Scorpion Nikki Jacket Review

Since I started wearing the Scorpion Nikki leather jacket, women and men have been asking about it. Women want to have it, and men want to have it for their better halves.

However, this jacket is not only a smoking hot eye-catcher, it also is protective, adjustable and functional.

The Nikki jacket is made of premium cowhide, which is double stitched with Exo Stitch Safety Seams. Double stitching is extremely important in motorcycle apparel to keep all seams together if you happen to slide across asphalt. Steel zippers in the front and on sleeves are another important feature when it comes to keeping the jacket from coming apart in a crash. Careful with the front zipper, though. It is exposed and might, depending on your riding style, scratch your tank. My off-white jacket with black accents offers better visibility and will likely stay cooler than the all-black version.

Scorpion rates the abrasion resistance of its products by its so-called “Abradium Abrasion Scale,” which ranges from level four (racing protection) to level two (street use). The Nikki jacket is rated as level 4 for maximum protection.

The Nikki Jacket has removable Exo-Tec shock-absorbing CE-approved armor in elbows and shoulders to keep your bones together, and their ventilated design provides airflow. You won’t even notice the soft, impact absorbing armor, nor will anyone else. The sleeves are cut for the riding position with bent elbows. But with the soft armor being far less bulky than thick pieces of hard armor, you can walk into any restaurant without looking like a Power Ranger’s bride. For rides where we don’t want to wear a strap-on back protector, there is a removable foam pad in the back of the jacket. The stretch panels on sleeves and down each side of the torso allow maximum flexibility and airflow while on and off the bike.

The Nikki Jacket is not only an excellent warm-weather jacket because it comes in white, but also due to its effective ventilation. The two front panels are fully perforated, and on top of that there are also two perforated panels on the back. If you let air in, you’ll have to let it out to allow it to move through and to prevent the jacket to blowing up like a balloon. You might think that’s common knowledge but trust me, some other manufacturers have failed to integrate that simple concept. Also the stretch panels on the sleeves and down the sides of the torso are great air conditioners in warm weather.

For colder days the Nikki Jacket comes with a long-sleeved windproof liner, which is kept in place with a zipper and snaps on the sleeve and waist area. When riding up to Laguna Seca’s MotoGP in July, the 60F coastal breeze unfortunately went right into the top of the jacket around the neck, forcing me to borrow a sweater to escape those chilly temperatures. A soft lining around the collar provides comfort for the neck.

We women are all shaped differently, and we want our clothes to always fit right and look great. The Nikki Jacket has several options to adjust its width. The waist can be adjusted with a pair of snaps, or it can be opened up with small zippers on each side. These allow the jacket’s shape to be changed quite a bit. Some curvier women might want to tighten it around the waist but open it up around the hips. The Nikki Jacket features a snap to attach it to a belt loop of your jeans to prevent the jacket from rising up in the case of a crash, which might give you some nasty road rash.

Girls, I know it is important for us to be able to take some stuff with us. You’ll be happy to know that the Nikki Jacket has two pockets on the outside and a large hidden pocket inside. The pockets definitely will hold wallet, cell phone and keys without problems, even a lipstick.

This jacket is really well designed from top to bottom. Design elements include tattoo-inspired screened graphics on the left shoulder with embossed logos integrated on the back, with embroidered Scorpion designs on lower back and sleeves, as well as glossy inserts on the sides of the torso for a cool look. Even seams create new designs on shoulders, elbows and the back. The smart placement of black leather panels on the white jacket support our feminine lines.

The Nikki Leather Jacket (including liner) is available in sizes XS to XL and retails for $289.95. That is a great deal for such a cool, stylish and versatile protective leather jacket. Scorpion claims that its “motorcycle clothing for serious women riders places function ahead of fashion.” In the Nikki Jacket they managed to combine both at an even level.