A Leather Frenzy (Motogp Compression Kangaroo Suit, Motogp Corkscrew Jacket, Motogp Apex Leather Pants)
I spent an entire season switching off between my Frank Thomas strike jacket and my Dainese TT-72. The Dainese mostly pulls cold weather duty while the Frank Thomas, with its copious amounts of perforation, gets used most of the time. Towards the end of my first season of riding it was looking like I was in need of some leg protection. If I wanted to do track days in the future I would need some kind of full suit. I would also want to use whatever I got on the street as well. I didn’t keep the latter in mind so much when making my decision. Unfortunately I couldn’t just get pants from Frank Thomas to zip up to my jacket because I already tried that. You can read about it here. Having seen a Motogp Apex jacket in person and being pretty impressed with the quality, I decided to give Motogp stuff a run for my money. I picked up a Motogp Compression 1-piece suit in kangaroo for $700 from flatoutmotorcycles.com. This was a fantastic suit with a great price, but I soon realized that the 1-piece wasn’t the best choice for the street. I sold the suit after only a couple months and picked up the Motogp Corkscrew jacket and Apex pants. I got the Jacket for $290 and the pants for $260, both from my personal favorite, ridersinc.com. The Corkscrew jacket is my main jacket now and does everything except extreme cold and/or wet riding. I use the pants almost every time I ride and it’s great to be able to take the jacket off when I’m stopped somewhere.
Motogp Compression Suit Kangaroo
This is an absolutely fantastic suit. I’m actually considering getting another one to go along with my Motogp 2-piece. The price is almost too good to be true especially considering the kangaroo construction. This suit really is light. It probably weighs as much as my Motogp Apex pants by themselves. The fit on this suit was also very good for me. I wear a 40 (US) in everything. I may have mentioned in a previous article that I’m 5’10” 165lbs, with a pretty small frame. The Compression suit fit very snugly everywhere and even conformed to my legs as if it were a second skin. I had a pretty hard time getting the suit on by myself the first couple times, but either the suit or I broke in and after that getting in and out was a breeze. It’s also a very aesthetically pleasing suit. My pictures, which were taken at the time of sale, don’t do the suit justice, but they do show the bright silver parts that are often seen as white in company pictures. This silver (shown just above the knees, and elsewhere) is on every color of the suit they make so keep that in mind. The speed hump is very nice looking while also being functional. The suit has perforation on the chest, arms and legs. There’s no doubt this suit keeps you cool. Riding around in 90+ degree weather was no problem, but once I stopped it became very apparent that I was sitting inside a leather suit. Walking around in the suit wasn’t the easiest proposition. The legs and arms are very articulated and the cut is very race oriented. When traversing from the bike to my apartment I carried the look of a badly operated puppet. This is what ultimately made me reconsider my purchase, and get a 2-piece. If I were only doing track days, or rides into the twisties, I would definitely keep this suit.
The Good: CE approved armor at shoulders, knees, shins, forearms and elbows. Padded protection around hips, back and stomach. Comes in red, blue, yellow or gray. Aerodynamic hump. Comes with knee-sliders. The price! The fit! Stretch paneling in strategic areas lends to ease of motion. Perforation keeps you cool when it’s hot. Softer leather used around collar and wrists for added comfort. Inside pocket! Very light suit. Did I mention the price?
The Bad: Only one inside pocket. So if you’re street riding it can get kind of crowded in there. Perforation can make you too cold when it starts to get slightly chilly out. Kangaroo version not available in some states, but they do have a cow-hide version.
