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Anyone Heard Of Klim?

Discussion in 'Clothing, Gadgets & Equipment' started by Paul55, Jun 21, 2022.

  1. Because Stadler do customisation too and have a longer history of making top spec biker textiles than Hideout (who basically copied the Touratech Copmpanero when they first started doing proper textiles). Others copy, but Stadler leads.
     
  2. Indeed, Stadler has made (undoubtedly excellent) textiles for longer than Hideout. But recently, the Germans have fallen behind the boutique British brands.

    Nowadays, BKS and Hideout’s textiles surpass Stadler for protection. While Stadler looks top spec, and I imagine it’s saved many a German bike cop’s skin, their textiles are only CE AA rated.

    Hideout and BKS have pioneered more abrasion-resistant clothing. Both their textile ranges achieve EN 13595 level 2 protection, which is considerably more protective than AAA:

    https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/product/motorcycle-ce-safety-standards

    I love Stadler’s SAS-TEC armour because of its coverage, but Hideout can be fitted with the same armour on request. And BKS offers an armour upgrade, too.
     
  3. Also.....it's pronounced "climb". The bloke at adventure spec used to correct me every single time I got it wrong.
    I expect he'd explode if he asked a geordie to pronounce Akrapovic.
     
    • Funny Funny x 4
  4. LOL
     
  5. What’s the difference between a kangaroo and a kangaroot?
    One’s a famous Australian marsupial, the other’s a geordie stuck in a lift…
     
  6. Please tell me what this wonder material is that exceeds Level 2? Last time I seriously looked into it, 'Superfabric' (made from ceramics) was the most protective material on the market and Hideout didn't use any, whilst Stadler/Touratech used it where needed. CE levels for textile suits are based on the overall package. Nobody serious about safety uses less than Forcefield's best current armour, so putting that in a Stadler suit makes it more than EN13595 Level 2 regardless of the textiles (mainly Cordura 2000) which are the same for both companies anyway. And C-Change instead of Goretex? Are you serious? This is before you consider that the Stadler design (pioneered by them) has two suits in one that combine to give greater than Level 2. And they do full custom of everything, too, while continuing to make innovations in design and textile usage.
     
  7. I’m promiscuous – I’m happy to flirt with different brands and, until recently, I found the Germans the most attractive. However, the British boutique brands now look best for protection.

    Indeed; Stadler’s current clothing is AA rated, not even AAA. So, BKS and Hideout are sexier because they pass the (considerably tougher) EN 13595 level 2 testing.

    Stadler doesn’t use Forcefield armour (it uses SAS-TEC).

    I imagine Stadler’s clothing is excellent, but BKS and Hideout make textiles that are independently tested to a significantly higher protection level.

    Also, Klim’s Badlands Pro A3 should get an honourable mention as the A3 is CE AAA rated.
     
  8. Like I said, most people serious about protection have their own 'best' level 2 Forcefield armour and fit that instead (I'm using level 2 'ghost'). Level 2 only applies to armour, not the textiles, so I don't know where you're getting the idea that the Hideout/BKS fabrics are better then Stadler's when it's largely the same Cordura except that Stadler also use 'superfabric' in strategic places (which BKS/Hideout don't) which is better. The AA/AAA only applies to the whole suit, so my Touratech 2-layer AA textile suit with Forcefield Level 2 armour fitted is more protective than an equivalent AAA (only because of the OEM armour) BKS/Hideout suit, not because it's using Vectran/superfabric. True, the Klim uses Vectran material but that's not British. I would probably look at that for a future suit if I wasn't moving to Spain where heat comfort is much more of an issue for safety than a single level of material upgrading.

    P.S. I use Stadler/Touratech interchangeably because Stadler make the Touratech suits, but apart from the Touratech Stadler suits you can only get 'lesser' Stadler suits from suppliers in this country (e.g. the Stadler stuff that Motolegends sells). For the ultimately protective suit, you'd have to go to Germany, visit Stadler and have it custom made (which is why the German forces use them).
     
  9. Thanks, @Mac. I’ve now checked out Stadler’s German website, and some gear looks better than the limited range MotoLegends sells.

    While armour has level 1 and 2 ratings, leather and textile clothing has levels 1-2, too. The “clothing level 2” is a considerably higher protection standard than AAA. This excellent Bennetts article explains all:
    https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/product/motorcycle-ce-safety-standards

    Incidentally, BKS and Hideout’s textiles don’t use Cordura. Hideout uses an usual material (it has a highly abrasion resistant inner but soft-touch outer) in its latest Hi-Pro range. It’s clever stuff – the softest laminated clothing I’ve ever tried, yet tested to a very high abrasion level.

    In contrast, BKS textiles feel like regular laminated gear. However, it’s tested to a very high abrasion level, too. Brian’s tight-lipped about the material because it’s a competitive secret, and I don’t think it’s Cordura. He’s used his (highly renowned) knowhow to engineer the lining so it increases the outer material’s abrasion resistance – clever stuff.
     
    #29 Freerange_egg, Aug 9, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2022
    • Agree Agree x 1
  10. There's a whole lot of misunderstanding about British Standards going on above in that article. There certainly is some creative marketing going on in some British websites.
     
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  11. @Freerange_egg you are correct; Alison said their textile suits don't use Cordura and was reluctant to say what they used instead.
    While I was there last week they had a few Police textile suits hanging around. They must perform to a high standard as are classed as PPE for all the forces that use them. So would expect they perform to a high standard.
    Did wonder what happens to Mr/Ms Plod after a few years of Layby burger van steak outs and their suits no longer fit! Could be an expensive Roads Policing budget.
     
  12. Thanks for the informative post, based on the useful evidence you've provided I'm totally discounting that article now. :thinkingface:

    A bit more testing with the new standard better than the nothing that came before. I know there wasn't a massive amount of gear that managed to meet the 13595 standards unless you went full leather. Still I have a pair of Altberg boots rated to that level and I fully credit them in preventing serious injury when some metal was flicked up of the bike in front and tried to slice it's way into the front of the boot. A lesser boot would have meant more than a nasty bruise.
     
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