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Captain Reports November 5th
December Newsletter 2006
| At time of press release, Randy Sawn has not sent in a Captain Report. Please don't be hard on him, he just started a new job and has been very busy. He has E-Mail and will send one soon. Once he does it will be posted here. |
Clothes Make the Man
by Robert Vaughan
When Harry Hurt at the University of Southern California (USC) did his famous study of motorcycle
accidents, he found that though clothes may not make the man they certainly help protect him. Covering
yourself with leather or another thick material such as Kevlar or Cordura can offer a very high level of
protection.
Cycle magazine tested materials for their abrasion resistance. The two types of tests Cycle did gave
similar results. If you weight 75 pounds and have a body like a milk crate then your wardrobe would fall
into three classes: Denim and lightweight leather for minimum protection, Cordura Nylon and Kevlar for
five times the protection, and competition weight leather for twenty times the protection.
If, on the other hand, you have a tendency to sit on grinding wheels, you can stay seated twice as long
wearing Cordura Nylon or Kevlar as you can wearing Denim or thirteen times as long wearing
competition weight leather.
Road rash isn’t the most serious injury motorcyclists face, but it’s certainly one of the most
painful. While you may not look like a milk crate or sit on grinding wheels, you should know that the
better materials do give you something for your money besides a flatter billfold.
As a rule, riders buy non-specialized clothing such as denim and then wear it for a very specialized
purpose. The best material for abrasion-resistance should combine a smooth texture in a thick layer to
promote sliding, some rigidity to discourage adhesion, a flexible internal structure to stretch under
abrasion, and enough thickness to withstand sustained abrasion. A deficiency in even one element can
spell injury.
However, even the best materials won’t prevent injury if the garment is not well made and properly
fitted. And, even if those criteria are met, if the garment isn’t fastened, it can’t do its job of
keeping the rider unharmed.
It’s worthwhile to put as much money into the clothes we wear as we do into the accessories we put
on our bikes.
by Robert Vaughan
When Harry Hurt at the University of Southern California (USC) did his famous study of motorcycle
accidents, he found that though clothes may not make the man they certainly help protect him. Covering
yourself with leather or another thick material such as Kevlar or Cordura can offer a very high level of
protection.
Cycle magazine tested materials for their abrasion resistance. The two types of tests Cycle did gave
similar results. If you weight 75 pounds and have a body like a milk crate then your wardrobe would fall
into three classes: Denim and lightweight leather for minimum protection, Cordura Nylon and Kevlar for
five times the protection, and competition weight leather for twenty times the protection.
If, on the other hand, you have a tendency to sit on grinding wheels, you can stay seated twice as long
wearing Cordura Nylon or Kevlar as you can wearing Denim or thirteen times as long wearing
competition weight leather.
Road rash isn’t the most serious injury motorcyclists face, but it’s certainly one of the most
painful. While you may not look like a milk crate or sit on grinding wheels, you should know that the
better materials do give you something for your money besides a flatter billfold.
As a rule, riders buy non-specialized clothing such as denim and then wear it for a very specialized
purpose. The best material for abrasion-resistance should combine a smooth texture in a thick layer to
promote sliding, some rigidity to discourage adhesion, a flexible internal structure to stretch under
abrasion, and enough thickness to withstand sustained abrasion. A deficiency in even one element can
spell injury.
However, even the best materials won’t prevent injury if the garment is not well made and properly
fitted. And, even if those criteria are met, if the garment isn’t fastened, it can’t do its job of
keeping the rider unharmed.
It’s worthwhile to put as much money into the clothes we wear as we do into the accessories we put
on our bikes.