouraging anyone when trying on gear before buying to consider your range of motion; does the gear restrict you very much?
As for me I'm still looking! As I tend to not go that fast, and can too easily stuff my jacket in my Givi box when feeling hot, I'm looking for jacket that leans to the less protective but cooler side. I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment where it is definitely cooler than back home in Malaysia. (Have accuweather on my phone which gives the interesting "real feel" numbers. Right now in Penang, Malaysia it is 88F with a "real feel" of 110F. Here in Chiang Mai it is 86 with a real feel of 102F. Right now is our coolest time; the difference would be exaggerated in December.) It's hard to dress responsibly in this weather!
Does anyone know of a taylor in Chiang Mai that can work with motorcycle jackets? Fine tune the fit? Add "cinch" staps to pull elbow armor in place?
I bought a @genuine@ Komine jacket from a shop almost opposite Suriwong bookstore in Chiang Mai..the zipper broke second time I wore the jacket,when I took it back,the owner (nice guy) repaired it on the spot,and said he has a guy who can repair and alter jackets and stuff....might pay to drop in....can swing past there and get the GPS coordinates if you want....
The jacket I bought seems to have ok protection,and certainly has good airflow.
Not so the Kevlar jeans though....hot!
The jacket I bought seems to have ok protection,and certainly has good airflow.
Not so the Kevlar jeans though....hot!
As we all know crashing isn't the only danger when riding a bike in this country, on a day to day basis it's the heat that's the real killer!
I've a few jackets but the one that I can't stop wearing since I put it on is the Spidi Multitech Armour jacket: http://www.spidi.com/eu/eu_en/textile-motorcycle-jackets/multitech-armor.html
It is a compromise I know, but how many of us are wearing leathers in this heat! I haven't had a slide in it so can't comment on the protection the jacket offers or how it is affected (ripped/torn etc.) What I can attest to is the amount of airflow this light weight jacket can offer in the daily heat of Thailand, whilst still giving elbow, shoulder, chest and back protection. I still sweat in it and I have used a Spidi H2Out accompanying waterproof jacket with it as it's not waterproof, but it's still a great jacket for the heat of SE Asia.
The jacket runs a size small. I have another Spidi jacket (Voyager 3) in an XL, I wear an XXL in this jacket. Paddock and Dirtshop both had the XL (I tried it on in Paddock). I ended up buying directly from a Spidi in Italy when they were offering free international shipping.
Difficult to wear another jacket after this one, the Voyager may get an outing in Northern Laos over the winter, otherwise the Multitech is just perfect for a sweaty Englishmen like me in Thailand!
I've a few jackets but the one that I can't stop wearing since I put it on is the Spidi Multitech Armour jacket: http://www.spidi.com/eu/eu_en/textile-motorcycle-jackets/multitech-armor.html
It is a compromise I know, but how many of us are wearing leathers in this heat! I haven't had a slide in it so can't comment on the protection the jacket offers or how it is affected (ripped/torn etc.) What I can attest to is the amount of airflow this light weight jacket can offer in the daily heat of Thailand, whilst still giving elbow, shoulder, chest and back protection. I still sweat in it and I have used a Spidi H2Out accompanying waterproof jacket with it as it's not waterproof, but it's still a great jacket for the heat of SE Asia.
The jacket runs a size small. I have another Spidi jacket (Voyager 3) in an XL, I wear an XXL in this jacket. Paddock and Dirtshop both had the XL (I tried it on in Paddock). I ended up buying directly from a Spidi in Italy when they were offering free international shipping.
Difficult to wear another jacket after this one, the Voyager may get an outing in Northern Laos over the winter, otherwise the Multitech is just perfect for a sweaty Englishmen like me in Thailand!
Yes, heat is a problem, I plan to wear the jacket only on trips when I'm on holiday, like 500 to 600 km days.
The Bacuda jacket I saw at the Kawasaki dealer looks simpler, no pockets like in your pic, and the armor is sewn in.
The plastic armor pieces I can bend by hand, it's not real hard material, how thick is it supposed to be?
The outer material also has some "webbed" material like on the arms above.
I guess I'll go ahead and buy it, can't go much wrong, it's only 3,800 B.
The Bacuda jacket I saw at the Kawasaki dealer looks simpler, no pockets like in your pic, and the armor is sewn in.
The plastic armor pieces I can bend by hand, it's not real hard material, how thick is it supposed to be?
The outer material also has some "webbed" material like on the arms above.
I guess I'll go ahead and buy it, can't go much wrong, it's only 3,800 B.
Thanks for that Poompui! I checked google maps for Suriwong bookstore & came up with something about 100 meters south of Imperial Mae Ping Hotel on Sridonchai Road - is that it?
Craig the Spidi jacket doesn't really look like that does it? I.e. 1/2 armor on the inside, 1/2 outside? I'm assuming that's just a pic to show us whats on the inside? Looks like it would do ok compared to many mesh jackets.
Something like that I'd still like to have it customized by a great taylor... first off adding better cinch straps for the elbow guards. I've even thought of having quick release, cinch down straps going under the arm to tighten down the shoulder straps a bit.
My personal bottom line goal is to have a jacket as comfy as possible but that can really quickly and easily be cinched up around the elbows, shoulders waist. So easy/fast you can do it while riding and loosen everything up in a few seconds at a red light to breathe!
They do have some crazy statistics of what a high percentage of accidents happen close to home so I want something I'll always wear. I think of my "dream" jacket a bit like a modular helmet. Several times I've stopped at accidents where the victim "kissed" the road and seemed to slide on his face with an open face helmet and so I really value full face helmets. At the same time they are SOOO much hotter in the traffic and heat. (And you can't drink coffee and ride!) My theory with modular helmets is I leave them flipped up in traffic and while going slow when it is the hottest for me. Once I hit faster, cruising speeds I flip it down and its not so unbearable when moving.
I don't know if this is true or not but I think if I did crash with it up there'd be a chance the bar would hit first and slide down?