#armor

Astars brings off-road airbag protection to the masses

When riding off road, you want loose-fitting, breathable outer layers to allow airflow in the heat. However, a loose fit means armor can’t be attached to the outer layer as it would in more snugly-fitting street gear, because it will displace in a mishap and not protect as well. To get around this, riders have strapped armor to their elbows and arms and slipped into breastplates and back armor that look like they are designed for modern-day gladiators. The other option is to wear a lightweight-but-snug armored jacket that offers breathability and impact protection but little abrasion resistance under either a jersey or an abrasion protective shell. The REV’IT! Proteus Armored Jacket falls into the latter category.

The thing I love most about the change of seasons is getting reacquainted with different pieces of riding gear. Case-in-point, the recent late spring weather made me pull out my vented gear, and I’ve discovered, again, how much I like the Alpinestars SP X Air Carbon V2 Gloves. How much is that? Well, I wear them with riding gear that doesn’t begin with the letter A, which the PR representatives of the other gear manufacturers will say is not an appropriate thing for a moto-journalist to do. Let’s take a look at what goes into a glove that I have gotten quite fond of, shall we?

Living on a budget is a fact of life, and MO staffers remember how buying our first motorcycles drained our available funds. So, like many young riders, we skimped a bit on our first riding gear. (I, for example, rode in a jean jacket until I could afford my first leather one.) The advent of textiles in the moto-gear arsenal of materials helped bring proper gear within reach of many budget-minded riders. On the flip-side, however, we’ve also noticed a ton of gear that went well beyond price-consciousness into the realm of cheap – as in crappy – gear that offers either little protection or sub-standard construction. The folks behind Pilot Motosport noticed this, too, and decided to create a price-point jacket that didn’t skimp on the protection or quality. The result is the Pilot Slate Air Jacket.

What’s America’s favorite kind of clothing? It would have to be denim blue jeans. Everywhere you go, folks are wearing them. The same could be said about motorcyclists on the street. If they’re covering their legs with something other than a dedicated riding suit, you can expect to see jeans. As comfortable and durable as jeans are, sliding down the interstate at 65 mph dramatically exceeds their job description. Cotton can only provide so much abrasion protection. So, what’s a rider to do? Go through life looking like a transformer, knowing that they’re protected from impact and abrasion but vulnerable to arrest by the style police?