ce armor issues

[Jaguar]

It's that time of the year to hang up the winter gear and break out the spring/summer gear. I hung up my Joe Rocket Ballistic jacket for the summer and got out my Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0. I wore the phoenix to work last week and it just didn't fit right. When I got to work, I started feeling around and something just didn't feel right with the armor. I opened the two shoulder and two elbow pockets and reached in. The armor was gone in all four pockets. I reached deeper and pulled out handfuls of black rubber dust and pieces no bigger than marbles. All four pieces of armor had totally disintegrated. I came home and called Joe Rocket customer service and explained my situation. She only asked what type of jacket I had and how long I owned it. She was apologetic and asked my name and address and said they would ship a new set of the dual duty armor, which is in my Ballistic and better quality. I received my new set of armor today. Many Thanks to Joe Rocket.

If you have any jacket or pants with ce armor. It's the black rubber style. You might want to check it out. I can't speak for other companies, but I can say Joe Rocket will take care of it, quickly.

[EddyQ]

Nice ending. .

 

But I think there are lots of armor that fits the black rubber kind.

 

Curious, how old was the gear and how was it stored?

[Jaguar]

It is specifically "ce armor". The jacket was bought about five years ago. All my motorcycle gear hangs in the garage (not climate controlled). It's been hanging there since I bought it. It does get very hot and steamy in the garage during the summer. I wear it spring and fall. Once the hot, Florida summer kicks in, it gets hung up again. I didn't notice anything strange last year. It might have been partially broke down.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Had that happen to a dirt helmet I hadn't worn for 7+ years and some leather jacket padding/armor that got dry cleaned.

 

But, protective polymeric material should never go like that in normal use and gear lifetime.

[lkchris]

If you have any jacket or pants with ce armor. It's the black rubber style. You might want to check it out. I can't speak for other companies, but I can say Joe Rocket will take care of it, quickly.

 

I can "speak for other companies."

 

I've a BMW Airflow 2 (retired mostly) that's over 10 years old and this hasn't happened to the armor in it. It's not even close.

 

I'd somehow, I think, be a little leery of wearing a jacket that's about to have its armor disintegrate which is what you did the last time you wore your Rocket.

 

So, once over the euphoria of getting something for free, consider ... pay more/get more; pay less get less.

[Jaguar]

Buying new gear is out of the question. I own two Joe Rockets and I'm happy with them both. The armor in this jacket was upgraded to a better armor. It's the same armor that's in my other jacket, which is about eight years old and still in good shape.

[John Bentall]

 

I've a BMW Airflow 2 (retired mostly) that's over 10 years old and this hasn't happened to the armor in it. It's not even close.

 

 

I had a really good look at the armor in my older BMW garments, some 10 years old. Some of the elbow and knee pieces were cracked and all had hardened with age.

 

For my own peace of mind I replaced the old stuff with new - which was much more flexible and consequently a little more comfortable.

I showed the old back protectors to a seamstress who repairs race suits and she laughed - and I had to agree. I had new pockets made to fit Odell Forcefield back protectors.

 

My local BMW dealer was surprised at the deterioration because they had not considered that possibility. They only ever inspect new gear closely.

 

YMMV,

 

John

 

[RichEdwards]

All my motorcycle gear hangs in the garage (not climate controlled).

 

A Florida garage is no place to store anything that can be damaged by heat. My garage gets to about 110 degrees or more most days during the summer. All my cycle gear (and my precious Ping golf clubs) spends the summer inside the house.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

It is specifically "ce armor".

 

"CE" isn't a particular type/composition of armor. "CE" is a certification indicating that a product has passed certain standard tests for performance and/or safety. It's similar to the UL marking that's been around in the US for decades.

 

See "CE certified motorcycle armor" here.

[lkraus]

I've had a spare helmet destroyed by sitting close to a container of battery acid. The stitching for the chin strap and d-rings disintegrated and the face shield developed a sticky yellowish coating. Others have reported massive corrosion from pool chlorine stored near in the same enclosure as their bike.

 

So, what else is stored in your garage?

 

 

[tallman]

All my motorcycle gear hangs in the garage (not climate controlled).

 

A Florida garage is no place to store anything that can be damaged by heat. My garage gets to about 110 degrees or more most days during the summer. All my cycle gear (and my precious Ping golf clubs) spends the summer inside the house.

 

Ditti.

 

Not to mention additional damage from petro fumes/running vehicles/gas/oil for lawn tools etc.

[na1g]

"CE" is pretty much the standard. The only non-CE approved armor I've seen is the stuff used by Aerostich. There is an explanation of why in the Aerostich catalog. Based on some of the lousy stuff that calls itself "CE", I'd go along with Aerostich's reasoning.

 

The CE armor is probably a plastic foam and is subject to deterioration from UV (sunlight), ozone from electrical equipment near where it is stored, sweat (acid), heat, and old age. Just like me!

 

Good heads-up on keeping an eye on the stuff in our riding gear. It's one of those things you never notice until it's too late. And kudos to Joe Rocket for making good.

 

pete

[moshe_levy]

Of all the armor gear I've tested, I think BMW's NP Armor is far and away the most comfortable. According to them, it's also the most impact absorbing.

 

August 2010 "Airshell" test: http://www.mklsportster.com/Articles/mcn-bmwairshell.pdf

 

CE, as Mitch said, is just a standard that damn near everything sold in Europe needs to wear. I do wish there was one single objective standard we could use for armor to measure its overall effectiveness for a given situation. But sadly in cases like this saying "CE Armor" is like saying "DOT helmet." It doesn't mean all that much.

 

-MKL