It doesn't take a wild imagination to grasp what happens to a rider who crashes with protective gear on and one who goes down in street clothes. Studies say protective clothing can prevent or reduce 43 percent of injuries to soft tissue and 63 percent of deep and extensive injuries, not to mention prevention or reduction of cuts, abrasions, exhaust pipe burns and the stripping away of skin and muscle.
But just because the logic seems obvious doesn't mean your average rider is going to sacrifice the ability to move comfortably or be willing to sweat through 20 pounds of leather when it's 35 degrees out just because they might crash. In the same way being unprotected in extreme weather poses a risk, being bogged down by heavy, restrictive clothing adds fatigue and distraction to the game. And though it's hard to admit, the average rider has a life beyond the bike. When you consider that riders are more likely to wear protective gear on long trips than when riding to work or to run errands, the level of appropriateness for every day wear becomes a huge factor. And finally, most riders prefer looking sexy or badass to resembling a motorized version of the Michelin man.
This is where the well-informed dealer steps in. Protective wear is a huge source of potential revenue, both for point of sale and for increasing customer life expectancy. Body armor, though a new market category, is kicking it up a notch from leathers and helmets with innovative designs that offer top-quality protection while preserving the cool factor. The only challenge left is getting riders to wear it, but that's far from impossible. It's all about knowing the facts.
Letting customers in on how protective gear can make or break their riding futures is all about hard numbers. According to a European Motorcycle Accident In-depth Study (MAIDS), upper torso clothing prevents or reduces driver injury 64.6 percent of the time, and lower torso clothing provides injury reduction or prevention in 61.3 percent of all cases. Seasoned riders who figure they won't go down because they ride responsibly might be interested to know the majority of multiple vehicle accidents involving a motorcycle occur because the other vehicle doesn't see the rider, so if nothing else, protective gear can save a customer from someone else's mistake.
Statistics about what rider category is most likely to crash aren't readily available, but it doesn't really matter because everyone needs it. Marketing efforts often gear protective wear to racers and sports bike riders, while all-weather gear is usually aimed at tourers. But the truth is, road rash, impact injuries, harsh weather and fatigue don't discriminate. MAIDS says 75 percent of accidents occur at 50 km/h or less, so even a leisurely cruise on a warm Sunday in July can go very wrong if riders aren't protected. Manufactures are taking it all into account and designing body armor that can be worn without sacrificing comfort, mobility, style or personal well-being. Now it's time to get it out there.

Cameleon
When Kristina Jones got her first motorcycle, learning to ride, though challenging, wasn't her biggest obstacle.
“Traditional motorcycle apparel isn't conducive to business; it's conducive to riding motorcycles,” says Jones. “I was frustrated because the bike dictated where I could go instead of me taking the bike where I wanted to go.”
Jones partnered with Crash Pads Inc. to utilize their patents and pad technology in the design of the Invisible Armor line of motorcycle apparel for women. The body of an Invisible Armor jacket is a high-quality moisture managing fabric made with a nylon fiber for abrasion resistance and the padding is a highly compressed, two-pound polyethylene closed-cell foam thermal formed with a 600 Denier ponte fabric for both impact and abrasion resistance. The jacket pads provide protection for the shoulders, front/ back core body and spine, and the two-piece elbow pads stay wrapped around the elbow during movement. All the pads are ergonomically designed to move with the body and never against it. Unique properties of the pads react to body heat making them more flexible the longer the apparel is worn and the pads will never absorb moisture or odour.
Best of all, Invisible Armor combines functionality with fashion. The jackets are sleek and stylish enough to be worn alone as an outer garment or under the fashion garments in anyone's existing wardrobe. Invisible Armor is not yet CE approved, but Jones says wearability goes the distance for safety.
“What is the most effective protection?” she asks. “The protection that is worn. Reality is, fashion and fit are more of an issue for women and if women feel big or unflattering in it, they tend to choose not to wear it. If it stays in the closet, there's no cost value and no safety in that.”
Cameleon is aiming for early 2008 to release a lower body piece that fits under snug fitting jeans, and consumer response to the jackets “has been phenomenal.” Visit www.cameleonapparel.com or call 765.345.9027 for more nformation.

ICON
ICON offers Field Body Armor, designed with protection and style in mind. The Field Armor Elbow, Leg guard and Vest offer form fitting construction with a chassis of impact absorbing foam and molded plastic, abrasion-resistant slider panels, breathable mesh and multiple stretch adjustable straps. Every piece is sleek enough to fit under clothing, including the Field Armor shorts with a stretch aramid chassis for hi-abrasion resistance and a mesh liner. Though the products are taking the market by storm, product manager Phil Davy says ICON is just making new light of an existing concept.
“armor isn't new; what's new is that people are buying it,” says Davy. “What we've done is made it look good enough that people are proud to wear it. It's becoming a bragging right because by wearing it they look more badass than they did before they had it on.”
Davy says ICON's designers threw traditional demographics out the window a long time ago because a wide range of people are getting in on gearing up. “There are stunters who know they're going to crash, all the way to the older Gold Wing-type rider who knows that if they crash, they may have an injury they will never recover from.”
Davy says the US Motorcycle Industry Council told him the people least likely to wear body armor are the ones who need it most. “The people most likely to be hurt or injured in a crash are the 55+ cruiser riders,” says Davy. “The hardest hardest people to put armor on.”
All ICON armor is made of high-grade blend of nylon and plastic that absorbs impact and is shatter-resistant. The armor isn't CE approved, but since breaking into the European market all products are undergoing CE testing. Davy also says its easier to put on and more comfortable, both of which add to safety.
“A product that sits on the shelves or is left at home doesn't protect,” he says. “Our stuff gets worn.” Visit for more information, and products are available in Canada from Parts Canada at www.partscanada.ca.

