Brand Loyalty
Plenty of riders are loyal to a particular brand of motorcycle. Luckily all the OEMs sell riding gear with their name on it, and many of those items are made by some of the manufacturers in this buyer's guide. But you still want to look for the same features and fit we've already discussed.
The examples shown here come from Suzuki. They're limited-edition jackets made to honor the Boulevard C109R and the M109R models. Both are made from 1.3mm corrected cowhide with a zip-in Thermolite insulated vest liner that has the Suzuki Boulevard logo woven into the fabric. Jacket fronts close with a heavy-duty plastic zipper; the sleeves close with zippers and a snap tab. The C109R jacket has the classic "Brando-biker" styling, with the C109R logo embossed front and rear, snaps to hold down the collar tabs and three outside pockets. The M109R jacket features a cleaner look with a round collar, embossed M109R logos, two outside pockets and one inside. But what really sets the M109R jacket apart is the zippered vents on the arms and back, as well as CE-approved removable armor in the shoulders and elbows/forearms, along with a back pad.
They're not cheap, though. In this case the C109R jacket costs $13,799, with the M109R jacket priced at $12,699. Of course each comes with its respective motorcycle. As for other OEM jackets, they range in price from $120 to $595 (motorcycles not included).
Women's Motorcycle Apparel
For years most women's riding gear was merely resized men's apparel without any attention to anatomical differences between the genders like bust, waist and hip size and arm and leg length. On top of that, color choices were pretty narrow. But with an ever-increasing number of women riders and passengers hitting the road, manufacturers are wising up.
Icon Motorsports has been at the vanguard of this change, creating a variety of fashionable women's apparel with trendy designs, appealing graphics and colors like white, bright blue and pink. On the nature of the market, Icon's Brand Manager Phil Davy says, "Motorcycle riders and passengers, men and women, don't wear enough protective equipment. Some of the many reasons women in particular didn't wear riding gear was that it was ugly, uncomfortable and fit poorly." So Icon concentrated on making more stylish women's gear that still included the protective features found in its men's apparel. The idea, according to Davy, is that if it doesn't look good, women won't wear it. And if they don't wear it they'll have zero protection. Of course Icon applies this same fashion-with-function-following-along approach to its men's gear, too.
Scorpion Sports jumped into the apparel market this year and created Fem-TECH, a line of gear just for women, that is "not only functional and extremely fashionable but also graphically coordinated from helmets to pants." Scorpion says the Fem-TECH line will include outfits instead of individual garments, "creating an attitude and portraying personality." Eric Anderson, Vice President of Sales and marketing, notes that the company is simply using the success the motocross industry has had for years with head-to-toe outfits and applying it to the street market.
Every one of the manufacturers in our buyer's guide makes women-specific riding gear. Check this out when you try on gear: With a jacket, sleeves will be shorter, the waist and shoulders will be narrower, the bottom of the jacket will be flared for the hips, and the chest will be contoured. If you're shopping on the web, check with the manufacturer first to be sure the jacket is cut specifically to fit women.
BMW and G-Line (the same company that manufactures Hein Gericke) also offer a large selection of women's gear. RideMyOwn.com is another resource for women riders with an extensive collection of links to women's motorcycle apparel manufacturers. -EK