I have been at Maxton as much as possible for about the last 4-5 years racing different bikes and tinkering with 4 and now 2 strokes. The names Ryan, I live in NC, I usually ride a zx-12 with yellow wheels and dual Nitrous tanks. This year I am going in with a different Kaw, a 500 2 stroke. I am hoping for 110-120 this year on it if possible. My question is this, I have leathers, but I want to try a Kevlar suit I have. It is completely kevlar, it is approved for AMA racing. All the research I can find says it is superior to leather with the same sliding characteristics, but tougher.
Here is a link to when these suits were originally marketed:
http://books.google.com/books?id=PPcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT73&lpg=PT73&dq=difi+kevlar+suit&source=bl&ots=5_v7rU6VhD&sig=Nzrhc352krNwFiOdEPmMMmuGWPA&hl=en&ei=sNF9S_fxE9GVtgei0LjEBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=difi%20kevlar%20suit&f=false
Can anyone tell me if I can wear this suit at speeds under 125? I have emailed the ECTA but so far no one has gotten back to me. I like this suit for its comfort, as well as the fact that it is much lighter than leather, about 4-8 lbs. Any and all help is appreciated. See you guys in April!
I would say your chances on getting it approved are slim to none. Maybe they would be better if it was a product of one of the top race leather manufacturers and had wide usage in superbike and GP racing, but as a new product very, very doubtful. Even if the material is fantastic there isn't any history on the quality of manufacture, seams, stitching, etc... I run around the same speeds as you and while 120 mph may be slow in land speed racing terms it is in the neighborhood of many top road racing incidents where crashes happen in the twisties.
It is my understanding that ventilation is the problem. At Bonneville they are afraid fuel will spray on the clothing and it would be a long time before help could arrive.
I'll restate what I've said about safety garb for ECTA racers:
I have "inside information", that I'm not at liberty to discuss, that outfits other than the usual "leathers" are being investigated at the ECTA level. Not specifically that there's a suit undergoing test, even, but at least they subject is undergoing exploration.
Further deponent sayeth not.
Say what???
John
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From what I have read garments made from straight Kevlar do not work for motorcycle apparel, something about fibers separating on a slide. The trick supposedly is to use a blend of Kevlar and other materials.
"further deponent sayeth not" is lawyer-speak for "That's all I'm going to say about this."