The Icon Men's Accelerant leather jacket is simply a quality piece of riding apparel. Icon has a reputation for being a company that appeals to the young and trendy segment of the riding community. Some of their gear is, in my opinion, a little "over the top" ...

Mt. Kilimanjaro is an extreme mountain environment in Tanzania. The Firstgear Men's Kilimanjaro Waterproof Jacket is a jacket designed for extreme motorcycling conditions. If you spend much time around touring and adventure motorcyclists, certain jackets tend to come up in conversation. Premium and extremely pricey jackets like ...

Having lived in Arizona for over 4 decades, I know a little something about heat. Having been a motorcyclist for almost as long, I know a little something about hot weather gear. I don't know if Joe Rocket invented the armored mesh jacket, but they are at least ...

Leather is protective, heavy, and expensive. Cordura textile is versatile, waterproof, and relatively affordable. An increasing number of quality motorcycle jackets are mating these two materials with very positive results. By placing leather in the impact-prone zones of the jacket, like the forearms and shoulders, the ...

Personally, I'm not into the whole "fear and intimidation" aspect in a lot of today's motorcycling gear. I have never donned flames, bones, or skulls. However, I am a realist, and I know this is a marketable aspect of our sport.

Icon's Men's Skull Leather Motorcycle Jacket plays ...

Riding to work at this time of year has its appeals. You tough out the cold morning, the street still untouched by the warming massage of all those particles of light, and you receive your afternoon reward of a beautiful fall ride past fields and fauna. These are, at least, my circumstances.

Tour Master ...

Armored coats always make me feel like Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story," wrapped head to toe for weather, holding my arms straight out at my sides, and only then realizing I have to go to the bathroom. But armored coats, once you get used to the feel ...

The streetbike community is overrun, drowning in a deluge of textile jackets. Don't get me wrong; there are companies, like Icon, that make some great leathers for the street rider. There is, however, a particular style to this kind of jacket, and manufacturers will charge you an arm and a leg ...

Sometimes you look at a product and you don't have to give two thoughts about its purpose. River Road's Basic leather motorcycle jacket is just that: a basic motorcycle jacket. You look at it and you know that it's cut and designed for riding because it looks like the jackets ...

August went out with a heat wave here, but now that September has arrived, it's been cool. This is not the best weather for me to be thinking about a mesh textile jacket, but last month, stuck in traffic with the heat beating down on me, I gave some serious consideration ...

I like green. I like jackets. This is a green jacket. Two things I like! And, you get it through the American Motorcyclists Association, so a portion of what you spend goes back into defending your rights as a motorcyclist. Not a bad deal and a ...

Anyone who knows me knows that I like versatility. I'm terrible at making the big decisions because I always want to make the "right" one. Any product that can assure me it will accommodate me during a sudden snowstorm in a desert has my vote. Maybe the AGV Sport Evolution/Rally ...

My brother-in-law just bought his third riding jacket. Third. He has a leather, a textile, and now another textile that has "Kawasaki" written on it. Each of these serve a purpose to deal with specific riding conditions, including that riding condition where people are looking at you and wondering what brand ...

I don't know if it's coincidence or just luck, but Honda always seems to know what I like: simple, strong, and easy on the eye. The Honda CBR textile jacket is all of these. It is even sold in my colors: black and white.

The cut is a traditional taper, which complements ...

No one wants to admit it, but folks who ride light on the personal protection gear are usually doing it for style. Some will claim tradition, but they are only functioning within the style of that tradition, and therefore it still falls down to looking good. Today, where there's so much ...

At Xelement they make a variety of leather apparel items as well as saddlebags. New for their lineup is the Cruiser Premium Vented jacket. It's called a vented jacket because the two upper zippers are actually vents, and there's a matching pair of zippered vents on the lower ...

Just because you're not riding, that doesn't mean you're not thinking about it. You can't very well wear your Alpinestars riding gear everywhere you go unless you want one of those clever nicknames that are handed out to the downtown crazies. You can, however, wear the Alpinestars fleece hoody just ...

