Modern Buddy

Just after Thanksgiving I bought myself a FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket in Hi-Vis yellow (better review to follow - maybe).

But for now I'd like to ask what MB has to say about d3o armor. It is marketed as being similar to non Newtonian fluids, aka cornstarch and water in the correct proportions. The idea is that the armor is relatively thin, soft and pliable until it is hit, which causes the molecules to realign somehow and act like a stiffer, harder material. I didn't read up on the d30 armor before hand; I was more interested in the Hi-Vis and insulation.

I can vouch for the thinness and flexibility: the fit is nice, without the big, paded shoulder look. Here's hoping I won't be able to give a real world report on its effectiveness! If it performs half as good as advertised, d30 could make for some very interesting helmets.

Syd wrote:Just after Thanksgiving I bought myself a FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket in Hi-Vis yellow (better review to follow - maybe).

But for now I'd like to ask what MB has to say about d3o armor. It is marketed as being similar to non Newtonian fluids, aka cornstarch and water in the correct proportions. The idea is that the armor is relatively thin, soft and pliable until it is hit, which causes the molecules to realign somehow and act like a stiffer, harder material. I didn't read up on the d30 armor before hand; I was more interested in the Hi-Vis and insulation.

I can vouch for the thinness and flexibility: the fit is nice, without the big, paded shoulder look. Here's hoping I won't be able to give a real world report on its effectiveness! If it performs half as good as advertised, d30 could make for some very interesting helmets.

I don't think the tech would work well in helmets, where the overall structure absorbs and distributes the impact and the geometry is critical to deflecting severe trauma. But, the jacket's tech seems spot on. I've read about this stuff used in several other aspects (such as soft sided rifle cases and the like) that have gained rave reviews.

I'm just wondering how much a jacket with that armor runs

I have a Kilimanjaro myself. I like the fit, the finish. It is my 4th Hein geriche/first gear jacket (2 leather 2 textile) in 20 years. I have yet to "test" the armour myself. And really hope Not to.

It is thin, I don't know how much hype that molecule alignment thing is, but I DO KNOw their stuff has always been top notch and well made.

My Paris-Dakar is now 22 years old, and probably has 150,000 miles on it. It has been rained and snowed on, and it is still my favorite cold weather leather jacket.

Nothing new about "non-newtonian" armor, most soft armor is made of the stuff. It really isn't all that revolutionary, many common materials have this property under the right circumstances - in the case of armor the soft flexible material acts as a more rigid solid upon sudden impact - a common feature of rubber for example, from which most soft armor is based (natural or synthetic).

Remember silly putty? That was just slightly vulcanized rubber (latex) that is a soft clay-like semi-liquid, but roll it into a ball and throw it on the floor and it bounces just like a solid rubber ball.

more here: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/energy- ... rials.html

neotrotsky wrote:

Syd wrote:Just after Thanksgiving I bought myself a FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket in Hi-Vis yellow (better review to follow - maybe).

But for now I'd like to ask what MB has to say about d3o armor. It is marketed as being similar to non Newtonian fluids, aka cornstarch and water in the correct proportions. The idea is that the armor is relatively thin, soft and pliable until it is hit, which causes the molecules to realign somehow and act like a stiffer, harder material. I didn't read up on the d30 armor before hand; I was more interested in the Hi-Vis and insulation.

I can vouch for the thinness and flexibility: the fit is nice, without the big, paded shoulder look. Here's hoping I won't be able to give a real world report on its effectiveness! If it performs half as good as advertised, d30 could make for some very interesting helmets.

I don't think the tech would work well in helmets, where the overall structure absorbs and distributes the impact and the geometry is critical to deflecting severe trauma. But, the jacket's tech seems spot on. I've read about this stuff used in several other aspects (such as soft sided rifle cases and the like) that have gained rave reviews.

I'm just wondering how much a jacket with that armor runs

I got the new Kilimanjaro at AZ Sport Bike for $269, I think. About the same as online pricing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejN62qMP ... r_embedded#!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67aJbH2D ... re=related

"Now, it has to be stated, Noel was really wailing on me there. With no armour at all, any one of those hits would probably have smashed my elbow.

So for the d3o side merely to get a bit painful after a half-dozen very solid whacks is really quite an achievment. At roughly a third the thickness of the Knox pad, it did an incredibly good job. But the simple fact is that Noel could have kept on swingin' at the Knox side all afternoon and it wouldn't have fazed me in the slightest, whereas the d3o side was immediately more painful.

Not to mention, by about 15 minutes after the video was finished filming, my right elbow, on the d3o side, had swollen up quite noticeably and was feeling pretty sore, whereas the left side felt as if nothing had happened.

To me, the effectiveness of this armour comes down to a simple question - are you more interested in fashion and comfort, or outright protection?

There's no doubt that the d3o pads are thinner, lighter, and more comfortable on the body. They don't distort the shape of the clothes they're in, so there's none of that power ranger-style big elbow effect that thicker armours can have on a set of leathers."