Motoport Protective Clothing

On other adventure touring forums I see nothing but high praise for Motoport protective clothing.

I do not remember seeing any thing on this sight about Motoport.

So, I will chime in here. Motoport is by far one of the most expensive pieces of motorcycle gear you will ever buy, but it is also one of the best things any biker could purchase. In the last 5 years I have been down a few times and have broke and separated parts of my body on impact. However, not one skin abrasion. Not even a scratch going down at high speeds wearing Motoport gear.

I am a very happy camper after 5 years with Motoport gear. Wayne at motoport runs a small tight ship. He is a "do" type person, and he and his products deliver as promised.

Website: Motoport

Yep, planning on getting one of their suits whenever I upgrade my gear. Hubby too.

Chestnut said:

Yep, planning on getting one of their suits whenever I upgrade my gear. Hubby too.

Click to expand...

Which hubby upgrade are you going with?

Fuzzy said:

Which hubby upgrade are you going with?

Click to expand...

Got me there, Fuzzy. But for starters, one who doesn't ride in a t-shirt shirt, hiking pants, and sneakers. And who can't complain that he's roasting because of his gear.

Sounds like he has a good wife, who cares! Do you have to move the bike to watch TV in the living room?

Would you please elaborate on the/any high-speed pavement crash(es) in the motoport gear? 90% of my riding is between ~50 and 80 mph, in traffic, so the kind of gear and helmets that are aimed at protecting during stoplight tip-overs is of zero utility to me. Solid, high-speed-crash-proof gear is what I want.

Old Can Ride said:

On other adventure touring forums I see nothing but high praise for Motoport protective clothing.

I do not remember seeing any thing on this sight about Motoport.

So, I will chime in here. Motoport is by far one of the most expensive pieces of motorcycle gear you will ever buy, but it is also one of the best things any biker could purchase. In the last 5 years I have been down a few times and have broke and separated parts of my body on impact. However, not one skin abrasion. Not even a scratch going down at high speeds wearing Motoport gear.

I am a very happy camper after 5 years with Motoport gear. Wayne at motoport runs a small tight ship. He is a "do" type person, and he and his products deliver as promised.

Website: Motoport

Click to expand...

Go to website: Motoport: An Evolution

"In the last 5 years I have been down a few times and have broke and separated parts of my body on impact. However, not one skin abrasion. Not even a scratch going down at high speeds wearing Motoport gear."

Lots and lots and lots of other folks have had the same experience as I have with Motoport Kevlar. See articles in website.

A copy of the letter approving Motoport gear for racing from the AMA is also attached in articles. I wear Motoport racing gloves, also.

Okay, I'll try to fortify myself sufficiently to return to their site. I've been through it before, and while I try to appreciate their intent, I struggle with some things there (not that that fact makes them unique ).

EDIT: All I was really interested in is how fast you've hit the deck on asphalt (or concrete), what hit first, and what happened to the suit. I have good to very good familiarity with the Australian crash data, the SATRA crash data, at least a bit of German data, and Motoport's website.

Hope these numbers directly from the website gives you some idea as to material strength. I throw my air mesh Kevlar into the washing machine quite often. Sliding across the roadway at over 65 mph did no damage at all to my Motoport equipment. The impact was strong enough to dislocate my shoulder, but not a single abrasion to my body. (No cuts, no scratches.) What else can you ask for from riding gear?

65 mph. That's what I was wondering about. Thanks. Sounds like the gear performed as well as good leathers do.

Regrettably, Motoport's mesh kevlar is a non-starter for me in this climate.

That is the beauty of mesh. Air goes straight though. The liner you put on the inside is determined by the weather. If cold, (electric liner), if raining, (water proof liner), if hot, (just your underwear), or any combination of these. Once you suit up for the day, you never have to stop to put on any thing else. No more stopping to put on the rain suit, to put or take off more layers of cloths (waterproof electric liner), just keep rolling and Ride in full protected comfort.

Kevlar is a curious choice for protective clothing as the material is degraded quickly by exposure to sunlight. Google Kevlar UV degradation for more information. I know of several riders that had Motoport gear, pants and jackets, that started to come apart at the seams several years ago and we concluded it was the thread used to stitch the ballistic nylon panels together. At that time Motoport prominately featured Kevlar thread stitching on their website. About that time they stopped highlighting the use of this material for thread but we're not yet selling gear with panels made of it. I figured they stopped using Kevlar thread as they no longer mentioned it and were using UV stable thread of some other material. Now they are back to featuring Kevlar material. It's strong in the beginning but rapidly loses strength unless protected from UV. Before I wore anything made of Kevlar I would want to know how the material is constructed or treated to prevent degradation and loss of strength.

Old Can Ride said:

That is the beauty of mesh. Air goes straight though.

Click to expand...

That's exactly the problem and the reason it's a non-starter here.

