Creators of 'Tough Turban' say it'll make riding safer for Sikh motorcyclists

[Premi5]

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/creators-of-tough-turban-say-it-ll-make-riding-safer-for-sikh-motorcyclists-1.5481152

Jeremiah RodriguezCTVNews.ca Writer

@jererodriguezzz Contact

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 4:18PM EDTLast Updated Wednesday, June 23, 2021 3:36PM EDT

 

 

SASKATOON -- Some turban-wearing motorcyclists in Canada have had helmet exemptions for years, but a Sikh man wants riders like his father to feel safer with his new protective turban that features bulletproof laminate and foam that hardens on impact.

Vic Bath, one of the creators behind “Tough Turban,” said he was inspired by his father who always dreamed of having a Harley-Davidson motorcycle growing up in India.

“He finally eventually got one much later in life. But to him, Harley always represented the idea of freedom,” he told CTVNews.ca during a joint interview with other creators behind the project. “I thought if it means that much to him, it must surely mean that much to other Sikhs who ride motorcycles.”

Related Stories

• 'What does a Canadian look like?': The first Mountie to wear a turban reflects on racism and inclusivity
• Ontario to allow Sikhs to ride motorcycles without wearing helmets
• Alberta Sikhs to be exempt from motorcycle helmet law
• Rites of passage: Ont. site promises dedicated space for Sikhs, Hindus to scatter ashes
• How offensive words don't wind up on vanity licence plates

Related Links

• See more about Tough Turban here

The prototype design, which hasn’t hit production yet, took two years to develop.

Bath, a creative lead at marketing firm Zulu Alpha Kilo, worked closely with Spark Innovations, industrial designers who’ve helped develop other unique protective headgear; and Pfaff Harley-Davidson, which sells motorcycles across Ontario.

Brandon Durmann, a marketing specialist at Pfaff Harley-Davidson who helped get the word out on the idea, said many of their customers in Toronto, Brampton, Vaughn happen to be Sikh.

“So this is a really good opportunity for us to showcase that and really put a face to our customers and give them a voice,” Durmann said.

Tough Turban’s chain-mail-like design features bulletproof laminate called Dyneema and a foam that hardens on impact that’s used in military armour and helmets. The design, which also includes 3D-printed chainmail lining, pays homage to how early traditional Sikh warriors used to affix chainmail onto their turbans before battle.

Chris Pearen, president of Spark Innovations whose firm helped create the prototype, said his team consulted with Sikh riders, including the Sikh Motorcycle Club of Ontario.

“We included several materials that are currently used in other motorcycle clothing protection to layer up the turban to get to where we are today,” Pearen said.

Jagdeep Singh, spokesperson for the Sikh Motorcycle Club of Ontario, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview he's "really excited" about the prototype but said more needs to be done before his group can endorse it.

“We welcome the freedom to ride message that the Tough Turban touts, however for now, it strictly remains a concept. The idea needs to be developed further and tested for practical daily wear," he explained.

“In the meantime, Sikhs should have the same freedoms to ride in Saskatchewan, Quebec and the eastern provinces. We continue our fight to seek helmet exemption for turban wearing riders in these provinces, and the ability to broaden the benefits that come from charitable rides led by our club.”

TOUGH TURBAN ALLOWS FOR EXPRESSION: BATH

Wearing a turban is a deeply important symbol for Sikhs and some motorcyclists of the faith have had helmet exemptions for years. British Columbia and Manitoba first granted Sikhs a helmet exemption in 1999, with Ontario and Alberta following suit in 2018.

Bath said the idea behind the Tough Turban “really came out of how we can celebrate the fact that people have the ability to have self-expression while riding a motorcycle but use the latest protective gear within that.”

 

But designers behind the “Tough Turban” acknowledge that despite it having safety material such as D30-like shock absorbers, it doesn’t offer the same kind of impact resistance and protection as a traditional full-face motorcycle helmet.

However, if you’re looking to nab one of the Tough Turban’s, you’re out of luck, at least for now. Although riders can download the “open source” documentation of their design, none of the parties involved have committed to mass production yet, but that could change soon as popularity for the idea has taken off on social media.

Videos of the turban prototypes have racked close to 20,000 views on Pfaff’s YouTube and Instagram feeds. And Bath and the team said some motorcycle apparel manufacturers -- including some overseas -- have been reaching out asking how they collaborate or be a part of potentially scaling up the idea.

“We received a lot of overwhelming positivity from around the world, which has been amazing… and it's been great to see that really embraced by the Sikh community from everywhere.”

One of those people is motorcycle enthusiast Shamsher Singh Sidhu, who tested out the Tough Turban in the videos. “Tying a turban to me is more than just a fashion statement, it’s a whole heritage, it’s your freedom to express yourself, your identity. And that’s what riding is to me – being on an open road, feeling the wind on you, it’s just freedom.”

