|
|
FA: Giali reinforced denim jackets & jeans
|
Wearing a layer of denim will increase the time before your own
epidermis makes contact with the road surface, but not by much.
|
|
"Average" leathers might be expected to record comparable times. The
better equipment (leather or textile) would be expected to exceed 12
seconds. Some heavyweight leathers have been known to go past 20
|
So, if they were to make it to the shelves, they would be worth looking
at for casual situations. Price tag depending of course.
|
seconds. In the experimental jeans, the reinforcement fabric would have
to extend throughout the entirety of the jeans to meet the requirements
of the standard.
|
|
I really don't know. As I said, the test specimen was "experimental",
but the manufacturer's plans might be swayed by the outcome. I doubt we
|
This ties in with my experience, and is partly why older riders like
Bonwick and me are fine hacking around in jeans - that's what we did
when we were young, and we rarely suffered more than a few grazes.
|
I'll wear jeans to pop into town, but that's about the only time. It's
the impact resistence I'm worried about though, not abrasion. I'd
happily wear jeans for hooning if they had decent armour on the hips &
knees.
|
This "research" was born out when I slide off the gixxer on a
roundabout a couple of years ago, wearing jeans - one small hole in
the knee of the jeans, and one small graze on my knee.
|
Funny you should mention that - I've just had new tyres fitted to
Pinkie. Thanks for the reminder to be carefull :-p
|
|
Actually now you mention it... my assorted offs :
1) muddy ditch (or whatever it was) on the FOT - no sliding, just bump
bump splosh - so impact (no damage to kit)
2) T-Boning car - no sliding, but I did land fairly heavily on my back
(twice) and twisted a knee (but no major damage again to kit or me)
3) Crash at Rockingham track day- the only one with a slide which
scuffed my knee sliders [1] and the hip part of leathers - but only
slightly.
4) Hit from behind - no impact at all - whiplash.
So in all those instances with the exception of rockingham, if I had
the body armour on, I could otherwise have been wearing t-shirt and
shorts.
[1] the only time I've got my knee down :(
|
|
|
I admit to being lucky but on all three major offs I have slid rather
than collided. Once was on farm track mud and grass verge so not a good
test but onceon tarmac in Wolf leathers and once in HG cordura. Both
did their job.
|
|
I guess it depends on the cost/margin really, and of course how much
damage it might do to their leathers/textiles business, if they cover
that market. That said, if I could make them at a price/margin that
encouraged sale, I'd love to clear up the market (at least initially)
by having a product that trounced the competitors so heavily - with a
standard to back it up.
I've considered the likes of Draggin and Giali before, and frankly,
didn't think they were worth the expense compared to the very minimal
added protection over normal jeans. The type of figures above for
"experimental" however, would make me consider further
Thanks for the info/update
|
could expect to see anything before next year, however. Generally, a
product range is signed off around a year in advance. I know companies
who had finalised their 2007 ranges in Autumn 2005!
|
|