I'm really liking the KR-3 with the optional chest protector that I bought from you guys. Very comfortable. I usually forget that I have it on until after a ride and I'm unzipping my jacket from my pants.
Knox makes some good armour for sure. I would say it ranks up there with the Forcefield products. This is a design that has been around for several years know with a proven track record. - Van
Fantastic review. Looking for a protector to wear under by old favourite leather jacket. My main adv and summer mesh jacket are armoured and ready... but sometimes a bike calls for old school leather. Your review will point me to the right protector from the choices I've lined up. Thanks for taking the time to put all this together for riders looking for what's suits best.
I'm really conflicted by some of these back protectors. I was always under the impression that the main purpose of the back protector is to prevent you from hyper-extending your spine from an awkward high-side landing. But it seems like most of these back protectors would do nothing to prevent that as they are too flexible to do so. So in that case it seems like most of these are really meant for blunt impacts with thing like curbs, trees, lamp post or even your bike. Scenarios you really don't encounter much on track. Van, for a guy who primarily rides on track, which back protector do you think makes most sense, what do the pro's ride in? I already have a Misano D-Air airbag suit, but it comes with no back protection, which is kind of ridiculous for a $2600 suit.
Well you shared another reason the Alpinestars Airbag Vest is a better option as compared to the Dainese, it comes with a back protector attached. If you need a back protector I recommend the Alpinestars Nucleon KR-3 Back Protector Black/Red. Below is a link to this on our site: www.sportbiketrackgear.com/alpinestars-nucleon-kr-3-back-protector-black-red/ Important to note that back protectors are intended to manage impact and not hyper extension. IMO hyper extension is not even close to being as big of a concern as impact. - Van
Hey Van, I am trying to decide between the Track Vest 2 or the K-R3 back protector. Which would you recommend since both are close in price. I have the missile suit. Your video was very helpful.
The vest will take up more room under the suit than the KR-3 will. The benefits to the vest are the additional foam inserts and the fact it is convenient to wear. That said is another layer which adds a little more heat. Advantages to the KR-3 would be better protection in the spinal area and the side shields. I have the KR-3 myself and prefer that to a vest. - Brian Van
You are welcome and all apologies for the slow response to this. I am pinned trying to get a couple projects completed right now in preparation for the 2018 season. Let me know if you need anything else. - Van
I think the one for 1,149.00 is probably the best one. I’m just going based on the price alone, if you have the money don’t skimp out, how much is your life worth? Max out on protective gear before buying the dream motorcycle.
My Son Max and I both use the Alpinestars Tech-Air Race Vest. I have deployed mine once, Max has deployed his three times. It worked perfectly each time, worth every penny. - Van
Awesome and very helpful video. I'm riding in a dainese avro 2 piece suit right and my forcefield pro l2k evo makes everything feel a bit restrictive. Out of this bunch, would be the Astars nucleon KR-1 be the thinnest level 2 protector? If so, I might look into getting myself one of these.
Thank You for Choosing STG my brother! Customer service and support is very important to me and my Team here at STG. We are adjusting our catalog and focusing on the products we believe in and have proper support after the sale if needed. IMO you will not find better back protectors than those included in this comparison. We have a couple pieces of Dainese left in stock now, once these have sold through we will no longer offer that brand. - Brian Van
Thanks for your honest opinion Brian, other then STG have very fair prices and the best service in the industry I really appreciate your videos. It is great to see a guy like you that rides and tests out all the different options out there then gives a fair review of said options. It's so expensive for most people to just try out stuff to find that maybe it wasn't the best idea. I'm sure you could sell what ever junk you wanted and just make the $$$ but you sir have much integrity! STG customer for life.
Would I happen to be able to point me in the right direction for a back protector I actually recently high sided and landed on the right side of my Barack causing me to have a minor lung collapse and minor kidney lash which would be able to protect me from another injury
Do you guys stock all these or at least have many of them in stock? If I rode there could I try them on to get a feel before purchasing? (would be from you not to then go buy online) If so what would be the chances of trying on a 1 piece suit then trying on the back protector to see how it feels? I don't want to ride from Windsor to there in a 1 piece race suit...
Each of these items are in our auto reorder inventory program so they should be in stock at all times. That said we move a lot of gear so the inventory levels are changing all the time. We stock enough suits and protection that you should have plenty to try on if you drive out here. If you are heading out shoot us a call ahead of time and we can try to get an idea of what you want to see and check stock before you leave. - Brian Van
Hi Van, Would you please recommend the best and affordable back protector for my suit? It is Dainese Laguna Seca 4, size 50eu. My height is 5’7”, my chest is 41.5”. Thank in advance.
