Motocap and some key messages

[rastuscat]

Key messages

• Over half of riders get back on their bike during spring.

• Crashes increase by 24% from September to October & continue into the summer.

• Riders need to make sure they’re wearing- gear that will provide them best protection in a crash.

• Wearing the right gear can reduce your injury & recovery time by 30%.

• Gloves, trousers, jackets and riding boots can mean the difference between serious injury or the inconvenience of minor injuries.

• Check out how safe your gear is on https://www.motocap.com.au/

• South Island – Chip seal. Maybe you need to wear better gear.

• The most expensive gear does not always offer you the best protection.

• Even at low speeds you can get hurt as your skin is directly exposed to the road surface – you need to wear gear that can protect you

• Nobody knows when they will bin. If they did, they would change their riding, and prevent it. You need to wear all the gear every time you ride

[F5 Dave]

Link doesn't work currently

[roogazza]

In old age I wouldn't even think of riding without Shoei,Sidis and Leda armoured race suit.
won't even get on the bike without the whole lot....
The road hurts !!!!

[rastuscat]

Link doesn't work currently

Amended. My Bad.

[F5 Dave]

In old age I wouldn't even think of riding without Shoei,Sidis and Leda armoured race suit.
won't even get on the bike without the whole lot....
The road hurts !!!!

Same deal except traded sidis for GayErnies as they are slightly wider.

Stuff knows what I'll do replacement time for Leathers, I'll feel like a traitor even though Dusty has pretty much forceably retired.

Maybe 2nd gen airbag suit in the future if I start saving now.

[F5 Dave]

Well they don't seem to have either of my recent Five Gloves, but the flash harry RST version I didn't buy as a bit narrow rated quite poorly. Interesting..

[rastuscat]

Well they don't seem to have either of my recent Five Gloves, but the flash harry RST version I didn't buy as a bit narrow rated quite poorly. Interesting..

I think that because it's a new-ish system, the number of items tested will only grow with time.

[nerrrd]

Just from a quick perusal (none of my gear is listed, closest I think is three stars for a similar jacket) overall that’s a lot of very underwhelming results.

Textile jackets are all (with a single three star exception) rated 2 stars or less out of five for safety?? That’s a bit scandalous given the marketing claims.

[pritch]

Interesting. Some of the most expensive gear gets the lowest results. That could be either because the gear isn't great or the testing regime isn't. What is for certain is that I'm not going to blow two or three grand on another set of gear.

[SaferRides]

I've had a quick look but haven't read their test methods.

I low sided a couple of years ago on oil that was on a patch of wet tar bleed. Riding into the sun, so no chance of seeing the oil. The road is very hard even when you low side.

No injuries except a sore thumb and the damage to my gear (leather) was just cosmetic.

I might wear jeans in town but not where there's chip seal.

[jellywrestler]

I might wear jeans in town but not where there's chip seal. so do you google earth your route before heading out to check there's no chip seal then?, what about kerbs and lamposts, are they softer away from chip seal?

[F5 Dave]

Most accidents happen on short trips. Knowing that, the very last thing that you should wear on those trips is inadequate gear. Armour is best defence against serious damage. Should be in all gear. Only reduces impact though.

That said abrasion is super inconvenient.

[SaferRides]

Armour is best defence against serious damage. Should be in all gear. Only reduces impact though.

I landed hard on my shoulder and elbow, and was sure I'd done some damage. But nothing, not even any aches or pain afterwards.

Dainese leather jacket, bought from an Italian website for about €250 quite a few years ago now.

[Jeff Sichoe]

If you are really worried about road rash you are probably crashing way too often.

[Jeff Sichoe]

https://www.motocap.com.au/testing-process

Shows they are primarily interested in abrasion resistance, not impact to the spine etc (the entire back area is only Moderate Risk)

But wait, they do have a specific Impact Resistance test, for (according to their picture) elbows, assholes and knees only.

That should be a robust test to simulate the actual impact experience by people crashing, hitting solid objects (ground, namely) at speed, right?

"A 5kg flat-faced impactor is then dropped from 1m onto the impact protector, simulating an impact speed of about 16km/h"




.........




lol

[SaferRides]

https://www.motocap.com.au/testing-process

Shows they are primarily interested in abrasion resistance, not impact to the spine etc (the entire back area is only Moderate Risk)

But wait, they do have a specific Impact Resistance test, for (according to their picture) elbows, assholes and knees only.

That should be a robust test to simulate the actual impact experience by people crashing, hitting solid objects (ground, namely) at speed, right?

"A 5kg flat-faced impactor is then dropped from 1m onto the impact protector, simulating an impact speed of about 16km/h"




.........




lolQuite why the Aussies continue to do their own thing is beyond me. They also have their own helmet test system.

I'm quite happy with the EU standards given most of the tests are developed by the Germans, and it's the world's biggest bureaucracy.

[rastuscat]

Quite why the Aussies continue to do their own thing is beyond me. They also have their own helmet test system.

I'm quite happy with the EU standards given most of the tests are developed by the Germans, and it's the world's biggest bureaucracy.


I spent the day last week with the head of the Motocap testing process. We were testing various material combinations on NZ road surfaces i.e. dragging materials on a road in our district.

It was interesting to watch how the tests were done, and I can say, I was surprised at the outcomes.

The guy who runs it is a textiles doctorate bloke, he knows his stuff. Because he rides a bike, he made motorcycle gear his pet topic, and runs the project from Deakin University.

