The term ‘armour’ means different things to different riders. Here’s a few thoughts to consider when making decisions about your protective apparel.
Armour’s been around motorcycling for a long time. For some it’s a set of plastic or gel inserts in strategically placed pockets on a jacket and pants, and for others it can mean a full ‘pressure suit’, including spine protection and varying plates and padding, some of which can be detached or moved. For motocrossers the term body armour means a hard shell protecting the chest, shoulders and thorax, while other items are called knee guards, elbow guards and so forth. It’s a bewildering world of choice, and for the purposes of this piece, when we’re talking about ‘armour’ we’ll be talking about the gear adventure riders use to protect themselves from impact injuries.