The Complete Guide to Motrox CE Armour: Smooth Ways, Flying Bats, Keep Tech & D3O®

A motorcycle shirt is a bag for armour. That sounds reductive until you watch a low-speed drop: the shirt barely marks, the rider's shoulder takes everything. What was inside the shoulder pocket decided whether he rode home or got driven to Westmead.

Motrox™ sells one mesh shirt and four armour systems because the armour is the decision. This guide is the whole of that decision. The context on where armour sits in the broader summer kit is in the Summer Motorcycle Gear Australia pillar.

In this guide

• Why armour matters more than shell fabric
• EN 1621: Level 1 vs Level 2
• EN 17092: the garment standard
• Smooth Ways
• Flying Bats
• Keep Tech
• D3O® (available on request)
• Decision matrix
• Upgrade paths
• Lifespan and replacement
• FAQ

Why Armour Matters More Than Shell Fabric

At suburban speeds you do not slide far. You hit. The sequence in a 50 km/h drop is shoulder, elbow, hip, often back, in under two seconds, and the damage is fractures and dislocations, not road rash. Fabric cannot stop a fracture. Armour can.

Shell fabric earns its keep as speed climbs. A 120 km/h slide on coarse chip is where EN 17092 AAA leather justifies itself. Most Australian riding is not that. Transport for NSW's motorcycle safety material puts a large share of casualty crashes on urban and suburban roads, which is impact territory.

So the order of priority for a commuter is: armour at all three positions, then fit so the armour stays put, then shell. Not the other way round.

EN 1621: Level 1 vs Level 2 in Brief

The full comparison, with the test data and the "is Level 2 worth it" argument, is in CE Level 1 vs Level 2 Motorcycle Armour. The short version follows. CE EN 1621 is the European standard for the armour itself. A 5 kg striker is dropped to deliver a 50 joule impact onto the protector, and a sensor underneath measures how much force gets through. Less is better.

In plain terms: a Level 2 back protector lets through half the force of a Level 1. The price is thickness and stiffness. Level 2 inserts are noticeable for the first week and invisible after that.

Level 1 is reasonable for: urban commuting under 70 km/h, riders who wear the shirt as clothing, first-time armour buyers.
Level 2 for everything else: highway, B-roads, adventure, heavy traffic, any rider who has already been down once.

Every Crosswind™, Outrider™ and Vanguard™ ships with EN 1621-1 shoulder and elbow protectors and an EN 1621-2 back protector. The shirt includes the back protector in the price. That is not universal in this market; check before you buy anything else.

EN 17092: The Garment Standard

Different test, different question. EN 17092 asks whether the whole garment, every panel, survives abrasion, tearing and seam stress. It grades A (basic), AA (most road riding) and AAA (high speed).

Motrox's position, stated plainly:

If you want the certificate in a shirt cut, buy the Outrider™ or Vanguard™. If you want maximum airflow and accept Kevlar® panels plus CE armour as the protection package, buy the Crosswind™. Both are honest choices. Pretending the Crosswind™ is certified would not be.

Smooth Ways

What it is. Slim-profile CE armour, Level 1 or Level 2, at shoulders, elbows and back. The thinnest, lightest and cheapest option in the range.

Why it exists. A commuter who rides to work and then wears the shirt all day does not want shoulder cups printing through the mesh in a meeting. Smooth Ways sits flat enough that the shirt reads as a shirt.

Who it is for. City commuters. Riders who wear the shirt off the bike. Anyone buying certified armour for the first time and wanting the gentlest introduction.

Trade-off. Smaller footprint than Flying Bats, so less area covered at the shoulder and elbow. Same CE level, less real estate.

Price. Included at the base price: $239 with Level 1, $259 with Level 2.

Flying Bats

What it is. Higher-coverage CE Level 2 armour at shoulders, elbows and back: a SCUTY full back protector with Lite Pro Air Wise shoulder and elbow protectors that carry ventilation channels. Available in Black, Orange or Red.

Why three colours. The Crosswind™ is mesh. The armour shows through it. Black disappears; Orange turns the armour into a high-visibility feature; Red lands between the two. It is a styling choice with a safety side effect, because orange protectors on a dark shirt are something drivers see.

Who it is for. Weekend sport riders on the Putty, the Oxley or the Great Ocean Road. Adventure riders. Anyone who looked at Smooth Ways and wanted more coverage.

Trade-off. More mass, more presence under a jacket, and a little more heat held against the body. In Darwin humidity that is measurable; in Alice dry heat it is not.

Level. Level 2 only.

Keep Tech

What it is. CE Level 2 armour at shoulders, elbows and back: air-flow Flexform shoulder and elbow protectors with a Rhomb Flex back protector. Dual-density, softer in normal movement, firmer under impact.

Why dual-density. Single-density foam is a compromise between protection and comfort, and on a 500 km day the compromise shows up as shoulder fatigue by hour four. Keep Tech is built so you forget it is there until it is needed.

Who it is for. Tourers doing 400 km days. Adventure riders on multi-day loops. Anyone whose complaint about armour is "it's fine, but I feel it all day."

