Added a back protector to the closet

[Alex]

I've had a back protector I use on the track for years, but it's not very comfortable or breathable for street use. I've been wondering if my back would be in somewhat better shape now if I had one on for my get-off earlier this year. No way to really tell, but it certainly couldn't have hurt. So I picked up a more comfortable street-focused one this afternoon, the Forcefield Pro L2. Not sure if it will be comfy enough for longer rides, but plan to try and use it for day rides, at least as a start.

I also picked up another Shoei RF-1100, so I can keep one with an intercom system, and one without for the sportbikes. The cord dangling was a bit of a nuisance when on the 300 or the 10R (or whatever I replace it with), and trading back and forth between multiple helmets helps both of them last longer as well. They only had black in stock, so now one of mine is matte black, and the new one is the more traditional shiny black. I need to get both of them to my friend in my riding club that gets those reflective stickers on them just right (as in my avatar).

[JohnnyBravo]

I've seriously thinking about chest/back protectors, the memory foam or whatever they call protection in my coat doesn't seem to protectful. I like the stickers on your helmet!

[koma22]

Good call, I wear a Forcefield Pro Sub 4 on every ride... super comfortable.

[leed]

I also have the Pro Sub 4. If the 1 piece goes on, it does too. A friend of mine uses the Pro L2, he loves it!

[Alex]

I was choosing between the 2 & the 4; the 2 seemed somewhat more comfortable, and still provided reasonable coverage and protection.

[Asspire]

is there a big difference between these and the ones in jackets?? I have a teknic freeway hp jacket that's loaded with back, elbow, shoulder protectors. Do you pull out the stock ones and wear this instead??

[koma22]

Originally Posted by leed

I also have the Pro Sub 4. If the 1 piece goes on, it does too. A friend of mine uses the Pro L2, he loves it!

I use separate pants/jacket right now, and the tailbone bit of the Sub 4 sticks out the bottom of my jacket (perfectly fine).

I plan on getting some leather pants so that they zip to the jacket though, is it still comfortable with that bit tucked in (a la 1 piece suits)?

Originally Posted by Asspire

is there a big difference between these and the ones in jackets?? I have a teknic freeway hp jacket that's loaded with back, elbow, shoulder protectors. Do you pull out the stock ones and wear this instead??

I was going to get the CE protector for my jacket initially. Then I read a back protector study by a UK mag and the Sub 4 was tops in terms of force dissipation (pressure, I guess). I figured I would just get a separate protector so I could keep it a long time -- i.e. use it for multiple jackets -- and enjoy the extra safety.

[Alex]

I think that these standalone ones are much more likely to stay in place while you're bouncing around, which is the only time that the protection matters. Depending on the jacket design, you need to be confident that it isn't going to slip or slide and move the jacket's built-in protection out of place while you're absorbing the impact(s). I know that my textile jackets aren't so tight that they wouldn't move around a bit. I think the elbow and shoulder protection seems adequate, but the foam padding for the back isn't particularly solid.

But I'm not sure whether I am going to remove that from the jacket, until I am able to determine if I'm really going to be wearing this device on every ride with that type of jacket. I don't think that they would interfere much if I had them both in; the padding/liner on the jacket it relatively thin.

[Lychee]

I've heard all sorts of good things about forcefield back protectors. One bad thing is that they hold a lot of heat. I had a forcefield standalone back protector that I used on my daily commute, but ended up trading it for a forcefield in-jacket replacement padding because heat exhaustion was becoming an issue on the hot days. The difference in heat dissipation is really significant. No crash tests yet though, knock on wood...

[cuz]

"i like my forcefield. its gotten high ratings from both here and in europe."

[caps]

I have been eyeballing it for a while now, I currently have a D30 in my RS Taichi

[menikmati]

I use the Bio Armor chest/back inserts in my Alpinestars jacket. I do have a Knox Aegis, but it's uber tight in the chest area if I try to wear it with my Dainese 1-piece. That was when the suit was brand new, maybe it fits better since the suit is broken in now.

[tfkrocks]

I got the Forcefield L2K back armor but found that it would ride up and start rubbing at my neck while on my bike. Guess I'm too small for it. I love the D3O armor inserts I got for my jacket though. So much lighter and more flexible than the armor that came with it. I had been using an A* bioarmor back insert and it's certainly a huge improvement from that too.

[leed]

Originally Posted by Lychee

I've heard all sorts of good things about forcefield back protectors. One bad thing is that they hold a lot of heat. I had a forcefield standalone back protector that I used on my daily commute, but ended up trading it for a forcefield in-jacket replacement padding because heat exhaustion was becoming an issue on the hot days. The difference in heat dissipation is really significant. No crash tests yet though, knock on wood...

To be honest, between this and the Knox Contour, I could not tell the difference in heat. The last few track-days I did were 95-100 off the track. At that point, it didn't matter what you were wearing; you could be wearing nothing and you'd feel just as hot with the dry wind; even at 130 MPH. To give you an idea of how hot that is, I would soak a shirt in a cooler full of ice and water, and put it on [without wringing it out] and I was dry after three laps.

But if you were just riding around town, I'd be hard pressed to put this thing on in the heat.

Actually, this was the other part of why I went from the Contour to the Forcefield is because [aside from more coverage] it is multi-crashable. I've gone down in it twice and my back has never been ached; but both were lowsides.

Originally Posted by koma22

I use separate pants/jacket right now, and the tailbone bit of the Sub 4 sticks out the bottom of my jacket (perfectly fine).

I plan on getting some leather pants so that they zip to the jacket though, is it still comfortable with that bit tucked in (a la 1 piece suits)?

To be honest I don't even know it's there when I ride in the 1 piece. It is difficult [and annoying], though, to keep the back protector in place when putting the leathers on, and sometimes the tailbone piece folds up by the time you get the top half on, so you have to start over. But once it's all in place, I really can't tell that it's there.

[shirleymccray]

I wear for riding. Leather jacket separate, leather pant back protector, elbow protcetor. This is breathable in summer too. Sometime i have used textile jacket.

[LNasty]

This is what I use, protects well and I can hide in it when I get scared