Let’s talk straight for a minute.

Lately, I have been fielding a lot of emails and phone calls from rather "frustrated" customers. Customers are calling us bent out of shape because the armor they bought from us prior to 2020 has started to crumble, crack, or fall apart.

Look, I completely understand that when you invest your hard-earned money into a premium brand like Bohn, you expect high quality. And honestly, you got high quality. But if you are still riding on armor you bought 8, 10, or 15 years ago, I have some tough love for you: Your armor didn’t fail you. It simply reached the end of its natural, chemical life.

We aren't talking about a pair of leather boots or a steel frame that you can pass down to your grandkids. We are talking about state-of-the-art protection engineered to save your limbs, your joints, and your skin. And just like the tires on your bike or the helmet on your head, body armor is a consumable safety asset. It expires.

Here is the unfiltered reality of how armor works, why it breaks down, and why skimping on your safety is a gamble you shouldn't be willing to take.

Most of the riders who call us angry tend to be older, experienced guys who grew up in an era when gear was just heavy leather and hard plastic. They assume modern, flexible armor should last 40 years. It doesn't.

Modern, premium gear utilizes high-tech viscoelastic polymers. This is the incredible, cutting-edge material that stays soft and flexible while you ride, but instantly locks up to absorb energy the second you hit the asphalt.

But to give you that level of comfort and advanced protection, that material relies on a complex chemical structure. The moment you start wearing it, it begins fighting the elements:

The general consensus across the entire motorcycle industry is that the safe, maximum lifespan for impact armor is 3 to 5 years. If you got 8 years out of your Bohn armor, you didn't get ripped off. You got a bonus three years out of a product that completely outlived its expected lifecycle.

Now, having said that. Our armor is manufactured by SAS-TEC, and its life expectancy is likely longer than 3-5 years, which is WHY we chose them as our manufacturer. The engineer at SAS-TEC, Holger Hertneck, says that their protectors will last well past 5 years. But the issue with saying anything longer is that it is hard to know where the protectors were stored, how they were used, and in what climate they lived in. So for that, 5 years is an industry standard. 

Technology Moves Forward—And So Should You

Think about it this way: technology changes fast. You wouldn't expect a cell phone from 2020 to run like a brand-new model today, so why would you treat life-saving limb and spinal protection any differently? The reality is that the armor built in 2020 or earlier was using vastly inferior tech compared to what we are engineering right now. Back then, most standard gear on the market was only rated at CE-Level 1. Level 1 armor is better than nothing, but it still allows a massive amount of impact force to transfer directly into your body.

To understand why today’s gear is so much better, you have to look at the actual physics—measured in kilonewtons (kN) of transmitted force. Lower numbers mean less force hitting your body.

For your limbs—shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees—old CE-Level 1 armor allowed up to 35 kN of force to smash into your joints. Our upgraded CE-Level 2 limb armor reduces that to 20 kN or less. When it comes to your spine, the stakes are even higher: a Level 1 back protector passes up to 18 kN straight to your vertebrae, while a CE-Level 2 back protector caps that dangerous force at just 9 kN—literally cutting the impact energy in half.

Even better, some of our newest premium viscoelastic armor inserts are testing at an incredible 20% to 40% higher than those strict industry minimums. The newer armor is softer, lighter, much better ventilated, and astronomically safer. Riding on older, expired technology isn't just outdated—it means you are actively leaving massive, bone-saving upgrades on the table.

We know that replacing gear can be a pain. That is exactly why we designed the Bohn system the way we did.

When your armor expires, we don’t make you buy the fabric shirt or pants all over again. The high-quality fabric portion of your Bohn gear is built to endure. All you have to do is pull the old, expired armor pads out of the pockets and slip a fresh set in.

A complete, state-of-the-art replacement armor kit costs right around $100.

Look, a set of armor is $20 a year (over 5 years). Think about what you are risking over a hundred bucks. You will easily drop that much on a tank of gas, a dinner for 2, or a minor upgrade for your bike without blinking an eye. Why on earth would you hesitate to spend it on the actual material that keeps your knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows intact? 

We take pride in being a premium brand that offers top-tier protection. But we cannot override the laws of chemistry. It is not our job to hand-hold you through basic safety maintenance. As a rider, it is your responsibility to know your gear, check your gear, and replace it when its time is up.

If your armor is approaching or past that 5-to-7-year mark, do yourself a favor: Stop being angry that the calendar moved forward. Tuck your tail, head over to our replacements, spend the hundred bucks, and protect your limbs. You’ll thank me if you ever have to test it out.

If you don't know what to order, or are confused about the protection you need, give us a call. We don't bite.
 

Stay safe out there!

— Kristen Staggs
Owner, Bohn Body Armor
704-663-0351
bohn@bohnarmor.com

P.S. For those who know me personally, you’re getting a little taste of my "Velvet Hammer" side today! Normally, I’m pretty damn sweet, and our team prides itself on giving you the absolute best customer service in the industry. But at the end of the day, I’m out here sweating and toiling because I genuinely care about saving your butt. So, looking out for you the only way a mom of an 11-year-old knows how... please just do as you're told, check your gear, and stay safe out there! 😉