#Alpinestars

For 2018 Alpinestars has focused on making its Tech lines more technical. New technology has been brought to its Tech touring line and changed the way its looks at a touring rider’s needs. The 2018 launch will also see the roll-out of Alpinestars Tech-Air Race Vest system which can be used under compatible race suits as well as specific jackets to give the technology both track and street applications.

The one thing I’ve learned wearing Alpinestars’ GP Plus Leather Suit is trackside photographers have no problem picking me out of a crowded field of leather-clad motorcyclists. Whether I’m at a press launch with a bunch of other journos all outfitted with newish leathers, or at a trackday thick with fellow sportbike junkies in sometimes outlandish attire, the asymmetrical styling of the GP Plus suit is more obvious and attention-grabbing than a naked Margot Robbie (we should probably test that statement for accuracy…).

Summer is upon us, and that means that vented gear is in high demand. While the options of flashy, multicolored sporty bike jackets are numerous, finding a good looking black vented jacket that can be worn on a variety of motorcycle types can be a challenge. The Alpinestars Brera Airflow Jacket is a great option for someone looking for a classically styled black (or brown) leather jacket in a slim, European fit.

The rainy season is underway in Southern California, home of the expansive MO Testing Center, and we have naturally turned our attention to seasonally appropriate riding gear. Today’s selection is a pair of Alpinestars Supertouring Gore-Tex Boots. These premium touring boots have all the features you’d want when you don’t know what kind of weather you’re going to encounter on an extended tour.

Admit it: throwing on your motorcycle jacket makes you feel cool, doesn’t it? The act of riding may make you feel independent, but the gear we decide to wear is a reflection of the image we want to portray. Alpinestars gets it. With a hand in nearly all motorsports disciplines, when you wear an Alpinestars piece of gear, you can’t help but feel a little sporty. But for the riders out there who’d rather eschew the racer image for something more fashionable – while still providing protection – the Oscar line of motorcycle apparel is the ticket.

Drum roll… And the award for most enthusiastic gear presentation goes to Alpinestars’ technical media guru, Heath Confran! Applause, cheers, whistles… Heath’s excitement for Alpinestars’ products is palpable and infectious. For good reason because coming soon Alpinestars has a variety of cool new kit for all riding disciplines. The marathon presentation included way too much to cover in entirety, so we chose our favorite five items. For viewing everything new that requires a license plate to ride, go here. For all you dirt-only guys, click here. To see our five faves simply continue reading.

Here’s some eye candy for you: Honda’s MotoGP bike for the street, the RC213V-S, the picturesque Red Bull Ring in Austria, and Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa ripping laps in their Alpinestars Tech-Air Race suits as they learn a new circuit on the MotoGP calendar. And speaking of Pedrosa, listen in as he narrates a lap of the track from memory.

Right off the bat I have a confession to make: Alpinestars has discontinued the Hellcat denim jeans being reviewed here. That said, the Hellcat is still available new via online retailers. It’s also become one of my favorite pieces of riding apparel, so I feel compelled to tell you why. If you’re the type to wait and buy closeout items of discontinued stock, then this review is for you.

If I were looking for ultimate foot and ankle protection while riding, a full racing boot would be the way to go. When it comes to racing, engineers and designers are constantly looking for ways to prevent injury to the all-important foot and ankle during high-speed get-offs like you’d see in racing. Fortunately, that kind of protection translates well to the street, too.

In a quirky, fun video Alpinestars asks its racers from a variety of racing disciplines if they’re fast. Which… of course they are. The second video is a self-promotional thing, but it has some cool MotoGP footage including crashes, where Alpinestars gear helped keep the crasher safe.

Our apologies to our friends on the east coast who actually do experience a winter, but here in Southern California, where the MO gang call home, the weather lately has been nothing short of perfect. Hot, even. Save for a couple rain showers here and there, El Nino has hardly made a dent in increasing our water levels and it’s come nowhere close to causing homeowners to cash in their flood insurance. In the long run this doesn’t help California’s drought problem, but in the short term at least we can go ride. And with the moderately high temps during the day cooling down dramatically once the sun goes down, a three-season jacket is the thing to have.

Italy’s two biggest manufacturers of motorcycle safety gear are embroiled in a lawsuit over a thing that’s affected us barely at all, so far, but that actually could be a very big deal going forward: It’s all about the future of airbag tech as it applies to motorcycle gear. Right now, the suit is wending its way through the Italian legal system and possibly the German one, depending on whose press release you believe.

For 2015 Alpinestars officially labeled its new Pikes Drystar jacket as sport-touring apparel. But what is sport-touring? Is it riding fast on a saddlebag-equipped Suzuki V-Strom 1000 in the above photo, or is it spending a long weekend aboard a Kawasaki Z1000 (luggage options available) in the photo below? My mind’s eye says the Pikes jacket is appropriate for either, and looks good doing both.

Here’s a first-world problem for you: You’re out riding a new road only to realize you’re lost. You’ve got somewhere to be and now, not only will you be late but you also don’t know where you’re going. Luckily, you brought a GPS and your cell phone is fully charged (or, if you’re really fancy, your phone is your GPS). But having to take your glove off to use the touchscreen is annoying. What do you do?

To build a better anything, removing the weakest link is a great place to begin. That’s exactly what Alpinestars did with its new-for-2016 SuperTouring Gore-Tex boot. To improve the boot’s weatherability the zipper was taken out of the equation. With no entry point, fording a fairly deep water crossing is about the only way your tootsies are gonna get wet inside these boots.