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Originally Posted by wodin
Armor or no, the human body is not designed to skid down the highway at 60 MPH, or impact with a two ton automobile either.
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Although I've gone down several times at over 60mph, I've never been injured in those falls. My gear get severely shredded, but not me. BUT... falls when moving
less than 5mph have broken me to bits!!! I can protect from skids but not from impact.
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Riding is fun though, I think I need another bike ... hmmm, maybe next summer! 
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Nobody ever asks "Are we there yet?" when riding a motorcycle...
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Originally Posted by SneakySnake
falling off your motorbike hurts even with armour. A dog ran out to attack me whilst I was having a bike lessson for my licence, and I flew over the handlebars.(lucky not my bike - hee hee) Shredded my gloves as my hands skidded along the bitumen.
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A puppy got me as I was pulling out of my parking space... Not even 2mph! I hit the break to avoid crushing the puppy, went assoverteakettle and tore up my shoulder rotator cuff... Not even 2 mph!!!
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Not that I ride a motorbike any more, but I learned early to always wear boots and gloves, because coming off even at low speed will shred your clothes and your skin.
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I tell my riding students... "Cover what ever you can't replace." And "replace your helmet every 3-5 years. Sunlight degrades the safety factor. Lace or zipper boots are a must! Gloves with wrist and knuckle protection are a must!" They did some safety testing on the abrasion resistance of different materials by wrapping them around a 50lb bag of cement powder with a rope tied to it, throwing it off the back of a truck traveling at 35mph, then measuring the distance before the material shredded away and the bag broke open dumping the powder...
Denim blue jean material - 12 ft.
Cordura nylon - 27 ft.
Kevlar - 90 ft
Cowhide - 145 ft.
Of course, if the stitching isn't up to motorcycle standards, the thickest leather in the world won't help. Then comes the 'armor' that is sewn inside the clothing; mine has an articulated molded thermoplastic hard exterior with a dense foam interior. Shoulders, elbows, forearms, spine, hips and knees... all protected. The armor is in adjustable pockets inside my riding clothes so I can be sure that it is positioned correctly to protect me.
And then I pray a lot.
Stitchawl