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My buddy has a Joe Rocket mesh jacket. Looks to offer about as much protection as a pair of nylons.

Well, I guess they could call racing outfits racing "nylons" instead of racing leathers. If you leave it at home, it might as well be made of sheer curtain material. Vanson and others make pretty comfortable vented leathers, and mine is a brand that went out of business years ago, called Vent-Tech. Very comfy in 100 degree heat, or at least as good as a tee-shirt, only with heavy leather where it counts.
About the only real advantage of fabric is weight. In every other measurable comparison, it comes in second. I'm still strong enough to wear leather without getting overly tired.

SDuncan wrote:My buddy has a Joe Rocket mesh jacket. Looks to offer about as much protection as a pair of nylons.

I dunno about the Joe Rocket, But I was riding w/ a buddy who had a FirstGear mesh. Got to watch him "Road Test" it. (was about 45mph lowside - gravel in rd)

He came out unscathed. They work pretty well. Better than a T-shirt that's for sure.

I also agree w/ Zoo - armored textile is fine for most any road slide fall.

I bought a Flieldsheer summer jacket. Go with CE approved body armor. The Joe Rocket stuff doesn't have this. Winter riding in SoCal demands wind proofing, so I'm looking at winter jackets now.

PhilD9er wrote:Go with CE approved body armor. The Joe Rocket stuff doesn't have this.

NewEnough.com wrote:CE approval for armor is a European standard. I'm not sure of the details, but CE approval for armor designs is necessary for items to be sold in most of Europe. Many manufacturers like Alpinestars, Joe Rocket, etc. sell products worldwide, so we've seen a number of products offered in the US with CE approved armor systems.

I know you Californians worship Europeans, but adhering to their garment standards, too? Sheesh...that's a bit much don't ya think?

I lowsided going close to 50mph. Had on textile gear. My bike was on my leg for most of the 100 foot distance.

My worst injury was from the blow from the weight of the bike - soft tissue bruising, etc. NO road rash.

The jacket did its job as well. I replaced both with the same items. They were BMW Airflow II jacket and Summer Pants. CE armor in both. You can see the gear in my sig pic.

I think too many folks still believe that textile motorcycle gear has not made any advancements from when it first became available. One caveat: the mesh gear is definitely not going to hold up as well as gear that has zipper vents instead of all over mesh.

Leather is heavy and HOT. Perforated leather is surely no more safe than the textile gear it is supposed to compete with, IMHO.




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ZooTech wrote: I know you Californians worship Europeans, but adhering to their garment standards, too? Sheesh...that's a bit much don't ya think?

I know you said that tongue in cheek, but European ratings are actually alot more ana than US ratings ... hence they are a better standard. I KNOW this is the case with helmets, as for armor and padding ... i don't even think there is a US standard for that ...

TechBMW wrote: I know you said that tongue in cheek, but European ratings are actually alot more ana than US ratings

Granted...just look at how hard it is for them to even get an endorsement, and then look at all the engine size restrictions they put on new riders. I don't know how it is in Italy, but it sounds like you have to putt around on a moped for a couple years in the U.K. before being allowed to ride something freeway worthy.

Thing is, Europe continues to have a more community-based mindset (i.e. Socialism) whereas here in America we're all about personal accountability. If you want to feel safe while riding here, you have to do the research and figure out what's right for you. We don't have Big Brother dictating a whole lot regarding personal safety, except for the idiotic seatbelt law. At least Ohio gives a rider the choice to wear a helmet or not. I mean, if Terry Schiavo had a "right to die", I should too, right?

I have one of those First Gear mesh jackets but testing it out is not on my to-do list...

I can't even count the number of motorcyclists I've seen come through an emergency room. Some of these guys are messed up for life. From the wide range of injury I've seen it seems that textile and leather protect about the same amount. A major thing I've seen however, is guys who have leather and don't want to get too hot on a warm day or short ride.

The real problem seems to be areas that cyclists don't give as much attention. HANDS AND LEGS/BOTTOM are the least protected areas on guys who crash. You should see how much blood you can loose through your palms, or the tens of thousands of dollars in reconstructive plastic surgery that may only get your hands/legs back to 30% of your former abillity.

Whatever you choose, make sure you still have enough left to cover your hands and legs (butt too). If that means a textile jacket for now- it will protect you if you're not doing something really stupid (the cases where I see textile fail where leather could have helped are guys who were going 100 plus, had one guy survive after a supposed 180 mph... he doesn't have legs but what the hell right?)

Long winded moral being- whatever you choose, cover everything up. It's like the motorcycle's version of the condom commercials, "Don't be a fool, protect your junk"