The ICON BP Phenomenon

stormcat

stormcat

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I've been seeing this more and more. Riders wearing t-shirts, jeans, running shoes and an ICON BP. It's not usually even on securely. The straps are over the shoulders but the waist strap is left undone. Is this some new fashion trend that I'm not aware of? Is the lazy ICON BP the rider's version of the purse dog or something? You have one, you think it looks good, but in reality it's completely useless. What on earth is the point of wearing one at all then?
 
U talking about a backpack? I wear one frequently, although it's not an icon one. It's a pain the the back to keep doing all the straps up. Sometimes I just want to throw it on and go.
 
BP = Back Protector. Usually worn by these guys as their only protective gear. Usually over top of a t-shirt, but sometime just a wife beater. I'm waiting to see one of these guys completely shirtless except for the BP.



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all the coolio's are doing it. it's the new thang :rolleyes:
 
stormcat said:
BP = Back Protector. Usually worn by these guys as their only protective gear. Usually over top of a t-shirt, but sometime just a wife beater. I'm waiting to see one of these guys completely shirtless except for the BP.
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Errr, cough*
 
Not necessarily new, but more prevalent with the hot weather. Maybe 10 years ago there were a couple of guys who would show up, at Coffee Tea or Me, wearing Dainese X-Space Air armour jackets. At least those had shoulder and elbow armour though.
 
I see a lot of the Icon field armor and nothing else. I wonder the same thing about that too.
 
Why does it bother people so much?

It's a little safer than going completely squid, no?

Honestly, given the choice between a skin graft and broken back, I'd lose some skin.
When I got my first bike and gear, good back protection was the top of my list, even though I was on a tight budget (I ended up with a cheapie jacket, but upgraded rigid back armour).

As keeps getting regurgitated over and over and over in all these gear threads, the fact that you're even willing to get on a motorcycle (even atgatt) already puts you in the crazy mofo fringe of society, why hate on someone else for taking it a tiny bit farther.
 
Chaos said:
Doesn't bother me at all. Riders can ride in a g-string for all I care. I am curious to know the mindset though.
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Fair enough... I assume the mindset is "I'm willing to take crazy risks for fun, but I draw the line at paralysis".
 
stormcat said:
BP = Back Protector. Usually worn by these guys as their only protective gear. Usually over top of a t-shirt, but sometime just a wife beater. I'm waiting to see one of these guys completely shirtless except for the BP.



4se9l4.jpg
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Coming home on the 401 in my buds truck towing a trailer with 3 ducs that had all been down at Calabogie.We were all lucky to be totally fine except for minor cuts and bruises.A KTM motard passed us with the rider wearing Puma boots,capri pants and a BP with no shirt.We all laughed so hard that it brought tears to our eyes.Oh,and the waistband wasn't done up.
 
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jolomatic said:
Why does it bother people so much?

It's a little safer than going completely squid, no?
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Not necessarily. A back protector can cause damage, if not properly secured. It may slide up into the back of the neck and cause paralysis, rather than preventing it. Even when properly secured it's designed to be under a layer, that will stop it from shifting around. If you're falling at 20 Kmh, then it'll likely help, as you're mostly dealing with impact trauma. Above that and it may well prove to be a liability.
 
It's to cover the back fat or to prevent the t-shirt from lifting up, thus exposing said back fat.
 
First off, I love it when people use the terms "hate" or "hater" when you call them out on something stupid. Makes me LOL every time! :lmao:

Second, if anyone thinks wearing a BP with jeans and a t-shirt will keep then from becoming paralyzed, they need to stop deluding themselves. E.g., I have a friend who's paralyzed from the waist down after crashing his R1. His back was fine. The slide tore through his jeans and ground his buttocks off. Didn't stop there, it pinched the base of his spine, and thus, he lost the use of his legs. No, wearing just a BP, and not even wearing it securely around your waist, FFS, doesn't do jack *****.

It's ok to admit that those of you who wear one as described above are using it as a fashion accessory and a fashion accessory alone. I don't care what you do and don't wear. Ride naked for all I care, but make sure I can get a pic of it! Just don't try to sell me on how it makes you safer.
 
stormcat said:
First off, I love it when people use the terms "hate" or "hater" when you call them out on something stupid. Makes me LOL every time! :lmao:

Second, if anyone thinks wearing a BP with jeans and a t-shirt will keep then from becoming paralyzed, they need to stop deluding themselves. E.g., I have a friend who's paralyzed from the waist down after crashing his R1. His back was fine. The slide tore through his jeans and ground his buttocks off. Didn't stop there, it pinched the base of his spine, and thus, he lost the use of his legs. No, wearing just a BP, and not even wearing it securely around your waist, FFS, doesn't do jack *****.

It's ok to admit that those of you who wear one as described above are using it as a fashion accessory and a fashion accessory alone. I don't care what you do and don't wear. Ride naked for all I care, but make sure I can get a pic of it! Just don't try to sell me on how it makes you safer.
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So pretty much you just answered your own question here - you want people to post up saying that they wear it strictly for a fashion statement. Why ask the question if you don't wanna hear the answer?
 
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