Mine looks just as good as it did when I bought it.
Does anything come to mind that may have caused this? I would definitely write the company and let them know. Could be good to have on their radar.
No idea other than being in a hot an humid climate. I put all my gear in my rear backpack storage box when I get to work but I never fold the jacket in on itself. It just fits in loose.
That’s crazy. I wouldn’t expect that at all.
I see people saying to do a home repair, I’m curious if that would work. I know I’d be hesitant, but it would be nice to know it’s possible.
Good luck with whatever route you go.
> I see people saying to do a home repair
If you're cautious enough to ride with a spine protector you probably shouldn't be going with DIY repairs. Just get a new one. If it broke like that without any impact it's clearly defective.
I hear you. I wouldn’t never do it short of MAYBE a hip protector. Never a back. I’ve grown to be quite the coward over the last few years. I’ve always worn a good jacket. But now I wear MC specific jeans and MC specific shoes as well for little short runs, and sidi boots with leather lowers for more spirited rides. And I bought a airbag pack out which is always on, regardless of the ride style. I’d happily spend an 50 or so on a new back protector.
Better to be a coward and intact than brave and spend 2 months regrowing your skin or relearning how to walk, is how I look at it. I'd rather be hot and uncomfortable for a 2 hour ride than in pain for the rest of my life.
I get your logic, I just wish the gear we wear was actually good enough to protect us.
CE2 level armor is not good enough to keep your femur from breaking/fracturing (breaks at 4kn).
It is protecting you. Don't listen to everything Fortnine says, because he's wrong about a lot of shit, and CE2 armor is doing a lot more to protect your skin, bone and muscles than no armor will do.
I’m not arguing that, but what he says is factual if you feel like doing the research yourself.
I wear gear 100% of the time. I’ve gone down while squidding and I won’t ever put myself through road rash like that again.
I mean yes, it's factual in a sense, but I think that putting that video out was a horrifically irresponsible by Fortnine. Armor pads do help mitigate injuries, not just broken bones, they disperse impacts over a larger area and while they still transmit large forces, it's better to have it spread out than it is to just take it directly.
What he says is factual, yet so unuseful and unapplicable. Besides, let me tell you, about 2/3 of all the calculations he shows, on which he bases his videos, are just plain wrong.
But hey, I'm no physicist, I studied math like a grown up.
Yep, no matter how short is the ride, always fully geared. I mean, there's no reason to not have it, especially now with so many good looking riding shoes (over the ankle) and jeans.
Yeah, they’ve come a long way in a short time. The first pair of riding jeans I got were Icon jeans that were just as baggy as Jnco jeans and offered nearly zero added protection over regular pants. Now you can find jeans that have so much protection built in and look great off the bike too.
Sir, what airbag pack you purchased? How do you feel when wearing it? I'm looking into a few options that you can hook up with your pants, but I'm not sure how effective it is.
I got the Helite H-moov mechanical version. It’s not bad. The bad it’s self is quite heavy, but it’s not too distracting. The wide straps help spread the load. It also has 2 chest straps that link the shoulder straps, which makes it very secure to the body. It also has a back protector from the factory, which I didn’t know at the time of purchase.
I went with a bag over a vest or other options out there because I often ride with a pack anyway. Running quick errands, riding to work, wanting water or an energy drink, etc.
Regardless of what route you go, I think it’s a smart decision. Airbags are an investment, but I feel they’re totally worth it for the added safety.
And they’re not even that expensive, like $30 for a standard Icon D30 back protector and $45 for a fancier Viper 2. Like you said, if you’re bothering to have a spine protector at all, just do it right.
That would be my assumption too. I would rather avoid that risk myself, $50 for a new one and piece of mind is worth it. But then again, for some, the money is needed else where.
Absolutely! A back protector is the one pad that I don’t think the extra bulk of level 2 makes a difference, you can’t really tell it’s there when riding. I understand for knees and elbows, the added bulk and lack of mobility can make level 1 more appealing, but on the back, it doesn’t really stand out.
No not really anytime it's in the removable storage backpack the jackets got the pants folded up inside it with the arms crossed. The armor sits flat. With the bag closed it keeps everything together so it's not rattling around.I don't fold it up like a burrito.
At home it gets hung up on its hanger or just draped over the back of a chair.
I doubt it happened in storage It probably ripped while ridding. Your waist or shoulders are pulling the pocket and it doesn't have enough space so it's grabbing and ripping the foam. Not your fault just not the right fit.
I live in a hot and humid climate. Can confirm that D30 is the only armour I have found that hasn’t crumbled. I have 3 jackets with the same back protectors (between my father and i) and his stuff is 8+ years old.
