Requesting feedback from crash survivors-How well does textile REALLY protect??

CWCobra

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I'm requesting feedback on real-world crash performance afforded by textile/padded gear, especially "ballistic" nylon typs gear.

I have been wearing textile gear (Olympia Airglide jacket, pants, all with padding) for a coule of years now because of its relative light weight and better air flow versus leather. Obviously leather would be the superior protection in the event of a crash, but how does textile really perform? Am I fooling myself by thinking I have the "next best" thing to leather, or will textile really offer me some protection?

What do your real-world crash experiences tell you?

I'm guessing that the ballistic stuff is better than denim jeans, but not nearly as good as leather. I guess what I'm really getting at is this: just how close to leather can you get with textile?

BTW, I also always wear full-face helmet, gloves, and steel-toe boots.

Thanks,
CW
 
I'm requesting feedback on real-world crash performance afforded by textile/padded gear, especially "ballistic" nylon typs gear.

I have been wearing textile gear (Olympia Airglide jacket, pants, all with padding) for a coule of years now because of its relative light weight and better air flow versus leather. Obviously leather would be the superior protection in the event of a crash, but how does textile really perform? Am I fooling myself by thinking I have the "next best" thing to leather, or will textile really offer me some protection?

What do your real-world crash experiences tell you?

I'm guessing that the ballistic stuff is better than denim jeans, but not nearly as good as leather. I guess what I'm really getting at is this: just how close to leather can you get with textile?

BTW, I also always wear full-face helmet, gloves, and steel-toe boots.

Thanks,
CW


Great question, I too anticipate the responses! :thumbsup:
 
If one slides going high speed, textile jackets will not stay in place not because of the material durability, but because they don't usually fit tight enough. However I survuved a high impact crash with textile jacket.
For your boots, make sure they are tall enough to protect your shins.
AGATT!!
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I had a crash in Icon timax and It didn't even scuff the sh** I swear. I always thought it was high $$ but now I see it's the truth but that's just my opinion. However I escaped with no skin rash or broken bones,
 
Went down with a Joe Rocket mesh jacket on. Jacket was a little messed up but I wasn't:thumbsup: It was below 30 mph so I can't say on a high speed crash.
 
I always wear leather but a guy I was ridding with one day went down at 70mph on the interstate after a pick-up side swiped him. He didn't even brake a bone, just had some pumps and bruises on his arms. He was wearing full gear along with his textile jacket. The jacket was unusable after the accident though. I don't know how textile compares to leather but I would trust my life to textile.
 
I had my crash 4 years ago, but that day I was not wearing my Icon timax jacket or gloves. YES I learned my lesson, but the way the jacket is made it would have protected me. All the places were the most road rash was is right were the titanium plates and the extra padding was.
The most important thing is its cooler to wear so you most likely will wear it.
 
Had a 40-45mph spill in a Fieldsheer High Flow II Mesh Jacket, didn't have the forearms tightened down when I went down. I'm guessing that because they weren't tight the elbow pad shifted out of place when I made contact with the asphalt. The mesh blewout on the right elbow and forearm, leaving me with four areas of quarter to dime size road rash. :(

Why weren't the forearms tightened? I found it difficult to get my hands in and out of the sleeves with them tightened and I was just to lazy to adjust them everytime I dawned the jacket.

Would I have fared better if I'd worn the jacket properly? Hard to say but I do tighten the forearms now when I put on the jacket.
 
I've had a couple of low speed spills due to deisel/gasoline on the tarmac, both time the textile frank thomas jackets (fairly expensive too ! $300 each !) first was smooth tarmac, jacket was a mess i slid face down, it wore straight thru on left fore arm and left me with 10mm jam jar lid size rashy hole in my arm ! second was on my back left shoulder similar thing damage wise, nowadays i'm always in leather, being hot is a lot less un comfortable that gravel rash ! be safe buddy....
 
Joe Rocket Alter Ego protected us. I still have mine and wear it. I've heard they'll get shredded, but mine held up. Mine has all kinds of adjustments as far as fit goes.
 