Most things are designed to last these days, and what doesn't last is so fragile that it wears out before it wears in. You hardly ever see a nicely worn leather jacket anymore. My riding partner has had his jacket for seven years and it still looks new. Yes, I ...

Here's something for the ladies: A textile riding jacket that is soft yet rugged and replete with CE-approved armor in the elbows and shoulders. Tour Master's Trinity Series jacket offers the rider more flexibility than leather, and nearly as much protection. No textile jacket is going to give the abrasion resistance ...

Sometimes, you have to see something to believe it. If someone described the Power Trip Stiletto jacket with the zebra design, all I would think would be, "Yeah, that will catch some attention, a zebra on fire!" Power Trip seems to have pulled off the design better than I could ...

If you're keen on Icon quality, but not so keen on Icon prices, they feel your pain. Icon makes a great jacket and they're worth the cost, but they're not so despotic as to leave those of us with light wallets light on protection.

Icon's Merc women's textile is one of their cheapest riding jackets. ...

The Tour Master Saber Series 2 jacket is prepared for anything. The design makes this a great riding jacket for rain, shine, cold, hot, day, or night riding. My first response to any textile is to balk at the thought of replacing my leather, but I've had to spend time under ...

Last week, I noticed something disconcerting. The seams on my riding jacket are beginning to fray. I'm sure I can stitch it back together, but I will not put my money on dime store thread when it does battle with pavement. It might be time to look for some more robust ...

Even with all the advances in textile riding gear, even if they were just as abrasion resistant, I believe there would still be riders who wear leather. The only event that could stop them would be the extinction of the cow. This is why companies like Scorpion Sports are still ...

I've always worn a leather jacket with armor, but it isn't the most comfortable item in my closet. If everyone around you is ranting and raving about the leathers, but you're just not interested in cow hide, Tourmaster offers their Range denim jacket made for bikers.

In appearance the Range looks ...

Despite the vast selection we have for riding jackets, I always come back to the basics: simple, black leather. The leather jacket has been around since the dawn of motorcycles, and it will persist despite advancements in textiles. No one ever buries their face in their new textile jacket to breath ...

Unfortunately, most of the products on the market that call themselves "retro" are purchased as a sad attempt to recapture an experience the buyer never had. For example: high school kids in 1996 wearing reproduction clothing to emulate the original Woodstock look.

Icon has not bought into that concept of purchasing ...

Leather: it's for your senses -- even "sense-ual," as it were. Even the word "leather" has a nice feel and sound to it. And with this thick-skinned and slightly oversized Alpinestars jacket, you'll get a nice feel as well as the creaking sound of good, finished leather. Gotta love that smell, ...

I've always said that the key to cutting edge fashion is to wear something ugly as sin and still look good. I'm not saying that Honda's Repsol textile jacket is ugly; it's just not a modern style. This is the kind of jacket you pull out of your closet after ...

By the nature of a competitive market, there is a wide selection of leather jackets available, so Icon had to understand the specific needs of the rider to make their Motorhead leather worth the coin they're asking. Fortunately, Icon does their homework.

Icon's Motorhead leather is constructed of durable cowhide with excellent ...

Suzuki and Joe Rocket have brought women riders a jacket that has gone the extra mile in fit and function. I've got to give them kudos on the physical structure of the Superstock jacket. A waist that narrows and then flares out at the hip provides a perfect fit for the ...

We all knew it would happen: the fashions of the '70s are back. I'm not talking about pants that are way too tight or wall hair, but the simple, multilayered striping. Regardless of its status as a fashion zombie, the Xelement armored jacket gives a lot of bang for the buck.

A ...

Some folks like to show off the armor they're wearing as a way of saying, "Yes, I do dangerous things." If you're proud of the fact that you need molded thermoplastic rubber shoulders and elbows, then show them off with Joe Rocket's RASP textile jacket.

In addition to the cushioning ...

It is difficult to decide between textile and leather. Both have their advantages, but riders shouldn't have to compromise between comfort and protection. Icon's ARC mesh jacket brings together the best of both worlds.

