Back Protectors, do you bother?

[Packer]

Well Motorhead, looks like you really tried to kill that one

I don't wear one. I accept that I may pay the price some day but you can go on for ever getting more and more safety gear. I have a good helmet, decent jacket trousers boots and gloves. In summer I'll take a bigger chance and ditch the heavy fabric/armour trousers for Draggin Jeans if it's hot.

I tend to ride cautiously and have only had a few off's in my life, none of them recently. I assume that every other road user is an idiot and ride accordingly.

We all have to decide what is right for ourselves.

 

[Neil W]

I always wear a back protector whether on my GS, my 250trail bike or my road bike, I know or have known too many people who are now in wheel chairs or dead due to bike accidents, a number of them were low speed spills and not their fault but after the event it makes no difference.
There are too many myoptic drivers out there, youngsters in uninsured cars without licenses , drunks and druggies all of whom can cripple or maim you and that doesn't include our own mistakes which we all occasionally make.
Wear the best kit you can afford at all times and ride as if everyone on the road is out to get you.
As an aside this summer I was involved in an incident where a drugged up car thief on a country road hit a camper van head on injuring the occupants and writing it and his stolen car off. It was on a popular local biking road and if the oncoming innocent driver had been on a bike it would have been a fatal.
Scary bit was he was so high he was in hospital for two days before he could be spoken to and remembered nothing of the accident.
So for those of you who cann't be bothered to wear protective kit think of those of us who have to clear up the mess . We have to tell your loved ones that your 20 mph spill means that you are now in a spinal unit or even worse on a slab and would they like to come and identify the body
Sorry if it offends but I am sure a number of members of the forum are in the same profession as myself or one of the other emergency services and feel the same.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Use the protector fitted in my Street guard jacket for daily use, but when on tour take that out and wear a Forcefield, very comfy and won ride award for top kit.

I also wear a Forcefield.

Used to use it on sportsbikes,and still comfy on GSA with Goretex gear on.

I recently bought this for mucking around offroad :







It's so comfy I might take the armour out my Dainese jacket and wear this underneath instead.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

I've seen first hand what a mess you can make of yourself many times professionally.

Only experienced a big-off once, but wear Knox all the time now.

How easy is it to put on?? Why not.....

 

[Pukmeister]

Since I sold my Yamaha sportsbike, I haven't worn my Knox Ricochet back protector, as I assumed the rubber strip effort in the back pocket of my BMW jacket would suffice for riding my GS.

After reading this thread, I think I will remove the BMW item and start wearing the Knox again. The BMW armour can move sideways in its pocket giving me no protection at all. The Knox protects my entire back so no contest really.

Thanks for the 'food for thought'.

 

[rocks]

Forcefield back protector

Hi like Les have the Forcefield backprotector, it incorporates ballistic type rubber which according to some lab testing is better at force dissapation than more rigid types. It was the most comfy one for me and I like the quality of the product, it also has the added benefit of keeping your spine a bit warmer when riding which has actually help stopped me getting a slightly stiff back i used to get when i road for longer journeys.
I wear mine when ever i am on the bike. Personally having ridden with one now, i intend to keep using it. Makes me wonder why it took me so long to get one..

 

[NI Phil]

Have to agree with the majority, I was wearing a one piece suit with no back protector in Jan '88 when I had an accident. I broke two vertebrae and was in hospital for 5 months. I always wear back protection now Some of the Dainese jackets have full length back protectors built in - the protection available in bike gear has definitely got an awful lot better over the years.

 

[blobcat]

Hi like Les have the Forcefield backprotector, it incorporates ballistic type rubber which according to some lab testing is better at force dissapation than more rigid types. It was the most comfy one for me and I like the quality of the product, it also has the added benefit of keeping your spine a bit warmer when riding which has actually help stopped me getting a slightly stiff back i used to get when i road for longer journeys.
I wear mine when ever i am on the bike. Personally having ridden with one now, i intend to keep using it. Makes me wonder why it took me so long to get one..