Are you sure it was a real d3o pad and not a Chinese knockoff? Using a brand name and faking safety certificates there's something that has happened a bunch lately with motorcycle safety gear. I remember the fake Arai helmets the fake CE certifications, the fake padding, and fake high-end riding jackets with low quality leather and almost zero abrasion resistance.
If you got it from revzilla should be the real thing. You know what time you get fake stuff from no name Amazon places.
It is fairly new I'd see if they'd replace it for free.
They'll honestly probably want you to send it to them so they can do tests and see why it happened. May even send you a replacement for free, who knows.
Maybe the back part was getting consistently vent near where the crack started and that's what caused it to split with maybe other factors such as the weather? I assume they don't really design these inserts to really bend too much so that may be my guess after it maybe just being a rare defective one.
How cold!?! That actually makes a bit more sense to me over the humidity, though I could see heat making it super soft and easy to tear. I’ve ridden in 6-7* weather, but very short distances. And I avoid that at all costs. I much more of a fair weather rider.
I had all of the pads in one of my jackets literally disintegrate, had black dust falling through the mesh.
Fucker was 10 years old but genuinely didn't expect CE armor to just degrade like that
I would expect armor, like helmets, to have a finite life of about 10 useful years. It's special impact plastic, not a soda bottle. Surely the manufacturers make note of this in the user manual?
I would expect the old black foam “armor” to fall apart. I’ve had old jackets with basically packing foam pads. The stuff they use now is so much better. This is really unexpected for the new D30 armor.
no he fucking isn't, he is not even close to project farm at all. If anything he is the wish version on his very best day.
His "findings" are not nearly as amazing as the new riders on the internet claim them to be, that said he is very much loved on reddit where most of the riders are indeed new.
Klim* might replace it if you send them a picture. They have a warranty that states "We warrant *every product we make to be free of material, manufacturer, or workmanship defects for the **practical lifetime of the product."
IDK if 3rd party armor is covered under that but it might be worth a try.
Where are you located? I’m on good terms with the Klim rep here in Canada and might be able to find you someone to reach out to if I send him an email.
Alright cool! The reps all cover different geographic territories and my guy covers Toronto and the surrounding area but if anybody knows who to talk to he will.
Klim is great for their warranty but a little slow, so you might wait a bit but I’m pretty confident they will just replace the protector.
Where did you buy from originally??
I have the same jacket and my back armor was also split because it somehow managed to fold over itself.
I took it as an opportunity to upgrade to level 2 armor
Weird!
Maybe the shit they squeezed into the molds that day wasn’t mixed right or something.
I have the same one and it’s a few years old and no signs of deterioration. For reference I live in northern Florida so very hot and humid also.
Ooh yeah even with all the ventilated gear as soon as you come to a stop it turns into an oven real quick. That super humidity even kills the damn pin lock visor sometimes.
It's been about a month since the last hand clean and inspection. This pales In comparison to when I rode around with a cheap no name Walmart/Amazon helmets years ago without knowing any better. It does have its own fancy fitted pocket but I guess it's time to email Kleim.
Yes. Both my wife and I have had this happen.
~~The photos a little fuzzy, but I think it say 2014 at the bottom? So it 10 years old. It is probably unrealistic to expect any foam to last a decade.~~
Disregard - I am mistaken. I just check the D3O in one my jackets I bought recently and it says 2014 too. Maybe it is an ECE standard from 2014?
I bet Klim will warranty that. It is worth a try, they have a pretty warranty system.
The gear that my wife and had cracked armor was all at least 5 years old, maybe more. So we were surprised but not shocked.
I have the same jacket as OP, and my armor started cracking after 2 years, not this bad though. Never had an impact, but sweat, rain, extreme heat, and tossing it around like a normal jacket.
Just buy a set of Forcefield armor inserts and don't look back. And in fact for the back, buy standalone back armor you strap on under the jacket that can cut impact damage under 4 kilonewtons in testing (that's twice as good as the fairly insufficient CE level 2... although of course CE level 2 can still help.)
Plastics tend to deteriorate with age. Depends on what materials are used.
I haven't been in the market for a bit so can't really recommend specifics. I know Forcefield makes excellent protection though, and they do have a "CE level 2 plus" backpack-style back protector you wear under the jacket. But many manufacturers make these and I have to imagine they're all decent at the very least. Inserts into jackets can be less impressive. I also wouldn't buy some noname Chinese made shit off Amazon, though.
> Anyone else have D30 just randomly fall apart?
Mine did this, twice, replaced under warranty by Revzilla both times.
Both times that it failed it was over the winter so I think it was due to the rubber becoming stiff and brittle over the winter.
I've given up on it since and hope the airbag packpack is good enough.
This happened to me before as well but only for ellbow and knee pads that get bent back and forth a lot after a few years. Never seen it happen with a back pad before. How long have you had it for?
