Back Protectors

I'm somewhat short (5'6") and I have yet to find a back protector that's comfortable. I have an alpinestars bp, but if I properly secure the straps, it rides up and rubs the base of my neck and keeps my helmet from tipping back (which makes it difficult to look through turns sometimes). However, if I just slide the back protector under my leathers, without using any straps, it doesn't ride up at all. Is this unsafe and am I making the bp useless since it isn't strapped to my body?

since i dont know from experience, at using one in some fashion is better than nothing at all, and if it doesnt slide around or make you uncomfortable, then go with it, till you can get one that properly fits. Is it just that particular style of protector that does it, or do they all do that for you. ?

Capt, my bp does the same thing...It sucks and so does wearing one! I'm all for protection and all, but why do I need a second/redundant bp? :wtf: My jacket already has one!!! If I burn thru my leather and the stock bp and need another bp to protect my back, then that is the least of my worries because I must be going 205mph... :lol:

My impression is that it's supposed to keep your back from bending the wrong way, but I don't know for sure. All I know is that I have to have one for the track days. They don't require me to wear it a specific way, they just require it to be on.

Yeah it's a joke as far as I'm concerned...but I'll wait to see what Twisty says!!!

Since I dont have a jacket yet..gas man :rolleyes: ..why is it that jackets dont have full back protectors like captain is talking about, already sewn in so theres no need for another one? :confused:

They do have them in there! :wtf: That's what I'm saying!!!!!!

you both had me totally confused there, thats why I asked. I knew they had them sewn in like that, but it seemed like capt's didnt and then u said they did, and I was like :wtf: I got it now..chalk it up lack of sleep. :whistle:

you both had me totally confused there, thats why I asked. I knew they had them sewn in like that, but it seemed like capt's didnt and then u said they did, and I was like :wtf: I got it now..chalk it up lack of sleep. :whistle: Go to bed and sleep. :D I think Capt is wearing an extra bp and like Gas Mand is saying...if you burn through one and your leathers...I dought the second is going to help much more at the speed you'll be going to burn throught that. I know my jacket has it sewn in and I have no problem with them so far.

Go to bed and sleep. :D I think Capt is wearing an extra bp and like Gas Mand is saying...if you burn through one and your leathers...I dought the second is going to help much more at the speed you'll be going to burn throught that. I know my jacket has it sewn in and I have no problem with them so far. Thanks for the recap!! i already said, "I got it"... :lol: but I'll forgive you this time, next time it'll cost you chinese food for lunch at work.. :D

next time it'll cost you Chinese food for lunch at work.. :D :eek: NO please anything but that! :lol:

the BP is to prevent breaking your back, not road rash. and as for fit try the 661 pressure suit... has full upper body armor plus the back protect.. it sounds like you need one where the top doesnt go up so high with the protection, plus if u have a leahter jacket remember how it did the same (or was that just me?) mine got broke in and felt better, maybe the BP will be the same, try forcing your way into it for a few dyas of riding... but the 661 looks sweet and should be comfy to boot, its made for MX insteado f street so it should be more flexable being that u move more on a dirt bike.. may wanna give it a try, i know im ordering on this spring.

Heres a pic of it and it looks like it gives alot of protection for the money. :dthumb: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/661%20pressure%20suit.jpg Price is around $179.95 Retail; Sale Price $149.95 Not bad for all that protection.

But most of that is in your standard race ready leathers!! The BP is a joke and nothing but insurance BS!!

My jacket came with "pockets" to slip armor into. The jacket is lined with a mesh to hold Back, shoulder, elbow, etc protectors so they won't fall out when you take the jacket off. My BP rode up my neck until I rode a lot with it on and the mesh stretched enough to let it slip back.

I have an alpinestars BP and the standard padding in the leathers. However, as mentioned, the BP just wants to slide up unless I DON'T strap it to my body. The standard leather padding is fine and doesn't ride up at all, but the additional BP is what rides up and becomes uncomfortable. There are other BP's that don't use straps, so I guess it's okay to not use the straps on the alpinestars BP that I have. Hopefully I never crash hard enough to find out. Maybe I'll look up alpinestars contact info and send them a message. Here is a pic of the style of BP that I have, plus a pic of the standard padding inside the back of the leathers.

A backprotector is used to absorb the forces of an impact during a crash. And trust me, if you're smart enough to wear one, I give a big thumbs up. I have tested mine on the track, and for track riding, you are required to wear one. I bought a really nice back protector because having all of my spinal cords in place during a crash is important to me. I wear a Knox backprotector and it's super comfy. It has straps that you wear over your shoulders and a "belt" that wraps around your waist. It doesn't move at all in a crash and you can barely tell it's on under leathers. The Knox also has alot more protection (wraps around the sides to protect your kidneys, etc.) and it's well worth it. They run about $175 and I give them a huge thumbs up. Bohn is an imitation of the Knox and are not CE certified. Just some info for you guys.

Thanks for the info. I'll check them out. If I like it, I'll probably throw my alpinestars BP on ebay.

