Mid-Life Rider

I found Motoport a couple of days after dumping my bike going round a round-a-bout at something less than 20mph. The roads were wet and I was dumb/unaware enough to roll on the throttle while leaned over while rolling over one of the those big white painted arrows. A bad combination.

The bike slide out from under me and I went sliding on my fancy-schmancy Dainese-clad ass. Dainese makes some brilliant kit, but the stuff I had bought at a very high price from my local Duc dealer was complete crap. It holed through like I was wearing bluejeans. I was fine, the bike got sorted out and has logged many, many miles since, and the Dainese crap got shuffled off to a closet somewhere.

Damn the dollars, I went looking for the best. Best being defined at that time by

• Resistance to tears, abrasion, biological weapons, and thermonuclear blasts.
• Useful in a wide range of weather conditions
• Good fit
• High quality
• Didn’t look too heinous (always a matter of opinion)
• Black (others believe in hi-vis; I mostly don’t)

Notice price wasn’t on the list. I pay some attention to what things cost, but when it comes to safety gear, it’s a distant 22nd on the list. Yeah, sometimes I gasp when I get the credit car bill, but then I look at the pictures of my wife and kids and that settles that.

I’ve reviewed Motoport gear elsewhere. Suffice it to say I am a total believer in their philosophy and their products. i have a bunch of their kit. They have hidden on their site a pdf that makes the case for why Kevlar is a swell material for motorcycle gear.

Will this save my skin?
Nothing says irresponsible amateur “squid”, like riding with no protective clothing. So how do you choose the right gear? When you meet the pavement unexpectedly you want 3 things, impact protection, abrasion strength and tear strength. Look for pliable dense foam padding inserts for impact protection. Look for quality safety lock stitching; your gear is only as strong as itʼs seams. A simple fall at 30mph can subject your clothing to more than 30 pounds of tearing force. Fabrics with similar thicknesses anfeels can have vastly different protective characteristics.

Kevlar
Dupont strikes again
In order to give it the proper motorcycle abrasion strength Kevlar must be woven together with Cordura and Lycra, ei Schoeller’s Keprotec. These are the only suits approved for road racing other than leather. Some gear manufacturers use small portions of pure Kevlar as a gimmick. Quality full suits of it can be found. This gear is lighter, offers greater protection and it breathes. It slides on pavement the same way as leather and dissipates fric-
tion heat better than leather. Due to its innate toughness during construction and the fabrics limited availability it is not widely marketed so it will take a bit of looking to get one.

Nylon
Only certain grades of nylon will do
Many names are given to types of Nylon to make it sound impressive. Only Cordura Nylon or Dynatec of 620 Denier or above is suitable for motorcycle gear. Denier refers to the thickness of the fibers in the weave, higher denier means higher abrasion and tear strength. Be aware that due to cost, some makers coat their nylon with a layer of polyurethane that under heavy pavement friction can melt into your skin.

Leather
Who wore it before you did?
Leather has long been a good protective fabric. However, many variables can effect itsʼ quality including, the type, age and diet of the animal it came from. Different methods used to clean, tan and dye the leather effect it as well. Unfortunately the best way to tell if the garment is made of good leather is to look at the price tag. Good leather costs more and that cost is passed on to the consumer. Leather should be worn snug because when leather folds itʼs tear strength lowers considerably. As an organic material leather dries out and looses itʼs flexibility over time. In fact each time leather gets wet and dries it can loose up to 20% of its tear and abrasion strength. If you purchase leather, get the best you can and care for it habitually, even if itʼs just hanging in the closet.

What you need to know about Tear and Abrasion Strength (lbs of force and abrasion cycles until failure)

Cotton Jeans: 4.5 pounds to tear; 50 cycles to failure
70 Denier Standard Nylon: 4.5 pounds to tear; 165 cycles to failure
500 Denier Polyester: 8 pounds to tear; 180 cycles to failure
200 Denier Standard Nylon: 7.5 pounds to tear; 275 cycles to failure
500 Denier Cordura: 22 pounds to tear; 710 cycles to failure
620 Denier Cordura: 35 pounds to tear; 1200 cycles to failure
NEW Competition Grade Leather: 80-110 pounds to tear; 1200-1700 cycles to failure
1000 Denier Cordura: 110 pounds to tear; 1780 cycles to failure
Air Mesh Kevlar: 1260 pounds to tear; 970 cycles to failure
Stretch Kevlar Blend: 420lbs pounds to tear; 1800 cycles to failure

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Tags: Motoport, CyclePort, Dainese, midliferider, motorcycle, nylon, cordura, kevlar