[Video Transcript]
Alpinestars Celer Gloves
First up is the shorty option – Alpinestars’ Celer. It’s a typical motocross cut but it’s optimized for street use. The obvious application would be a Husky 701, Ducati Hypermotard … that kind of thing. Of course a ton of sportbike guys choose shorties for the extra airflow and freer wrist movement.
A couple of things I really love about this glove. It’s a full goat skin construction, and goat leather is more durable than cowhide. That means this glove achieves a great abrasion resistance while staying thin and supple.
I also love the knuckles. You have to look really close, but there are molded air intakes on the front. Then at the back, where there’s a low pressure zone behind this hump, there are exhaust ports to suck hot air out.
Another big win, for me, is this pinky bridge. If I go into a low side crash, my pinky hits the ground first, and it’s going to want to roll away and separate from the rest of my fingers. This little bridge prevents those bone-breaking movements.
The last big attraction is the index finger. It’s coated in a touchscreen-ready material, which is actually one of the most responsive ones I’ve seen.
Other than that, A-stars just crossed their t’s and dotted their i’s. Perforations on the cuff, the back of the hand and the three longest fingers. Accordion stretch fabric on the bendy bits, softer TPR armouring on two digits and the knuckle plate has a bendy belt in the middle for a bit of comfort play.
Flipping the glove around, this logo acts as a shield for my wrist bone, and there’s a tiny bit of EVA foam on the impact area – I wish Alpinestars had done a hard shield instead. But the palm is great: all goat skin, which is rare even on premium gloves, and it’s doubled-up with synthetic suede on the high-stress area.
Fitment-wise, my hand is 7 and 7/8ths of an inch long, 9 inches in circumference around the palm, which puts me on the upper end of a large. I went with these extra larges though because I know A-stars tends to run small, and I guessed right because they fit perfectly. I had toyed around with getting the GP Air – which offers more airflow – and the Dainese X-Strike – which looks cooler. But both are more expensive and both sacrifice that full leather palm. So in the end, the Celer was a no brainer.
Alpinestars GP Plus Gloves
Now, if I want a true sport bike glove – something race-ready I can take to the track – I’ll have the Alpinestars GP Plus. At 230 dollars, it’s about 100 bucks more than the Celer, so let’s see what that buys me.
Very similar knuckle protectors, very similar pinky bridge. The GP Plus pulls ahead in armouring though – rigid TPU on three fingers, semi-rigid TPR on the outside of the pinky and two shields of impact foam. The Celer only had those two TPR nubs, remember. Moving back, more padding on the top of the hand from the GP Plus as well, and obviously more wrist protection that comes with the extra length.
Flipping it over, we have a more technical closure system on the GP Plus. One main Velcro tag like the Celer, but then we add the second Velcro noose, which tucks nicely under this impact-foam flap so the Velcro doesn’t come undone in a slide.
The palm protection is stepped up as well. A rigid slider in that low-side danger zone, rather than simple foam, and then a brand-new foamie right under the thumb. Speaking of which, similar accordion stretch on the thumb, although the fit is one step more technical on the GP Plus.
The palm on the GP Plus is also goatskin, but this time the seams are external. That means there’s a slimmer interface between my hand and the controls. I love how I can feel my throttle, my indicators, my kill switch right through these gloves.
So that’s the Alpinestars GP Plus. I could get a softer glove from the SP series, or a harder glove from the GP Pro. But for my money, this GP Plus offers the best blend of features. It’s comfy enough for everyday rides, but still protective enough for a track day.
Five WFX1 Waterproof Gloves
Now, I would probably never buy this next glove. And that’s a shame, because it’s the most impressive one on my list.
Five’s WFX1 Waterproof Glove is a rain and winter glove for hard-core sportbike use.
The chassis is leather, like the glove we just saw. But the hard parts are a carbon weave rather than plastic and – with these ones on the thumb and these ones on the pinky – the WFX1 has more of them.
The main addition is a Hipora waterproof and breathable membrane, layered over 200-gram thinsulate. So this guy is dry , and it’s warm .
We also get a more technical closure system – the typical noose and main Velcro strap are augmented with this autolocking zipper and an inner elasticated gaiter. That gives me an excellent tight seal for locking in the heat and locking out the rain.
The last thing, which I find hilarious, is that Five gave me reflective panels on these two fingers. Think about it – when I’m actually riding, these reflective panels are on the underside of my grip… not the most useful place for being seen. But if flip somebody off at night … they’re going to know about it.
I took a large in the WFX1 and it fits great. Of course with all the insulation, the glove is rather chunky so I don’t get much feedback from the controls. And therein lies the problem. If I’m looking for a technical sport and racing glove, I’d rather have the touch sensitivity and just deal with wet hands. And if I’m sport-touring through all kinds of weather, I probably don’t need this much technicality and armour.
It’s a shame I can’t find a reason to buy this glove. Because it’s an amazing piece of equipment and at 270 bucks, I actually think its underpriced .