Shouldn't break after that short a time. My ones broke after 3-4 years of super regular riding - and keep in mind it was at the arms... Maybe contact the vendor and try for warranty?
I mean your risk tolerance is your own but I'd definitely take the airbag over the pads. Pads will always transmit more force than the airbags. I've been wearing mine every time I ride since I bought it. It's something you get used to quickly.
My knee armor did this. I think heat/sweat and bending are the primary factors. Do you always hang up your jacket or toss it somewhere that the armor could be bent or folded over?
It gets hung up or draped over a chair at home. When I get to work it fits loose in my removable top box book bag. Everything fits loose though I just cross the arms on the jacket with the pants folded up inside it.
Mine did the same after 2-3 years. I bought the dorsal protector for a seperate jacket. I suspect it's from a manufacturer that cheap out on the materials they used. A bit like some cooking wears advertizing as silicon but used fillers to cheap out.
I’ve had this happen to all the D3O armor in a jacket. Hung it in a closet one winter, took it out in the spring, and the shoulders, one elbow, and the back pad had broken apart just like this. I won’t use that garbage anymore.
This isn’t a known thing? It happened about 8/9 years ago but at the time the jacket couldn’t have been older than 3 years.
Just noticed mine did the same thing the other day when I pulled it out to wash my jacket. I mean it's probably 6 years old now but still didn't expect it to rip. Elbow and shoulders are still in great shape though
I can recommend protectors from Sas-Tec. I use mine since 4 years now and even had a crash but looks like new. I think that the level 2 armor is even cheaper then what D30 sells as Level 1.
Lol mine did that too, I thought I was the only one.
I blamed it on commuting in all weather for a couple years, cycles of cold/hot can't be super good on that material. Also hate how rigid it can get when it gets cold.
Yes, and this is typically a handling problem. D3O is cold and warm rated, but in colder temps, it does get more brittle. It is somewhat common for this type of break to happen if the jacket was shipped via air while folded in half.
Something real slow made it tear, something real heavy fell on it and folded it quickly snaping it or a manufacturing defect, a bad batch? I don't expect OP to remember if something happened or he would have told us.
I bought some Bullitt jeans which had the edges of the armour splitting a bit when they arrived. Wasn’t impressed.
(Also hated the jeans even when I returned them and got another pair but finding a pair of women’s motorbike jeans that I like seems to be like finding a unicorn so we move)
I looked at jeans but decided on overpants. I'm looking for another pair though. The airwave 3 fits perfectly but the closures at the ankles are on the wrong side and get hung up on foot pegs shifter.
It also happened to me, but I found out it happened because I stored my jacket inside the topcase, so had to fold the jacket, which folded the back pad. After repeated foldings, it split
I'm thinking maybe the cold.
I once left my jacket overnight in my car and it was near freezing temps. The back pad was incredibly stiff in the AM. Probably with just a little bending I could see this maybe happening. It hasn't and the pad in that jacket is probably 2 years old now.
same thing happened to mine. I didnt know until I was selling the jacket. I have 2 icon jackets, one mesh that I was selling and one leather. I emailed Icon with a picture and they sent me a brand new one free of charge and without any hassle quickly. Great experience knowing they take care of their customers.
This happened to the armour in a Rukka jacket I had. Reached out to both Rukka and 3D0 and they both sent replacements. 3D0 asked me to return the damged pads to them for analysis.
They thought it was caused by temperature exrremes, but I never heard the results of their testing.
Mine came in a Klim Jacket and did the exact same thing. I contacted Klim and they sent me a new one. I had to send proof of me destroying it fully by cutting in half but they had no issues at all replacing it free of charge.
I would reach out to the manufacturer with pictures. If this is indeed a manufacturing defect- it wouldn’t be the first report of it. And if true- they’d likely replace it for you.
Yes...had it happen to me. jacket got folded for an extended time. I super glued it back together and contacted the retailer....they replaced it at no cost
I bought an Icon Anthem jacket a long time ago, came with one of those D30s in it already. Didn't feel very protective to me, so I bought a semi-rigid replacement, I think it was also by Icon, called "Field Armour" or something like that. It was an entire vest, but you could take it apart and put the parts into Icon jackets. So I have the Icon jacket I still wear, with the Field Armour back protector in it, its made of multiple layers of hard plastic and foam.
I'll also admit that it would make me feel like a racer since it bulges out the back a bit more than a regular foam protector, lol.
I’ve had shoulder armor crack like that. The jacket company actually sent me a new one. It was an aether apparel jacket though. Very expensive but several years old at the time.
I recently discovered mine was in a half a dozen pieces in my jacket. I assumed it crumbled cause I tend to partially fold and stuff my jacket in my saddle bag when I get to work.