Motogp Corkscrew Leather Jacket
For $290 this jacket is a screaming deal. It comes with a full waist zipper, two outside pockets, two inside pockets, and a removable vest liner. It has hard armor in all the standard places and memory foam in the back and assorted other places. The front and sleeves are perforated. There’s also a breathable mesh material down the inside of the arms that seems to breathe more than the leather. The fit is very nice. The back comes down further than the front, actually keeping my belt-line covered when riding. The arms are articulated for a sport riding position, but not so drastically that you can’t walk around and look normal. I absolutely love this jacket. I wear it even when it’s 100 degrees out and I wear it when it’s 60 degrees out. The removable liner does a pretty good job of stopping all the frontal breathing, but it is necessary to wear something long sleeved underneath when it’s nippy out. The inner material is some kind of fishnet-looking mesh. This is fine until you start to sweat pretty profusely, then it starts to stick to your skin. It’s also non-removable, so you’ll have to find other ways to wash it. The jacket was a little stiff when I first got it, but it’s very limber now. I always clean all the bugs off after each ride, and the jacket still looks new after a full season of riding. The wrist closures are tight enough to allow the user to pull long cuff gloves over with ease, but also loose enough that you can slide a short cuff glove underneath. Give ridersinc a call at 877-246-2337 to get the cheapest price around.
The Good: CE approved armor at shoulders, elbows and forearms. Two outside pockets and two inside pockets means plenty of space for your wallet, cell phone and keys. Lots of perforation for excellent breathing. Removable vest liner. Full waist zipper for attachment to Motogp pants. Good price. Good looking construction. Good looks with quite a few color options to match your bike.
The Bad: No optional hard back protector. Sizes are in Small, Medium, Large and so on rather than chest sizes (i.e. 40 US). I’m a 40 and I bought a MD.
Motogp Apex Leather Pants
The perfect accessory to any of the leather jackets made by Motogp is the Apex leather pants. They come with knee sliders, knee and shin armor, and padding around the hips and butt. They only come in black so they match everything, and they come with a great price tag. The first thing I noticed about these pants was that they actually fit. After my horrible ordeal with the Frank Thomas pants I was relieved to be able to buy a pair of size 32 (my pant size) leather pants and have them fit. They do fit slightly looser than the Compression suit from Motogp but not to the point where it’s detrimental to the riding experience. They have perforation along the thighs to help keep you cool when moving along. The fly is a nice thick YKK zipper that leads up to a leather strap with two button snaps making the pants feel pretty secure once on. The waist also has some stretch leather on the sides to universalize the fit slightly. Paired with my Corkscrew jacket I’ve got myself a 2-piece suit worthy of a track day with enough ease-of-use to allow me to go in to town in it as well.
The Good: The price. The fit. Comes with sliders. Has CE approved armor at knees and shins. Also has pads for hips and butt. Stretchy waist has snug fit, but leaves room to grow. Perforation in the thighs. Stretch material around crotch keeps the pants from restricting leg movement. Full waist zipper makes them legal for track days.
The Bad: Only comes in black?
Motogp Compression Suit Kangaroo
This is an absolutely fantastic suit. I’m actually considering getting another one to go along with my Motogp 2-piece. The price is almost too good to be true especially considering the kangaroo construction. This suit really is light. It probably weighs as much as my Motogp Apex pants by themselves. The fit on this suit was also very good for me. I wear a 40 (US) in everything. I may have mentioned in a previous article that I’m 5’10” 165lbs, with a pretty small frame. The Compression suit fit very snugly everywhere and even conformed to my legs as if it were a second skin. I had a pretty hard time getting the suit on by myself the first couple times, but either the suit or I broke in and after that getting in and out was a breeze. It’s also a very aesthetically pleasing suit. My pictures, which were taken at the time of sale, don’t do the suit justice, but they do show the bright silver parts that are often seen as white in company pictures. This silver (shown just above the knees, and elsewhere) is on every color of the suit they make so keep that in mind. The speed hump is very nice looking while also being functional. The suit has perforation on the chest, arms and legs. There’s no doubt this suit keeps you cool. Riding around in 90+ degree weather was no problem, but once I stopped it became very apparent that I was sitting inside a leather suit. Walking around in the suit wasn’t the easiest proposition. The legs and arms are very articulated and the cut is very race oriented. When traversing from the bike to my apartment I carried the look of a badly operated puppet. This is what ultimately made me reconsider my purchase, and get a 2-piece. If I were only doing track days, or rides into the twisties, I would definitely keep this suit.
