Okaaayyyyy… so it’s a shield that you wear in front of your chest as you ride. Looks a bit odd.

Designed to save a rider in the event of a head-on collision, the Torga research project’s shield idea is a wearable front ‘shield’ that combines with a seat unit and a rear-mounted frame to reduce the impact of a straight-line crash.

The frame doesn’t really help sell the idea.

It might look like the rider’s sitting on a backwards ejector seat with a seatbelt across their lap, but it’s claimed that the set-up shifts the forces that would normally send a rider into the side of the car, or over the bonnet, with severe force trauma. The Torga ‘shield’ is claimed to seriously improve the chances of a rider in head-on collision.

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First reported on by the team at top French title, Moto Revue, the system has been proposed by Philippe Girardi and a research company, Sirems.

The blue bit is the bit you sit on/behind/in.

The system is now being put out for funding into further research.

We’re far from convinced. OK, it might be pretty good in a head-on collision (that’s a big MIGHT be), but what about all the other ways you can fall off two wheels? Do YOU fancy wearing a shield, belt and associated rear frame every time you get on a scooter or motorcycle? No, us neither…

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Anyway, have a look for yourself at the proposal document with associated animations etc, HERE.

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Tony Carter

Tony has been riding motorcycles for over 35 years and he's been a motorcycle writer for over 25 of those. He's ridden almost every motorcycle you can think of at most places around the world and he's partial to some racing, too. A Taurus, Tony doesn't believe in horoscopes (but then that's exactly what a Taurus would say!) but he does believe in Mandalorians and their right to earn a living.