Though there are likely few who care enough to read it, here's DuPont's KEVLAR Technical Guide, which discusses UV degradation:

http://www2.dupont.com/Kevlar/en_US/assets/downloads/KEVLAR_Technical_Guide.pdf

FWIW, un-protected 1500-denier Kevlar is down to ~30% of initial 'strength' after 450 hours of exposure to sunlight (I don't recall that it said at what latitude or elevation). 450 hours isn't half a year's riding for me. Dave's point above about checking with a vendor to inquire about protection of the fabric, the thread, etc. is very well-taken.

MZ5 said:

Though there are likely few who care enough to read it, here's DuPont's KEVLAR Technical Guide, which discusses UV degradation:

http://www2.dupont.com/Kevlar/en_US/assets/downloads/KEVLAR_Technical_Guide.pdf

FWIW, un-protected 1500-denier Kevlar is down to ~30% of initial 'strength' after 450 hours of exposure to sunlight (I don't recall that it said at what latitude or elevation). 450 hours isn't half a year's riding for me. Dave's point above about checking with a vendor to inquire about protection of the fabric, the thread, etc. is very well-taken.

Click to expand...

Sailboat sails made from Kevlar cloth hit the market about 35 years ago and the lesson of UV was something I learned through that experience. They were a huge step forward in performance but didn't last too many seasons in Florida where we sail year around.

Kevlar is a curious choice for protective clothing as the material is degraded quickly by exposure to sunlight. Yes, this is correct. This person knows nothing about our Kevlar apparel. I’ll add links below where this and much more is explained. Our Kevlar blended material is made in two main ways:

1. Stretch Kevlar: Dynateck thread, that is very similar to Cordura, Kevlar thread and Lycra thread all woven together in a solid woven fabric.

2. Mesh Kevlar: Dynateck thread and Kevlar thread woven together in a Mesh fabric.
Both the above fabric don’t expose any of the Kevlar threads to UV rays. The only way our Kevlar suits would have an degradation from UV rays would be if the inner liner was cut off, the suit was turned inside out and left in the sun for 2 months.

Google Kevlar UV degradation for more information. I know of several riders that had Motoport gear, pants and jackets, that started to come apart at the seams several years ago and we concluded it was the thread used to stitch the ballistic nylon panels together. Incorrect. This has never happened. At that time Motoport prominately featured Kevlar thread stitching on their website. Incorrect again. Motoport has never used Kevlar thread, we have also never advertised that we use Kevlar thread. About that time they stopped highlighting the use of this material for thread but we're not yet selling gear with panels made of it. Wrong again. I figured they stopped using Kevlar thread as they no longer mentioned it and were using UV stable thread of some other material. Now they are back to featuring Kevlar material. Wrong again. It's strong in the beginning but rapidly loses strength unless protected from UV. Wrong again. We have customers with Kevlar Suits that are 28 years old and still the exact same tear/abrasion strength as when new. Even when the colors fade the material tear/abrasion strength does not degrade. Before I wore any thing made of Kevlar I would want to know how the material is constructed or treated to prevent degradation and loss of strength. He should learn more before making claims like this.

It upsets me when I read stories like the above. It is possible that one of our customers thought we used Kevlar thread and said that in a Testimonial. This doesn’t mean that we use Kevlar thread. The points this person makes are beyond a claim or statement, they are a complete lie. The above lies can damage our company. Here are many links to read off our web site that explain the above and much more:Motoport: An Evolution

Motoport Dictionary

The "Save Your Hide" Guide

Many people may feel that Motoport can make all kinds of claims, but don’t believe them. Here are links that our customers have wrote. The very top link is the longest, but also the best:
What Others Say About Motoport


Best Regards,

Wayne Boyer

CEO Motoport USA

340 Rancheros Dr. #184

San Marcos, CA 92069

800-777-6499

760-752-1048

Fax: 760-752-9317

Old Can Ride said:

Kevlar is a curious choice for protective clothing as the material is degraded quickly by exposure to sunlight. Yes, this is correct. This person knows nothing about our Kevlar apparel. I’ll add links below where this and much more is explained. Our Kevlar blended material is made in two main ways:

1. Stretch Kevlar: Dynateck thread, that is very similar to Cordura, Kevlar thread and Lycra thread all woven together in a solid woven fabric.

2. Mesh Kevlar: Dynateck thread and Kevlar thread woven together in a Mesh fabric.
Both the above fabric don’t expose any of the Kevlar threads to UV rays. The only way our Kevlar suits would have an degradation from UV rays would be if the inner liner was cut off, the suit was turned inside out and left in the sun for 2 months.

