riding gear comparison

[ninja79]

Hi all,

Where can I find a comparison of the various jackets/pants. And I don't mean a superficial review about the style/color of the jacket and how many pockets it has -- I mean something where they actually measure abrasion resistance of the jacket or at least the material it's made of. I have not found any independent tests to substantiate the claims that this or that jacket provides better protection. But I'm sure they are out there.

so, anyone?

thanks,

Eugene

[SuperRookie]

Hmmm...Sounds like we're going to need some volunteers for some "real world" tests. Anyone volunteer for getting off the back of a pickup doing 60???

[Shiv]

I was thinking that same thing.

Abrasion testing is a bit different (and harder) than dropping weights on helmets, I would think.

[ninja79]

I was thinking that same thing.

Abrasion testing is a bit different (and harder) than dropping weights on helmets, I would think.

huh? How hard can it be? Just get a 100lbs sandbag, wrap a jacket around it, and drop it off a pickup truck. Better yet, put the jacket on a crash test dummy.

I've seen a lot of claims like <insert fabric here> is 5 times stronger than leather, or <insert fabric here> sucks, but not much in the way of quantifying those claims. I'm a mathematician, so I like numbers.

thanks,

Eugene

[xj899]

Take a look at the following link which gives some measurements at the bottom for abrasion and strength for some of the materials found in jackets.

http://www.motoport.com/saveyourhide.pd ... 0-777-6499

When shopping, look for the "strength" of the material (500 Denier or 1000 Denier or thickness of leather) When I was looking for a textile jacket - settled on the 1000 Denier Cordura as this has excellent abrasion qualities. This is also why some of the jackets are really inexpensive as you find their rating is only 250 Denier.

[jackM50black]

A lot of comparisons I read seemed to rely on opinion and judgment based on fabric and leather types. In a couple of cases I read how Cordura was tested, and had done well, but still lagged behind leather. Discussions on different types of nylon also lacks test data, but there does seem to be a consensus of opinion. I have a black leather perforated Tourmaster jacket, leather pants, and a summer nylon mesh jacket by Speedrag. I also have some heavy duty Carhart double panel jeans, and sometime I wear two pair of Levi's, one that fits snug and the next pair over it that fits loose.

[JCS]

motorcyclegearreview.com

Reviews from people who bought the products.

[macktruckturner]

I can say with authority that a spill from 25mph barely scuffed my AGVsport pants/jacket and my Oxtar boots. When I say barely scuffed, I mean the light scratches are no larger than a business card in total area. Given the impact areas - left ankle, left knee, left elbow - I would say with a certainty had I not been power rangered out, I would be in a deal of pain. As it is I've not even got a bruise anywhere.

[SuperRookie]

IMHO, another really important thing to keep in mind, besides abrasion resistance, is how the seams are stitched.

[ninja79]

Take a look at the following link which gives some measurements at the bottom for abrasion and strength for some of the materials found in jackets.

http://www.motoport.com/saveyourhide.pd ... 0-777-6499

I've seen this before. This document is provided by the gear manufacturer which makes it more than a little self-serving. Also, there is no explanation of what those numbers mean and how they got them. What are the "pounds of force" and "abrasion cycles"? What exactly are they measuring and where did they get these numbers?

When shopping, look for the "strength" of the material (500 Denier or 1000 Denier or thickness of leather) When I was looking for a textile jacket - settled on the 1000 Denier Cordura as this has excellent abrasion qualities. This is also why some of the jackets are really inexpensive as you find their rating is only 250 Denier.

Denier is NOT the "strength" of the material. It is the unit of measure of linear density of the fibers. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denier_%28measure%29