The Good: CE approved armor at shoulders, knees, shins, forearms and elbows. Padded protection around hips, back and stomach. Comes in red, blue, yellow or gray. Aerodynamic hump. Comes with knee-sliders. The price! The fit! Stretch paneling in strategic areas lends to ease of motion. Perforation keeps you cool when it’s hot. Softer leather used around collar and wrists for added comfort. Inside pocket! Very light suit. Did I mention the price?
The Bad: Only one inside pocket. So if you’re street riding it can get kind of crowded in there. Perforation can make you too cold when it starts to get slightly chilly out. Kangaroo version not available in some states, but they do have a cow-hide version.
Motogp Corkscrew Leather Jacket
For $290 this jacket is a screaming deal. It comes with a full waist zipper, two outside pockets, two inside pockets, and a removable vest liner. It has hard armor in all the standard places and memory foam in the back and assorted other places. The front and sleeves are perforated. There’s also a breathable mesh material down the inside of the arms that seems to breathe more than the leather. The fit is very nice. The back comes down further than the front, actually keeping my belt-line covered when riding. The arms are articulated for a sport riding position, but not so drastically that you can’t walk around and look normal. I absolutely love this jacket. I wear it even when it’s 100 degrees out and I wear it when it’s 60 degrees out. The removable liner does a pretty good job of stopping all the frontal breathing, but it is necessary to wear something long sleeved underneath when it’s nippy out. The inner material is some kind of fishnet-looking mesh. This is fine until you start to sweat pretty profusely, then it starts to stick to your skin. It’s also non-removable, so you’ll have to find other ways to wash it. The jacket was a little stiff when I first got it, but it’s very limber now. I always clean all the bugs off after each ride, and the jacket still looks new after a full season of riding. The wrist closures are tight enough to allow the user to pull long cuff gloves over with ease, but also loose enough that you can slide a short cuff glove underneath. Give ridersinc a call at 877-246-2337 to get the cheapest price around.
The Good: CE approved armor at shoulders, elbows and forearms. Two outside pockets and two inside pockets means plenty of space for your wallet, cell phone and keys. Lots of perforation for excellent breathing. Removable vest liner. Full waist zipper for attachment to Motogp pants. Good price. Good looking construction. Good looks with quite a few color options to match your bike.
The Bad: No optional hard back protector. Sizes are in Small, Medium, Large and so on rather than chest sizes (i.e. 40 US). I’m a 40 and I bought a MD.
Motogp Apex Leather Pants
The perfect accessory to any of the leather jackets made by Motogp is the Apex leather pants. They come with knee sliders, knee and shin armor, and padding around the hips and butt. They only come in black so they match everything, and they come with a great price tag. The first thing I noticed about these pants was that they actually fit. After my horrible ordeal with the Frank Thomas pants I was relieved to be able to buy a pair of size 32 (my pant size) leather pants and have them fit. They do fit slightly looser than the Compression suit from Motogp but not to the point where it’s detrimental to the riding experience. They have perforation along the thighs to help keep you cool when moving along. The fly is a nice thick YKK zipper that leads up to a leather strap with two button snaps making the pants feel pretty secure once on. The waist also has some stretch leather on the sides to universalize the fit slightly. Paired with my Corkscrew jacket I’ve got myself a 2-piece suit worthy of a track day with enough ease-of-use to allow me to go in to town in it as well.
The Good: The price. The fit. Comes with sliders. Has CE approved armor at knees and shins. Also has pads for hips and butt. Stretchy waist has snug fit, but leaves room to grow. Perforation in the thighs. Stretch material around crotch keeps the pants from restricting leg movement. Full waist zipper makes them legal for track days.
The Bad: Only comes in black?
posted by Courtney Bodett at 8:47 PM
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