NEW AND NOTED: MOTORCYCLE GEAR

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This month’s gear roundup has a distinctive retro vibe. But rest assured—we’ve chosen top-to-toe pieces that mix classic styling with modern safety standards. We’ve also thrown in a seriously protective undershirt, that no one will ever guess you’re wearing.

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DMD Seventy Five The Bell Moto 3 helmet from the 1970s is an all-time design classic. Unfortunately, a lid made forty years ago will not offer much protection. These days the Moto 3 is an expensive paperweight—a rough example will cost you at least $100 on eBay, or up to $400 for one in good condition.

If you love the Moto 3 style but want 21st century protection, DMD’s latest design should answer your prayers. It has a carbon/Kevlar shell, a removable and washable liner, and full ECE homologation. (Plus DOT for those of you Stateside.) It’s available from next month in yellow, white, matt black and electric blue. Keep an eye on the DMD website for release details.

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Resurgence Rocker jacket The Canadian company has made a name for itself with jeans built around its high-tech PEKEV material. It’s an alternative to Kevlar with extraordinary abrasion resistance—well beyond the tough CE Level 2 standard.

Resurgence has now aimed its sights above the belt, with the new £299 Rocker jacket. It’s got classic denim jacket styling, a full PEKEV lining, removable Knox Flexiform armor at the elbow and shoulder points, and a spine protector. DuPont Teflon fabric protection helps repel water, and the hardware is high quality too—with adjustable brass waist buckles and a YKK zip. Available in Green/Brown, Camouflage and Black. [Buy]

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Knox Urbane Undershirt If you find regular armor uncomfortable or you just can’t resist wearing a regular jacket while riding, Knox has the answer for you. The English company has been protecting racers for 30 years with its high-end armor systems, and has now responded to the increasing trend for ‘casual’ riding gear.

The £108 Urbane has a tough, flexible mesh chassis with CE-approved protectors in the shoulders and elbows. There’s a lightweight, breathable back protector that covers the spine and kidney area, and a front pocket so you can add a chest protector if need be. The construction is designed to work in warm weather and underneath classic or vintage motorbike jackets. [Buy]

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Crave 365 Protective Jacket The influence of fashion is creeping into motorcycle gear design—and that’s generally a good thing. For many riders, anything that reeks of MotoGP or track days is a no-go. But few brands push the envelope as far as Crave, makers of the popular Axe reinforced motorcycle shirt.

Crave’s latest release is a classy full-length jacket that looks more at home on a North Sea oil rig or a winter’s street in Stockholm. But the windproof ‘365’ has a 100% Kevlar lining and a hood roomy enough to cover a ski helmet. The wax-impregnated cotton outer shell is water-repellant to five meters, and there are pockets for shoulder, elbow and back protectors. Available in Brown or a lighter ‘Rusty’ color (top image), for €329. [Buy]

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uglyBROS Motorpool Black Over the past couple of years, the Motorpool has become a hugely popular riding jean in the café and custom scene. It’s a good summer choice because it’s breathable, the fit is stretchy, and the styling is a smart mix of function and fashion.

The $329 Motorpool is now available in a solid black 11oz denim version—a little stealthier than the original grey, Stained Olive and camo versions. Removable, CE-approved knee and hip protectors are included as before, but the back pockets are larger and there are now slanted side cargo pockets for easier access. Make sure you buy direct from the maker or a reputable retailer—there are imitations around. [Buy]

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Alpinestars Oscar Monty Boots The eagerly anticipated Oscar range is now starting to trickle into stores, and one of the highlights is the ‘Monty’ boot. There are shades of Red Wing’s classic ‘Moc Toe’ styling here, but unlike the Red Wing, this is a boot designed for riding.

It’s reinforced at the toe, heel and ankle for impact resistance, and also sports a removable microfiber sole and a breathable mesh liner. The rubber compound sole is oil resistant, and the boots are CE certified to Level 2 standard. Available in black or brown, and yours for $260. [Buy]

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NEW AND NOTED: MOTORCYCLE GEAR

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This month we’re looking at the most advanced motorcycle jacket ever made, a cool new messenger bag from luggage kings Kriega, an expedition-grade jacket from Aether and pants from Saint and Icon 1000. Let’s go shopping.

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Thesis Labs Series Zero Can a motorcycle jacket be worth $2,000? After all, an Alpinestars GP Tech race jacket costs around half that. We were skeptical too, until we realized what’s going on behind the scenes at Thesis Labs.

The Canadian company is on a mission to create the world’s most protective motorcycle jacket. The outer layer is full-grain kangaroo leather—the same as used in race suits—with a space age fabric called Vectran underneath. (Over three times stronger than Kevlar, Vectran is used as the protective layer in the latest NASA spacesuits.)

Other features include triple-stitched seams, aramid-Kevlar stretch articulation panels, and custom Forcefield armor. Thesis has already partnered with a European CE testing lab, and will ensure the jacket meets Level 2 certification.

The project is raising money through Kickstarter—and it’s the most fascinating Kickstarter page we’ve ever seen. Check it out to explore the bleeding edge of motorcycle apparel design.

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Aether Apparel Expedition Aether makes some of our favorite gear: stylish, functional and exceptionally well made. It’s at the high end of the market, but it’s easy to see where your dollars are going.

The $895 Expedition jacket would look good around the city, but it’s actually designed for long-haul touring. It’s made from 3-layer Japanese field nylon, a fabric that’s abrasion-resistant, waterproof, and surprisingly breathable.