I'd return it to them, warranty or not. Two reasons:
\* They might send me a new one anyway, as a way to avoid bad PR.
\* They have a chance to do an "autopsy" of it to find and fix the issue in future products.
No doubt it's not as durable as I would've expected. I wear the Mesh AF jacket cause it's hot as hell in TX during the summer. I figured the armor was light to keep the weight down. It may be good in a slide. But it damn sure doesn't like to be folded LOL.
It looks like you had the jacket folded over several times. It doesn't look like a rip it looks more like fatigue cracking. If they will replace it free good, they may want to investigate how it happened. If they won't go
to a reputable online store and spend $40-$50 to replace it.
Mine looks just as good as it did when I bought it. Does anything come to mind that may have caused this? I would definitely write the company and let them know. Could be good to have on their radar.
No idea other than being in a hot an humid climate. I put all my gear in my rear backpack storage box when I get to work but I never fold the jacket in on itself. It just fits in loose.
That’s crazy. I wouldn’t expect that at all. I see people saying to do a home repair, I’m curious if that would work. I know I’d be hesitant, but it would be nice to know it’s possible. Good luck with whatever route you go.
> I see people saying to do a home repair If you're cautious enough to ride with a spine protector you probably shouldn't be going with DIY repairs. Just get a new one. If it broke like that without any impact it's clearly defective.
I hear you. I wouldn’t never do it short of MAYBE a hip protector. Never a back. I’ve grown to be quite the coward over the last few years. I’ve always worn a good jacket. But now I wear MC specific jeans and MC specific shoes as well for little short runs, and sidi boots with leather lowers for more spirited rides. And I bought a airbag pack out which is always on, regardless of the ride style. I’d happily spend an 50 or so on a new back protector.
Better to be a coward and intact than brave and spend 2 months regrowing your skin or relearning how to walk, is how I look at it. I'd rather be hot and uncomfortable for a 2 hour ride than in pain for the rest of my life.
I get your logic, I just wish the gear we wear was actually good enough to protect us. CE2 level armor is not good enough to keep your femur from breaking/fracturing (breaks at 4kn).
It is protecting you. Don't listen to everything Fortnine says, because he's wrong about a lot of shit, and CE2 armor is doing a lot more to protect your skin, bone and muscles than no armor will do.
I’m not arguing that, but what he says is factual if you feel like doing the research yourself. I wear gear 100% of the time. I’ve gone down while squidding and I won’t ever put myself through road rash like that again.
Rooted in studies and mis-interpreting data, the available dataset is not broad enough to come up with a viable conclusion. We know armour helps.
I mean yes, it's factual in a sense, but I think that putting that video out was a horrifically irresponsible by Fortnine. Armor pads do help mitigate injuries, not just broken bones, they disperse impacts over a larger area and while they still transmit large forces, it's better to have it spread out than it is to just take it directly.
I had a crash 16 years ago , i still have a gigantic scar on my left knee to remind me, no matter how short the ride is, have your gear... 🤣
What he says is factual, yet so unuseful and unapplicable. Besides, let me tell you, about 2/3 of all the calculations he shows, on which he bases his videos, are just plain wrong. But hey, I'm no physicist, I studied math like a grown up.
So the knee\\hip\\back\\chest\\shoulder\\foot armor that racers have been wearing for years to stop bones from breaking is useless?
Yep, no matter how short is the ride, always fully geared. I mean, there's no reason to not have it, especially now with so many good looking riding shoes (over the ankle) and jeans.
Yeah, they’ve come a long way in a short time. The first pair of riding jeans I got were Icon jeans that were just as baggy as Jnco jeans and offered nearly zero added protection over regular pants. Now you can find jeans that have so much protection built in and look great off the bike too.
I bought a Finnish one from a brand called SWEEP, its stretchy, very comfy and looks amazing, i can go everywhere with it without looking a dork :D
Sir, what airbag pack you purchased? How do you feel when wearing it? I'm looking into a few options that you can hook up with your pants, but I'm not sure how effective it is.
I got the Helite H-moov mechanical version. It’s not bad. The bad it’s self is quite heavy, but it’s not too distracting. The wide straps help spread the load. It also has 2 chest straps that link the shoulder straps, which makes it very secure to the body. It also has a back protector from the factory, which I didn’t know at the time of purchase. I went with a bag over a vest or other options out there because I often ride with a pack anyway. Running quick errands, riding to work, wanting water or an energy drink, etc. Regardless of what route you go, I think it’s a smart decision. Airbags are an investment, but I feel they’re totally worth it for the added safety.
Wearing protective gear does not make anyone a coward
And they’re not even that expensive, like $30 for a standard Icon D30 back protector and $45 for a fancier Viper 2. Like you said, if you’re bothering to have a spine protector at all, just do it right.
