Good protection is crucial if you want to make your motorcycle rides as safe as possible. A real must-have, in my opinion, is a motorcycle jacket and motorcycle pants with proper protection.
Personally I have armor on my elbows, shoulders, back, and knees. These are the areas that have the highest chance of impact during a crash.
But you’ll see different types of armor. What do they mean and which one is best? I’ll try to explain more about motorcycle armor in this article.
What does CE rating mean?
CE stands for “Conformité Européene” which is French for “European Conformity”. It’s a rating that is being used on all European official documents, so you’ll also find this in European motorcycle safety standards.
North America has (unofficially) adopted these standards. The biggest difference between Europe and North America is the fact that it is mandatory to have a CE rated helmet in Europe, whiles this is not a requirement in North America. In North America, you can use a DOT-approved helmet.
CE rates require even more safety measures than the North American standard, so you could say that CE rated motorcycle gear is at least as safe as DOT-approved gear.
Motorcycle armor comes in two CE levels. You have level 1 and level 2 CE rated motorcycle armor. You can read more about these levels below.
Level 1 vs Level 2 armor, which one is better?
I’ll tell more about these levels below, but I’ll start by answering the question that most readers of this article will have, which is: Which armor is better? Level 1 or level 2 rated armor?
CE Level 2 motorcycle armor is better than CE Level 1 motorcycle armor. It will be able to absorb a higher impact which reduces the chances of injury in a crash.
What is CE Level 1 Armor and what does it mean?
CE Level 1 rated armor has to meet a certain standard. This type of armor can have a maximum transmitted force of 18 kN, and no single value shall exceed 24 kN.
An example of a popular level 1 rated back protector for motorcycles is this back protector by D3O (go to Amazon). Most motorcycle tracks will allow you to enter the track with a CE Level 1 protector, but make sure to check this before you go to your local track.
What is CE Level 2 Armor and what does it mean?
CE Level 2 rated armor has to meet certain standards as well. This type of armor can have a maximum transmitted force of only 9 kN, and no single value shall exceed 12 kN.
This means that CE Level 2 rated motorcycle armor will transmit less force than CE Level 1 rated motorcycle armor. The armor will simply absorb more forces, reducing the chances of injury during a crash.
An example of a popular level 2 rated back protector for motorcycles is this back protector by D3O (go to Amazon).
Which armor do you need on a race track?
Most race tracks will allow you to enter the track with CE Level 1 rated motorcycle armor. However, they might want you to meet CE Level 2 ratings when it is a track with more advanced and higher speed turns. I’d advise you to check with your track before you go there, you won’t be the first person to be disappointed when they deny you the access to the track.
How do these EN codes work?
There are certain codes that tell you the rating number of ceratin clothing. Let’s take EN1621-2:2014 as an example. Every part of this code tells it’s own story.
First of all, the numbers following EN are an indication of what the protection is rated for. In this example, 1621 indicates that the armor is rated for motorcycle use.
Next up, -2 is going to tell us the area of protection. A -1 code indicates that the armor can be used pretty much anywhere on the body, except the back. A -2 code indicates that the armor is meant to be used for the back.
Finally, 2014 refers to the year when the standard was implemented. These standards are being reviewed every few years so you’ll want to buy a protector that meets the latest standards.
A rating that you will see less often is the EN340:2003 rating. The 340 is a general standard that is not specifically designed for sports or motorcycles. A 1621 rating always goes beyond a 340 since it’s specifically designed for motorcycles.
Want to know more about the EN1621 codes? This is what the code tells you:
- S – The armor is designed for the shoulder
- E – The armor is designed for the elbow
- H – The armor is designed for the hip
- K – The armor is designed for the knee
- K + L – The armor is designed for the Knee + Upper and Middle Tibia
- L – The armor is designed for the front of the leg below a K protector (shin bone)
- KP – The armor is designed for the knuckles
- A – reduced coverage for specialized applications
- B – normal coverage
- B or FB – Full back protector
- CB – Central back protector
- L or LB – Lumbar protection only
It’s an EN1621 protector with a CE and Level 2 mark.
An example: My Back protector
The image above shows my REV’IT Type RV back protector. The right side of the image shows that the protector is meant for motorcycle riding, has to be used as a central back protector (CB) and has a CE Level 2 rating.
I wear this back protector in all my REV’IT jackets and it’s one of the best back protectors that REV’IT has to offer.
Which areas of the body should have armor?
Studies show that there are some areas of the body that have a significantly higher chance of high impact during a crash than other parts of the belly.
For example, the shoulders and elbows usually get some damage during a crash, whiles the belly area stays fairly safe.
Personally I have armor in the following areas:
- Shoulders
- Elbows
- Knees
- Back
I personally think that a back protector is the most important piece of armor of all kinds. The back is full of nerves and injury to the back can mean the difference between life or death.
I hope this article helped you in understanding the different types of CE armor, their functions, and ratings. Do you have any questions about CE rated motorcycle armor? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.