There’s a very good chance you’ve heard of Belstaff, makers of some of the finest retro-style gear you can buy. They have some of the latest tech wrapped up in gear that perfectly suits the modern-retro motorcycle.
They’ve been around since 1924 and became known for being the first manufacturer to use waxed cotton which, back in the day, was one of the few ways of getting any decent waterproofing mixed with crash protection. For a time, thanks to economic squeeze, Belstaff moved towards pure fashion items but has more recently moved back into the motorcycle segment and gone from strength to strength.
Their latest motorcycle gear, which includes everything from jackets and trousers, to gloves and boots, retains that fashionable look but has some proper protective chops. They’ve even moved into more conventional looking gear, with their textile jackets taking the fight straight to the big boys like Dainese and Spidi. They've also got an extensive women's range.
If you’re a biker there’s probably at least a 90% chance that you’ve seen the adventures of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman around the world on motorbikes; they arguably kicked off the adventure bike trend that has led to some of the best bikes you can buy being resolutely upright, comfortable and capable. What you may not have realised is that they’ve used Belstaff gear in all three journeys; Long Way Down, Round and Up – suffice to say they wouldn’t have made it without decent gear with the extreme weather and multitude of spills they had to deal with along the way.
Belstaff Motorcycle Jackets
So what jackets do they offer, and which one could be the one for you?
Sitting in the middle of the range is the Tourmaster Pro 2 jacket; it looks like a blast from the past yet is thoroughly up to date in the protection stakes. A Tekwax waxed cotton outer is what gives the jacket its signature look, but it also packs a Miporex membrane to keep any water that slips past the wax firmly away from you. D3O armour in the shoulders and elbows and a removable thermal lining will keep both knocks and the cold at bay too. While it’s certainly a premium product at £725 it’s very much an everyday item that will take you on adventures that'll most certainly looking good out and about.
Sitting pretty at the top of the range, and even sporting the ‘Long Way Up’ moniker so you can truly live out your adventure fantasies, the Long Way Up Pro Goretex jacket is a fully-fledged bit of kit for travelling the world. It has three headline features: laminated Goretex, Superfabric and D3O armour. Laminated Goretex is different to other waterproof membranes in that it sits on the outside of the jacket, this means that you remain dry and so do the outer layers of the jacket, preventing it getting heavy and smelly after a downpour. Superfabric packs about all the features you could want from a protective material in a jacket – abrasion resistance, snag resistance, water resistance and breathability. Superfabric is in key impact areas on the Long Way Up Pro, ready for a spill. You’ve also got D3O armour in the shoulders and elbows, alongside a Camelbak pouch in the back to keep you going without getting off the bike. Closable vents, an anti-microbial lining and a 5-year warranty make this jacket an enviable package, and its price of £1,250 compares favourably to other high quality adventure jackets.
Sitting below the Tourmaster Pro 2 is the Trialmaster Pro textile jacket. At £575 it sits towards the lower end of Belstaff’s range with its only major omission being a modern waterproof membrane, relying solely on its waxed cotton construction. Cordura reinforcements add abrasion protection while D3O armour in the shoulders and elbows take care of you in the event of an accident. A removable thermal lining rounds off the package making a jacket that’ll cover you for three seasons providing you avoid any downpours and will suit any modern retro bike perfectly, especially if you want to keep that dry too!
If you’re looking to get the last jacket, or any other, further into winter or to be prepared for our wonderful British weather, Belstaff offer an outer rain suit that features polyurethane coated nylon alongside taped seams for bombproof waterproofing. While certainly fetching a premium product price at £140 it should serve you well for a long time.
Thanks to Belstaff’s foray into the fashion world means there’s some decent quality casual clothing on offer too, with t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies on offer – potentially a good birthday gift if you can’t stretch to one of their jackets.
If you need some expert advice, then you can have a chat online with us via web chat on our website. The Bike Stop shop in Stevenage is unfortunately closed once again in line with Government guidelines, however our online shop is alive and well, and taking orders for delivery. We will be of course reopening fully as soon as it is safe and permitted. You can also check out our full range on our website with free delivery for any order over £50 on the UK mainland, and delivery possible to almost anywhere else. Not only that but our ‘No Quibble’ returns policy allows for returns within a 365-day period – see our returns page for more details.
