question about knee armor in BMW venting-machine pants

hi all,

i bought a pair of venting-machine pants from an inmate over at ADVrider.com and they fit great. i really like them except for one thing.

the seller included knee pads but they were not installed. he had never installed them (i think he bought the pants used himself). when i went to install them they just didn't fit into the pockets. the wings on the side of the knee pads were too wide for the width of the pockets and they folded over underneath. and they are too tall as well.

i removed them and put in a much-less-coverage forcefield net knee armor, but i'd really rather have the original BMW armor.

the knee pads i have are "large", and i see that there is a "small" available from BMW, at least i see it on MAX's web site.

the pants are isize 42R, but they are really more like a 32 or 34, which is what size jeans i wear. that doesn't seem "small" to me, so i'm wondering just what i should do.

are there any other venting-machine pants owners who could advise me on what knee armor you all have?

thanks,

-eric

Venting Machine -

Generally no longer available from any dealer, out of production for several years....call Max to see for sure.

European sizing - 42 Euro equals 32 US.

http://www.ebay.com/gds/International-Jeans-Size-Conversion-Charts-/10000000178258688/g.html

I don't know what to tell you on the knee armor - I owned a pair, but never removed the pads so never had a problem.

solved

i emailed rose at max in NH. she is the apparel specialist and she hooked me right up:

"The knee armor is still available. Part
#72602341665 x2; $11.32 each (same armor for left and right knee). The armor you got is for apparel after 2009 which is different and obviously won't fit your suit. Probably is orange? The Venting Suit was discontinued in 2008."

Venting Machine Knee Armor

Ezwicky,

I have the Venting Machine Pants in size 44, which fit my 36 inch waist.

The knee armor pads are black and have the following writing:

Oben^
CE
PrEN 1621-1
K+L Typ A
SE4
ProSafe
BMW

There is no size printed on them. They are a snug fit and you can best install them in the knee pockets by turning the pants inside out. You have to stuff them into the knee pockets by squeezing the "wings" inward to fit into the pocket. Once the wings are in, it is simply a matter of closing the top by sealing the Velcro closure. The original owner probably thought they wouldn't fit into the knee pockets, so he left them out.

They do fit into the pockets and are an important part of the protection. I bought these pants when they were discontinued and have been very pleased with them. They flow a lot of air and are relatively light weight. I don't know why BMW discontinued them because they are excellent pants.

Bill

thanks bill. first thing i did when i received them was to turn them inside-out and install the armor. but the wings are way too wide for the pocket and they just folded under, sticking right into my knees instead of wrapping around them. they are physically too large for the long and wide dimensions of the pockets. a clear case of "5 pounds of manure in a 3-pound sack".

rose at max BMW confirmed that i have the pads for newer pants which will definitely not fit the venting-machine pants. mine are orange, by the way. she told me she bets mine are orange and she was right.

she's sending me the correct armor. i'll report back how it works out.

thanks,

-eric

Venting Machine Pants Knee Armor

Eric,

OK. I must have the old pants because my knee armor pads are black, with the labeling as described in my previous post.

I know what you mean about the manure analogy. That describes me trying to cram stuff into my side cases and closing them without damaging the lock.

I think they will send you the correct pads. Max BMW is an excellent dealer. I have ordered stuff from them and they send you a bag of M&M's as a bonus!

Bill

You could always trim them to fit, utility knife or exacto should do the job. I trim the back protector on my wife's jackets all the time as they dig into her shoulders.