That jacket is beastly looking, and for only 150.00 !! I'd sport it no problem!

Thanks for the info. I'll check them out. If I like it, I'll probably throw my alpinestars BP on ebay. No problem. I'm not sure if I have them up on the site yet, so if you don't see them. Let me know and I'll email you a picture and some information. The only issue I have is that I am too skinny, so I had to add a little velcro to the belt so it would wrap far enough around me, but most guys don't have that problem. That's the sucky part about being a woman and trying to race. Try to find a pair of boots in a size 3 mens! :lol:

That's the sucky part about being a woman and trying to race. Try to find a pair of boots in a size 3 mens! :lol: :iagree: I have a full suit (actually found an Alpine Star that fit me!), bp fits well into the suit - the shoulder & waist straps help keep it in place but it does move around a bit.

:iagree: I have a full suit (actually found an Alpine Star that fit me!), bp fits well into the suit - the shoulder & waist straps help keep it in place but it does move around a bit. Pippi, sounds like you had the same problem I did (having to buy a *really* nice suit). The only suit that fit me off the rack was an XS Ku****ani. Try to swallow that bill! $1500 suit, but damn it works well. :) That was the only one I could find that fit me almost perfectly without having to wait for months for a custom suit. That definitely hurt having to spend that much money, but it was well worth it now that I've dealt with it.

...$1500 suit... :yikes: I got lucky. I went to my very first track day and hadn't spent the money for full leathers. I had purchased some mesh riding pants and had a Joe Rocket jacket. I wasn't really sure that I would enjoy riding on the track and didn't want to spend the money, plus I knew that I would be able to use the mesh pants for regular road trips. Well, I discovered that I LOVED riding on the track and had mentioned to someone that I was going to look at leathers when I got home. He told me to stop up at the tech tent because there was a set of AGV 2-piece leathers with 360 degree zipper. It turned out they fit, and the guy was selling them for $250. They were normally $500+, but they were a "scratch and dent" so they were over half-off. Worked out great for me. :D

No problem. I'm not sure if I have them up on the site yet, so if you don't see them. I just checked the site and found them. I'll probably look to purchase one near the beginning of next season. Thanks.

:yikes: I got lucky. I went to my very first track day and hadn't spent the money for full leathers. I had purchased some mesh riding pants and had a Joe Rocket jacket. I wasn't really sure that I would enjoy riding on the track and didn't want to spend the money, plus I knew that I would be able to use the mesh pants for regular road trips. Well, I discovered that I LOVED riding on the track and had mentioned to someone that I was going to look at leathers when I got home. He told me to stop up at the tech tent because there was a set of AGV 2-piece leathers with 360 degree zipper. It turned out they fit, and the guy was selling them for $250. They were normally $500+, but they were a "scratch and dent" so they were over half-off. Worked out great for me. :D Ive got me a set of 1 piece joe rocket leather suit, speedmaster, black.. yeah, its' beastly ! It set me back a pretty penny for sure, even though I did have a connection with a discount !! Im hoping it lasts me a good long time!

thought you guys might wanna read this http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/issues/jan01/back.htm

i have heard good reviews on this as beeing the most comfortable since there are no hard plastics and they are rated level 2 in safety. T-Pro's Forcefield back protector is CE certified to the 1621-2 LEVEL 2 T-Pro offers similar products, their website is full of good info and their products clearly stand-out as the highest-rated in crash protection. T-Pro back protectors and body armor are effective for multiple impacts during a crash event, and are made with no hard plastics which should be much more comfortable and is potentially safer than products made with hard materials. The most interesting piece of info from the T-Pro Body Armor site: "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." It appears that most riders’ assumptions about the use and effectiveness of back protection is more than even the highest rated protectors can live-up to in actual performance. This information won’t stop me from purchasing a back protector, but it certainly gives me a better understanding of what to expect at current levels, so as not to be fooled by stories or sales pitches to the contrary. Is minimizing spinal, scapular, rib, and kidney bruising worth the cost of most of these protectors? I’d say so. T-Pro's Forcefield back protector is CE certified to the 1621-2 LEVEL 2 standards, making it one of the few that advertises meeting this higher level. They also claim that the "Armour Flex" material will absorb multiple impacts with the same effectiveness. However that doesn't necessarily mean that it should be used again after a crash, but, just like a helmet, it will protect against second or third blows in the same area in a crash. T-Pro also makes a chest protector/harness system, the 8100 harness, that they say conforms to the 1993 Swedish Off-Road Standards. I’m not familiar with the requirements for that certification. I would assume that off-road standards wouldn’t be ideal for street-speed impact protection, and I would consider 1993 to be archaic in terms of technology and materials advancements. I’ll look into it, and try to find-out just how stringent that standard is, and if it applies favorably for street protectors. Johnson Leather, in the U.S., sells the T-Pro Forcefield products, as well as what looks to be the BKS "Astroshock" back protector inserts under their own name, and BKS now also sells a re-badged version of the T-pro Forcefield protector as well. www.tprobodyarmour.co.uk/ff_back.html www.johnsonleather.com/armor/