Safety should be your first priority when riding or racing ATVs. Part of being safe is making sure you have the correct equipment to minimize injuries when you inevitably get your rubber side facing up. One company that knows this more than any other is EVS. EVS is completely committed to designing products to keep you as safe and comfortable as possible out on the track or trail.
The RC3 Race Collar is designed to keep your neck and collarbones from taking too much damage in a head-first wreck. The collar is made of a rip-stop nylon and has a terrycloth lining for comfort. The foam support can also be removed for custom trimming. To keep the collar in place, thermo-formed rubber connectors will attach to most chest protectors. The collar also features a simple hook-and-loop closure and easy-to-use front opening design.
The Revo 5 Chest Protector was designed to give ample chest and back protection without all the bulk of a full chest protector. It has super-strong Lexan shields on the front and back for excellent roost protection and impact resistance. Because of its trimmed-down size and light weight, the Revo 5 can be worn over or under the jersey. The Revo 5 is basically the same as EVS's Revo 4 protector, except the Revo 5 features full shoulder protection.
We spent a day out at the MX track to put the RC3 collar and Revo 5 chest protector to the test. First off, the collar attaches easily to the EVS chest protector, and the neoprene straps look like they will stretch to fit most other sets of armor as well. The combo is fairly easy to take on and off; the collar's opening and closing is simple to use. We liked the no-nonsense back panel; it has hard protection for your spine, but not the big bulky wraparound panels which may give a little more crash protection but cost more in weight and less comfort.
We opted to wear the chest protector under the jersey. It took a little more time to stretch the jersey over the collar, but wasn't too bad. We also like the low profile of the Revo 5; it keeps you from having that over-stuffed linebacker look as with some other under-jersey protectors. Our range of motion wasn't impeded by any of the straps, and the Revo 5 has enough adjustment to fit all different shapes of riders.
Out on the track the setup was very comfortable. The chest protector is well ventilated, and the collar doesn't limit your head motion as much as a Leatt brace (which could be good or bad, I suppose). Unfortunately, we didn't have the stones to test the collar and protector in a full-on crash, but we were passed a few times on the track and can definitely attest to its roost protection.
At the end of the day we were very pleased with the performance of both EVS products. They were light, comfortable and still gave enough peace of mind to know you were going to have an extra measure of safety in a crash. While the RC3 won't give the complete protection of a Leatt brace, it is less cumbersome to wear and about a tenth of the price at only $45. The Revo 5 is also cheaper than most chest protectors, costing only $70.
The RC3 and Revo 5 make a perfect combo for aggressive recreational riders and semi-serious racers. They offer a much-needed middle ground between the big battle-armor-type protectors and the simple padded undershirts. However, if you plan on banging bars with hard-core racers every week, you might want to spend the extra money and step up to some full-coverage protection and more-rigid neck brace. But for the price and level of comfort, the RC3 and Revo 5 are hard to beat. -Ray Gauger
| GEAR | 92 |
| Style | 19/20 |
| Comfort | 10/10 |
| Function | 45/50 |
| Wash/care | 9/10 |
| Price | 9/10 |
Bottom Line: A perfect combo for riders who want comfort, good protection and don't want to break the bank.