CE Level 2 gloves

[raesewell]

That would be, at least level one but not tested for level 2. If you look at the Motolegends site they do a comparison video on armour. The Stadler is impressive.

[richtea]

Long time, no update.

They confirmed the Frank Thomas gloves are CE Level 2. Swift work on a Saturday - commended.
Anyhooo, I've just ordered two sizes of these which are also CE Level 2: BKS 26 gloves, even though it's not a summer glove. It appears to be made to almost the same design as the Frank Thomas, but slightly better protection for another tenner. They both have to be badged J&S ones, since Rae said the BKS are J&S-owned.

In summary I've got distracted to just getting a CE level 2 glove of any form. but I'll come back to a summer equivalent at some point!

When the BKS ones arrive on Monday, I'll tell you if the quality & fit is good.

The BKS-branded-but-actually-J&S gloves were shockingly poor. Like having giant sausage fingers. And they weren't CE level 2.
Avoid.
(And well done to Rae for knowing the history of the true BKS man Brian Sansom.)

Anyway, I am down to one brand for the moment - called Five. They're French and only make gloves, which is promising since they should know what they're doing. They do also look just as tarty as the rest - that comes with the territory, but they have a choice three models with CE Level 2, two of which are affordable - the RFX1 and RFX2 and come in big boy sizes. That's a start. The third pair, RFX Race, are eye-watering stingray/titanium prices.

I'll let you know if I ever manage to try a pair on.

The Five gloves were very good. Proper CE Level 2. I bought the RFX1 summer gloves in the summer - as you do. They were tight and needed bedding in, but are now comfy. I only have one negative point against them - the edge of the scaphoid protection can get between your hand and the bar depending on how you hold your bars. Something to check before buying, but I've got used to the slight touch.

All good. Except now it's winter.

So I looked for CE Level 2 winter gloves. Hmmm. This time I gave up early and went for another pair of Five gloves since the summer ones were so good - the WFX Max Gore-tex. I thought they didn't do Level 2 winter gloves but when they turned up they were the full monty. Bonus!





They're a mix of leather and textile - leather on the outer edges and palm where you're going to need extra abrasion protection, and textile for the rest of the glove. They're waterproof (Gore-Tex) with a Thinsulate inner.

I'll let you now how I get on with them, as always. But right now they've been tucked away until Christmas.

[richtea]

A quick update on the CE Level 2 winter gloves I got - Five WFX Max Gore-tex.

Pros:
- top level protection, including proper scaphoid protection
- good insulation - almost too good, it takes 10 minutes before you feel the heated grips
- fully waterproof Gore-Tex, with an inner thinsulate liner

Cons:
- very close to a 'sausage finger' effect from the insulation, but still fine for controls
- as per the Five summer gloves, the edge of the scaphoid protection can be felt between your palm and the bar depending on how you hold your bars. Something to check before buying, but I've got used to.

They definitely aren't 4 season gloves. You would sweat cobs in spring/summer/autumn - definitely for winter use only.
I will use thinner waterproof ones for the other 3 seasons. Now for the 3 season CE Level 2 waterproof glove search. To be contd...

[Matt]

Thanks Richard. I will try and remember this thread should I ever start commuting again. Whatever I have at the moment, coupled with KTM grips being cooler than the GS, means I get freezing hands pretty quickly. Even with the dainty hand guards.

[Phmode]

Fit better hand guards?

[Costas]

When buying a riding jacket or other gear, a very useful helping hand is the protection rating that comes with genuine products. A protection rating is provided by CE or Conformité Européenne, French for European Conformity to give buyers an idea of the capability of protection that the armour can offer.
Protection armours undergo rigorous testing so that a safety rating can be determined for them.
There are two safety rating levels. Level 1 and level 2, with the latter being the comprehensive option.
The test is performed in the following manner. A 5 kg block of specific dimensions is dropped from an elevation of about 1 metre so that the impact energy is 50 joules, that is the approach speed of the block which is about 17 km/hr. The reading of the impact on the other side of the armour is taken to see how much of the impact force has been absorbed. This is then compared with the threshold readings and the rating is determined. To ensure consistency, this test is repeated in many areas of the armour, and the average is calculated.
A level 1 armour is rated for an average impact force of 18 kN (kilo Newton) or less. Since its the pressure, that is force-per-unit-area that causes damage to our body, no particular reading should be higher than 24 kN. Coming to level 2, this reading is halved. We are seeing a maximum value of 9 kN, with no particular reading going higher than 12 kN.
An abrasion test is also performed where the fabric comprising the gear is repetitively held against an abrasive material (like sandpaper), until it gives way. This test would tell us about the integrity of the fabric, and how well it would hold up if in case the rider falls on asphalt or a rougher surface and endures a tumble. Both the impact and abrasion test play a part in determining the safety rating of the jacket or pants. But the impact test itself is done only on the armour, not the whole jacket.
Speaking strictly regulation wise, level 1 protection would be enough, with only certain race tracks demanding level 2 protection.
But in my opinion, safety is the one area where there must be no compromises whatsoever. Also, our road conditions mean that high-pressure points are more likely in case of a fall, so it's advisable to go for level 2 from the get-go. 