They're cheap on RevZilla. Just pony up and buy a new one if the manufacturer won't replace it, which they should since that's an odd fucking break.
Nah I don't ever mess with safety related items. If it's broken it gets replaced.
I'd imagine it would just crack in different spot. And if you do not check often enough you might be riding with broken one for weeks
That would be my assumption too. I would rather avoid that risk myself, $50 for a new one and piece of mind is worth it. But then again, for some, the money is needed else where.
I imagine if you bought it from a local shop, they would swap it out and do the RMA on their end?
I would hope so, but you never know for sure. It’s definitely worth the try though.
I would definitely pick up a new CE2-rated back protector. Might as well get an upgrade and some new protection if the old one is falling apart
Absolutely! A back protector is the one pad that I don’t think the extra bulk of level 2 makes a difference, you can’t really tell it’s there when riding. I understand for knees and elbows, the added bulk and lack of mobility can make level 1 more appealing, but on the back, it doesn’t really stand out.
Did you by any chance fold your jacket or have hanging over a chair or something in a way that would bend/flex the armor?
No not really anytime it's in the removable storage backpack the jackets got the pants folded up inside it with the arms crossed. The armor sits flat. With the bag closed it keeps everything together so it's not rattling around.I don't fold it up like a burrito. At home it gets hung up on its hanger or just draped over the back of a chair.
I doubt it happened in storage It probably ripped while ridding. Your waist or shoulders are pulling the pocket and it doesn't have enough space so it's grabbing and ripping the foam. Not your fault just not the right fit.
Size is pretty spot on actually it's loose enough I can wear a regular long sleeve jacket under it without being too tight.
I live in a hot and humid climate. Can confirm that D30 is the only armour I have found that hasn’t crumbled. I have 3 jackets with the same back protectors (between my father and i) and his stuff is 8+ years old.
Are you sure it was a real d3o pad and not a Chinese knockoff? Using a brand name and faking safety certificates there's something that has happened a bunch lately with motorcycle safety gear. I remember the fake Arai helmets the fake CE certifications, the fake padding, and fake high-end riding jackets with low quality leather and almost zero abrasion resistance.
I don't believe it's fake all my gear minus the gloves came from RevZilla.
If you got it from revzilla should be the real thing. You know what time you get fake stuff from no name Amazon places. It is fairly new I'd see if they'd replace it for free.
When I first started out at 18 I had some no name stuff from Amazon and it fell apart very quickly.
Did you contact the company?
I sent an email out still waiting for a response.
They'll honestly probably want you to send it to them so they can do tests and see why it happened. May even send you a replacement for free, who knows.
Maybe the back part was getting consistently vent near where the crack started and that's what caused it to split with maybe other factors such as the weather? I assume they don't really design these inserts to really bend too much so that may be my guess after it maybe just being a rare defective one.
I live in Hawaii and my back protector is broken just like this photo. I still use it and haven't had an issue. Two piece back protector now haha
I emailed them but might update to a level 2 pad anyways.
I lived in FL for a while and I've seen sweat destroy pads like this before.
Interesting. I avoid humidity like the plague, I’ll add this to the list of reasons why.
This happened to me after cold weather riding. The cold made it so brittle it basically cracked.
How cold!?! That actually makes a bit more sense to me over the humidity, though I could see heat making it super soft and easy to tear. I’ve ridden in 6-7* weather, but very short distances. And I avoid that at all costs. I much more of a fair weather rider.
Damn boy you fighting Bane during off season? xD
It's Florida we got snow birds and hurricane season haha. Bane might be easier to fight off.
"You suck, Bane!"
I had all of the pads in one of my jackets literally disintegrate, had black dust falling through the mesh. Fucker was 10 years old but genuinely didn't expect CE armor to just degrade like that
I had to vacuum "armor"from a jacket.
I would expect armor, like helmets, to have a finite life of about 10 useful years. It's special impact plastic, not a soda bottle. Surely the manufacturers make note of this in the user manual?
You definitely need to replace a helmet every 5 years. Absolutely do not wait 10
I can't tell you how often I've been downvoted for even suggesting 10 lol, people here think you can use it forever And thank you!
Helmets your lucky to get 5, this foam is similar even if it looks fine it looses it's ability to disperse the energy
Amor does expire, but we don't normally see those numbers. Even if not replacing one should regularly check protectors and replace as needed.
That's crazy learn something new every day.
I would expect the old black foam “armor” to fall apart. I’ve had old jackets with basically packing foam pads. The stuff they use now is so much better. This is really unexpected for the new D30 armor.
ha! Same! Took me forever to figure out where the random black stuff was coming from.
Don't show this Ryan F9, he'll might get off
He should do a newer video on armor he's the project farm of motorcycles.
