Silver Eagle Outfitters Kula-XD Cooling Vest Review
Greg Drevenstedt
August 9, 2012
Vests aren’t cool, at least not in a sartorial sense. They haven’t been since the days of Saturday Night Fever. (Recall that soon after the disco craze, John Travolta’s career slipped into a coma, only to be revived 15 years later with Pulp Fiction, and Vincent Vega wouldn’t be caught dead in... Read more »
Alpinestars Tech Performance Underwear and Touring Summer Socks Review
Greg Drevenstedt
July 26, 2012
Riding in the summer is great, with long days and a few ready-made three-day weekends that encourage us to pile on the miles. But summer riding can also be physically demanding, with our bodies sometimes exposed to the extremes of heat and humidity, or perhaps tropical storms or monsoon rains. Many riders... Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Roland Sands Design Gloves
Press Release
February 1, 2012
FITS LIKE A GLOVE. Custom-builder phenom Roland Sands has added an apparel line to his company’s custom parts and motorcycle offerings. The Roland Sands Design (RSD) collection includes jackets, gloves and other items. Combining a heritage-based design platform with detailed functional and protective... 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 »