[richtea]

Good info Costas - thanks.

> But in my opinion, safety is the one area where there must be no compromises whatsoever.

Agreed! There are only a few reasons not to go for Level 2 gloves (or AAA in clothing):

- Comfort. If they're uncomfy enough to distract you from the ride, then don't buy them
- Cost. They'll cost more, but if you can afford to run a BMW you can probably afford top quality kit.
- Availability. It's really hard to find Level 2 gloves online. They're rare, and few sites mention the protection level. Crazy. What do the marketing depts do for their salary?

[Motorradpilot]

I know it’s a while since the original post, but MCGearHub has reviewed eight CE level 2 gloves:

https://www.mcgearhub.com/motorcycle-gloves/best-safest-motorcycle-gloves-ce-level-2-buying-guide/

Also, Five’s range includes half a dozen CE level 2 gloves. It appears we’ve a growing range of CE level 2 gloves – including waterproof (Five RFX WP), short cuff (Alpinestars AMT-10), and several race gloves.

[richtea]

Welcome Motorradpilot!

Thanks for the extra info - very useful article.

The Five RFX WP ones seem a nice halfway house between summer and winter gloves. They seem a bit limited in stock at the moment - maybe they're a new design.
Also interesting to note the AMT-10 are part-textile AND short(ish) cuff, so manufacturers are starting to branch out from just pure race level 2 gloves.

[Motorradpilot]

Unfortunately, Alpinestars downgraded the AMT-10. They launched it as a level 2 glove, then removed some of the SuperFabric and dropped the protection to level 1

A quick update on the CE Level 2 winter gloves I got - Five WFX Max Gore-tex.

How easily do WFX Max gloves fit under jacket sleeves? And does this glove have a visor wipe?

I will use thinner waterproof ones for the other 3 seasons. Now for the 3 season CE Level 2 waterproof glove search. To be contd...

How about Five TFX1 GTX gloves? They are CE level 2 and available from SportsBikeShop.

[richtea]

Well spotted Pilot - no 3XL in stock yet (I've asked) but potentially due soon.
And I have a lovely Sportsbike voucher to use up. 

[Belco100]

Not sure if this is true or just sales man speak, but I was told that it is difficult to get the short summer gloves (like I wear  ) through level 2 and that most level 2 gloves have long wrist coverings. Partly for protection, but also to stop them pulling off our hands in an accident?

[richtea]

Not salesman talk - it's the rules!

You need to have 5cm of cuff length for protection, so a short glove won't pass Level 2.

From a lovely link that armstrongracer added earlier in this thread (page 1 in fact):
https://vquattro.com/en/normes-ce/normes-ce-des-gants/



There's no mention of resistance to glove removal there though, but then again I'm not sure that's the full spec.

But in terms of unwanted glove removal, they can be 5 layers of kangaroo & stingray leather with all the carbon & titanium you like, but if you don't tighten the wrist restraint strap you will still get a bloody rash as the glove slides off. I used to find the wrist straps extremely annoying - until I belatedly worked out what they were for - it's akin to wearing an Arai and not doing the chin strap up.

[richtea]

As a small aside, here are a pair of gloves that are more like CE -1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggv_OI2DTlk

Buyer beware, as ever.

[Motorradpilot]

Five SF1 gloves have a relatively short cuff, yet are CE level 2. However, they’re currently hard to find (eBay had some available). Like many things nowadays, manufacturing stock appears limited.