Adventurer Scott Brady, founder of Expedition Portal, put the jacket (and its matching pants) to the test over thousands of miles in the worst possible conditions. He concluded: “If I were to leave tomorrow on my fourth circumnavigation of the globe, would I wear the Aether Expedition suit? The answer is yes.” That’s a good enough recommendation for us: we’d just need to choose between Graphite, Jet Black or the fresh Poppy red. [Buy]

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Kriega Sling Sometimes a backpack is too much for what you need to carry. And backpacks rarely feel comfortable on a bike, no matter how well designed. So the masters of moto luggage design have created a compact 8-liter messenger bag big enough for a raincoat, water bottle, tablet and a camera or phone. Best of all, it weighs just 850g and it’s waterproof. Construction is up to Kriega’s usual superlative standards—using heavy-duty 1000D Cordura—and your $149 includes a 10-year warranty too. [Buy]

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Saint Unbreakable Denim Saint is one of the most exciting new brands on the apparel scene. We’ve already covered their cool 100% Kevlar Drills, and now they’ve come out with a range of denim riding gear that marries classic good looks with cutting-edge performance.

Like it says on the box, the Unbreakable Denim jeans are unbreakable. You can’t tear, slash or slice the fabric. And according to Saint, you can slide down the road for nearly 150 feet. The denim is a triple weave with 66% being Dyneema, an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.

The weight is equivalent to a 12oz denim, and the jeans have triple-stitched seams, quality YKK zips and 3M reflective material on the cuffs. We’re also told that they’re all-day wearable and will not shrink in a wash-and-dry cycle. If the $600 Unbreakable is a little steep for you, there’s also the $400 ‘Tough rider’ jean with a 50ft slide capability. [Buy]

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Icon 1000 Royal Drive Icon’s 1000 brand has become a mainstay of the custom scene in a remarkably short time. Some of the gear is edgy, some is understated, but all of it is well-made and good value.

The new Royal Drive pants have a low-key, no-nonsense style and are terrific value at just $100. They’re made from coated canvas in a relaxed fit, so they’re comfortable on the bike. Look closer and you’ll find Icon’s signature styling touches, with leather accents and sharp detailing. And your money buys premium D3O knee impact protectors too. [Buy]

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NEW AND NOTED: MOTORCYCLE GEAR

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The northern hemisphere riding season is in full swing now, and the shelves are flooded with new gear. For our latest round up, we’re including both urban and ADV gear—with a very ‘technical’ jacket from Icon’s new Raiden range and stylish new motorcycle jeans from Canada.

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AGV AX-8 Evo Naked Carbon The name is a mouthful, but AGV have nailed the look. This is a sleek new version of the acclaimed AX-8 dual sport helmet, minus the peak and upper air intake.

The styling pitches it straight against the sinister-looking Shark Raw lid from France—but the AGV is undoubtedly safer, with a full rather than cosmetic chin bar. It also comes in three rather than two shell sizes, and it’s light: the medium size weighs just 1.16 kilos—just over 2½ pounds. [Buy]

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Icon Raiden DKR jacket Icon’s entry into the dual sport market has been worth the wait. The gear is well made and practical, and the graphics and styling are up there with the best.

Prototypes of the DKR jacket were tested in the Alcan 5000 and Baja 1000 races, and subsequently tweaked before production. So it’s no show pony. You get a waterproof yet breathable chassis, coated with DuPont Teflon and completely seam-sealed. There are ventilation zippers to avoid moisture buildup, and a magnetic storm flap protects the Hydrolock main zipper.

The DKR sports no less than twelve pockets, a full suite of D3O impact armor, and routing for your water pack. There are five different colors to choose from, plus a women’s-fit version. We love the understated Tan color, but if you want to stand out in the mud or sand—or have ADD tendencies—Icon has got you covered. [Buy]

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Aether Loop jacket Aether Apparel has gained a cult following for its beautifully crafted, minimalist riding gear. Thanks to small production runs and exotic materials, it’s unavoidably expensive—but at $450, the Loop is relatively affordable.

It’s a new commuter jacket with an ultra-clean silhouette. The outer is heavy canvas, available in Graphite (shown) and Overland Brown colors. Underneath are CE-certified D3O elbow, shoulder and back pads. Neat touches include extensive venting zippers from the waist to the cuffs—which are adjustable to suit short or gauntlet gloves.

The old cliché about looking good ‘on and off the bike’ applies here—but the Loop is one of the few jackets that delivers the goods. [Buy]

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Resurgence Gear Vintage Brown jeans There’s a problem with most motorcycle jeans: if they look good, they generally aren’t as safe as they could be. But Canada-based Resurgence Gear has hit the sweet spot with its Vintage Brown range. Made from 13oz selvedge denim, they’re a classic straight cut with enough room to fit over most boots.

They’re also lined with Pekev™, an aramid-based material that is reportedly the world’s toughest polymer—being twice as strong as Kevlar. It gave an abrasion resistance of just over ten seconds during CE Level 2 testing. Even better, this CE rating applies to the whole garment, and not just the included Knox Flexiform removable hip and knee armor. [Buy]

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Forma Adventure Boots The vintage enduro look is hugely popular at the moment, and these $250 boots from the Italian company fit the bill perfectly. There’s no compromise on the technology: you get a Drytex waterproof lining, an anti-shock midsole, an anti-bacterial replaceable footbed, and reinforcements in all the right places.

The outer is oiled leather, treated to give a slightly worn finish. There’s an anti-slip rubber sole and closure is via Velcro and adjustable buckles, giving a comfortable fit. Not surprisingly, customer reviews are excellent. [Buy]

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