Last week we were only looking at abrasion resistance, and we didn't test armour. Various leathers, denims and textiles. A lot of of I thought I knew was proven to be bollocks.

Regarding the euro standards, all my gear is Euro standard i.e. CE. I think it's still a good standard. In the opinion of the good doctor, they have declined over the years as manufacturers have designed products to do well in tests in order to gain good ratings, but they haven't been tested and graded in the real world. For example, a test done on a sandpaper belt may not reflect well the abrasion resistance of a denim on an NZ chip road.

All my gear is Euro standard i.e. CE. I think it's still a good standard.

That's why Motocap is doing real world testing on products. They only set up 18 months ago, and estimate that they will be able to get about 150 products per year through their testing process.

The intention is not so much that existing rders can check out the rating of their gear, but so that anyone looking at buying gear can make a more informed choice about which gear provides the best protection.

[SaferRides]

I spent the day last week with the head of the Motocap testing process. We were testing various material combinations on NZ road surfaces i.e. dragging materials on a road in our district.

It was interesting to watch how the tests were done, and I can say, I was surprised at the outcomes.

The guy who runs it is a textiles doctorate bloke, he knows his stuff. Because he rides a bike, he made motorcycle gear his pet topic, and runs the project from Deakin University.

Last week we were only looking at abrasion resistance, and we didn't test armour. Various leathers, denims and textiles. A lot of of I thought I knew was proven to be bollocks.

Regarding the euro standards, all my gear is Euro standard i.e. CE. I think it's still a good standard. In the opinion of the good doctor, they have declined over the years as manufacturers have designed products to do well in tests in order to gain good ratings, but they haven't been tested and graded in the real world. For example, a test done on a sandpaper belt may not reflect well the abrasion resistance of a denim on an NZ chip road.

All my gear is Euro standard i.e. CE. I think it's still a good standard.

That's why Motocap is doing real world testing on products. They only set up 18 months ago, and estimate that they will be able to get about 150 products per year through their testing process.

The intention is not so much that existing rders can check out the rating of their gear, but so that anyone looking at buying gear can make a more informed choice about which gear provides the best protection.
Their current ratings are based on laboratory tests. I would be very interested to see them do real world testing, but it will take careful method design and implementation to come up with meaningful and repeatable results.

I take it there is now a patch of "NZ standard chipseal" somewhere in Canterbury? And can you tell us what "proved to be bollocks"?

I have been involved in standards testing, and there will always be some manufacturers who will try to game the system. Pretty shit behaviour when it's safety equipment, but there are some very disturbing stories about manufacturers "optimising" their helmets to pass test standards.

[rastuscat]

Their current ratings are based on laboratory tests. I would be very interested to see them do real world testing, but it will take careful method design and implementation to come up with meaningful and repeatable results.

I take it there is now a patch of "NZ standard chipseal" somewhere in Canterbury? And can you tell us what "proved to be bollocks"?

I have been involved in standards testing, and there will always be some manufacturers who will try to game the system. Pretty shit behaviour when it's safety equipment, but there are some very disturbing stories about manufacturers "optimising" their helmets to pass test standards.

We used one piece of road that had recently been sealed with chunky chip seal, and it tore even leather to shreds very quickly. Tip : Don't fall off on that road, no matter what you are wearing.

We moved to a more consistent nearby road, that was somewhat less brutal, and the various test results reflected the abrasion resistance the Doc had found in the lab.

I am guessing that it would be hard to find a piece of road that consistently represents the various seal treatments used in NZ. Regional variability really makes a difference.

[SaferRides]

Some background... Most road aggregate used in NZ is greywacke. Its properties vary depending on where in the country you are - harder and more abrasive in the South Island.

I don't know what they use in the Southern Lakes region, but would not want to slide far on it!

[pritch]

Some background... Most road aggregate used in NZ is greywacke. Its properties vary depending on where in the country you are - harder and more abrasive in the South Island.


Interesting comment. I'd always understood SI roads to be more abrasive. Back around the turn of the century the advice was that you could cut out a set of tyres on a trip around the Island. I remember one leg from Lumsden to Picton, each time I stopped for gas there was visibly less tread. It got me home but that was it.

Previously I'd had no idea if our 'conventional wisdom' was right or not, but it seems that it may have been.

[Ulsterkiwi]

Some background... Most road aggregate used in NZ is greywacke. Its properties vary depending on where in the country you are - harder and more abrasive in the South Island.

I don't know what they use in the Southern Lakes region, but would not want to slide far on it!


Couple of years back I was getting the bike serviced before Mrs UK and I headed off on a 3 week tour. I asked if the tyres were up for the kind of distances we were planning. Oh yeah, was the reply, no problem. Where ya headed anyway? South Island was my reply. Oh, well then forget the last advice, no way those tyres will do that distance down there. Interesting take an on reflection I was glad I had fresh rubber.

[rastuscat]

Couple of years back I was getting the bike serviced before Mrs UK and I headed off on a 3 week tour. I asked if the tyres were up for the kind of distances we were planning. Oh yeah, was the reply, no problem. Where ya headed anyway? South Island was my reply. Oh, well then forget the last advice, no way those tyres will do that distance down there. Interesting take an on reflection I was glad I had fresh rubber.

It would be interesting to contrast tyre wear in the North Island to that of the South Island. Too many variables to just do a quick comparison.