Be honest for a moment. Do you ride with back protection? In many cases, the answer to that question is still “no”. Yet your back is essential for your daily mobility. So ride with back protection. We’ll tell you why every motorcyclist should do so.
Why is back protection so important for motorcyclists? Because your back is often the part of your body that takes a heavy blow when you fall off your motorbike. Many of us wear our helmets, motorcycle clothing, proper footwear and smart motorcycle gloves. But the back protector is often forgotten. ‘But isn’t there already something like that in my motorcycle jacket?!’ we often hear. You’ll be surprised how much motorcycle clothing actually provides little protection for your back.
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A back protector is mandatory if you want to ride on the track. Many avid track day riders therefore wear their back protectors on the road as well. That is, if they still ride motorcycles on the road at all. But among many road riders, back protection is not yet standard practice or is easily forgotten.
Your spine is much more vulnerable than you often think. ‘An arm or collarbone is easily broken, but your back is fine, right?!’ Don’t be fooled. The back is very vulnerable because of the many muscles, nerves and attachments that run through it. All these tissues are necessary to perform the many different functions for which the spine is responsible.
Think about being able to stand upright, move around, bend in all directions, lift things, etc. Your spine is also the centre of your central nervous system. Among other things, it connects your body to your brain. Damage to the spine often has serious consequences. It may be just a small crack in a vertebra, but it can also lead to permanent damage due to serious injury or even paralysis due to damage to the nervous system. Damage to your back therefore often involves a long rehabilitation process.
We don’t need to explain to you that your back is an important part of your body. So it’s actually quite strange that we forget to protect it so quickly, isn’t it?
If you think that wearing a back protector is only necessary if you enjoy a sporty riding style or like to ride on the track, you are mistaken. On the road, you are more likely to collide with something and the chance of being knocked off your motorbike is much greater than on the track. Even if you are cruising along quietly, you can be knocked off your feet and end up on your back. The risk of being hit from behind is also much greater on the road. So wearing a back protector is important for street riders too.
A back protector can be made from various materials. For example, there are ones made from carbon elastomer. This resembles a type of rubber. It often has a honeycomb structure to make the back protection as strong as possible, while still allowing for some flexibility.
Some back protectors are very rigid, making them resemble a kind of shield on your back. Others are very flexible. To give you two specific examples, the Alpinestars Nucleon KR-3 Back Protector is quite rigid. This provides highly advanced protection. It also has a kidney belt with extra protection. The Dainese Pro-Armor Back Long Back Protector, on the other hand, is very flexible. It also offers a high level of protection and, thanks to its flexibility, provides a little more comfort.
You can actually think of it as a turtle’s shell. The only difference is that one is more flexible than the other and there are different levels of protection.
Back protectors come in all shapes and sizes. There are separate protectors that you can insert into your jacket. These are known as insert back protectors. These separate protective elements offer extra protection that is often not sewn into your jacket. However, these separate elements are often shorter and smaller than a proper back protector. As a result, they offer slightly less protection than a full protector. There is also a risk of them shifting in the event of an accident.
A full back protector is worn under your motorcycle clothing and over your undergarments. It always has a strap or kidney belt to keep the protection in place at the abdomen. They often also have shoulder straps so that the protector stays in place at all times.
Finally, there are also airbag vests with a built-in back protector. If your airbag does not deploy, the vest still offers good protection for your back. These are also worn under your motorcycle suit.
A back protector ensures that the impact of an accident is spread across your back. In fact, across the entire protector. This means that no single part of your back has to absorb the blow. By spreading the impact, you avoid all the force and impact being concentrated on a single point. This greatly increases the chance that your back will remain unharmed. Apart from some muscle pain, that is. You always get that after an accident.
It makes sense that a back protector should protect your back and therefore fit well. And because we are not all the same height and width or slimness, different sizes are available. A well-fitting back protector does not get in the way. If it is a fairly stiff protector, it will take some getting used to when moving. But it should not restrict your freedom of movement while riding.
The correct size back protector runs almost parallel to your shoulders and protects your C3. This is your most prominent cervical vertebra. The protector should also fall just over your tailbone when you are standing upright. Finally, pay attention to the length of the kidney belt or strap. The shoulder straps can often be shortened quite a bit, but for the smaller motorcyclists among us, the strap around the stomach can sometimes be just a little too long, even if the protector itself is the right size. In that case, you can have the strap shortened slightly.
A back protector is an asset for every motorcyclist. Not just for track riders or sporty street riders. Protecting your back is often overlooked, even though this part of your body is responsible for many essential functions. Damage to this part of your body often has serious and long-lasting consequences. Wearing a back protector requires little effort, you hardly notice it – if it fits properly – and it gives you many times more protection. Do you want to protect yourself even more when riding your motorbike? Then consider motorbike clothing with an airbag.
