Body armour high density foam

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fatboy · #1 Post by **fatboy** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:15 pm

Any ideas where this stuff can be bought ?
I recently bought some nice comfy Textile kit, the jacket has no back protector and the trousers pockets for the hip protectors are too deep so the armour sits well below the hip.
Simple option would be to make my own to suit....

MartDude · #2 Post by **MartDude** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 9:38 pm

Have the hip protector pockets altered?

Plenty of back protectors on the market - both to fit in jackets, and to wear separately.

#3 Post by **mangocrazy** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 10:32 pm

Body armour is such a specialised field that I wouldn't even dream of trying to 'roll my own'...

My personal view is that body armour attached to a jacket or trousers can move from its intended position and thereby negate its intended purpose. Far better to have a back protector of the correct size and shape firmly strapped to your torso where it can do the job it's supposed to.

T.C. · #4 Post by **T.C.** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:38 am

mangocrazy wrote:
My personal view is that body armour attached to a jacket or trousers can move from its intended position and thereby negate its intended purpose. Far better to have a back protector of the correct size and shape firmly strapped to your torso where it can do the job it's supposed to.

Actually it is the other way round. Armour inserted into specific pockets within your protective clothing has less chance of moving than armour strapped to your body.

I have dealt with a few cases (which I may have covered on here before) where the strap on back protector has actually caused paraplegia as a result of causing a severe break to the base of the skull as it shifts and moves upwards, whereas I have never come across soft memory foam armour causing such injuries.

D-Rider · #5 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:25 am

T.C. wrote:
mangocrazy wrote:
My personal view is that body armour attached to a jacket or trousers can move from its intended position and thereby negate its intended purpose. Far better to have a back protector of the correct size and shape firmly strapped to your torso where it can do the job it's supposed to.
Actually it is the other way round. Armour inserted into specific pockets within your protective clothing has less chance of moving than armour strapped to your body.

I have dealt with a few cases (which I may have covered on here before) where the strap on back protector has actually caused paraplegia as a result of causing a severe break to the base of the skull as it shifts and moves upwards, whereas I have never come across soft memory foam armour causing such injuries.

That's very good to know - I think most of us would have assumed the stuff you strap to yourself under jackets etc would trade their lack of convenience for added safety.

Just out of interest the body armour in my new HG textile kit (though it seems that HG has gone bust again!) is very flexible and relatively soft in normal use but quickly goes hard in an impact (maybe it's custard-filled).
I can't remember what it's called but seems fine so far .... without testing in anger .....

HowardQ · #6 Post by **HowardQ** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:24 pm

I have an Arlen Ness textile jacket (well, actually have two now), which have a large very well shaped back protector pocket. (some just have a small rectangular unit with a bit of foam shoved in.)
This enabled me to buy a top quality back protector when I purchased the first one, so I could try a back protector in the shop. I went for a Forcefield unit, which I have been VERY happy with.
It took a bit of fitting in, but once done it cannot move around.
They say it moulds itself to the back with body heat, and it certainly seems to do this as it is always comfortable and unnoticed once I start riding.

Firestarter · #7 Post by **Firestarter** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:10 pm

Try contacting Knox or one of the other armour manufacturers. They may make some that would fit properly into the pockets

lazarus · #8 Post by **lazarus** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 2:53 pm

As a side issue I have been taken by the armoured mesh jacet that henry cole wears in his tv series. Anyone know what it is and where you ca buy it. I always find the brief hot weather we get every year to be a real pita in normal textiles and Im thinking of a trip to the usa anyway. So some armoured mesh gear could be useful - somehow I just cant ride without protection these days

wayno · #9 Post by **wayno** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:01 pm

Look for the d3o stuff, I think it comes in various guises including hips, knees and back protection, supposed to be good stuff (never used it myself though, although I could do with replacing the knee armour in my kevlar jeans as it would really only protect my lower legs and ankles the way it sits).