The body of the ARC is constructed of durable fighter mesh nylon that provides comfortable flexibility and airflow ...

The son of Odin and the giantess Jord, Thor had a fairly successful career as a god. Later, when the Renaissance bloomed and all the credibility went out of the mythology biz, Thor was forced to begin casting about for something to do. As an immortal, time held little meaning ...

I appreciate all of the gear on the market designed for women riders, but enough with the pink. That niche is filled. Some of us would like classic cruiser gear for the dusty road, and River Road has answered our call with their Sierra jacket. This is a jacket for ...

Serious riders demand serious protection. The Cortech GX Air Series 2 jacket is a high-end jacket that combines a bit of flashy style with top notch materials and protection.

The GX Air Series 2 uses a combination of natural and synthetic materials. The back, shoulder and elbow panels are all decked out ...

When it comes to riding jackets, often times function and fashion have a hard time seeing eye-to-eye. Alpinestars seems to be one of those companies that has nearly perfected the art, though. Always at the front of the pack when it comes to quality and workmanship, the Italian company also knows how to ...

A quality moto hoody is an essential piece of clothing every rider needs in order to properly compliment his image. Don't roll your eyes and act like you don't care about your image. Those gnarly graphics kits, unnecessary foam seat humps, and anodized valve stem caps aren't exactly performance mods. Don't ...

There's hardcore, and then there's hardcore. Right now you may have your bike covered in skulls and have a helmet covered with artwork so evil-looking that the mere thought of it is enough to make children have nightmares. But how scary is your riding jacket? And I'm not talking about ...

Just because you are not riding your motorcycle doesn't mean you can't let people know you are a rider who supports the industry. More and more gear companies are capitalizing on the casual clothing market these days. It's big business that's good for the companies and even better for the moto-loving consumer.

Alpinestars ...

Last week was hot -- really, really hot. My leather jacket has great ventilation and I normally defend the leather to my lungs' end due to the superior abrasion protection. My vanity also lends me to suffer a little for that classic look, but last week made we wish I ...

Hooray for rain gear! I learned a lesson last year when the remnants of hurricane Gustav came north. I was on a long trip and I knew I'd be seeing some rain so I oiled up my leather and wore rain pants. Unfortunately, the rain was too much and after overcoming the ...

Years ago as I walked out the front door on my way to learn how to ride, I was asked to make a promise: "Wear your leather jacket the whole time," he said out of concern for my well-being, and I agreed. I didn't think anything of it. A leather jacket was, ...

Been looking to get in touch with your inner zombie? Do you identify best with your undead friends? Are you in the market for a jacket with a pretty wicked graphic scheme? Well if any of those questions apply to you then Icon's Decay Hooligan jacket may be just what ...

When I was a kid, my family moved to the country, and down the dirt
road was a bike club. Around that same time in the 70's, Evel Knievel was the man, leaping the Grand Canyon, jumping up and yelling "I'm OK!" with multiple broken bones. He generally inspired ...

Alpinestars makes clothing and accessories for race car drivers, motorcyclists (including off-road), scooterists (oh, you mad, mad Vespa riders you), and... um... hipsters? In any case they are known for quality, and their coats are especially well made with the kind of attention to detail that you don't think about ...

To say Power Trip's Army Alpha Motorcycle Jacket is unique is an understatement. Officially licensed by the U.S. Army, this baby screams testosterone and has a style all its own.

The military-influenced style is pretty easy to see as it has one arm that is decked out in camo and a ...

Summer is all about getting on your ride and hitting those sunshiny roads. If you happen to be interested in riding with some protection though, which everyone should be, then summer can also mean sweating your bearings off inthe sweltering heat in traffic or while sitting at a stoplight ...

Fox's new Explosion Zip Hoody is like a hyperactive sweatshirt that forgot to take its Ritalin. The design is literally an explosion of shapes, colors and patterns.

Generally there are two schools of thought on this current trend of bright, ultra-modern design schemes. Either you are drawn to it and embrace the funky, ...