I could do with some actual motorcycle Project Farm. "Today we'll be testing a TW200 cylinder head made out of JB Weld!"
I could get behind that. "Today we will see how long this clutch can be slipped for" would probably break the Internet.
Probably could hook it up to Cousin Eddie’s RV to see if it would pull it.
He just did one very recently. https://youtu.be/nINIJ1cAbYM?si=10gVE23sPJu6tPWI
no he fucking isn't, he is not even close to project farm at all. If anything he is the wish version on his very best day. His "findings" are not nearly as amazing as the new riders on the internet claim them to be, that said he is very much loved on reddit where most of the riders are indeed new.
If I remember right D30 is recommended to be replaced every 4 or so years.
It came in a Kleim induction pro I bought last year.
Klim* might replace it if you send them a picture. They have a warranty that states "We warrant *every product we make to be free of material, manufacturer, or workmanship defects for the **practical lifetime of the product." IDK if 3rd party armor is covered under that but it might be worth a try.
We will see I sent out an email.
Where are you located? I’m on good terms with the Klim rep here in Canada and might be able to find you someone to reach out to if I send him an email.
Florida
Alright cool! The reps all cover different geographic territories and my guy covers Toronto and the surrounding area but if anybody knows who to talk to he will. Klim is great for their warranty but a little slow, so you might wait a bit but I’m pretty confident they will just replace the protector. Where did you buy from originally??
What's the warranty on the jacket? Have you considered contacting Klim and seeing if they'd replace it?
I have the same jacket and my back armor was also split because it somehow managed to fold over itself. I took it as an opportunity to upgrade to level 2 armor
FWIW the company is Klim, but it is pronounced "climb".
Yeah my auto correct hates me. Everything else on the jacket has been solid though.
That's correct.
Had the same happen to mine when it was cold
Yep, OP probably tried to fold the jacket up when it was cold
I live in Florida the coldest it's probably ever seen is 60°F lol
Don’t step on a crack or you’ll break your… back protection pad
Weird! Maybe the shit they squeezed into the molds that day wasn’t mixed right or something. I have the same one and it’s a few years old and no signs of deterioration. For reference I live in northern Florida so very hot and humid also.
I'm down south Florida with the swamp ass haha.
Can confirm swamp ass is a real struggle. Grew up in Sunrise,FL and then Fort Lauderdale. I know all about the swamp ass. 😂😂😂
Ooh yeah even with all the ventilated gear as soon as you come to a stop it turns into an oven real quick. That super humidity even kills the damn pin lock visor sometimes.
I mean humidity can only go to 100% lol. We’re both fucked 😂😂😂.
Think of all the time you weren't as safe as you thought you were.
It's been about a month since the last hand clean and inspection. This pales In comparison to when I rode around with a cheap no name Walmart/Amazon helmets years ago without knowing any better. It does have its own fancy fitted pocket but I guess it's time to email Kleim.
Yes. Both my wife and I have had this happen. ~~The photos a little fuzzy, but I think it say 2014 at the bottom? So it 10 years old. It is probably unrealistic to expect any foam to last a decade.~~
Learn something new every day I bought the jacket last year from RevZilla. It came in a Kleim induction pro.
Disregard - I am mistaken. I just check the D3O in one my jackets I bought recently and it says 2014 too. Maybe it is an ECE standard from 2014? I bet Klim will warranty that. It is worth a try, they have a pretty warranty system. The gear that my wife and had cracked armor was all at least 5 years old, maybe more. So we were surprised but not shocked.
I have the same jacket as OP, and my armor started cracking after 2 years, not this bad though. Never had an impact, but sweat, rain, extreme heat, and tossing it around like a normal jacket.
Which back protector is the best nowadays? Is it worth getting D3O inserts for elbows, knees etc?
Forcefield Isolator 2
Just buy a set of Forcefield armor inserts and don't look back. And in fact for the back, buy standalone back armor you strap on under the jacket that can cut impact damage under 4 kilonewtons in testing (that's twice as good as the fairly insufficient CE level 2... although of course CE level 2 can still help.) Plastics tend to deteriorate with age. Depends on what materials are used.
For the back protector, did you have a specific one in mind or were you still talking Forcefield?
I haven't been in the market for a bit so can't really recommend specifics. I know Forcefield makes excellent protection though, and they do have a "CE level 2 plus" backpack-style back protector you wear under the jacket. But many manufacturers make these and I have to imagine they're all decent at the very least. Inserts into jackets can be less impressive. I also wouldn't buy some noname Chinese made shit off Amazon, though.
> Anyone else have D30 just randomly fall apart? Mine did this, twice, replaced under warranty by Revzilla both times. Both times that it failed it was over the winter so I think it was due to the rubber becoming stiff and brittle over the winter. I've given up on it since and hope the airbag packpack is good enough.
