Motorcycle Apparel: Reviews
Rider‘s motorcycle apparel reviews include pants, jackets, riding suits, gloves, socks and anything else you put on your body (other than helmets, which have their own specific section). Our rule of the road is, “dress safe and dress for the ride.” That means selecting protective gear that will make your ride more enjoyable.
Macna Geo Motorcycle Jacket Review
Greg Drevenstedt
July 3, 2012
(This Gearlab review was published in the July 2012 issue of Rider magazine.) Twisted Throttle, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has added Macna riding apparel to its burgeoning inventory of motorcycle touring accessories and gear. Never heard of Macna? Neither had we. The Netherlands-based... Read more »
Richa Spirit Motorcycle Jacket and Pants Review
Arden Kysely
May 3, 2012
The Richa Spirit jacket and pants that debuted in our Armored Textile Buyer’s Guide (Rider September, 2011) are back for a closer evaluation. To recap the basics, Richa sews the Spirit clothing from abrasion-resistant Schoeller Dynatec fabric treated with its NanoSphere coating to combat dirt and stains. Inside... Read more »
Tour Master Sentinel Rainsuit Jacket and Pants Review
Greg Drevenstedt
April 26, 2012
Much of today’s textile motorcycle touring apparel has some type of waterproof or water-resistant barrier built into it. Either the outer shell has been treated and/or has a water-resistant membrane sealed to the backside of the fabric, or a removable liner is zipped inside. Both strategies work to... Read more »
Aerostich A.D. 1 Motorcycle Pants Review
Ken Aiken
April 5, 2012
From a distance they look like an ordinary pair of flat black, jean-cut pants with flashy cuffs. However, the Devil is in the details and this is where the Aerostich A.D. 1 pants excel. Coupled with military-grade TF-3 foam knee pads and optional hip pads, the A.D. 1 textile riding pants provide optimum... Read more »
Sidi Jasmine Rain Boots Review
Greg Drevenstedt
March 26, 2012
To get my girlfriend Carrie outfitted for her first European motorcycle tour, in the fall of 2010, one of the most important items on her gear list was a pair of high-quality, waterproof touring boots. They needed to be comfortable to wear on and off the bike, and to have a slender, stylish design instead... Read more »
Joe Rocket Ballistic Jacket and Pants Review
Greg Drevenstedt
March 1, 2012
Ballistic nylon, a thick, tough fabric developed by DuPont for flak jackets worn by World War II airmen, was named for its intended function, to protect the wearer from the shrapnel caused by ballistic bodies (bullets, artillery shells) ripping through airplane fuselages. Ballistic nylon gets its strength... Read more »
Olympia Moto Sports AST2 Touring Jacket and Ranger 2 Over Pants Review
Greg Drevenstedt
February 28, 2012
Some gear we evaluate here at Rider is aggressively tested in a short period of time, used while racking up as many miles as we can but against a tight deadline so our review will be published in a timely manner. We want you, dear readers, to get reliable tests of the latest gear as soon as possible,... Read more »
Buyers Guide: Heated Riding Apparel
Bill Stermer
February 7, 2012
This Buyers Guide: Heated Riding Apparel was originally published in the March 2012 issue of Rider magazine] It was cold. Colder than a banker’s heart. Colder than a letter from your ex-wife’s lawyer—I mean it was cold! I was riding to the south rim of the Grand Canyon, it was March, and patches... Read more »
Firstgear Express Waterproof Boots Review
Rider Magazine
January 27, 2012
Motorcycle boots come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes and styles. There are state-of-the-art road racing boots, king-of-the-mountain motocross boots, pole-climbing engineer boots, general-purpose slip-on boots and everything in between. They’re made of leather, plastic, rubber and various other... Read more »
KTM-Thor Force Knee Guards Review
Greg Drevenstedt
January 27, 2012
When we requested a KTM 690 Enduro R test bike a few years ago (read our 2009 KTM 690 Enduro R road test), I asked KTM’s press relations guy to send me a set of KTM-Thor Force Knee Guards to evaluate. I wore them on test rides of the 690 Enduro R in the Los Padres National Forest, the Carrizo Plain... Read more »
