In Canada, motorcycles account for 11% of motor vehicle fatalities and 12% of serious injuries, despite making up only 3% of vehicles on the road. Canada also has the second largest Sikh population in the world.

Recently, Sikh communities successfully advocated for religious exemptions to helmet laws in several provinces in Canada. That creates a difficult choice between the protection offered by a helmet and the deep significance of a turban to the Sikh identity. With all the technological advances in protective gear, nobody should have to choose between safety and their identity.

In its current stage, the Tough Turban’s open-source schematics are available for downloaded at our campaign website, where they have been downloaded over a thousand times. Three manufacturers have expressed interest in large-scale production and distribution, including Hero Motor Corp – the world’s largest two-wheel distributer – retailer The Trendy Singh and product developer Veluon.

In ancient times, Sikh warriors would go into battle with chain mail woven into their turbans. That provided protection without violating religious tenets. It sparked our thinking: Why couldn’t a modern-day equivalent be created to provide protection while riding? Given advancements in protective gear, nobody should have to choose between safety and their beliefs.

With the wellbeing of this community of riders in mind, Pfaff Harley-Davidson combined the latest innovations in protective gear to create the Tough Turban. It’s an impact-resistant turban that fully respects the requirements of the Sikh faith.

Our designs, created in consultation with experts in the fields of 3D printing, composite fabrics, and riders from the Sikh Motorcycle Club of Ontario, are available to download from our campaign website. As an open-source initiative, any manufacturer around the world can now create or iterate on the Tough Turban to protect Sikh riders in their regions.

The goal was to ensure the Tough Turban was breathable, lightweight, and fully respected the requirements of the Sikh faith. The true test was whether Sikh riders could tie the turban with the exact same techniques they would use daily with their own traditional turbans. To that end, we looked at materials used in military tactical clothing and athletic protective gear.

Our final design included abrasion resistance in the form of Dyneema, a laminate fabric with a strength-to-weight ratio fifteen times stronger than steel. Inspired by chain mail, a matrix of small, 3D-printed armoured plates add a layer of impact resistance. A third layer of protection is supplied by non-Newtonian foam, a material used in military armour and helmets, which is normally pliable but hardens instantly on impact.

Tough Turban’s open-source schematics have been downloaded over 2300 times. Several manufacturers are exploring large-scale production and distribution, including Hero Motor Corp – the world’s largest two-wheel vehicle distributer.

The launch was covered by 171 U.S. media outlets, 54 in Canada, 18 in the UK, and 11 in India, totalling 238.8 million earned impressions with an advertising value of $2.19 million.

As reported in The Times of India, The Sikh Federation UK was so inspired by Tough Turban that they asked the British government to re-examine turban laws in the workplace, sparking a conversation even larger than the motorcycling world.

Quantitative research with people who own or are planning to buy a motorcycle showed significant shifts in perception after exposure to the initiative:

•87% viewed Harley-Davidson more favourably

•86% viewed Harley-Davidson as more innovative

•83% viewed Harley-Davidson as more inclusive

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