Motorcycle armor
It comes in a variety of forms, from traditional yellow foam to high-tech compounds capable of absorbing large amounts of energy.
Hard armour generally is used in conjunction with some impact absorbing foam or other material on the inner surfaces facing the body.
They are currently being used in jackets, trousers and suits by manufacturers such as KOMINE, REV'IT!, Firstgear, BMW Apparel, Fieldsheer, Scorpion, Rukka, Klim, Aerostich, Worse for Wear, and Hideout Leather.
The material prevents trauma to the human body by three methods: Viscoelastic armor is able to achieve a higher level of impact-reduction with more comfort and less bulk than traditional hard armor–foam laminate solutions.
[2] All three standards assess the performance of protective devices by measuring the force transmitted through it when impacted by a falling mass.
EN1621-1 assesses products designed to protect the shoulder, elbow and forearm, hip, knee and lower leg regions.
Two Italian manufacturers – allegedly concerned their protectors would not pass the highest standard – successfully lobbied for Level 3 to be removed.
It contributed evidence to the assertion that the EU standards for motorcycle PPE have been subject to regulatory capture by manufacturers (a claim reiterated with the advent of EN 17092).
This is supported by evidence from the MAIDS Report (2004), the most comprehensive in-depth data currently available for Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs) accidents in Europe.
[3] They noted: "back protectors are unable to protect against most spinal injuries, which are caused by bending and torsional forces".
More recent work by Afquir et al in 2019 found that "very few injuries linked to posterior-anterior impacts could have been avoided by the use of back protection".
According to Albanese et al (2017), "The allowable transmitted force of EN 1621-1 may be too high to effectively reduce the probability of impact injury.
This is not surprising, given human tolerance levels that are reported in the literature [...] A reduction in the maximum force limit would improve rider protection and appears feasible".
[5] Additionally, Meredeth et al (2019) found that shoulder and knee armour need different levels of impact protection.
[6] Liz de Rome et al undertook a cross-sectional study of motorcycle protective clothing and armour.
The proportion of jackets (29%), pants (28%) and gloves (25%) that failed under crash conditions due to material damage indicates a need for improved quality control.
"[8] A later study by Wu et al at Université Lyon analysed the effect of motorcycle protective clothing on 951 riders involved in accidents.