Alpinestars Nucleon KR-R Back Protector $149.95 www.sportbiketrackgear.com/alpinestars-nucleon-kr-r-back-protector-black-white-fluorescent-yellow/ Alpinestars Nucleon KR-3 Back Protector $189.95 (if you can swing the extra $40 it is well worth it IMO) www.sportbiketrackgear.com/alpinestars-nucleon-kr-3-back-protector-black-red/ - Brian Van
Yes it will, the real difference is the coverage area of the insert is a little less than a full protector. I like the inserts for the jackets and a full stand alone back protector if you are wearing it under a race suit. - Van
We no longer offer Dainese products here at STG. They are too difficult to deal with from both a customer and wholesale position. Service after the sale with Dainese is a real problem.
We have a couple items left, their products are not bad but I feel they have lost their focus. There was a time they made the best back protector on the market, total domination. Now they have their focus on skinny jeans and studio jackets more than protection. IMO Alpinestars and Forcefield both offer better back protectors than Knox. - Brian Van
You know what I think the same as you. Knox have gone the way of the hipster l think this is a big mistake for Knox. Anyhow keep up the good work. Jeff
We have a few left in stock now on closeout. Once these have sold we will remove the brand from the site. Over the past few seasons Knox has shifted their focus away from armor towards trendy riding apparel. There was a time when they made what I felt were the best back protectors in the world, offering cutting edge products like their former flag ship back protector the Contour. At this point Knox is miles behind Alpinestars in the back protector category IMO. - Brian Van
Interesting. I was wondering if thats who you were referring to. Shame, i was hoping to pick up a Knox this year. Looks like its an AStar piece for me then!
I love how everyone has "temperature reactive" foam. Why not just make it flexible all of the time? What they should really say is, "Hey, this is a stiff POS until you wear it for a while and it warms up. Then it will work properly."
IMO they are using this temperature sensitive material because it is best suited for the job. If there was a material that was more comfortable right out of the gate they would be using it now. - Van
Kind of a junky review and you most certainly can't call it "The Best Motorcycle Back Protectors" since you only did like 2 brands and you didn't point out if any of them have hyperextension protection (though the very last one clearly had some) which is one of the most important features OF a back protector. Too many of the cheap foam ones out there (and plenty of the not so cheap ones!) don't offer *proper* back protection, just a little extra impact protection. You also failed to let us know any of the impact ratings! You missed Dainese and Tryonic which have some of the best ratings on the market.
Strapping a back protector to your body that has 2 elastic shoulder straps with an elastic waist strap won't do shit to prevent hyper-extension. I have seen and ridden in more brands and models of back protectors than anyone else I know over the 13 years I have owned STG. Over this period I have also crashed in several of them. This video is backed by a ton of real world experience actually using these products. - Brian Van
@@gymkhanadog your comment is now a year old. What kind of back protector did you end up getting for your track leathers? If you're so negative about this video from stg, would be great if you can back it up with an alternative you ended up wearing, and reason why.
@@keaponlaffin6737 I ended up with Dainese Manis D1. Reviews on it are almost unmatched. People sing its praise both on and off-track. It does have hyperextension protection which is effective when worn under leathers or snug-fitting jacket.
I'm really liking the KR-3 with the optional chest protector that I bought from you guys. Very comfortable. I usually forget that I have it on until after a ride and I'm unzipping my jacket from my pants.
Great review, thank you. Decided to give the forcefield L2K. 👍🏻
You are welcome, happy to help out. - Van
Hello. Thank you for awesome review. I’m 6’4 and 100kg. Would you recommend kr3 for tall rider? Or any other protection? Thanks 😊
Hey, thanks for all the insight for this range of products. Wondering in your opinion where the Knox Aegis fits in amongst all these?
Knox makes some good armour for sure. I would say it ranks up there with the Forcefield products. This is a design that has been around for several years know with a proven track record. - Van
Fantastic review. Looking for a protector to wear under by old favourite leather jacket. My main adv and summer mesh jacket are armoured and ready... but sometimes a bike calls for old school leather. Your review will point me to the right protector from the choices I've lined up. Thanks for taking the time to put all this together for riders looking for what's suits best.
You are welcome and thank you for watching! - Van
I'm really conflicted by some of these back protectors. I was always under the impression that the main purpose of the back protector is to prevent you from hyper-extending your spine from an awkward high-side landing. But it seems like most of these back protectors would do nothing to prevent that as they are too flexible to do so. So in that case it seems like most of these are really meant for blunt impacts with thing like curbs, trees, lamp post or even your bike. Scenarios you really don't encounter much on track. Van, for a guy who primarily rides on track, which back protector do you think makes most sense, what do the pro's ride in? I already have a Misano D-Air airbag suit, but it comes with no back protection, which is kind of ridiculous for a $2600 suit.
