We love to hear from our customers, and we were very pleased to find a very satisfied one practically on our doorstep in the shape of Jonathan Jewell, who works in the auto-repair trade on the very same industrial estate as Roadskin HQ in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
The bad news is that Jonathan came off his motorbike at 50mph; the good news is that he was wearing Roadskin motorcycle jeans at the time. We caught up with him a week after his accident to find out what happened and how he was recovering.
How did the motorcycle accident happen?
‘It was at the beginning of August, in West Sussex. I was coming off a roundabout in Worthing. It was around three o’clock in the afternoon. The day had been dry, but then it started to rain. It quite quickly became damp, and my tyres were slightly cold. I exited the roundabout and accelerated - giving it throttle, just whacked it open – to speed up from 30mph to 50mph. The acceleration was just too much for the cold tyres, and the bike slipped away from me in the blink of an eye. I was thrown on to the road and slid pretty much from the roundabout into a bus stop. My mate, who was riding behind me said, I slid about 10 metres, if not more.’
How are you now and did your Roadskin motorcycle jeans help?
‘Luckily, I didn’t break anything, but there was a lot of swelling and bruising. I had road rash, and quite a scrape above my right ankle, where my boots abraded and began to rub through when I was sliding along the road but the Roadskin jeans did exactly as advertised.
I was wearing a leather jacket and got some road rash on my upper back. It wasn’t connected to my jeans, so unfortunately they pulled apart.
Impressively, my Roadskin bike jeans held up, just as promised. As you can see from the photo, they abraded a bit around the back pockets where I hit the ground and slid, and a little near the hems. But the damage to them, and hence me, is very minor. I will be fine.
My bike, a KTM 790 Duke, sustained minor damage – the bar end, pillion peg, and where the front wheel impacted the kerb, so I needed a new front wheel. All in all, that cost me £800.’
How to choose motorcycle clothing to stay safe on the road
Ian Wilson, founder of Roadskin motorcycle wear, says, ‘We are delighted (though not surprised!) to see that our jeans did the job and saved Jonathan from more serious injury. Accidents happen, even to professional riders. We take safety very seriously at Roadskin and we’d always recommend kitting yourself out with good-quality motorcycle clothing that will cushion you from impact, and safeguard your skin, in the event of you coming off the bike, ideally a connecting top and bottom layer (jacket/hoodie, trousers/jeans/leggings, etc) so that your skin is never exposed. Do your research, read reviews and above all, check for reliable CE safety ratings of the whole garment that indicate how protective the fabric is and how strong the seams are. High-quality armour is essential and should always be worn, ensuring it’s correctly placed.’
Motorcycle clothing suggestions to help save your skin
Roadskin’s bestselling motorcycle jean, the Taranis Elite, in indigo blue and black, provide the AAA safety rating in a single, comfortable layer, woven with Kevlar for protection and with elastane for stretch and easy movement. The Taranis come supplied with Level 2 knee and hip armour and feature double belt loops for attaching top layers.
Roadskin’s motorcycle armoured hoodie, the AA-rated Easyrider II zip-up hooded jacket, comes with Level 2 back, shoulder and elbow armour and is fully certified for impact, abrasion and tear. Tough but lightweight, it features a securable belt-loop to stop the jacket from rising up and exposing your back.
And if you have a story to share, or any questions about our products, please contact us.