#10 Post by **mangocrazy** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:58 pm

T.C. wrote:
mangocrazy wrote:
My personal view is that body armour attached to a jacket or trousers can move from its intended position and thereby negate its intended purpose. Far better to have a back protector of the correct size and shape firmly strapped to your torso where it can do the job it's supposed to.
Actually it is the other way round. Armour inserted into specific pockets within your protective clothing has less chance of moving than armour strapped to your body.

That relies on the clothing in question being tight fitting and unable to move or twist when involved in an impact or sliding along the road. I suggest that this is normally not the case. The only suit that I have that I would trust to behave in the manner you describe is a set of Crowtree race leathers that were made extremely well fitting for just that reason.

T.C. wrote:I have dealt with a few cases (which I may have covered on here before) where the strap on back protector has actually caused paraplegia as a result of causing a severe break to the base of the skull as it shifts and moves upwards, whereas I have never come across soft memory foam armour causing such injuries.

That again also depends on the type of back protector used. I'd agree that the hard 'exo-skeleton' type back protectors could behave in that way, but the better memory foam back protectors such as those made by Knox or Forcefield would not behave in that manner.

There are definitely such things as good and bad back protectors, and some of the poorer ones are as bad as (and possibly worse than) not wearing back protection at all.

fatboy · #11 Post by **fatboy** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:13 pm

Thanks all, the back protector is less of an issue, I can buy one for around £10, or trim an existing one to fit.
The real niggle is the pockets for the hip protectors, they're too deep and made of that mesh stuff that also lines the trousers, being mesh, impossible to alter.
If I could extend the ( flat ) hip pads by around 50mm, they would be perfect.
Bad idea to extend them by using offcuts from old body armour from old jacket ? Thet would simply be distance pieces or spacers.
An internet trawl has not revealed anything of the size I need

MartDude · #12 Post by **MartDude** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:46 pm

lazarus wrote:As a side issue I have been taken by the armoured mesh jacet that henry cole wears in his tv series. Anyone know what it is and where you ca buy it. I always find the brief hot weather we get every year to be a real pita in normal textiles and Im thinking of a trip to the usa anyway. So some armoured mesh gear could be useful - somehow I just cant ride without protection these days

I'm not sure what Mr. Cole wears, not having watched his programmes. However, I can vouch for the comfort offered by the RST Ventilator III jacket & trousers. I bought some last summer, and was heartily glad of them during that bit of a heat wave we had. The cooling effect of the airflow through the mesh is noticeable even at walking speed. The trousers initially felt most peculiar - travelling at a reasonable speed, it felt as if I was wearing shorts. I certainly appreciated the suit travelling to and from Bobbi's Dorset bash, over, I think, the hottest weekend of the summer - I'd have been more than uncomfortable in my (unvented, apart from stretch fabric panels) leathers.

I can't offer any useful comment on what protection they might offer, not having fallen off whilst wearing them. They've got the usual hip, knee, elbow, shoulder & back armour.

A friend wore the same suit on a tour of Spain/SW France last year, and was favourably impressed by its versatility, with its waterproof & thermal drop linings.

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcy ... prod/84365

#13 Post by **mangocrazy** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:53 pm

Cheers Mart, that looks an excellent piece of kit. We bought a pair of ventilated jackets for use in the South of France (where they stay) and they are great when it gets stinking hot, but would be a bit bloody chilly in normal English weather. The one you linked to would seem to cover all eventualities (assuming you take all the bits with you, of course...)

I will definitely investigate that further. And the price isn't unreasonable for what it is, either.

robbier6 · #14 Post by **robbier6** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:51 am

D-tech used to do great replacement armour, don't know if they're still trading.

#15 Post by **mangocrazy** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:19 pm

Following on from Mart's recommendation of RST Ventilator kit, I've gone and splashed out on a pair of the Mk III Jacket and Troosas. At present they're discounted while stocks last, as they are due to be replaced by the Mk IV. I got the pair for £240, as opposed to an RRP of £300.

When I asked the sales girl what the difference between the Mk III and Mk IV was, she said that the RST logo was 'more modern' on the Mk IV.

Ahem...