Well you shared another reason the Alpinestars Airbag Vest is a better option as compared to the Dainese, it comes with a back protector attached. If you need a back protector I recommend the Alpinestars Nucleon KR-3 Back Protector Black/Red. Below is a link to this on our site:
www.sportbiketrackgear.com/alpinestars-nucleon-kr-3-back-protector-black-red/
Important to note that back protectors are intended to manage impact and not hyper extension. IMO hyper extension is not even close to being as big of a concern as impact. - Van
Back protectors has evolved quite a lot for past 10 years.
I'm deciding between the Forcefield L2K Evo or Alpinestars Nucleon KR-3 or 1. Thoughts? And how long till you get the Forcefield back in stock.
My preference is the Alpinestars KR-3. I think this is the best one on the market today. - Van
Hey Van, I am trying to decide between the Track Vest 2 or the K-R3 back protector. Which would you recommend since both are close in price. I have the missile suit. Your video was very helpful.
The vest will take up more room under the suit than the KR-3 will. The benefits to the vest are the additional foam inserts and the fact it is convenient to wear. That said is another layer which adds a little more heat. Advantages to the KR-3 would be better protection in the spinal area and the side shields. I have the KR-3 myself and prefer that to a vest. - Brian Van
Sportbike Track Gear thank you very much. I'll get the K-R3.
You are welcome and all apologies for the slow response to this. I am pinned trying to get a couple projects completed right now in preparation for the 2018 season. Let me know if you need anything else. - Van
I think the one for 1,149.00 is probably the best one. I’m just going based on the price alone, if you have the money don’t skimp out, how much is your life worth? Max out on protective gear before buying the dream motorcycle.
My Son Max and I both use the Alpinestars Tech-Air Race Vest. I have deployed mine once, Max has deployed his three times. It worked perfectly each time, worth every penny. - Van
Cool video, I would have liked to see something using D3O (yes, there a a few back protectors not just inserts)
Awesome and very helpful video. I'm riding in a dainese avro 2 piece suit right and my forcefield pro l2k evo makes everything feel a bit restrictive. Out of this bunch, would be the Astars nucleon KR-1 be the thinnest level 2 protector? If so, I might look into getting myself one of these.
Yes the KR-1 would be thinner than the one you have now and get you a little more room in your suit. - Van
I'll be ordering the KR-cell soon from STG of course. Question Van man, is Dainese not cutting it in back protectors?
Thank You for Choosing STG my brother! Customer service and support is very important to me and my Team here at STG. We are adjusting our catalog and focusing on the products we believe in and have proper support after the sale if needed. IMO you will not find better back protectors than those included in this comparison. We have a couple pieces of Dainese left in stock now, once these have sold through we will no longer offer that brand. - Brian Van
Thanks for your honest opinion Brian, other then STG have very fair prices and the best service in the industry I really appreciate your videos. It is great to see a guy like you that rides and tests out all the different options out there then gives a fair review of said options. It's so expensive for most people to just try out stuff to find that maybe it wasn't the best idea. I'm sure you could sell what ever junk you wanted and just make the $$$ but you sir have much integrity! STG customer for life.
What's the thickest back protector in the video?
The Forcefield Sub 4 is the thickest back protector we have in this video. - Van
Said the price twice on the KR-R back protecter instead if saying the weight lol it's cool Brian I'm sure you had A LOT of numbers in front of you.
All apologies, this is harder than it looks. The KR-R is nearly identical in weight to the KR-1 (about 2.2 lbs if my memory is correct) - Van
Would I happen to be able to point me in the right direction for a back protector I actually recently high sided and landed on the right side of my Barack causing me to have a minor lung collapse and minor kidney lash which would be able to protect me from another injury
I’m looking for something economical I plan on buying the airbag vest in the future once the money is right
Alpinestars Nucleon KR-3 Back Protector Black/Red
www.sportbiketrackgear.com/alpinestars-nucleon-kr-3-back-protector-black-red/
Do you guys stock all these or at least have many of them in stock? If I rode there could I try them on to get a feel before purchasing? (would be from you not to then go buy online) If so what would be the chances of trying on a 1 piece suit then trying on the back protector to see how it feels? I don't want to ride from Windsor to there in a 1 piece race suit...
Each of these items are in our auto reorder inventory program so they should be in stock at all times. That said we move a lot of gear so the inventory levels are changing all the time. We stock enough suits and protection that you should have plenty to try on if you drive out here. If you are heading out shoot us a call ahead of time and we can try to get an idea of what you want to see and check stock before you leave. - Brian Van
Sportbike Track Gear Great thx for the reply. I be out that way soon...
Hi Van,
Would you please recommend the best and affordable back protector for my suit? It is Dainese Laguna Seca 4, size 50eu. My height is 5’7”, my chest is 41.5”. Thank in advance.
