kevlar gear

[ninja79]

Is there any manufacturer out there besides motoport that uses real kevlar? Oh, and what do you guys wear in the summer?

thanks,

Eugene

[Jamers!]

not sure about the kevlar, but i live in a constant summer zone so id say, go perforated gear for the summer, or some sort of non-total leather gear for summer. It gets really hot in full leathers in the summer. A-stars makes nice perforated jackets i love mine, look into one




JWF

[ninja79]

yeah, I got Joe Rocket Phoenix, but after reading more about it I'm not so sure about the protection it offers.

Eugene

[Skier]

Is there any manufacturer out there besides motoport that uses real kevlar? Oh, and what do you guys wear in the summer?

thanks,

Eugene

To my knowledge, there is no such thing as fake Kevlar. Straight from the "Save You Hide" link on Motoport's web site:

In order to give it the proper motorcycle abrasion strength Kevlar must be woven together with Cordura and Lycra...

The point is Kevlar by itself does poorly for protection. It will rip itself apart faster than leather or other textiles. This is because it provides poor abrasion resistance (it was not designed to be ground to a pulp).

As for what I use in the summer, I have an Aerotich Roadcrafter suit (made from Cordura). When it's warm out, I unzip the vents and wear shorts and a tshirt underneath.

[ninja79]

To my knowledge, there is no such thing as fake Kevlar. Straight from the "Save You Hide" link on Motoport's web site:

What I meant is, kevlar as opposed to any other synthetic material. I know of only motoport that uses it. Some manufacturers use cordura nylon, but most use polyesther (despite flashy names like "ballistic" or "rocktex" or whatever). They basically try to hide this fact. Also, they all use polyurethane coating which can melt into your skin.

Now obviously even that is waaay better than shorts and t-shirt. However, at some point I am planning to replace my gear with something more durable. Leather -- even perforated leather -- is out since it's basically unusable in the heat of summer -- and that's the only time I'm planning to ride the bike. That's why to me kevlar is so attractive -- it seems to be just as strong, if not stronger, as leather and at the same time much lighter and more breathable (mesh). But I'm surprised that there is only one manufacturer that produces kevlar gear (I'm not counting dragging jeans or some bullshit like that).

Eugene

[Sev]

Probably because like was mentioned above, pure kevlar gear is not abrasion resistant.

The good quality textile jackets are almost as good as a leather jacket in terms of ability to stop you through friction. And are on par in terms of abrasion resistance.

If you want a jacket for hot weather I'd suggest a mesh textile by any of the big names out there.

[ninja79]

So you're telling me that my Joe Rocket Phoenix is nearly as good as leather? That's not the impression I have after reasearching it for a bit. Though good information (like independent testing) is hard to find.

[Sev]

I've yet to do any research on that particular jacket, but the ones I've looked at are comparable to leathers in just about every way, except for the fact that they do not slow you as quickly.

The higher the denier on the jacket the better it is.

Umm, where did you hear that kevlar was the best stuff out there? I've heard that if mixed with nylon and cordura it can stand up really well, and I believe that motoport uses woven kevlar to make their gear. But considering how light weight it is, and easy to form one would think that if it was superior to leather it would be more common. Especially with all the squids out there.

[ronboskz650sr]

I don't think kevlar is really any cooler, unless the venting is better on the garment. I have Icon recon pants with kevlar knees. The only place air flows is through the vented panels of woven mesh. The knees themselves still get hot on a sunny day in the 90's or low 100's. Probably perforated leather would be the best all around, but it's all a compromise one way or another...unless you have lots to spend. Even then, hot weather means less comfort if you wear gear.

[ninja79]

Even then, hot weather means less comfort if you wear gear.

Well, I was wearing the Phoenix jacket & pants in pretty warm weather and I could barely feel them. Mesh really does work as long as you keep moving. I'm not so sure about leather though.