Leg Protection: The forgotten limbs...

S

Silvch

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I am currently trying to convince myself to keep my bike another year however after dealing with a close friend going down (nothing too bad) and constantly being reminded of the risks and reading stories, I am on the fence about keeping the thing. I only have two seasons riding experience however got badly addicted and it was all I wanted to do.

I am my own worst enemy justifying only all the pros of riding however I was hoping everyone could help me further pursued myself with the decision of gear and protection. I am most of the way there with a high end helmet, gloves, full race boots and armored leather jacket. Legs are my weak point and I want to get some opinions from those that have actually went down and what they would do differently. Why are legs always forgotten?...I need my legs too!

Currently I am riding with:
Scorpion ExoWear Monroe Pants
scorpion_exowear_monroe_pnts_detail_1_600.jpg


I worry about the built in knee protection shifting in a crash and also worry about abrasion protection. Do I even have any with these pants?


I wont wear a full race suit every time I hop on the bike so that is not an option but do guys think I should have real knee and hip protection as well? Would something like these products combined with my current pants be a pretty solid combo?

KNOX Cross Knee Guards
KNOX_cross_knees_detail_1_600.jpg


KNOX Cross Armored shorts
KNOX_cross_shorts_detail_1_600.jpg



Any recommendations are greatly welcomed.
 
Joe-Rocket-Speedmaster.jpg


If you want protection this is what you get. These other paper thin pants and silly padding that will shift and fall off the minute you start to slide are just cosmetic illusion of protection.

If i dont wear a suit i just go with jeans, hell atleast ill be comfortable while grinding away my knees.
 
Paul1000RR said:
If you want protection this is what you get. These other paper thin pants and silly padding that will shift and fall off the minute you start to slide are just cosmetic illusion of protection.

If i dont wear a suit i just go with jeans, hell atleast ill be comfortable while grinding away my knees.
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And a 2-piece suit doesn't look half bad on the street. What's wrong with wearing riding jeans that have kevlar in the butt and knees? My velocity jeans held up just like they were supposed to when I went down last season. Had knee/shin armor underneath them (not the built in stuff) and wearing proper boots and I didn't even have a scratch or bad bruise.
 
Macs said:
And a 2-piece suit doesn't look half bad on the street. What's wrong with wearing riding jeans that have kevlar in the butt and knees? My velocity jeans held up just like they were supposed to when I went down last season. Had knee/shin armor underneath them (not the built in stuff) and wearing proper boots and I didn't even have a scratch or bad bruise.
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how fast were you going when you hit the ground?
 
Add back protector.

Add more schooling, Lee Parks or trackdays. Second year rider keep trying to improve your roadcraft.

All the protection in the world won't help you if you hit something solid.
 
Silvch said:
I am currently trying to convince myself to keep my bike another year however after dealing with a close friend going down (nothing too bad) and constantly being reminded of the risks and reading stories, I am on the fence about keeping the thing. I only have two seasons riding experience however got badly addicted and it was all I wanted to do.

I am my own worst enemy justifying only all the pros of riding however I was hoping everyone could help me further pursued myself with the decision of gear and protection. I am most of the way there with a high end helmet, gloves, full race boots and armored leather jacket. Legs are my weak point and I want to get some opinions from those that have actually went down and what they would do differently. Why are legs always forgotten?...I need my legs too!

Currently I am riding with:
Scorpion ExoWear Monroe Pants

I worry about the built in knee protection shifting in a crash and also worry about abrasion protection. Do I even have any with these pants?


I wont wear a full race suit every time I hop on the bike so that is not an option but do guys think I should have real knee and hip protection as well? Would something like these products combined with my current pants be a pretty solid combo?

KNOX Cross Knee Guards

KNOX Cross Armored shorts


Any recommendations are greatly welcomed.
Click to expand...

I think it's great that you value your legs; it seems many motorcyclists only care about their upper body protection so I think you already have the right state of mind to continue riding and hopefully avoid injury.

As for what I recommend, firstly I would say that the built-in knee protection is completely useless. When I low-sided while wearing my textile pants, all that the armour did was shift out of the way (as you mentioned)... thankfully I wasn't seriously injured, I was just a little bruised, but I learned my lesson.