Alpinestars Nucleon KR-R Back Protector $149.95
www.sportbiketrackgear.com/alpinestars-nucleon-kr-r-back-protector-black-white-fluorescent-yellow/
Alpinestars Nucleon KR-3 Back Protector $189.95 (if you can swing the extra $40 it is well worth it IMO)
www.sportbiketrackgear.com/alpinestars-nucleon-kr-3-back-protector-black-red/
- Brian Van
Like always really helpful thx !
You are welcome and thank you for watching! - Van
How about back protectors inserts like Alpinestars Nucleon KR-2i? Does it protect me with same level of protection of a dedicate back protector?
Yes it will, the real difference is the coverage area of the insert is a little less than a full protector. I like the inserts for the jackets and a full stand alone back protector if you are wearing it under a race suit. - Van
@@sportbiketrackgear thank you!
For the last on the list can it be worn under ya jacket?
Any of these can be worn under your jacket if you are interested in the protection it offers. - Van
I am surprised there are no Knox product on your list.
How much thicker is the correct latigo compared to the kr-3?
I would say about 30% thicker than the KR-3. The KR-3 is thinner and more flexible. - Van
Hi. Why don't you have any dainese protectors? Manis or the newest Pro-armor. Both are lvl 2 and not require a lot of room to wear
We no longer offer Dainese products here at STG. They are too difficult to deal with from both a customer and wholesale position. Service after the sale with Dainese is a real problem.
I think this is the best video as fat as the back protector goes...
Thank you for watching! - Van
Wow Astars offers such a wide range of products
STG you're the best.
Appreciate that! - Van
Does alpinstar do any custom race suit for tech air ?
Which one works with the D-air one piece?
You can wear any of the models we show here with that suit. - Van
@@sportbiketrackgear Van, thank you very much.
Hey young fella aren't you selling Knox anymore?
Or is there a problem with Knox we need to know about?
We have a couple items left, their products are not bad but I feel they have lost their focus. There was a time they made the best back protector on the market, total domination. Now they have their focus on skinny jeans and studio jackets more than protection. IMO Alpinestars and Forcefield both offer better back protectors than Knox. - Brian Van
You know what I think the same as you. Knox have gone the way of the hipster l think this is a big mistake for Knox.
Anyhow keep up the good work.
Jeff
no more Knox back protectors?
We have a few left in stock now on closeout. Once these have sold we will remove the brand from the site. Over the past few seasons Knox has shifted their focus away from armor towards trendy riding apparel. There was a time when they made what I felt were the best back protectors in the world, offering cutting edge products like their former flag ship back protector the Contour. At this point Knox is miles behind Alpinestars in the back protector category IMO. - Brian Van
Thanks for the info!
Interesting. I was wondering if thats who you were referring to.
Shame, i was hoping to pick up a Knox this year.
Looks like its an AStar piece for me then!
why no dainese products in the lineup?
We no longer offer Dainese products here at STG. - Van
I love how everyone has "temperature reactive" foam. Why not just make it flexible all of the time? What they should really say is, "Hey, this is a stiff POS until you wear it for a while and it warms up. Then it will work properly."
IMO they are using this temperature sensitive material because it is best suited for the job. If there was a material that was more comfortable right out of the gate they would be using it now. - Van
Has Knox went out of business ?
Is this a sales pitch for A star
the kr 1 kr 3 are 234 and 259 here in canada 😢
Order them from us and save a little. We have several Canadians drive to the shop to pick orders up and ship to CA every day. - Van
Damn you Canada...
Dainese ??!!
We do not offer Dainese products here at STG. - Van
Kind of a junky review and you most certainly can't call it "The Best Motorcycle Back Protectors" since you only did like 2 brands and you didn't point out if any of them have hyperextension protection (though the very last one clearly had some) which is one of the most important features OF a back protector. Too many of the cheap foam ones out there (and plenty of the not so cheap ones!) don't offer *proper* back protection, just a little extra impact protection. You also failed to let us know any of the impact ratings!
You missed Dainese and Tryonic which have some of the best ratings on the market.
Strapping a back protector to your body that has 2 elastic shoulder straps with an elastic waist strap won't do shit to prevent hyper-extension. I have seen and ridden in more brands and models of back protectors than anyone else I know over the 13 years I have owned STG. Over this period I have also crashed in several of them.
This video is backed by a ton of real world experience actually using these products. - Brian Van
@@sportbiketrackgear Researching back protectors to put in my track leathers, not racing around the street like a dork... Useless info here for that.
@@gymkhanadog your comment is now a year old. What kind of back protector did you end up getting for your track leathers? If you're so negative about this video from stg, would be great if you can back it up with an alternative you ended up wearing, and reason why.
@@keaponlaffin6737 I ended up with Dainese Manis D1. Reviews on it are almost unmatched. People sing its praise both on and off-track. It does have hyperextension protection which is effective when worn under leathers or snug-fitting jacket.