Great! I’m sure you took a beating at HCKC then.
Just got into karting 2 months ago. Compkart covert 3.0 and Rotax 125 senior evo. Thought they were trying to fleece me when they quoted AUD $300 for a rib protector. I went online and bought some cheap inferior one for half the price. A month on and I have 3 fractured ribs.
Bought a Bengio bumper but won’t be able to test it for at least another 2 months. Lesson here, never cheap out on a rib protector.
2 Likes
I agree 100%. I started last year and went cheap on my first 2 rib protectors. I kept having rib pain and finally paid up for the same Bengio you have pictured. The days of constant rib pain are gone and I recommend Bengio to everyone.
I think new karters should spend the majority of the safety equipment budget on helmet and rib protection. Suit, shoes, gloves, and neck protection are good enough at the lower price points.
Has anyone compared the alpinestars bionic with a bengio, or want to share what they think of it? I’m thinking I need to try one of these hard shell ones, rather than what I have now which is made of tough foam pads on the sides. Ideally, I’m hoping to find something with a really thin back so I don’t sit more upright in the kart, and thin but really protective sides.
I think I might have gotten one of these rib separation-type injuries at newcastle in july (which I thought was odd, since it’s such a smooth track…but man that was some intense pain). After a couple test days since then, it feels like it’s not fully healing, and I’m trying to figure out how to get through the supernationals without making it too much worse. I was glad to come across TJ’s post, since it sounds like I might be able to solve my problem with a new vest, but I’m wondering if I can do it at a lower price than a bengio.
I have an alpinestars white one a couple years old. It was nice at first and very light. I wanted a beefier one ultimately. But, it was a great rib protector.
One of the drivers I coached had the Alpinestars vest and he hurt his ribs while he was wearing it. Not sure if they’ve updated it since then, but it seemed like it didn’t do much for him.
I think the difference between the Bengio and most other rip protectors is it was developed by drivers and continues to receive a lot of feedback from drivers, I’m not convinced that’s the case for the big multinationals or for the cheap ones.
I had bought a forcefield rip protector as a sort of development project.
What it made me realise is you need that hard outer layer in a kart. The way they did the cushioning was really smart, light and breathable but it need that hard outlayer to protect against bolt heads in the seat. It also needed a little reshaping to suit a karting seat position (its really a motorcycle rib protector).
That’s kind of cool. It’s probably a great idea to have front protection like that in case you go flying into steering column.
Actually you can wear it either way round. I wore it so as you look at the image, you are looking at the back (like a conventional rip protector closing at the front). If you reshaped it and added a hard outer layer I think it would be great.
I ended up getting a bengio, and I thought I’d post what I think of it in case it helps anyone else in the situation I was in…and I say “was” because that thing is a miracle. I went from having pain building up to a distractingly high level by the end of one practice day to doing 4 days in a row without feeling a thing. The track was pretty smooth and low grip, so that probably contributed, but I’m pretty convinced I would have been having problems without it. It feels like the reason this works so well is because it sort of extends the surface your torso rests on above the seat, instead of letting your upper body have pressure points from either the top edge of the seat or the bolts. I tried sitting in the kart with the bengio back to back with my old protector, and I noticed that the old one let my torso flex a bit more, and let some mild pressure points through, even though the padding seems pretty solid and isn’t damaged at all. Apparently those subtle differences become huge in terms of how the forces get applied to your body. I would say it also makes you feel more connected to the kart, and helps with driving consistency too.
I’m not sure how any of the other protectors out there would have compared- maybe they’d work just as well. Basically though, I just wanted to recommend it to anyone who might be dealing with something similar to what I had and still wants to drive.
4 Likes
And, to add to this… tall seats or “Deep” seats take this even further. 2 brands extend significantly up and also wrap seat top around torso (yes it pinches you into seat) are DeepSeat and I think Ribtect. If you have a long torso like me and are 6’ plus, tall is a must have, I think. Once I went deepseat, I stopped having rib injuries.
@NikG our new driver Pavle is trying out some motocross gear as a back protector as well. @Stacker What did you get?