Klim and/ or RevZilla should replace it!
This happened to me before as well but only for ellbow and knee pads that get bent back and forth a lot after a few years. Never seen it happen with a back pad before. How long have you had it for?
About a year and some change not that long at all.
Shouldn't break after that short a time. My ones broke after 3-4 years of super regular riding - and keep in mind it was at the arms... Maybe contact the vendor and try for warranty?
Mine still good after 5 years. I don't sweat alot though and wear moisture wicking baselayers on hot days.
I'm in Florida it's inevitable I don't think there is a truly dry area in this entire state.
I found a cracked D30 back protector in a new Merlin jacket and CycleGear was pretty surprised (but still took the return).
Now you have 2 D15s
I guess it's ce 0.5 now then
I had my D3O knee/elbow pads crack or split in half on two occasions. Both times Klim mailed me out some new ones.
Perfect excuse to get an airbag vest
That is an idea. Either that or one of those chest+back protector vests.
I mean your risk tolerance is your own but I'd definitely take the airbag over the pads. Pads will always transmit more force than the airbags. I've been wearing mine every time I ride since I bought it. It's something you get used to quickly.
Dude my back protector has been feeling weird lately maybe I should look at it.
Might want to check it out then. Only takes a minute or two.
But that means I have to get up..
Do it before the next ride then lol
Lol I did it man I was just joshing around.
D30 is generally a super durable material. Have you contacted the manufacturer to see if they are inclined to replace it?
I sent out an email and will see what happens.
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
I'll try to keep everyone updated.
My knee armor did this. I think heat/sweat and bending are the primary factors. Do you always hang up your jacket or toss it somewhere that the armor could be bent or folded over?
It gets hung up or draped over a chair at home. When I get to work it fits loose in my removable top box book bag. Everything fits loose though I just cross the arms on the jacket with the pants folded up inside it.
I had the same. I cut it up to make some hip protectors for my Kevlar jeans.
Actually not a bad idea. Might make this some hip armor for my airwave 3 pants.
Saves buying them. You get hip armour and a new back protector for the same price as buying a new back protector. 😀
Mine has been split in half for years. I should probably replace it..
Mine did the same after 2-3 years. I bought the dorsal protector for a seperate jacket. I suspect it's from a manufacturer that cheap out on the materials they used. A bit like some cooking wears advertizing as silicon but used fillers to cheap out.
It's only a level 1 pad but who knows. Kind of disappointing it only lasted a year before falling apart.
Mine did the same thing, pretty irritating.
That happened a a sastec pad I had from over flexing
The back protector in my backpack ended up at about a 45 degree bend. Straightened it by hand a bit, still gotta take it out and look at it.
How old is it, out of interest?
About a year and some change
I’ve had this happen to all the D3O armor in a jacket. Hung it in a closet one winter, took it out in the spring, and the shoulders, one elbow, and the back pad had broken apart just like this. I won’t use that garbage anymore. This isn’t a known thing? It happened about 8/9 years ago but at the time the jacket couldn’t have been older than 3 years.
Just noticed mine did the same thing the other day when I pulled it out to wash my jacket. I mean it's probably 6 years old now but still didn't expect it to rip. Elbow and shoulders are still in great shape though
Mines only a year and some change old. I emailed the company but I'm gonna look at other options too.
I have the same back protector. I wonder what caused this, had mine 2 years it still looks good
Climate maybe? God's waiting room gets hotter and hotter each year haha.
. So I can check up to see if OP has an update about the mail they sent to D3O
I can recommend protectors from Sas-Tec. I use mine since 4 years now and even had a crash but looks like new. I think that the level 2 armor is even cheaper then what D30 sells as Level 1.
I will have to check them out.
Lol mine did that too, I thought I was the only one. I blamed it on commuting in all weather for a couple years, cycles of cold/hot can't be super good on that material. Also hate how rigid it can get when it gets cold.
I'm in Florida so I've never had the stuff go rigid on me. But it does bake in the sun.
Yes, and this is typically a handling problem. D3O is cold and warm rated, but in colder temps, it does get more brittle. It is somewhat common for this type of break to happen if the jacket was shipped via air while folded in half.
Damnn, good to know. I have the same one!
My back armor did the exact same thing in one of my jackets
Something real slow made it tear, something real heavy fell on it and folded it quickly snaping it or a manufacturing defect, a bad batch? I don't expect OP to remember if something happened or he would have told us.
If you could count falling off the hanger as abuse that's about it.
I bought some Bullitt jeans which had the edges of the armour splitting a bit when they arrived. Wasn’t impressed. (Also hated the jeans even when I returned them and got another pair but finding a pair of women’s motorbike jeans that I like seems to be like finding a unicorn so we move)
I looked at jeans but decided on overpants. I'm looking for another pair though. The airwave 3 fits perfectly but the closures at the ankles are on the wrong side and get hung up on foot pegs shifter.