Same here, got knocked off last July and the quality of the kit I was wearing had a very direct effect on how well I came out of the accident.

 

[Rev Chuck]

Thank you very much for this interesting thread. I have known about back protectors but never really bothered with them. Been riding since I was a kid, with a break, and been around here for far too long - but have never seen the need to investigate the whole back protector thing. However, you have got me thinking. Been and looked at some in the local bike shop but did not know what I was looking for or at. Helpful "boy" told me they came in different lengths for different sized backs - 'doh
And since there is not a FAQ thread about backprotectors in the "Fount of All Wisdom" arena, here is some questions for you who have experience in these things.
Given that personal preference works here, and that what might work for you may not work for me - and vice-versa:
There seems to be some hard stuff and soft stuff - dissipation of impact forces - is there one better than they other?
Full body or just back? My Savannah jacket had shoulders and elbows but no back, my dainese has back, elbow and shoulder and weighs a ton - I also hardly wear it, 'cos its not comfy. So BM (no back protector) is worn most of the time these days.
Measurement? From where (nape of neck) to where (base of spine)?
Does it need to be replaced like your helmet if you have an off - or are they built to be more resillient?
Recommendations with pics would be good. charlesdotfinnieatgmaildotcom
TIA

ps Saw this if others are interested. I'm not bidding but waitng for feedback.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bmw-back-prot...ryZ42507QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[gasman]

I don't wear one, even though I have a dianese gilet. I reckon that they will not save you from being paralysed. The forces involved in such an accident would be relatively huge, and no back protector around will save you. They protect you from impact, but not 'bending'. The most vulnerable part of your spine is the neck, which will not be protected. They will only save you from impact type injuries, which might chip a vertebrae or give you a nasty bruise. I believe this is the accepted wisdom, acknowledged by the manufacturers. This may be worth it for many people, but my personal 'risk:hassle equation' is that is it's not worth it. Touching wood..

 

[Mucky Helmetier]

I don't wear one, even though I have a dianese gilet. I reckon that they will not save you from being paralysed. The forces involved in such an accident would be relatively huge, and no back protector around will save you. They protect you from impact, but not 'bending'. The most vulnerable part of your spine is the neck, which will not be protected. They will only save you from impact type injuries, which might chip a vertebrae or give you a nasty bruise. I believe this is the accepted wisdom, acknowledged by the manufacturers. This may be worth it for many people, but my personal 'risk:hassle equation' is that is it's not worth it. Touching wood..

Seen too many people get up and walk away and way too many that didn't, ever, to say that back protection doesn't work.

Having said that, it is personal choice.

 

[Twotter]

Had a low speed spill this morning on the way into work. No real damage to the bike and the back protector in my Rukka jacket did the job

 

[Steptoe]

.
So for those of you who cann't be bothered to wear protective kit think of those of us who have to clear up the mess . We have to tell your loved ones that your 20 mph spill means that you are now in a spinal unit or even worse on a slab and would they like to come and identify the body
.

Sorry if it offends, but what bollox. Where do you stop ?

How'd you prevent a broken neck. ?

 

[Mucky Helmetier]

Sorry if it offends, but what bollox. Where do you stop ?

How'd you prevent a broken neck. ?

Stay in bed and never do anything.

Makes you wonder though.

Car drivers wear seatbelts. Why don't we wear the maximum protection we can?

I am sure it would be way more fun to ride around in Tshirts with no helmet at all?

In actual fact I know it is more fun to wear a Tshirt with no helmet.

But at the speeds we ride, and I know we all ride a little quicker than we should, any protection is good protection.

Obviously without wrapping ourselves in cottonwool.

 

[Ming]

Last accident I had was a 90mph highside riding a fireblade .Old news what I broke but I can still walk there not uncomfortable or time consumng so why not ,too many tales of impacts with footrests kerbs other vehicles etc etc etc .

