MCN's review guide to the top motorcycle armour and protection

One of the biggest attractions of motorcycling is the feeling of liberation that comes with being immersed in the greater environment, rather than being insulated from it like in a car, for example. However, it’s a fact of life that the liberation that makes motorcycling so addictive also makes us vulnerable. And this is why motorcycle armour upgrades and protective clothing is so important.

Abrasion or Impact Protection?

When it comes to protecting you in the event of an accident or a fall, there are two qualities that matter. One is the abrasion resistance and build quality of the clothing you’re wearing. You want something that will offer some resistance to sliding down the road and won’t begin to fail and come apart if you suffer a low-side, where the bike slides out from under you.

You also want motorcycle armour upgrades that help to cushion you in the event of an impact; if you high-side, when the bike flings you off and into the air or you hit something head-on – a vehicle pulls out in front of you or you tumble into the ground or a tree when off-road.

We’ve considered abrasion resistance before when we looked at riding jeans. But motorcycle armour upgrades is a different matter and impact protection can be provided in a variety of ways, including built-in to a jacket, as a separate garment all together or as personal airbag technology (which we’ll look at separately).

Impact-protecting armour is assessed with a CE rating, either Level-1 or Level-2. Level-1 is the minimum for motorcycle clothing while Level-2 offers better protection. There are also different forms of motorcycle armour protection, including traditional foam-like pads, D3O which is pliable until struck with a high-impact force when it becomes firmer and new technology like D3O’s Ghost armour, which is very thin for comfort but offers Level-1 protection.

Things To Consider

Some motorcycle armour upgrades will also allow the body to breathe – useful for large back protectors, to help prevent the back from getting sweaty, particularly for high-exertion riding like on trackdays or off-road.

You should also consider where you want motorcycle armour upgrades. Elbows and shoulders are the prime candidates for jackets, as they are likely to hit the ground hard if you are flailing around in an accident. Back protectors will help stabilise and shield the spine and muscles while chest armour can also be very useful, as the vast majority of fatal motorcycle accidents involve chest injuries.

Trousers should have at least knee armour and ideally, at the hip as well, for the same reasons as in a jacket.

About the author: After qualifying as a mechanical engineer, Jim Blackstock began working on magazines in the early 1990s. He remains passionate about product testing to ensure readers know what products offer good value and why. He relishes torrential rain to see if riding kit keeps water out and an hour or two to tinker on a project bike in his workshop.

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