Back Protectors

We are off on an epic trip to Scandanavia again in 4 weeks time and
neither of use have back protectors, so should I get one, and if so whats
hot and whats not, and more to the point do people use them once they have
them?

Mitigating factors:

Old sod.
Sense of mortality looming.
Wear a cordura jacket with feck all back protection. (1)
leathers are not warm enough, and I will look like even more of a twat
wearing shiny new one piece leathers on a GSA.

(1) Very nice Spidi Ergo 5 but without provision for any back protection.

/d

Life is an Adventure.

 

I do - knox kc2000 tour.

As well as the obvious, I find it helps to keep me warm/dry, provides
support in the kidney region, encourages me to keep good posture and
cost about 80 quid.


--
Dnc

B1200 - +30bhp ~|~ ZZR1100 - faster when upright
V2300 - flat cap and rug ~|~ VS800 - borked

MIB#26 two#54(soiled) UKRMMA#26 BOTAFOT#153 X-FOT#003

 

£85 is the cheapest I could find. Where did you buy yours from?
--
regards
Joe

Spelling and grammar mistakes included
for the anal retentive

 

Ovenpaa says...

I wear mine every time I get on the bike. It's a Knox Stowaway and GLF
sell them. Christofire has a Forcefield one that he really rates, and
they got a excellent write ups in mags etc. GLF sell those too.

<hears Grahams neck stretching as wallets quiver under the pressure>

 

Ive got one of these if christel wants to borrow it. i suspect it
might be a bit short for you.
--
Adie
(replace spam with nickname to reply)

UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.net/faq/

Triumph 955iSS / ZX9R / GSF1200 bandit (for sale) / CG125
MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16 BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11

 

I know it sounds like a daft question, but are you sure about that? The
Ergo's meant to come complete with the Warrior CE back protector. If
yours didn't, you may want to shout at the dealer who sold it to you.

 

I've got a Knox non-stowaway. The Bear is right - nice warm back,
fuzzy "I'm protected" feeling all over. You're most welcome to borrow
it and check fit - or borrow it for the trip if you like.

 

Recent EU changes meant that to get a CE logo stamped on your back the
protector had to be a certain length on a certain length back, the
standard ones no longer meet the standards so most companies removed
the back protectors and just left the elbow/shoulder ones in.

 

I agree. I've got the Knox KC2000 Tour too
<https://www1.securesiteserver.co.uk/glfacc/bigimages/kc2000x1_large.jpg>
But mine is the yellow version. Cost me about £70 and includes one or
two years free 'if you brake your back' insurance, and if it is 'used'
in a police reported RTA their Knox will replace it FoC.

 

I do. It's light and moderately flexible. When I put it on under the
leathers I forget it's there. It does make me slightly warmer - not a
lot on hot days, but it's nice on cooler days.

I still wear it pretty much every time I go out in my leathers. If I
don't it's because I forget, not because I think "oh, I don't want to
wear that, it's a hassle".

 

BGN scribbled:

They'll pay out if your spine slows down?

 

Too early for Vodka.

 

BGN scribbled:

<g> You'll have to find something else to blame then.

 

They're marketed as back protectors as opposed to spinal protectors.

My Knox KC2000 Tour Plus does provide kevlar and other goodies down
the spine, but also provides protection to the kidneys and shoulder
blades.

 

Er, not online at the time - and it's Varnsverry, actually.

Both Knox and Forcefield have already been praised within this thread.
Both manufacture excellent products which don't merely pass the
requirements of the standard by a smidgen, but by a country mile. But
either one and you won't be unhappy.

A lot of the "Italian-style" back protectors with interlocking plastic
plates actually come from some where a little further east. I have
recently arranged for testing of models manufactured in both Pakistan
and China - conincidentally I was at the test house on Friday and we
discussed the outcomes of the latest tests. The presence of the plastic
is irrelevant because the foam underneath simply isn't up to the task
of attenuating sufficient transmitted force.

A number of the back protectors are also "undersized", with products
which would only fit a nominal " child extra small" back being sold as
adult-sized protectors.

Wearing of a back protector cannot be guaranteed to prevent
neurological spinal injury. In the introduction to EN 1621-1 it states
(partial extract):

"About 13% of motorcyclists injured in road accidents have an injury to
(the) back region. However, only 0,8% of the injured riders suffer
afracture of the spine and less than 0,2% of injurd riders have a
serious back injury resulting in neurological damage. These serious
injuries are usually caused by axial forces due to blows to the head,
or bending and twisting forces on the back caused by blows to the
shoulders, hips and other parts of the body. Back protectors do not
provide protection from thsde forces."

There is a schoiol of thought amongst academics and medics that
improved shoulder and hip protection will have a more significant
effect on spinal injuries. Few motorcycling garments feature hip
protection, however, because the manufacturers rightly fear the same
materials and constructions they use in shoulder, elbow and knee
protection will prove too uncomfortable to wear. So, they don't bother
to fit hip protectors, rather than using the softer (but also more
expensive) high performance foam alternatives.

HTH

 

So, let's first examine the hard facts about the numbers involved.

"0.2% of injured riders" have serious back in jury? That 0.2% OF the
13% who have some sort of back injury. Any mathematics gods out
there? 0.2% of 13%. Not a lot is it? Anyone know how many
motorcyclists are injured in road accidents per year? Just so we can
work out 0.2% of 13% of that number.

Ah. And back protectors don't do a whole lot to help in the tiny
minority of these cases. Right.

My perspective: motorcycling is a potentially dangerous thing to do.
End of story. There's a device that won't really help in the event of
a fantastically unlikely event... umm... I don't see the point in
using it. The best thing to do would be to try really, really hard
not to crash.

Thoughts anyone? That's "thoughts", not "incoherent jabbering",
please.

 

I tend to consider the more likely types of crash, which I suppose would
fall into the category of low and medium speed accidents that don't
involve huge amounts of contact with the scenery.

In those situations having more padding and armour in my leathers
(including a built-in knox back protector) is likely to reduce the level
of cuts and bruises I'd recieve, potentially meaning I suffer less
overall pain.

In the unlikely event I have a really big crash I'm probably going to be
fucked up no matter what I wear, it'd just be down to luck as to how
much damage I suffered.

 

Ben Blaney wrote

I am a great fan of knee armour, not because I have had need of it but
because it is such fabulous insulation, it has transformed my attitudes
towards cold weather riding. I hear similar things from fans of back
protectors. Snot necessarily about protection alone but sometimes a
combination of benefits.

This as well.

Ah sorry, ignore what I said then.

 

Ben Blaney says...

A valid argument I'd say.

I wear a back protector because I've taken the skin and tissue off my
back and shoulders in a couple of accidents in the past. Anything I wear
to reduce the discomfort of that should I have an accident is good. The
fact that it might also help to eliminate a serious back injury is a
bonus. Either way, wearing it isn't going to hurt me so I stick with it.

It cost little, I don't notice its presence when I'm wearing it and the
straps give me something to attach my earplug holder and keys to.

 

snip>

I use a back protector in my one piece leathers because it's fitted
into them already. I don't own another one and have no desire to do
so. Nothing new there then.