The differences that elevate a two-star jacket to five-star safety
Introducing the jackets
Both jackets pictured below are made by DriRider. The Climate EXO 4 and Apex 5 Ladies are both textile jackets that offer water-resistance and a removable thermal liner. The Climate EXO 4 has a 25% higher RRP however both retail for under $400. The Climate EXO 4 achieves five-stars for safety whilst the Apex only achieves two-star performance. A quick glance at the jackets does not reveal a great amount of difference between the two. It is not until you delve a bit deeper that you can see the key differences.
DriRider Climate EXO 4 textile jacket (left) and DriRider Apex 5 ladies textile jacket (right)
Abrasion protection
A close inspection of the elbow and shoulder of the garments reveals the first big differences. The elbow and shoulder are at highest risk of abrasion damage in a crash so are best constructed from materials with good abrasion resistance. The Climate EXO4 has a leather patch over the textile shell increasing the abrasion performance to seven out of ten. The Apex 5 elbow and shoulder are protected by two different single layer fabrics. 65% of the area is a 1000D polyester fabric and the remaining 35% is a 600D polyester fabric. The lower abrasion resistance of these materials limits the abrasion test performance of the Apex 5 to one out of ten.
Elbow protection areas of the DriRider Apex 5 (top) and DriRider Climate EXO 4 (bottom)
Impact Protection
Impact with the road during a high-side or low-side crash can be very damaging to elbows and shoulders. Limb impact protectors, often called armour, help to reduce the transmission of impact forces into the body. The orange coloured armour in the Climate EXO 4 jacket had an average transmitted force under 10kN which was almost three times lower than the black armour (27kN) in the Apex 5 jacket showing the superior potential of the orange armour to reduce injuries. Impact protectors can often be changed so use the “Armour” tab on the MotoCAP website to choose higher performing aftermarket impact protectors for your favourite jacket and pants.
Impact protectors from the DriRider Apex 5 (black) and DriRider Climate EXO 4 (orange)
Compare with MotoCAP
The MotoCAP website has a useful function that allows you to compare multiple products. You can have up to four products side by side. The image below shows the Climate EXO 4 and Apex 5 in a side-by-side comparison and highlights the differences in abrasion and impact performance. This is a quick and easy way to select higher performing gear when you have more than one garment in mind. Choose the right gear for your ride at www.motocap.com.au.