Google Kevlar UV degradation for more information. I know of several riders that had Motoport gear, pants and jackets, that started to come apart at the seams several years ago and we concluded it was the thread used to stitch the ballistic nylon panels together. Incorrect. This has never happened. At that time Motoport prominately featured Kevlar thread stitching on their website. Incorrect again. Motoport has never used Kevlar thread, we have also never advertised that we use Kevlar thread. About that time they stopped highlighting the use of this material for thread but we're not yet selling gear with panels made of it. Wrong again. I figured they stopped using Kevlar thread as they no longer mentioned it and were using UV stable thread of some other material. Now they are back to featuring Kevlar material. Wrong again. It's strong in the beginning but rapidly loses strength unless protected from UV. Wrong again. We have customers with Kevlar Suits that are 28 years old and still the exact same tear/abrasion strength as when new. Even when the colors fade the material tear/abrasion strength does not degrade. Before I wore any thing made of Kevlar I would want to know how the material is constructed or treated to prevent degradation and loss of strength. He should learn more before making claims like this.

It upsets me when I read stories like the above. It is possible that one of our customers thought we used Kevlar thread and said that in a Testimonial. This doesn’t mean that we use Kevlar thread. The points this person makes are beyond a claim or statement, they are a complete lie. The above lies can damage our company. Here are many links to read off our web site that explain the above and much more:Motoport: An Evolution

Motoport Dictionary

The "Save Your Hide" Guide

Many people may feel that Motoport can make all kinds of claims, but don’t believe them. Here are links that our customers have wrote. The very top link is the longest, but also the best:
What Others Say About Motoport


Best Regards,

Wayne Boyer

CEO Motoport USA

340 Rancheros Dr. #184

San Marcos, CA 92069

800-777-6499

760-752-1048

Fax: 760-752-9317

Click to expand...

Instead of calling me a liar all Mr. Boyer needs to explain how a textile garment woven from a material whose properties are subject to degradation while exposed to sunlight is somehow not exposed to sunlight when worn outside. There are many products that use Kevlar in construction but they sheath or otherwise protect the Kevlar fibers from UV. Perhaps the Kevlar fibers are in an inner liner not normally exposed to sunlight or the Kevlar fibers are encased in dynateck (what is dynateck anyway? A cursory search didn't turn anything up with that spelling) or other opaque UV stable barrier. If so, an explanation of the construction would suffice.

http://www2.dupont.com/Kevlar/en_US/assets/downloads/KEVLAR_Technical_Guide.pdf

UV degradation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I explained this in my last response. No Kevlar threads in the weave are exposed to the outside sun. The Kevlar threads are exposed on the inside of the woven fabric only. If this person can read these links I posted in my last email, he can see riders that have had our Kevlar Suits for many years still working perfectly:



http://www.motoport.com/index.php?o...say-about-motoport&catid=1:articles&Itemid=22



Motoport has thousands of Testimonials: http://www.motoport.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=23



So above I posted thousands of Motoport customers that have worn our suits, crashed in them, had them repaired/altered, with the vast majority very happy. How could this be if our Kevlar blend degrades rapidly? Please have this person show just one customer that has had his Motoport suit material degrade. We have approximately 5 suits returned to Motoport for inspecton/repair after serious crashes, per week. Thousands of riders have crashed in our gear. Please show me one customer where our suit failed to protect in a crash. Please have this person show just one person that has a Motoport suit with Kevlar thread. Please have this person show just one of Motoport’s seam failing from Kevlar thread. Please show just one of our advertisements/web site/past catalogs show where we say Kevlar thread is used.



Sounds like this person can’t admit to making false statements.



Please send me this Kevlar slandering link to read.



Best regards,

Wayne

I explained this in my last response. No Kevlar threads in the weave are exposed to the outside sun. The Kevlar threads are exposed on the inside of the woven fabric only. If this person can read these links I posted in my last email, he can see riders that have had our Kevlar Suits for many years still working perfectly:



What Others Say About Motoport



Motoport has thousands of Testimonials: Testimonials



So above I posted thousands of Motoport customers that have worn our suits, crashed in them, had them repaired/altered, with the vast majority very happy. How could this be if our Kevlar blend degrades rapidly? Please have this person show just one customer that has had his Motoport suit material degrade. We have approximately 5 suits returned to Motoport for inspecton/repair after serious crashes, per week. Thousands of riders have crashed in our gear. Please show me one customer where our suit failed to protect in a crash. Please have this person show just one person that has a Motoport suit with Kevlar thread. Please have this person show just one of Motoport’s seam failing from Kevlar thread. Please show just one of our advertisements/web site/past catalogs show where we say Kevlar thread is used.



Sounds like this person can’t admit to making false statements.



Please send me this Kevlar slandering link to read.



Best regards,

Wayne

I got yer back on motoport gear OCR....

although I haven't had the pleasure to crash test mine... I love it!!

I have a the stretch Kevlar (not mesh) jack and pants set for warmer weather..more breathable than jeans...
and an older pair of non-urethane coated cordora pants with waterproof liner for wet/cold weather.. large enough to layer all sorts of undergear