 

RELATED IMAGES

 

• 

  Spark Innovations, the firm helped create the prototype, consulted with Sikh riders to ensure the Dyneema material was flexible enough to be tied into a turban. (The Moto Foto | Dan Lim)

• 

  Vic Bath wants riders like his father to feel safer with his new protective turban called the 'Tough Turban' that features bulletproof laminate and foam that hardens on impact. (The Moto Foto | Dan Lim)

 

[GurjantGnostic]

@Premi5

That's awesome. Great share. 

Maybe uses in construction too you think?

[Premi5]

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/10/14/zulu-alpha-kilo-shares-how-it-helped-harley-davidson-protect-sikh-bikers-with-the

 

Zulu Alpha Kilo shares how it helped Harley-Davidson protect Sikh bikers with the Tough Turban

By Awards Analyst - October 14, 2021

The Tough Turban camapign aimed to improve safety conditions for Sikh motorcyclists.

 

The challenge

Harley-Davidson is a brand built on a love for the open road and its riders are passionate for the freedom that it offers. Yet for some riders, that freedom has come at the expense of their safety and their very identity.

For Sikh men, the turban is a deeply important part of their identity. For decades, Sikhs who rode motorcycles found themselves choosing between their beliefs and their safety as all Sikh men are required to cover their hair as a symbol of respect and humility.

Because traditional motorcycle helmets violate this religious tenet, the government in the Canadian province of Ontario passed legislation in 2018 that exempts Sikh men from the law requiring all motorcycle riders to wear protective helmets. The exemption was a hard-won step forward, but it also introduced a critical question: how could Sikh riders engage in their passion and still ensure their safety while riding without a traditional helmet?

This created an interesting and unusual challenge: how to develop an alternative to a motorcycle helmet so Sikh motorcyclists would no longer have to choose between their beliefs and their safety.

The strategy

If anyone could address this challenge it would be the world’s most iconic motorcycle brand and its largest Canadian dealership, Pfaff Harley-Davidson in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Harley-Davidson attracts riders of all cultures, yet is often perceived to be the choice of old white men. Stepping up to a challenge like this was an opportunity for Harley-Davidson to help a group of riders overcome a big hurdle to fully embracing their passion – and to send a signal about the importance of diversity. The size of the need is large – Canada is second only to India in the number of Sikhs in the country.

Through conversations with Sikh riders an interesting historical truth was discovered. In ancient times, Sikh warriors would go into battle with chain mail woven into the fabric of their turbans. This provided protection without violating religious tenets. It sparked our thinking: why couldn’t a modern-day equivalent be created to provide the safety that Sikhs deserve? It also led to the insight driving the initiative: with the right motorcycle gear, Sikh riders could be empowered to protect who they are.

The campaign

Tough Turban is a marriage of ancient traditions and modern, high-tech engineering. It’s a turban made of impact-resistant materials that also fully respects the requirements of the Sikh faith.

A critical step was the development of the turban itself. Armed with a powerful concept, we assembled our team of industrial design experts with experience in 3D printing and composite fabrics used in bulletproof clothing. After a series of prototypes, a final design was developed. About half the overall fabric is normal turban material, but the outer layers include Dyneema, a 3D-printed carbon-fibre take on chain mail, and non-Newtonian foam, which is normally pliable but hardens instantly on impact. These are the elements that make it a tougher turban.

With the design complete, the next part of the plan was the communications needed to get the word out. A website was the anchor of the effort. It houses a video that profiles several Sikh riders discussing the need the Tough Turban addressed, as well as highlighting how the turban was actually engineered. Along with the video, open-sourced production files for the turban were published to enable manufacturers anywhere in the world to be able to produce the turbans in their own markets. PR support outlining the initiative launched in early June, including posts on all of Pfaff Harley-Davidson’s social channels.

The results

The Tough Turban initiative has been a resounding success.

Media response exploded overnight with coverage in 171 US media outlets, 54 in Canada, 18 in the UK and 11 in India, totaling 238.8m earned impressions and an advertising value of $2.19m.

Quantitative research with people who own or are planning to buy a motorcycle showed a significant shift in perception after they’d been exposed to the Tough Turban initiative:

• 87% saw Harley-Davidson as more favourable

• 86% saw Harley-Davidson as more innovative

• 83% saw Harley-Davidson as more inclusive

• 85% were more likely to consider buying a Harley-Davidson

Three manufacturers have reached out to explore large-scale production, including the world’s largest producer of two-wheeled motorized vehicles. The potential to save lives through this idea is enormous. It could offer protection to millions of Sikh motorcyclists globally.