Racer Outdoor GmbH may not be a household name here in the States, but it’s been making premium street-riding apparel in Austria since the early 1990s, and in 2012 lifelong motorcyclist and road racer Lee Block formed Racer Gloves USA as the exclusive U.S. importer and distributor. Racer is known for its focus on fit – in fact its tagline is the bold statement, “The best-fitting gloves you can buy.”

As a European company, Racer’s products are performance-focused and carry CE certification – in the case of my Guide gloves, to level 1. The Guide, which is available in both men’s and women’s sizes, is a short-cuff mild to warm-weather glove with a textured, reinforced goatskin palm, soft TPR protectors on the fingers and knuckles, hard Knox SPS sliders on the lower palm and perforations on the fingers and the back of the hand for airflow. Goatskin is thinner and less durable than cowhide, but this is offset by improved dexterity and feel on the controls, ideal for a lighter-weight, street-oriented glove. The Guide also features “mcFit technology,” which means the soft polyester liner is bonded to the outer shell with adhesives rather than being sewn in, and along with exterior seams on the palm edges of the fingers, this eliminates pressure points and further improves feel.

After wearing them daily over the course of the summer and early fall, I have to say I’m very pleased with the comfort level and fit of the Guide gloves. Each glove pattern is slightly different, even within a single manufacturer’s line, and though the Guides seem to have a longer finger-to-palm ratio they still fit my long palms comfortably. In fact, they became my go-to gloves for just about all my rides, whether on official magazine business (this Moto Guzzi Road Test Review for example) or not. The textured goatskin fingertips on my clutch hand are just beginning to wear smooth, as is the palm on my throttle hand, but at no loss of grip and they’re certainly a long way from wearing through. In my experience, the hook-and-loop closure straps are often the first failure point, and so far the Guides’ are just as secure as the day I got them. Lastly, while the flat TPR armor on the knuckles looks uncomfortable, I’ve found it to be just soft enough to conform to my hands and I forget that it’s there even after a long day on the road.

The Guide is available in black in women’s sizes S-XL, and in black or white/black in men’s sizes S-3XL, for $119.99. Lee at Racer Gloves USA is always happy to answer questions about fitment; see below for contact details.

For more information, call (541) 460-7001 or visit racerglovesusa.com.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Fashion trends come and go, but what never goes out of style is a well-made leather jacket. Based in Oceanside, New York, with its own factory in Pakistan, First Manufacturing Company has been around since 1987 and claims to be one of the world’s largest makers of leather apparel. It produces leather jackets, vests, chaps, pants and gloves in men’s and women’s styles and sizes, as well as leather belts and saddlebags, canvas and denim jackets and vests, and ripstop nylon rain suits.

The Raider blends the classic style and heavy-duty protection of a black leather jacket with useful features that should satisfy the needs of touring, cruiser, café/retro and other riders. Made from 1.2-1.3mm Diamond cowhide that’s soft to the touch and needs no breaking in, the Raider has an athletic mesh lining with armor pockets and a full-sleeve zip-out thermal liner. (For an extra $60, I added First Mfg’s SW CE Level 2 armor for the elbows, shoulders and back, which is soft and pliable but hardens upon impact.) The action back uses an accordion pleat behind each shoulder to allow the back of the jacket to expand when the rider’s arms are stretched out to reach the handlebars.

From its simple banded collar to the buttoned, wind-blocking placket that covers the main zipper, the Raider has an understated design that I appreciate. High-quality details include YKK zippers with leather pulls, heavy-duty metal snaps and hidden metal hardware so the jacket won’t scratch your pride and joy. A thick leather jacket can get hot in the summer, and some relief is provided by two zippered horizontal vents on the chest that double as pockets and two zippered vertical vents along the lower back. And when it comes to carrying loot, the Raider is hard to beat with a total of 16 storage pockets: two vented chest pockets, two buttoned chest pockets, two buttoned handwarmer pockets, eight utility pockets sewn into two zippered chest panels (see inset) and two concealed carry pockets with bullet snaps and tapered holsters.

Weighing in at 8.5 pounds for my size large with the thermal liner and optional armor installed, the Raider has serious heft. It fits and feels great, and it’s a steal at only $279.99 (so there’s no excuse for not buying the armor). Available in black only in men’s sizes S-5XL.

For more information, call (800) 537-3030 or visit firstmfg.com.

Source: RiderMagazine.com