Best Protective Gear?

[Coaln]

I'm getting back into motorcycling after some time off and finding that I can probably update or add to my protective gear.

My previous experience was mostly training and road racing at the tracks. Now I am getting into ADV -- actually starting with a lighter dual sport and will probably be riding offroad most of the time but on the highway to the trails. I'm in Nevada in the US where there are tens of thousands of miles of jeep trails in the mountains.

My strategy has always been to get and wear all the best protective gear that I could find. I always went top-of-the-line or custom and I never regretted it.

I can find my way around helmets, boots, and gloves. I'm switching from road racing leathers to a textile suit but I'm quite sure I prefer a one-piece so I'm probably going Aerostitch RC3 vs. the Klim. I can't really think of any advantage to a two-piece.

Where I'm lost is with the neck braces, knee braces or guards, and other body armor like the air bag vests, chest protectors, elbow pads, and hip pads. In my old road racing leathers, there's hard plates backed by foam in all those areas, and I would wear a separate back protector inside. I never had anything like a neck brace and the only guys wearing knee braces were ones who already had injuries. I can see there's much better options nowadays.

I don't want to buy any custom braces straight off, so I'm probably looking to buy off-the-shelf. I'm looking at stuff like the Leatt GTX 6.5 neck brace, Pod K8 knee braces... I don't know if this stuff is really good or what's better, and how well this will work with an Aerostitch. I'm hoping people who've been through this process will clue me in before I buy a bunch of equipment that doesn't work together.

[stinkwheel]

If you are solo exploring offroad, you'd probably be best to invest in a personal SPOT device.

I think braces are probably overkill. It's going to have to be something you are comfortable wearing all day long and I'd worry that the increased risk of crashing caused by discomfort and restriction in movement would outweight any benefit from their presence in a crash... It's best not to crash in the first place.

I personally think comfort. maintaining a comfortable body temperature and staying hydrated are all more important than body armour.

I'd imagine it gets epic fucking hot in Nevada. I'd be concious of how much armour I was wearing.

Money spent on training will give a higher return on your safety than any amount of gear.
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[Coaln]

Nevada is a big state. Bigger than all Great Britain by about 10%. Most people just think of Las Vegas which is more similar to Arizona (it's almost on the border). The rest of Nevada is mostly mountains and it can get pretty cold -- not Arctic cold like the midwest, but it's definitely freezing and right now a lot of the trails are covered in deep snow.

The Spot's a good idea. I'll probably get one when I start doing more backpacking this summer. Where I ride, I can usually get an amateur radio signal through one of the many mountain top repeaters. The bikes (or any vehicles) are not allowed in the "wilderness." Those are the most remote areas where no roads have ever existed. Those are the places I wouldn't want to depend on a 2m radio. Satellite or HF radio are a better bet and the Satellite is the most practical.

I get the point about how comfort is actually significant to safety. That's why I don't want to just kit myself out with a boatload of contraptions only to realize they don't work together.

I agree with your point about training too. I did a lot of training, schools, clinics, and classes the last time I was riding. Those were focused on street riding and the track. I will be focusing on offroad and street now. I'll have to see how much of each I start doing and find some relevant trainers.

[jeffyjeff]

Welcome to the forum. Thinking about your road racing days, the protective gear you wore back then was probably standardized for all the riders, and I imagine that it was more or less state of the art for the time. The AMA or the circuit governing body probably had some input on establishing those standards and requirements.

Why not direct your inquiry toward those active in off road cross-country racing? The need for body armour, neck braces and the like increases with speed. I doubt you would consider much beyond the Aerostitch if your intent was to putter around Nevada on a CT125.

A quick internet search netted some interesting stuff going on in your area.

https://www.racemran.com/
https://www.usdualsports.com/nevada-hare-scramble-races/
https://jimmylewisoffroad.com/
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[MCN]

I saw this last week.

I always laffed at the suggestion of an air-bag for a bike or an air-bagged bike jaiket but things have moved up a few gears since their birth several years ago.

https://youtu.be/N2jZryt607U

(I'm toying with the idea now. I was aye laffed at for having heated grips and heated jaikit but everyone is talking about them now. What's the best heated grips? )
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[Brava210]

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