Best Retro Motorcycle Gear

[video transcript]

Best Retro Motorcycle Gear of 2017

In this video/article :

Bell Moto-3

Throwback helmets are usually rubbish. Most manufacturers take vintage style as an excuse to use outdated designs , which sucks because helmet construction has come a long way since 1970.

The Bell Moto-3 is different. This fibreglass composite shell is 21st century-light, tipping my scale at 1370g for a size large. That’s not bad considering it has a chunky sun peak. Of course the Moto-3 is even lighter without it.

The EPS foam is also modern, allowing the Moto-3 to pass DOT and ECE standards while staying surprisingly slim. The EPS is even extended behind the chin bar, which is a nice contemporary safety convention.

Unfortunately Bell did go outdated with the liner. This is terrycloth and it looks and feels like an old towel. If that’s somehow romantic and authentic to you, awesome. For most of us it just feels cheap.

On that note, I think Bell could have done more with the Moto-3. It doesn’t take much newfangled engineering to make these vents close-able from the inside, and that’d be a huge bonus for rainy rides. Also I understand that the clean bowling ball look is trendy, but a few discreet exhaust ports wouldn’t go amiss.

However, the Moto-3 isn’t really at risk of being stuffy, since the eye port is massive. It can accommodate almost any goggle for that reason, and the neutral head shape will fit almost any head. In fact the only thing to prevent people from buying a Moto-3 is the not-so-vintage 430-dollar price tag.

Scorpion Belfast

Now , this is the 300-dollar Scorpion Belfast. We have lots of cheaper options in the retro open-face category, most notably the Biltwell Bonanza and Bell Custom 500. So why choose Scorpion’s new kid on the block?

Craftsmanship.

This fibreglass shell is hand-laid and the Nappa leather is hand-stitched. It also happens to be the most plushy, luxurious thing I’ve stuck on my head, for what that’s worth.

Now have you ever thought, “boy, those eyeglass channels in modern helmets sure are tacky?” Me neither.

But Scorpion did. So they hollowed out the foam underneath the liner at the temples, making it easy to wear glasses. That way they wouldn’t have to carve a channel in the precious nappa leather.

There’s some discreet handiwork up here too – a drop-down sun shade for riders who don’t wear goggles.

Emgo’s Roadhawk

But if you do wear goggles, there’s this – Emgo’s Roadhawk.

It’s primarily a style piece. Take these air vents, which are a farce because they’re tiny and don’t even face the direction of airflow. Then there’s this hinged three-position lens adjuster, which only really adjusts the position of its own hinge since the lenses itself are hard-stitched to the leather.

But the whole thing looks very steampunk, and that’s cool.

In terms of materials, we have chrome and leather on the outside, with suede against my face. I will say that the goggle is rather uncomfortable at first, but once I broke in the foam on this nosepiece it felt great.

Field of vision is mediocre at best … there’s a reason modern goggles have one lens rather than two. But the anti-fog coating has yet to let me down. I just wish Emgo wouldn’t brag about it in the most visible and annoying of places.

Main downside to the Roadhawk is that it costs 50 dollars, which is really too much for a style piece. I know LS2 has a knockoff version coming down the pipeline. It’ll cost about 20 bucks and if it’s any good, the Roadhawk will be roadkill.

Scorpion Bixby Gloves

Now, what do you think of these gloves?

Trick question, because they’re two different models. This is a Scorpion Bixby and this is an Alpinestars Oscar Robinson.

Obviously both gloves have a similar vintage style. And they both punch my wallet with a force just north of 100 bucks.

The difference is that Scorpion’s Bixby is more protective. It’s 100% top grain goatskin, whereas Alpinestars uses 10% synthetic suede on these sliding zones. Also the Bixby has thicker armour on the knuckles, three fingers and lower palm, plus it has some padding on the thumb, which Alpinestars neglects entirely. And finally, Scorpion uses accordion stretch at the wrist, while Alpinestars uses a panel joint. Slide for slide, this panel would break first.

So the Oscar Robinson is less safe. But it’s also slimmer and more perforated – especially here on the top hand. This is definitely the cooler, more comfortable option.

Both gloves are elasticated at the wrist, with a big Velcro pull to seal the deal. I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the Oscar Robinson fitting too small, but that hasn’t been my experience. I’m comfortably wearing a large in both gloves, and my hands are nine inches around the palm. It’s worth noting that only the Scorpion is touch-screen friendly.

Personally, I choose the Bixby over the Oscar Robinson. After 1000 kilometres my Alpinestars are already feeling too thin. The Bixby might be chunky out of the box, but once it breaks in I’ll be glad to have the extra leather and padding.

Of course that’s just my opinion. But then again… that’s all these videos are.

TCX X-Waves Boots

When it comes to vintage boots, I could sing the praises of my TCX X-Waves all day long.

But in another day and another video, I’ve already done that. So let me just say that this is the most comfortable riding shoe. It’s also one of the slimmest , so you don’t get that motorcycle moon boot look. And of course I get all that rustic leather… even the soles come out of the box looking like this.

I’ve put hundreds of shoes on my feet since I got my X-Waves, but if I could go back I’d buy them all over again. Best waterproof riding shoe out there.

Alpinestars Oscar Rayburn Boots

So why am I showing you this? It’s an Alpinestars Oscar Rayburn, similar retro feel and price to the X-wave (somewhere between 2 and 300 depending on the day)…

But unlike the X-Wave, this is protection over comfort.

The Oscar Rayburn is CE category 2 – a safety level normally found on space-age race boots.

Basically we have a stiff protective sole, backed up with an EVA foam footbed. Then inside the triple -stitched leather, we have a solid toe cup and heel counter, matched with the dual-density ankle protectors that Alpinestars loves to brag about. Basically it’s just hard armour on top of soft armour, so small and big impacts are handled accordingly. I’m more impressed with the placement of this logo for the OSCAR line... very cool how they used it to hide the armour bulge!

On the inside I have suede at the back to keep my heel from riding up, plus some extra foam here and here, so I don’t feel my shift lever and ankle plates so much. No waterproof membrane though… weird for Alpinestars to cheap out on their flagship Oscar boot.

I think this is almost as good as my beloved X-Waves, and certainly very different. If you want riding shoes that look and walk like a regular pair of kicks, get the X-Wave. But if you want bulletproof protection, the Oscar Rayburn is the best alternative. Its leather is made to develop a patina after a few rides, and the soles are replaceable, so you should be able to enjoy this shoe for ages.

Joe Rocket Steel City Jacket

Now I’m ‘gonna close with jackets. Leather is always a classic choice, so check out our cruiser jacket video for a bunch of options.

Retro textiles are harder to come by. This is the Joe Rocket Steel City and I think it looks the part.

Basically we have three layers built into one. There’s the waxed canvas outer, which will stay waterproof so long as you keep waxing it. Then there’s whatever this purple corduroy collar is supposed to belong to. And finally the built-in hoodie, which actually zips out and can be worn on its own.

Ta-da.

But you probably won’t want to do that, since all the Vault CE-approved armour is housed in the canvas layer – back, shoulders and elbows.

The jacket has many other features that do many things. Like these loops that keep your jacket and pants together in a slide. Or this reflective trim, so the retro babes can find you at night.

Fitment-wise, I’m 6”3 with a 39” chest. This medium nails the waist with its adjustment snaps done up. The arms are fine too, since the hoodie’s thumb loops keep my sleeves down. But I think the Steel City runs a little short on the torso so I’d probably try a large next time.

And that’s how I ride retro. Thanks for watching.

Best Retro Motorcycle Gear