I think with fabric it's more the case that it tends to "grab" whereas leather slides. Always a prob if your arm stops as elbow hits the ground and body wants to keep going as gravity takes over. I always look at the fact where world champs with money and expense being no problem ................ still use leather even in this day of all the space age materials available. I was running once and fell over in a pair of Kevlar ridin jeans and put a hole in them and drew blood ............ never rode with them again. " Holey Cow" :thumbsup:
 
Unfortunately i have had quite a bit of experience crashing with different jackets :down: never leathers

My textile jacket saved my skin75 mph fall but it did have kevlar padding on the elbows forearms, back an shoulder. I guess if you can handle wearing the leathers go with leathers. But for street riding (not street racing):laugh: I think the jackets do well. Sure is better than the tank tops an shorts I see my Harley friends wearing.:whistle:
 
crashed doing about 25-30 in Kevlar jeans. My knees were rug burned from the inside of the kevlar, but wounds were clean of any gravel, asphalt or dirt. barely hurt and healed within weeks. Jeans ripped Kevlar didnt..
 
I had a crash with the Joe Rocket hayabusa jacket and slid burned thru the jacket speed was about 20 mph the hole was on my right forearm pad had shifted
 
Cobra, I have never crashed..but I work in a hospital where I have seen some things that would make a marine puke. When I started riding the Busa...I was so afraid. I had so much respect for how quickly this bike can get you dead. So, I bought Motoport gear...pants and jacket. They are Kevlar with soft body armour everywhere. The gear is heavy and it is expensive. But I am telling you straight up...if you go down without good gear on it can destroy your body. Getting gravel and dirt ground into you is so difficult for the ER doctors to clean out...it is so painful for the unlucky person as they get scrubbed with betadyne type products with a surgical brush. So, I am not saying you need to by my type of gear...but the guys will tell you ride with the gear that you will ride with. Don't get lazy and say I am just taking the video back and 8 months later you are just getting out of the hospital after a horrendous accident in your t-shirt and shorts. That is why I ride with a helmet that has the chin protected. I have seen faces where you couldn't tell if it was a pizza or a face after a bad slide. It just creeps me out to think about sliding on cement or asphalt...good luck...2 hip
 
Cobra, I have never crashed..but I work in a hospital where I have seen some things that would make a marine puke. When I started riding the Busa...I was so afraid. I had so much respect for how quickly this bike can get you dead. So, I bought Motoport gear...pants and jacket. They are Kevlar with soft body armour everywhere. The gear is heavy and it is expensive. But I am telling you straight up...if you go down without good gear on it can destroy your body. Getting gravel and dirt ground into you is so difficult for the ER doctors to clean out...it is so painful for the unlucky person as they get scrubbed with betadyne type products with a surgical brush. So, I am not saying you need to by my type of gear...but the guys will tell you ride with the gear that you will ride with. Don't get lazy and say I am just taking the video back and 8 months later you are just getting out of the hospital after a horrendous accident in your t-shirt and shorts. That is why I ride with a helmet that has the chin protected. I have seen faces where you couldn't tell if it was a pizza or a face after a bad slide. It just creeps me out to think about sliding on cement or asphalt...good luck...2 hip

Thank you.
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I got clipped lane splitting here in Cali running about 65 mph. Slid for a while, dont remember how long, cause I dont recall hitting the ground, No road rash, but I did have a seperated shoulder. The chest padding really helped because my sliding was stopped when I was wrapped around a rear tire. I was wearing a 661 mesh armor and a Motorcycle club Bulletproof Vest.
 
My Joe Rocket mesh did not hold up well on grass, not so sure how good it would be on asphalt. Leather works for the pros, so that may be the way to go.
 
I got clipped lane splitting here in Cali running about 65 mph. Slid for a while, dont remember how long, cause I dont recall hitting the ground, No road rash, but I did have a seperated shoulder. The chest padding really helped because my sliding was stopped when I was wrapped around a rear tire. I was wearing a 661 mesh armor and a Motorcycle club Bulletproof Vest.

why the bulletproof?
 
i have a black busa joe rocket textile. I've been down twice. The first time i didnt get a scratch on it nor did i get hurt. I went down in the grass it just got dirty. The second time the left shoulder got a little scraped up a about a 3 inch tear. I went down on the concreate. Both times I came out unharmed and was on the highway going about 80 mph. I love the jacket and still wear it to this day.
 
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