It’s pretty nuts how effective it is. When I switched, I had literally undriveable pain after one session, put the Bengio on, and completely pain-free since.
Didn’t get a chance to test the new Stilo vest this past weekend, but reports are that it works really well too.
Yeah, let me jump in and share my experience with my new protection. I am 190cm tall and as soon as my first session, I got bruises on my lower back. As a busy driving month finished and I had just a month to go until the end of the season, I decided to buy something as the pain was terrible. Hit the apex a bit harder, you are in pain. So I decided to do something about it and I bought the UFO back protector. It looks like this:
Pretty simple. It has plastic, call them segments or plates, that protect from the bumps and hits (actually made to protect you if you fall down from a bike). On the outside, you can see what covers the plastic. On the inside it has a layer some kind of sponge, however you want to call it. It is around 2-3cm thick and it absorbs everything that could directly hurt you.
I tried it out on 4 sessions in total. I was very happy with the results. I did get some minor pain, but I think the real reason is that the bruises I had were still not gone so any kind of stress would not help it recover, not even a back protector. Considering I am very light, 65kg and very skinny, I think it did a great job. I think the main problem with it is that it is not the most comfortable thing you can wear. It kind of moves around (cotton on plastic slides a bit) and the plastic plates are a bit thick, so it moves your seat position around 4-5cm forward.
All in all, it did a great job. If you wear it properly, it will not move, and if you don´t mind a slight moving forward I don´t think you will have a problem. Most importantly, it protects your back very well, and it is just a matter how well you adapt to it. If you have a problem like I do, only with your back, it is a great alternative, especially considering it is only around 60$.
@tjkoyen
Hi buddy, read this from couple of years ago, pretty much identical to my situation but without the fix. I’ve been using alpine stars protector which is fine at the sides but I think actually makes things worse around the back. My injury is always same spot - at the back right where the protection stops. I think it’s actually the edge of the protector causing most of it.
Assuming you’re still of the same opinion I’ll order a Bengio, might change the seat too. Question about the seat - should it be snug or a squeeze? My seat actually kind of pincheds me into place at the top - maybe too much. I know there should be no space but is negative space just as bad??
First day on track yesterday after two months lockdown, popped my ribs on lap 2 turn 3 for gods sake 
. Still managed a good pace, couple of seconds off concentrating more on not being in pain than driving the best line. 40deg and Ramadan so no fluids between sessions! Exhausted doesn’t come close lol
Looking at the FreeM and Bengio, they seemed a little short. I have a really long torso and was worried I would not get the coverage needed for adequate protection. I ordered a Ribtect Kevlar and it fits great. It has 3 adjustable buckles in the front so it doesn’t ride up and adjustable shoulder straps (most do). I do have a few signs of wear on my suit where the Kevlar plate contacts the seat stay bolts. Maybe I will try the Ribtect hardware next. Thought about a Deep Seat, but was worried at my height (6’9") I would get too much load transfer with the taller sides.
1 Like
Hey folks. So. First outing yesterday with the Bengio which arrived on Wednesday.
Felt great from the get go, very comfortable and well fitted. Did 50 laps around 1:04, little slow by 5 secs but it summer and dusty as hell.
Bengio performed brilliantly, I deliberately pounded the kerbs that would usually cause me immense pain over and over. Felt absolutely nothing.
Thanks @tjkoyen very happy with it.
1 Like
Awesome. Someday I expect a check in the mail from Bengio for all this promo but for now I’ll take solace in the notion that my recommendation of it is helping people race more comfortably. 
7 Likes
So after a few years And many posts on this topic, our FreeM has developed a few cracks and doesn’t protect as much. Kid hurt his ribs at 61 Kartway Cup Karts to start the year and aggravated at RA 66 last weekend. I’m looking at the Bengio to replace but curious if anyone has tried the Greyhound. Looks pretty similar in design.
I went from the freeM (carbon) to the Bengio. The bengio is better. It’s not huge night and day though. Make sure your son tries it for sizing sitting not standing.
I am looking at the Bengio but worried about their sizing. I am 172lbs, normally wear large shirts and their chart says I’m an XL? Do they run small?