TRACK TESTED

BKS and Shift Leathers Crash Tested

Author: TrackdayMag.com staff

Hatcher and Grasshopper go asphalt surfing

BKS shoulder took a big hit without incurring structural damage Here at TrackdayMag.com, we do more that put on gear and pose for pictures. We ride hard in our protective shells. Much as we’d rather not, sometimes we crash. When the dust settles, we examine the damage and report what we’ve found.

BKS Leathers – Crash Tested

Our BKS James Toseland Replica Suit didn’t stay pretty for long. Editor Jon Hatcher was very thankful to have been wearing it during his 150mph get-off at Summit Pointthis past July. Jon tucked the front under braking at the end of Summit’s front straight, then tumbled and slid seemingly forever. The suit’s micro-perforated kangaroo leather torso held up extremely well during Jon’s crash. The cowhide arms and legs were barely even scuffed. Stingray skin on the shoulders, elbows, and knees, combined with BKS titanium plating, protected Jon’s joints from impact and he walked Scarring shows how much punishment the BKS triple stiched seam took without failure away from the violent accident with nothing more than a broken wrist and some deep bruises. No seams were blown out and the stitching that had been damaged during the slide was very easily repaired. While the trim was destroyed in numerous places, it was, in fact, only trim. Beneath was the much thicker main body of the suit, which survived without being breached in any way. Considering the duration of Jon’s slide and the amount of tumbling he did, the BKS James Toseland Replica suit gets an A+ for crashability as far as we’re concerned.