After the textile pants, I bought some used Knox Cross Knee Guards due to the same reasons you're considering buying them; that I would be able to wear them underneath riding pants and be better protected. I quickly realized that the quality & comfort of those knee guards was sub-par, so I wouldn't personally recommend them at all. At that point I wasn't completely sure how I would protect my knees - that is - until I found the Forcefield Limb Tube Knee Protector. I found that the forcefield knee protector offers the most protection and best comfort compared to any other knee protector I've tried. They feel like an extension of your knees, and don't move out of place. Not only that, but they're also slimmer, so they can easily fit underneath riding jeans as well. The only downside they have is that it isn't a "strap-on" design, so you'll have to put them on like socks, meaning you need to remove your shoes in order to take them on/off (which can be inconvenient). Otherwise, I would totally recommend them. They may be a little more expensive than the Knox, but you'll be far more satisfied. I've been using them for 2 seasons now, and they've been amazing.

Hope that helps!
 
I wear these:

4991_black_1_1_1.jpg


Alpinestars A-10 Sport Leather/Textile. I crashed in these last July 1, banged up my right knee quite well. Had I been wearing jeans at the time, I doubt I'd be walking today. CE-rated knee and tibia protection.
 
I have a few sets of pants - a leather set, as well as a cordura set (Joe Rocket Ballistic).

Has anyone crashed on Ballistic pants? If so, how did the pants fare?

Going for dedicated knee armor seems like a good idea too.
 
honduhmatic said:
I have a few sets of pants - a leather set, as well as a cordura set (Joe Rocket Ballistic).

Has anyone crashed on Ballistic pants? If so, how did the pants fare?

Going for dedicated knee armor seems like a good idea too.
Click to expand...

JR Ballistic Alter Ego 10.0 pants worked well when I low-sided. seams and stitching held up at speed of 70km/h. my left knee armour did shift during the incident and i ended up with a minor rash/burn on my knee. Other than that, no complaints.
 
johnnie_c said:
My suggestion ...Sit behind the computer and continue over thinking things.
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+1...you could be the guy who never crashes or the guy in the full suit who still breaks his femur.
I rode a few years in just jeans using my two piece only on weekend joyrides I've been down a bunch of times, sometimes not even ripping my jeans but me knee did get swollen...nothing major though.

Now I got a pair of Teknic jeans with Knox knee padding and Draggin Jeans, that's your best option.
 
I had good experience with Draggin Cargos.. Survived a city speed lowside, with a bit of kevlar rash. The bruise made me wish I had used the knee pads. Good boots are a must. Seen what happens when a shoe comes off.
 
[h=2]I have a pair of Moto GP Pants (Picked up from Topendz)[/h]

  • Leather and Heavy-duty Cordura nylon
  • CE approved protection in knees
  • EVA foam padding in side and hip area
  • Elastic pleated Cordura in lumbar area
  • 4 pockets for storage
  • Pant-to-jacket zipper attachment system
  • YKK zippers
  • Size 34


$200 - pm with email address for more pics​
 
On the track I wear the Knox shorts under my one piece, they fill out the suit nicely and it actually fits better for me. On the street I just wear my birthday suit and don't crash.
 
hate to say it but, if you are that concerned that you are considering quitting, you may as well quit

But if you decide to continue, then spend your time practicing and getting better, nothing like seat time to make you more confident and less afraid. Many people go on group rides and to ice cream meets when they should probably spend more time riding with the purpose of getting better.

Good luck
 
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forum crashed when I posted and I lost my message...

Anyhow, the jist of what I had typed was I use Joe Rocket Alter Ego pants, and found the knee protection to be completely useless. I removed them and replaced them with a pair of Dainese Knee V Guards, and couldn't be happier with them (GP Sells them for around $80 -- http://gpbikes.com/dainese-knee-v.html).

dainese-knee-v-black_700_600_3nm0s.jpg


The important thing is to get ones that have the strap above the knee -- Originally I picked up a pair of Icon Strykers which didn't, and promptly took them back for an exchange (since they didn't articulate at all.

Also as others have mentioned outside of pants a back protector might be a good idea -- I removed the foam pad in my jacket and bought an AlpineStars Bionic back protector instead.
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