I ride my motorcycle all year round and this July we have been so lucky with the weather and I have been out enjoying the beautiful sunshine on my ride to work. Unfortunately the weather in the last few days has been a little unpredictable and what starts out as a beautiful summer morning will turn into thundery downpours by late afternoon as I am leaving work. I like to wear my Alpinestars Atem leather jacket in the summer and although it is a fantastic jacket it was never meant to be waterproof in the kind of weather conditions that I’ve ridden through recently. I don’t want to give in and put my Gore-Tex jacket and trousers on yet as for me this says that autumn has arrived and I still believe we have a bit more summer to enjoy yet! My only option is to invest in a waterproof over jacket that I can keep with the bike and put on when it rains.
I’ve done lots of research on-line and I have decided to go to Honda Of Bournemouth on Saturday to take a look at the Alpinestars Quick Seal Out Waterproof Jacket & Pants set. It looks good on their web site www.motorbikeplanet.co.uk so I’ll try it on with my leathers to see how it fits. I’ll let you know how it goes……..
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| Quick Seal Out Set In Black |
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| Quick Seal Out Set In Yellow |
I am now the proud owner of a set of Alpinestars Quick Seat Out jacket & pants set in fluo yellow. It’s really, really bright but I reckon on a rainy day the brighter the clothes, the more likely I am to be seen. I put the jacket on first over my Alpinestars Atem jacket. I expected it to be tight around the chest due to the hump on the back of my Atem jacket which would then make it baggy around the waist. I was pleasantly surprised. The over jacket fits neatly over the leather jacket and fits quite snugly all around. There are Velcro adjusters at the waist so if you like your over jackets to fit a bit tighter you can pull it in if you want to. The sleeves are a little bit long for me but I do have short arms and the cuffs are elasticated so they stay neatly out of the way when I’m riding. There is also Velcro around the collar which does a great job of keeping the jacket closed against the elements.
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| Quick Seal Out Jacket |
I have to admit to laughing at myself when I put the trousers on. The waist is quite high which was probably quite trendy in the 1950s but no so much now. It may not be the most fashionable look ever but on a practical level it’s brilliant. The high waist comes up over my Atem jacket so there is an overlap between jacket and trousers so no water can get in at all even when I’m leaning forward on my bike. The trousers also proved to be easy to get on. I rode my bike down to Honda Of Bournemouth to try on the Quick Seal Out set so I was already wearing my summer biking gear. I have struggled before when putting on waterproof over trousers over my boots. I have stood in a sudden downpour at the side of the road, hopping around on one leg while I try in
vain to inch the trousers over my boots. Often I would give up and take the boots off meaning I got really wet feet. There’s no point in being lovely and dry if getting that way means you have to ride home with squelchy socks! The Quick Seal Out trousers have a lovely wide opening which slips on over my boots with ease. They have Velcro adjusters (and lot of them to keep it nice and tight) so you can close the opening neatly to whatever fit you require. There is a drawstring adjuster on the waist of the trousers too so they don’t fall down when you get off the bike.
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| Quick Seal Out Trousers |
The Alpinestars Quick Seal Out jacket and trousers have proved to be 100% waterproof on numerous occasions now. They are also breathable so you don’t have that sticky feeling that you get with a lot of lesser quality waterproofs. It’s comfortable and quiet – it doesn’t flap about in the wind when I’m riding –and best of all it comes with its own carry bag so I can stow it away neatly when I’m not wearing it. The Alpinestars Quick Seal Out is also available in black and I’m told there will be an orange version for 2014 so whether you like to be seen in day-glo yellow or prefer your kit to be a little more subtle there’s a choice of colours for you.
Overall I’d give the Alpinestars Quick Seal Out jacket and trousers 10/10 for waterproofing, practicality and ease of use. It may not be the most fashionable piece of kit but it definitely the most stylish 2 piece set of waterproofs I’ve ever seen and I don’t care too much about looks when they get me home completely dry through any storm! You can get your Alpinestars Quick Seal Out Jacket & Pants at www.motorbikeplanet.co.uk or in store at Honda Of Bournemouth.
