Hey, everyone! I’m still trying to make the most out of the summer and the dry, sunny days we have left to shed some light on some great bits of warm weather gear. I’ve seen a few newer items in-store like the lined, armoured biker shirts for the riders who like a more casual look and it got me thinking about them. About what kind of selection we have when it comes to biker shirts and what we’re getting for our money. So I’ve done a bit of leg-work and put together a short list of five protective motorcycle shirts for the casual-look rider.
Starting with the least expensive of them at £89.95 we have the Oxford Kickback Motorcycle Shirt. Despite being the lowest price, you’re actually getting a really good shirt. The outer layer is made of a durable Cotton for comfort, flexibility and offers a bit of warmth against the winds that a biker will ride through. Beneath the Cotton the shirt has a lining made from 100% DuPont Kevlar, a material famous for it’s abrasion resistance and ability to hold up in a grind down the road. It also has belt loops at the back which are handy for keeping the shirt from riding up while you’re reaching forward. It will also help to keep the shirt from bunching up to expose skin to the road if you do find yourself sliding down it on your back.
Next up and working up in price a little bit at £99.99 is the ARMR Moto Aramid Check Motorcycle Shirt. The outer layer of the shirt is made with a durable but flexible Cotton, giving the appearance and feel of a normal shirt. Beneath the outer layer is a 280gms layer of DuPont woven Aramid, a brilliant material for abrasion resistance and saving your skin in an accident. Unlike the previous jacket, the ARMR Moto Check shirt comes with CE certified armour in the shoulders and elbows while featuring a pocket ready for a back protector. There are two outer chest pockets, two inner chest pockets, the front of the jacket closes with a zip and the cuffs are adjustable. So it has a lot of little extras over the Oxford Kickback to make it a better shirt for biking in and £99.99 is still a really fair price for biker gear such as this.
Next is the Richa Lumber Motorcycle Shirt. Priced a little higher at £119.99 the outer material of the jacket is a bit thicker than normal but it doesn’t feature an Aramid or Kevlar liner beneath. That’s because the outer layer is a cotton mix that has been reinforced with high abrasion resistant fabric and has a mesh lining beneath for comfort and breathability. The cool thing about this shirt though is that is comes fully armoured with d3O level 1 armour in the elbows, shoulders and back. The jacket opens up with a main central zipper but is disguised like a normal shirt beneath buttons. It’s a great, protective shirt that has started to blur the lines between a normal shirt and a lined shirt but having reinforced materials.
Another from Richa, the Richa Denim Legend Motorcycle Jacket gives the appearance of a denim shirt but it blurs the lines between shirt and biker jacket even more than the Lumber does. It’s made of a Jeans materials mix that’s been reinforced with high abrasion resistant fabric but also have extra kevlar protection at selected impact areas and fragile places just in case. Like it’s little brother the Lumber, the Denim Legend comes with level 1 D3O armour in the shoulders, elbows and back. It has two outer pockets, one inside pocket and even has a short connector zipper for attaching to Richa motorcycle trousers. For £149.99 you’re getting a superior biker shirt and hey- it’s not in a plaid pattern this time!
We’re back to plaid now though with our last and most expensive of the biker shirts in the blog entry. The Rev’It Bison Motorcycle Overshirt is naturally the most expensive because- it’s made by Rev’It.. But Rev’It are known for making great gear that’s bursting with protective capability and features. The shell of this jacket is a bit different from the others as well, it’s made from a polyester canvas that feels good and sturdy- like you can tell how abrasion resistant it is to the touch but it’s still nicely flexible. Behind that outer layer is Rev’It’s famous PWR|Shield, a fabric with amazing cut, tear and abrasion resistance, so you know your skin is in good hands. The shirt comes with level 1 armour in the shoulders and elbows but has nothing in the back protector pocket that takes a certain size of SEESOFT Type RV Protector insert.
As if all the abrasion protection and armour wasn’t enough, the shirt even offers more weather protection than the others. It has a Hydratex®|Lite layer that provides all weather protection, wind, water, whatever it is, all with just that one layer. But if things get too warm it even has a ventilation panel at the back. Complete with jeans loop and a short connector zipper, this jacket is perfection when it comes to a piece of casual gear that covers all the bases. The £199.99 price tag is certainly steep but, as usual, Rev’It have made a piece of kit built to last that once you have it- you don’t need another one to fill in for any shortcomings.
And that’s all for bike shirts! There’s a whole lot of plaid but they look great and they’re all great value for money for what each shirt provides. Each an every one of them deserves a place in a summer or casual-look bikers collection.
Thanks for reading, everyone! Until next time!
-MattW at Ghostbikes.com
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