We all know about wearing a helmet on a bike, no matter how uncomfortable it is. That’s enough for slow riders but when you go for off-rode, adventure, and fast riding, you should wear motorcycle body armor to protect your body.
Motorcycle accidents often result in significantly more severe consequences than typical car accidents. Statistics show that motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to lose their lives in an accident than occupants of cars.
The body armor is a perfect solution to prevent impact points with shells and protect from the heat of a full jacket. Let’s understand what exactly body armor is, the types of it, and how it will protect you.
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What Is Motorcycle Body Armor?
Motorcycle body armor is a type of protection cloth that bikers wear to protect their body. It is designed to keep their body safe during the fall off their bikes or get into accidents. This armor is made of advanced materials like foam linings to soak up a lot of energy if there’s a crash and even bounce back for more protection in case of another crash.
Riders wear body armor under their regular riding clothes. It is a shield that helps to reduce the risk of getting hurt.
In general, there are two main types of motorcycle body armor:
- Replacement Armor: These are replaceable protective shells that come with your motorcycle jackets, shorts, pants, and other motorcycle clothing. They are meant to upgrade and make your gear’s original padding better.
- Strap-On Armor: This is like an extra layer of protection that you wear over your regular riding clothes. These are padding pieces that you wear directly on your body. They are often used in activities like off-road riding and track racing.
The benefit of using a Motorcycle Body Armor
Safety of your body: one of the major advantages of wearing Motorcycle armor is safety. No one wants to wear a bulky and uncomfortable layer because it provides safety so we need to wear this.
It is designed to safeguard critical areas of your body such as your spine, chest, shoulders, elbows, and knees. In the event of a crash, it helps to reduce the risk of severe injuries.
It can absorb the impact on your body to prevent life-threatening injuries.
When you’re protected by armor, you may feel more secure and confident on the road. So, you can go faster on the roads, take higher risks, and enjoy better.
Key Features to Consider
You have to be aware of all the features before buying any motorcycle armor.
1. CE certified:
Make sure to look for motorcycle body armor that is CE (Conformité Européene) certified. That’s because CE certification is a mark of quality and safety. The armor gets CE certification after undergoing rigorous testing to provide reliable protection. There are two levels available for CE certification based on testing standards: Level 1 or Level 2. Here, Level 2 certification indicates higher impact protection compared to Level 1.
2. Torso Protection
Torso protection is a critical feature to ensure the protection for your chest, back, and spine. Look for high-quality materials and good designs that can absorb all impact from all angles. The material should have hard armor plates to ensure the safety of your vital areas.
3. Comfortable & Fit
A proper fit with comfort is important to wear long drives. Your motorcycle armor should be snug but not restrictive. It should stay securely in place during a ride. Many armor pieces come with adjustable straps or sizing options to achieve an optimal fit for your body shape.
4. Breathable
Because body armor is made from plastic material that can cause too much sweat. After checking the fit, look for a ventilation feature to ensure minimum sweat. This ensures that you stay cool and comfortable during your ride while still being well-protected.
Conclusion
The motorcycle body armor is important to protect your body during crashes or accidents. They added a plastic layer around your body, your arm, chest, and shoulder. They are available in two types: Replacement vs. Strap-On Armor. Before buying body armor, you need to make sure its comfort, fit, security, weight, and breathability with complete protection. Check different websites to look best body armor at an affordable price.
FAQs
Choosing motorcycle armor involves considering factors like fit, CE certification (Level 1 or Level 2 for impact protection), coverage of critical body areas, comfort, and breathability. Make sure the armor suits your riding style and provides adequate protection for your specific needs.
The strength of body armor can vary, but for civilian use, armor rated as NIJ Level IV is among the most robust. It’s designed to withstand armor-piercing rifle rounds. Keep in mind that regulations and availability can vary by location, so ensure you comply with local laws when purchasing.
Reading a CE certification label on motorcycle armor involves looking for the CE mark, which signifies conformity to European safety standards. It will also indicate the level of certification, either Level 1 or Level 2 as per the armor’s impact protection rating.
All the product have their pros and cons. So body armor also has many cons like higher cost, uncomfortable to wear, affecting your mobility, Inconvenience, and style.