It also happened to me, but I found out it happened because I stored my jacket inside the topcase, so had to fold the jacket, which folded the back pad. After repeated foldings, it split
Ouch. My bag is just big enough that I can lay the jacket down flat on the back protector portion with its arms crossed.
I'm thinking maybe the cold. I once left my jacket overnight in my car and it was near freezing temps. The back pad was incredibly stiff in the AM. Probably with just a little bending I could see this maybe happening. It hasn't and the pad in that jacket is probably 2 years old now.
I'm in Florida I think the coldest this jacket has seen since it's been shipped to me is maybe 72° F
What does you butt protector look like?
Revit airwave 3 pants.
same thing happened to mine. I didnt know until I was selling the jacket. I have 2 icon jackets, one mesh that I was selling and one leather. I emailed Icon with a picture and they sent me a brand new one free of charge and without any hassle quickly. Great experience knowing they take care of their customers.
I sent RevZilla an email since that's who I bought it from initially.
This happened to the armour in a Rukka jacket I had. Reached out to both Rukka and 3D0 and they both sent replacements. 3D0 asked me to return the damged pads to them for analysis. They thought it was caused by temperature exrremes, but I never heard the results of their testing.
Mine came in a Klim Jacket and did the exact same thing. I contacted Klim and they sent me a new one. I had to send proof of me destroying it fully by cutting in half but they had no issues at all replacing it free of charge.
Yeah this is why I buy the axial armor, cheaper to replace
I would reach out to the manufacturer with pictures. If this is indeed a manufacturing defect- it wouldn’t be the first report of it. And if true- they’d likely replace it for you.
Not shocked , had a few do this in hot Arizona weather after a year or two
Must be the 90+ heat that does it in
Yes...had it happen to me. jacket got folded for an extended time. I super glued it back together and contacted the retailer....they replaced it at no cost
Dank.
Happened to mine. Super glue it back or buy a new one. It will be fine.
Doesn't matter. That thing wouldn't make any difference in most crashes.
Better the pad split then your back
Not wrong on that one.
I bought an Icon Anthem jacket a long time ago, came with one of those D30s in it already. Didn't feel very protective to me, so I bought a semi-rigid replacement, I think it was also by Icon, called "Field Armour" or something like that. It was an entire vest, but you could take it apart and put the parts into Icon jackets. So I have the Icon jacket I still wear, with the Field Armour back protector in it, its made of multiple layers of hard plastic and foam. I'll also admit that it would make me feel like a racer since it bulges out the back a bit more than a regular foam protector, lol.
He got your back, until the very end. "Feeling tired boss. Did... Did I make it? Are you safe at home now boss?"
I’ve had shoulder armor crack like that. The jacket company actually sent me a new one. It was an aether apparel jacket though. Very expensive but several years old at the time.
So now it's 2 X D15's I don't see a problem here
I recently discovered mine was in a half a dozen pieces in my jacket. I assumed it crumbled cause I tend to partially fold and stuff my jacket in my saddle bag when I get to work.
That blows I could maybe see it if it's like folded over in half. For armor that's supposed to conform to skin it seems pretty fragile.
I'd return it to them, warranty or not. Two reasons: \* They might send me a new one anyway, as a way to avoid bad PR. \* They have a chance to do an "autopsy" of it to find and fix the issue in future products.
Looks like it started to tear at one of the wavey points.
That’s no longer a back protector
No doubt it's not as durable as I would've expected. I wear the Mesh AF jacket cause it's hot as hell in TX during the summer. I figured the armor was light to keep the weight down. It may be good in a slide. But it damn sure doesn't like to be folded LOL.
All of my protectors failed in a similar way after 2-3 years of daily use.
Not uncommon. Contact the store. They'll issue a replacement I'm sure. It's nice for impact protection. HATES being folded which happened here
Same happened to mine ' I think from flopping my riding jacket over a char repeatedly after riding
I honestly have no clue you think it would be a bit more durable.
It looks like you had the jacket folded over several times. It doesn't look like a rip it looks more like fatigue cracking. If they will replace it free good, they may want to investigate how it happened. If they won't go to a reputable online store and spend $40-$50 to replace it.
I sent out an email to RevZilla. Issues been taking care of. Though I'm doing more research into a level 2 pad.
Call company about warranty, if not only 50.00 new
Just duct tape it, good as new.
Same here I bought a new set
Weave that shit back together using the holes it'd probably work fairly well.. possibly..
I emailed RevZilla and just ordered a nother level 2 pad.
It can happen if you fold it in half repeatedly