If your not wearing one, start. If you dont have one get one. We have 4 months till the new racing year starts, lets make it a better one. (off my soapbox)
Excellent post... excellent idea. :up: I've worn a Knox for about three years now. I strarted after I saw what not wearing one can do to a person at Jennings. It'll feel cumbersome for about two trackday sessions or two races. After that, you'll feel naked without it.
Bought my Tpro Forcefield chest protector last night. I have never worn one in 20 years of roadracing, but it only takes one second to make it a life saver.
I have the Knox chest protector but the wife is ordering me the Impact Armor back and chest protectors today. Im hoping the custom sizing will be even safer as somtimes one size fits all doesnt apply to me
I see they make a left knee protector as well. Hmmm. Seriously, though, is the Dainese the one to get, or is it just because of the sizing available you chose those?
I use a T-pro extreme harness and its pretty commfy once you get used to it I took one to the chest riding supermoto and that changed my view on chest protection real fast.
I don't race but enjoy trackdays a lot, and want to be as safe as I can be. I use a Forcefield upper torso protector which covers my chest and wraps around the ribs to the edge of the Knox back protector. The torso protector isn't bulky at all, covers more of the ribs than a chest protector and might help deflect an impact from some solid object that I slide into, or which slides into me. During a fall we never know what part of our body will hit something with enough force to break us. The only downside to the additional coverage is the reduced airflow on those hot and sticky days..... but I can take it for a half hour at a time when I think of the long painful recovery from broken ribs!
Good call Jason. I had a Bohn last year but it didn't wrap around and cover the ribs at all. I have a Knox now, it has more coverage and is lighter. A couple sessions and you won't even know it's there.
i've had the A* Bionic vest, TPro Chest protector and Knox Chest Protector. hated the Knox. Way too bulky and thick, and moved me too far away from the tank that I can't do my best Ben Spies Impression. (I will post this for sale when i get a chance to take pics. Some people like the extra cushion and impact resistance it offers) The TPro and A* were both thin and didn't bother me at all. I will be going back to one of them for the start of next season. Thankfully never had any issues when I went down with either. The remainder of trackday season I will be going without a chest protector.
Im getting one for next season..Im not the off the shelf guy so im going with a custom one.. http://www.impactarmor.com/
I was just filling out some info for them and noticed on the website that the products are not CE certified, I wonder why?
Great thread. I need to get one. While we're at it, you need to get & use a mouth piece. Lessons the risk of concussions if you were to smack your noggin hard.
I broke several ribs when I lowsided at Tally in August, and I'm sorry to say I wasn't wearing a chest protector. When I went down, mt left elbow got sandwiched between the asphalt and my ribcage, and well.. the asphalt didn't budge. I ordered the Knox chest protector before I even ordered the new parts for the bike. I'm not sure if it would have totally prevented any injury, but there is no question it would have distributed the force of the impact and reduced the severity. You won't see me racing without one from here on out.
I don't race, just trackdays, but I will not do any again without a chest protector. I bought the Impact Armor back and chest protector, nice wrap around coverage. I lowsided on my left side in Jersey and cracked a few ribs, most pain I've ever been in. Decided the day after (hindsight being 20/20 and all) to buy a full coverage set up. What really hammered it home for me was what happened to a friends son skate boarding. He lacerated his spleen in a fall, didn't break or crack any ribs. Was in the hospital for a couple of weeks and after he got out was restricted to basically walking around for 3 to 4 months while it healed. You do not, under any circumstances, want to mess up your spleen.
I noticed that also...hmm, Doesnt mean it not good... But if u hit something hard enouigh it will either hurt u or kill certified or not u sooo...Im getting anyways.