Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

PRODUCT EVALUATION T- Pro Street Body Armor For years, off-road riders have used .body armor to protect themselves from the inherent hazards of their sport. T he early dirt bike p ioneers had to mak e do with hockey-type shoulder pads (remember J ofa?), bu t over ti me th ese have given way to today's h igh-tech , p urpose-b uilt motocross gear. Road racers, too, have becom e fa mil iar wi th body armor, largely throug h th e use of back protectors, which have grown in popul arity to th e point th a t many clubs now require their use. Additionally, many of today's leathers are available with built-in protection at the elbows, hips, knees , etc. But only the most ardent of street rid ers use any type of body armor, a nd wh en they do it's typically a road ra ce-type back protector o nly. T-Pro, a British company, aims to change that. Their new Ches t and Back Waistcoat Protector provides upper torso and co llarbone protection tha t is unmatched by most offroad gear, let alone road race equipment. And best of all , it 's convenient: Just unzip the front like you would any ordina ry jacket, slip inside, zip it back u p, adj ust the hoo k-and-loo p fasteners for the correct fit (jus t this first time, mi nd you), and you 're set. T- Pro (formerly known as Pro tec) markets a full line of street, road race, and off-roa d protective apparel. T he material used is called P ro la m , which is essentially a Kevlar, nylon andpolymer laminate. T-Pro claims Prolam is different than most hardplastic body armor in that it absorbs a nd dissipates ene rgy upon impac t, rather than transferring th e energy directly to the wearer. A flexib le yet shatterproof, hard panel withstands impact a nd punctures, while two softer ab sorption layers do their parts tow ard dissipating the impact. , The Chest and Back Waistcoat Protector is not a t all uncomfortable to wear, even under a tight-fitti ng leather ridi ng jacket. It 's l igh tweight, and si nce air £lows through the vented panels a t the ches t a nd back, it doesn 't mak e th e wearer swea t undu ly. Mu ch of its com fort ca n be cre d ited to th e fact th at Prolam m olds to th e shape of th e wearer's torso o nce it reach es bod y temperature. . T he T -P ro Chest and Back Wai stcoa t Protector is ava ilable for $139.00 fro m Bowm an-K in caid R a cing , Dept. CN , 7879 Greenback Lane, Su ite 247, Ci trus H eigh ts, CA 95610, 9161725-6980. Brian Catterson YAMAHA HONDA and present ·the u.s. BUDWEISERINTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX April 6th, 7th and 8th 500« 250« SIDECARS ~'~!t RACEWAY M onterey, C alifornia FOR INFORMATION CALL (408) 648-5100 RonHaslIm RandyUarnoll y~ ~0J:~~ : ~ MarIbcn Toyota is the Official Car and Truck of Lagun a Seca Ra ceway SAVE $15 ON G NE AD S E RAL MIS IONl ORDER NOWl nom IlClIl A DYlNCI ....KE NO. G ral "'l TotAL Pl,a .llllYll Wednos tt"avgh dny Saturday Hight $ 15.00 I ING E MITS NOT GOOD fOR • CAMP P R ADMISSION, Wtdnlsdoy through Saturday Night $ 25.00 I HIL RENUND R12 Y E EARSOFAGE F E RE •C D W H PAREN~ IT $ 25.00 I Motor

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