Trade-off. Costs more than Smooth Ways Level 2 for the same CE Level 2 rating. You are paying for comfort behaviour, not a higher certification.

D3O® (available on request)

What it is. D3O® is a licensed shear-thickening polymer. At rest it is soft and bends with you. Hit it and the molecules lock, the material goes rigid, absorbs the energy, and relaxes again. It is the protector material most premium European brands use.

When. Now. Genuine licensed D3O® is available on request on the Crosswind™, Outrider™ and Vanguard™ ahead of its official launch in the range; ask on the 24/7 chat when you order and the price is confirmed before dispatch.

Trade-off. It is the most expensive option. For a commuter, Smooth Ways Level 2 already delivers the certification; D3O® adds comfort, not a different CE rating.

To order with D3O®, ask on the 24/7 chat when you place your order.

Decision Matrix

Upgrade Paths

All four systems fit the same pockets in the Crosswind™, Outrider™ and Vanguard™. You can start cheap and upgrade without buying another shirt.

1. Order replacement inserts via motrox.com.au or the 24/7 chat.
2. Open the pockets, remove the old set.
3. Fit the new set; shoulder and elbow protectors are left and right specific, so check the marking.
4. Keep the old set as a spare, or retire it if it has been hit.

When it makes sense: you bought Smooth Ways Level 1 for commuting and took up weekend riding; your armour is near the end of its life anyway; you decide you want D3O®. The shell outlasts the inserts, so one shirt can see two or three armour sets.

Lifespan and Replacement

Un-hit foam: five to seven years. Heat storage and UV shorten it.
Any crash or hard drop: retire immediately. The foam can crush internally with nothing visible outside.
Checks: flex it; it should spring back in seconds. Look for edge cracking, permanent dents, or a chemical smell that was not there when new. Any of those, replace.
D3O®: same discipline. More tolerant of minor compression than foam, equally finished after an impact.

From the workshop

A Crosswind™ came back for a sizing check with a back protector that had a clean dent the shape of a tank-bag strap buckle across the top edge. The rider had been carrying a loaded tank bag on his back on the train to work, every day, for a summer. The foam had not been crashed. It had been crushed in the same spot a hundred times. New protector fitted; the old one went in the bin, and the tank bag now rides on the tank.

FAQ

What is the difference between CE Level 1 and Level 2 motorcycle armour?

Level 2 transmits about half the force. At the back: 9 kN average versus 18 kN. At shoulder and elbow: 20 kN versus 35 kN. Level 2 is thicker and firmer. The upgrade costs $20 on a Motrox shirt. The long answer is in CE Level 1 vs Level 2 Motorcycle Armour.

Is Level 2 armour worth it over Level 1?

For anything above a 70 km/h commute, yes. For a slow urban ride where you wear the shirt all day, Level 1 is defensible. The honest tiebreaker: if you have ever been down, buy Level 2.

What is EN 1621?

The European standard for motorcycle armour inserts. EN 1621-1 covers shoulders, elbows, hips and knees; EN 1621-2 covers back protectors; EN 1621-3 covers chest. Each has Level 1 and Level 2. The number on the label tells you which test it passed, not how it feels.

What is EN 17092?

The European standard for the whole garment: abrasion, tear and seam strength across every panel. Classes A, AA and AAA. A garment can have EN 1621 Level 2 armour and no EN 17092 certification at all; that is the Crosswind™. Or both; that is the Outrider™.

Is the Motrox Crosswind™ CE certified?

Its armour is: CE EN 1621 at shoulders, elbows and back. The shirt itself is DuPont Kevlar® lined but not EN 17092 garment-certified. Anyone who tells you a mesh shirt at this price is a fully certified garment should be asked for the certificate.

Which Motrox armour is best for commuting?

Smooth Ways, Level 1 or 2. It is the slimmest, it is included at the base price, and it is the one you will forget you are wearing by the second week.

Which Motrox armour is best for sport riding?

Flying Bats Level 2. The largest coverage area in the range. Pick Orange if you want drivers to see you, Black if you do not want to explain it at the café.

Which Motrox armour is best for touring?

Keep Tech Level 2. The dual-density foam is softer in normal movement, which is what you notice at hour five, and firms on impact, which is what you need at any hour.

When will D3O® be available on Motrox gear?

Now, on request, on the Crosswind™, Outrider™ and Vanguard™. Official launch in the range is coming; ask for it on chat when you order.

Can I swap Motrox armour later?

Yes. All four systems share the same pockets across the Crosswind™, Outrider™ and Vanguard™. Buy inserts, swap them, keep the shirt.

If you are reading this because you cannot decide: Smooth Ways Level 2 if you commute, Flying Bats Level 2 if you play on weekends, Keep Tech Level 2 if you tour. If you still cannot decide, open the 24/7 chat on motrox.com.au and describe your usual Sunday. MOTROX10 for 10% off.

Shop the Crosswind™ → · Outrider™ → · Vanguard™ → · D3O® on request via chat · How to size the shirt so the armour stays put · Mesh vs textile vs leather · Back to the Summer Motorcycle Gear Australia pillar.