NEW AND NOTED: MOTORCYCLE GEAR

This month we’re looking at a new helmet brand from England, a luxurious coffee table book on the chopper scene, new tees from El Solitario, and the latest riding gear.

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Hedon x 4h10 If you haven’t heard of Hedon before, that’s okay—the English brand is a new name on the open-face helmet scene. And it’s already providing stern competition for the likes of Davida. Our favorite model is the £395 “1971” limited edition, designed in conjunction with the cool cats from the French website 4h10.

Build quality is excellent: there’s a composite carbon and fiberglass shell and a perforated leather lining with anti-bacterial properties. The hardware is brass, the paint is deep and glossy, and the helmet meets the ECE 22.05 safety standard.

Only 100 copies will be made of the “1971” and each is individually numbered. Get yours from the Hedon website.

The Chopper Riding high on the success of our own book The Ride, the high-end publisher Gestalten has commissioned a sister volume. It’s written by Paul d’Orléans, the hardest working man on the custom scene. D’Orléans not only runs The Vintagentwebsite, but curates an annual exhibition at Sturgis, organizes motorcycle film festivals, and consults for the auction house Bonhams.

The story of the chopper is the story of popular culture, and D’Orléans knows his stuff. This is the first time that the complete history of the American icon has been told—ranging from the murky world of patched gangs in the US to contemporary Japanese motorcycle culture.

Buy yours direct from Gestalten’s webshop and you’ll get a limited edition slipcase (and your own patch) too.

Roland Sands Clash jacket Having scored a direct hit on the café racer market with theRonin jacket, RSD has gone for more of a rocker style with its latest release. The $650 Clash jacket has a discreet double-breasted design with an offset zipper and classy quilted padding on the shoulders.

It’s made from hand finished, oiled and waxed top grain cowhide, with a satin internal liner. The fit is designed for riding, with pre-curved sleeves, extra length at the back, and pockets for you to add shoulder, elbow and back protector armor. Available in classic black or a deep ‘oxblood’ color here.

New El Solitario tees The world’s most controversial custom bike builders have a sharp line in casual apparel too. Hot off the Galician presses is a new range of supersoft tees, and these two are our favorites.

Show your solidarity with the rebel cause via the ‘Making Friends’ tee (€32). Or hoist your flag to the Milwaukee mast with the voodoo-inspired ‘Pan Love’ design (€37).

Check out the full range in the El Solitario online shop.

Icon 1000 ‘Prep’ glove Portland’s finest iconoclasts have a knack for making good gloves, and the $150 ‘Prep’ is possibly their most stylish yet. The design hints at the classic driving gloves of yore, a trend that’s also popular on the Japanese custom scene.

As with all Icon gear, safety is top priority: you get D3O armor inserts under a full kangaroo leather chassis. And comfort is guaranteed with pre-curved and perforated fingers and expandable panels. We’ll take the Tan color, but you can also specify Black. Just gone on sale now.

Tank Moto magazine One of the best high-end custom car magazines out there is Fuel, published by former Aston Martin and Jaguar designer Luke Ray. Fuel now has a sister magazine for custom motorcycle fans, and its fifth issue has just hit the shelves.

Tank Moto is a wide-ranging and entertaining read, with terrific photography from the likes of Cam ‘Stories of Bike’ Elkins. Sizing is compact but hefty, with 144 pages in each issue.

Fourteen ounces of motorcycle goodness, four times a year, costs AUD$60 (around US$53). Subscribe at the Tank Moto website.

REV’IT! Rodeo boots Most motorcycle boots are a compromise between style and safety. These hit the sweet spot right in between, with vintage military styling and hidden armor.

The outer is crafted from strong, 100% water-repellent cowhide, and the thick rubber sole has an aggressive non-slip tread pattern. Protection comes from reinforced, thermoformed heel and toe caps. The $290 Rodeo won’t save you from a 300 kph MotoGP lowside—but for around-town riding, it’s as good as it gets.

Grab a pair here.

Our previous motorcycle gear guide covered a hooded motorcycle jacket, Kevlar tailoring for your favorite jeans, the amazing Skully AR-1 motorcycle helmet, and unusual motorcycle-themed jewelry.

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