Altimate Boots
Protection starts from the ground up. David Altman, owner of Altimate Boots, has six different styles of full grain leather riding boots among a full line-up for snowmobiling and extreme weather.
He says his riding boots are going to men and women over thirty and mostly cruiser riders, who are wearing an 8-inch round toe boot similar to a work boot look, the Engineer boots and the Chopper, which has a squared toe. “We're now putting ankle protection in the cruiser boots,” says Altman, referring to a polyurethane ankle cap found in the Canadian men's and women's Monza.
The sport touring boots for men and women are made with shin and ankle protection, and are a fairly stiff boot, which usually means more protection, he says. “The anti-twist sole protects the midsection of the foot that much better because you don't get any roll over in the ankle area.”
Altman says the toughest crowds to market his products to are sport touring and racing, both really tied to brand, but that he feels tends to forsake protective footwear regardless.
“I see sport guys get together at night for serious two or three hour rides and they are wearing full gear and it looks great, but the same guys are wearing runners or dress shoes riding in the day. I don't get it.”
The Altimate line leaves no excuses. The Canadian men's cruiser boot features oil-resistant rubber soles, a cushioned insole and a Cambrelle lining. Various styles offer PVC shin protection, and the Monza and Bristol sport touring boots have waterproof membranes. In November Altimate will introduce a new leather women's boot that comes just past the ankle with double zippers that is stylish enough to wear to work all day. Find out about Altimate's full product line at www.altimateboots.com or call 877.766.2668.

Teknic
Teknic makes everything from a complete pro spec racing line to entry level jackets says Bill Ringrose, customer service manager. Knox TP2 dual-density foam padding goes into some of the entry level shoulder,elbow and back protectors via a Velcro pocket inside a mesh lining, held in a position where it can roll around or slide back to accommodate for movement. In the mid to high-end range is CE approved Knox KFP1 armor pocketed between two layers of high-grade leather. “It's basically a hard plastic turtle shell with a foam backing, but it's hinged so it moves with the jacket and is lightweight so you don't even know it's there,” says Ringrose.
He says the hardest crowd to market to is the “younger kids, 18 to 20 ... the 'invincibles.' They don't realize that they need it until a buddy goes down and the jacket saves his life.” The trick is to make apparel that while completely functional, still has a fashion edge to it, he says. “For 2008 we're introducing a shorter boot that looks more like a sneaker, two styles of Kevlar-reinforced jeans, and what we call the Freestyle Collection, which has two jackets, gloves and a boot that all look like street clothes.”
But more than anything, the company pushes itself as being technologically advanced. “The value of the product and consumer cost is definitely about supporting our R&D,” says Ringrose. “The apparel is designed from a security and a racing standpoint first with fashion built on top, because it's not if you crash; it's when you crash.” What people buy depends on budget, needs and knowledge, says Ringrose, stressing the need for education by the manufacturer to the dealer and by the dealer to the customer.
“If a dealership or store doesn't have the apparel on the shelf so people see it when they come to get their bikes serviced, riders won't be interested,” he says. “As the market increases, more people are exposed to the bad things that can happen and they start to think to prepare themselves and prevent this kind of thing.”
All Teknic products set for 2008-2009 will carry Knox Shockless armor, making the entire line CE approved. Teknic products are distributed in Canada by Motovan 450.449.7733. For additional Teknic product information visit www.teknicgear.com or call 616.866.3722.

RevitUSA
In the spring of 2008, Canadian dealers will be able to get in on RevitUSA's line of protective gear made with the company's Engineered Skin design technology. “We start with a 3D computer-aided model of every product and use it to make decisions about how the patterns are cut in order to be as light and as strong as possible,” says Jordon Levitt, Sales Director, North America. “We design a product so you can't even feel the armor ... we make room for it and design around it for comfort and flexibility.”
Revit uses CE approved Knox and Pro-Life armor. At the barest minimum the armor is made up of hard and soft components to deal with both penetrating and blunt force, says Levitt and for the higher end products, “we combine comfort and flexibility with a three layer system that is soft all the way around on the inside and outside, but that also has a middle firm layer.”
Levitt says no matter the quality of the armor, the integration of outer and inner layers is key. “People tend to wear jackets that are too large, and in that situation armor can shift or move around in an impact. Our line is based on racing gear, so we work to make sure it fits snug to the skin and to eliminate bunching and drag, making sure the armor stays in place and is still comfortable.”
Revit manufactures primarily for European motorcycle enthusiasts in racing, street and touring markets, and sales in the US have almost doubled on a yearly basis for the past five years. The company's predominant customer is male between 35 and 55, but Revit also stands out as having a substantial women's consumer base at 45 percent. “It's because we offer the same levels of protection, comfort and styling for women,” says Levitt. “We aren't dumbing down the product and assuming she's going to be on the back of someone else's bike.”
Revit is dealer direct and Levitt says its important to note that because the products also protect from the elements, they increase a rider's time on the bike, which is great for dealers. He recommends riders upgrading soft back protectors with hard armor and replacing protective riding gear every three years. “With the way technology is increasing, upgrades are a good idea just by the virtue of all the great new features in future products,” says Levitt. For more information visit www.revitusa.com.

CPT