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European Armor Norms Explained

If you're buying motorcycle gear in Europe, you'll see all sorts of pictograms, lettering and numbering attached. Well, we thought you should know what's all this about, since it has no decorative value whatsoever.
European Armor Norms Explained 2 photos
Photo: lequipement.fr
European Armor Norms Explained
Since Europe is a space where politicians are quite fond of norms and regulations, it;s only normal protective clothing got some, too. It all started back in 1997, got a revision in 2003 and at the end of 2012. So here's some insight on the EN 1621-1 standard, so you know what you're getting before spending your money in stores.

Point I is pretty obvious: you're looking at protective gear engineered for motorcycle riders.

The lettering in area II refers to the category and protection type. S stands for Shoulder, E for Elbow, H for Hips, K for Knees and above the tibia, while K+L stands for Knees and above and middle tibia. Type A and Type B indicate the width of the armor.

The third area tells the protection level: 1 meaning that less than 35 kN (kiloNewtons) are transferred via the said armor part, and level 2 meaning less than 20 kN. Obviously, the lower the kN value, the less shock will reach the body.

Finally, the IV and V zones could have the T+ and T- marks, and this means the piece of armor has been testes in both high and low temperature, with high being +40 C and low -10 C (104 F and 14 F, respectively).

IF you see a sun or snow flake instead of T+ and T-, it's alright: this means that piece of gear was made before the new updates became effective. So now you know your way better in the world of motorcycle gear. Seen on MotorBiker.
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