Armor leather vs textile/armor/kevlar

I think it's a given that leather is the standard and best road protection. I own both (Joe Rocket leathers and Tourmaster/Joe Rocket mesh/textile and Spidi textile). The Spidi is a 3/4 length for cold weather riding while the Tourmaster is my every day riding jacket.

The trouble I have is leather in very hot/humid weather. It doesn't breathe and heat stroke is a very real problem. I am far more comfortable in mesh when the weather is 75F+ and although I've ridden in 100F with the mesh, I see no alternative to not wearing something other than T-shirt and skin.

My textile/mesh gear is armored at the elbows, shoulders, and spine. I think they do this for added protection and to meet EU requirements. I've not been down in the mesh/textile but have in the leather. My only concern about non-leather protection is having the fabric melt from the friction and the liquid plastic fuse to my skin. The leathers were scuffed but not burned through nor was there any evidence of melting.

The mesh/textile gear also has the added feature of flexibility as others have posted. The rain liners compress to a small bundle and the liner in the jacket not much more. I am far better prepared since I keep the liners in the bags at all times and don't forget to pack them. And they seem cooler than wearing rain gear over leathers. I don't know why but suspect the ventilation of the mesh/textile allows air to circulate around the waterproof liner thereby removing a bit more body heat.

I recently bought a coolvest and have been trying that under the leathers and mesh/textile gear. So far the vest more than compensates for the lack of ventilation when in leathers.

Doug
 
So, to my original question of the usefulness of armor.....

Marginal benefit at best, regarding bone breaking protection?

NOT AT ALL! I went down onto the pavement and then into the side of a car at 45 MPH. Armor over the shoulder, elbows, and spine. Came out with no broken bones, but did separate the shoulder. ER doctors were amazed that nothing was broken. A similar case had come through their department just a week previously and the rider had a broken collar bone and a couple of cracked vertebrae. I would say the armor is extremely important and the debate of leather or kevlar is more a matter of comfort and esthetic's.

Remember, it doesn't matter if the leather/fabric/kevlar survives the accident unscathed and can be worn again or not. The point is, do YOU survive without huge amounts of painful and potentially deadly road rash? Getting your skin scraped is painful, and the potential for infection with any deep abrasion is high.

No doubt, a fully protective suit has armor.
 
I like the look and feel of leather but find it too warm to wear in the summer and Here in Seattle if its cool enuf to wear leather its raining. I wear textile 95% of the time.
 
I like leather. I've had, for a couple years now, these Tourmaster Decker leather overpants. They have knee and hip pads, little stretchy breathing patches behind the knees, full length zippers on the sides of the legs, and a nice mesh lining that makes them easy to get on an off. I added suspenders as they are pretty heavy and will slide right off my skinny a@#. :D They are very thick leather. Nice.

My jacket is Fox Creek Leather and has no actual armour but is very thick all over and double thick in the elbows and shoulders etc. Also has big vents front and rear as well as sleeve zippers that all can allow quite a bit of air in. I've worn this gettup all day when the temp was hovering aroung 103F and wasn't really any more uncomfortable than I ever am when it's 103F :eek: . This, of course, is dry desert type heat not that sweltering, humid sauna stuff you folks get in other places. :) With a fleece layer, or the electrics, on underneath I'm good for upper 20s.

Never crash tested this arrangement but at least I feel pretty well protected.
 

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Here is a bit on mesh from Web Bike World...

One of the guys riding with us is a Doctor and as we were looking over the remains of melted arm on the jacket, he said ?and you should see what happens when they melt on to you or in to you from the friction caused when the poly material comes in contact with the road during a get off?.

Doc finished his comment by saying something along the lines of ?it?s not fun trying to extract this melted plastic from a road rash wound?. Hmmm...it might not be fun for him but I'm sure it's even less fun for the guy you're pulling it out of..." I thought. This episode really got me to thinking about materials for riding gear
 
Very good point Dennis.
And the Motoport pages that Sherob pointed to explore the point well.
The short of it is:
Poly material melts and gets stuck to you and must be removed.
Leather and motoports kevlar/cordura mesh do not...

Mark
 
Mesh pants behind the fairing when it is 95F and I am dying. Do I just need a higher tolerance?

G
 
Mesh pants behind the fairing when it is 95F and I am dying. Do I just need a higher tolerance?

G

No... you need to moooove (avatar cow joke) to an area with lower humidity... :D

I don't really know the answer for you guys living in humid areas...

Mark
 
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