Do you wear a spine protector?

Do you wear a spine protector?

  • Yes, everytime

    Votes: 109 44.7%
  • Sometimes

    Votes: 41 16.8%
  • I have before, but not anymore

    Votes: 3 1.2%
  • No, never

    Votes: 91 37.3%

  • Total voters
    244
I have a body armor suit that I never wear. But I do have a couple of Forcefield spine protector inserts in my jackets that stay there. Makes the jacket a tad bit heavier but the added protection and confidence is paramount.
 
So far I've just been riding with the foam that's in the back of my jacket (Alpine Stars) but I believe there is a slot to insert some additional protection. Might have to look into what will fit in there.
 
I had a discussion like this with a friend of mine. The message of crash statistics like the Hurt report is that there is a negative correlation between the amount of gear you wear and the severity of your crash.

That is, statistically speaking, the more protection you have on at the time of a crash, the less severe your injuries tend to be. Having said that, if you plow into a stopped SUV at 70 mph, you are dead no matter what you're wearing.

Since we motorcyclists don't really have much choice as to the protection we wear (I've never heard of anything using a standard other than CE, and if it exists no major brand employs it), all we can do is equip ourselves as well as possible with the available armor. It is a shame that all the available armor appears to be about the same as downhill mountain bike pads.

I wear a Dainese back protector always. No, it does nothing to mitigate axial loads.

Edit: One last thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_Report for those who are interested. Also yes, the back protector looks huge on me.
 
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it would seem there are two main schools of thought:
1 a hi-density foam to absorb some impact force and
2 a hard protector like the dainese which supposedly acts like a shell( which i put in my A* mesh summer jkt)

its a pity tho that each manufacturer has their own size and shape
i have both types and i can see merit in both arguments what i cant see being of any value is the rubbishy foam that some jacket makers install.... either leave the pocket empty or put a decent protector in when selling them
it really irks me that some manufacturers promote a false sense of protection

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2 a hard protector like the dainese which supposedly acts like a shell( which i put in my A* mesh summer jkt)

I believe the way Dainese back protectors work is that they crumple on impact to absorb energy. This is like the one I and probably you use:

Dainese - SHIELD AIR G1-G2 LEVEL 2 - Motorbike - America - Inglese

Dainese used to make (and hopefully still does) a back protector with a honeycombed aluminum core that functioned in exactly the same way. It is just like the idea behind the "crumple zone" in your car.
 
I wear one every time I ride on the track, street, and dirt. Know it has saved me many times from at least bad bruises on the dirt and a few street and track wrecks. Sadly on the motard I wreck alot being a hooligan lol But also have a buddy in a wheel chair that who knows had he worn his may still be walking today may not. I would rather have a fighting chance.

Same goes with knee/shin guards. One more thing to put on but get a set of comfy one and not uncomfortable. But been down and landed on my knees and couldnt walk without a cane for about 3 weeks. Wear every ride now.
 
Do you wear a kidney belt? I have seen them around quite a bit but i've never worn one. Just after some input before i decide whether to buy or not.

Nelly

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Kidney belt for rough dirt/ track riding- invaluable but not sure if it would do much with regular road riding
When I was in my 20's, learned the value of a k belt after one day of dirt and then days of killer back pain
Next time out with the belt no dramas afterwards

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Aid, What is there actual purpose? Are they a lower back support or for crash protection?
Nelly

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I voted no, but my Triumph Navigator jacket has Knox body armour built into it. I rarely take that out unless I'm riding to something specific (like dinner), and I want my jacket to be more like a coat than a bulky riding jacket.
 
Hi Neil,
the kidney belt was to stop the kidneys banging around, so really its like a big old girdle to hold everything in its place. Mine had two velcro fastenes so you could get it nice and tight. It sort of sat just over my hips and under my rib cage.Id wear it over my tee shirt and under the jersey I wore when I rode. It was a big + for avoiding sore kids.... I was lucky... never passed blood, but it was the best investment, imho, after regular safety gear like lld gloves n' boots. No kevlar back then and the pants had some padding and there were armoured shoulder pads and vests, but I wasnt serious enough, or maybe a bit more foolhardy back then.
 
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