 

[Steptoe]

In actual fact I know it is more fun to wear a Tshirt with no helmet.

.

NO HELMET - It's not - i've driven along the coast road from Port Grimuad to Nice in the early eighties without wearing a helmet . Bloody insects, hair tangled ( no chance of that nowdays ) and a bad headache.

Even if it wasn't now compulsary, i wouldn't go without wearing a lid.

 

[JDH]

Personal choice of course, but like somebody else on here I ditched my back protector when I gave up doing trackdays and got rid of the Jap Bikes, but tbh, this thread has been a bit of a wake up call for me and I'm going to dig my old one out of the cupboard. Remember the Forcefield getting top marks in Ride Magazine and when I get a new one that's what I'll get.

JDH

 

[gasman]

honestly though, it's important not to make the "tiger repellent" mistake here. eg "I survived a bad crash, I was wearing my back protector, therefore the back protector saved me.."

interesting stuff on the net:
http://www.msf-usa.org/imsc/proceedings/d-deRome-ProtectiveClothing-FunctionorFashion.pdf
http://www.sportbikes.com/wwwthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/669585/an/0/page/0

"Back Protection for Motorcyclists--Only a few motorcyclists receive a direct blow to the spine causing serious injury; more spine injuries are probably due to direct blows to the shoulders and hips. The products commonly known as motorcyclists back protectors, if correctly designed and constructed may alleviate some minor direct impacts on the back, but will not prevent skeletal or neurological injuries to the spine in motorcycle accidents."

 

[Backmarker]

.

Even if it wasn't now compulsary, i wouldn't go without wearing a lid.

Bollox, sorry if it offends (copyright Steptoe 2007), but are you telling me that you wouldn't do that 'round the block post service pootle, or the 2 min 25mph pop to the 'baccy shop without putting a helmet if someone hadnt conditionned you to do so by making it compulsory?

(PS I spent today in Hospital having bone cut off my feet - now laid up with nowt to do but take a mix of painkillers and red wine, watch crap TV and post away

But on the subject of back protectors, it made me think. I started off with a secondhand Bell Helmet (impact marks to side, strap half cut through), smart black leather gloves my mum had bought me to attend my grandfathers funeral in, and a C&A suede bomber jacket (bought by my mum to try and stop me wanting a 'leather jacket'). Within a year I had a pukka (AGV) helmet, decent jacket, Fielsheer Boots, and 'proper' bike gloves. It was 10 years before I had proper trousers (or a type A helmet), and another 10 before I had a back protector (and an Arai/Shoei/Schuberth quality lid). And another couple before I found waterproof boots (Hooray for Altberg I now own kit for all reasons/seasons including Aerostich, Yoko Fabrics, Hideout Leathers and the BMW stuff: Atlantis leathers, Denim Suit, Airflow Suit, Ralleye Suit - all amoured at the knees shoulders elbows etc, all suplemented by the Forcefield or Clover back protectors.

So here I am, years later, and currently owning vast arrays of protective clothing, (and I always wear full gear, even if riding 1/3 mile to the station on a 125), and I realise that, never having kissed the tarmac on a public road (off roading is someat else) I have spent a huge amount of money, and even greater amounts of time kitting up, showering (arriving at work midsummer on an R80RT wearing full Hideout leathers - 11mm norserex-meant lots of sweat), and all of it has been pointless. Could have worn whatever, and it would have made absolutely no difference in safety terms.

 

[brassmonkey001]

I bought a back protector to go in my jacket. It feels like I've got a plank strapped to my back, but I really can't be doing with putting on a back protector and then a jacket and possibly a waterproof over the top of that just to go to work and back. It's not the best protection but it's better than nowt.
If I was travelling any distance, or off-roading it might be a different matter, but for the commute I think most people just want something simple. Having been involved with some Occupational Health and Safety procedures recently, the common theme seems to be that people will work safely if it isn't a ballache to do so. When it starts getting a little complicated to do something safely, that's when people start finding ways to circumvent the safe procedures.