DAINESE THORAX PRO LADY Ladies ride fast, too, and deserve the same protection as men.

Dainese has been at the cutting edge of chick-speci� c safety gear

for years, and continues to lead the charge with the Thorax Pro Lady

chest protector. Part of the D-Tec line of protective gear, the Thorax

Pro uses a combination of aluminum honeycomb � ller inside a nylon

shell topped by a polypropylene plate for even distribution of impact

energy. The protector comes with adjustable nylon straps and is

contoured for the female form to offer maximum protection for

the thorax and ribs.

$99

www.dainese.com

SADDLEMEN GEL CHANNEL SEAT Saxx isn’t the only company looking after men’s comfort. The Gel Channel that gives Saddlemen’s new

series of seats their name is speci� cally designed to relieve pressure on a certain delicate area. Combine

that with contoured memory-foam construction and you’ve got one comfortable place to spend a couple

hundred miles. Seats are available for a wide range of bikes in three different styles, and the many color

and texture options are sure to make them stand out.

$239.95-$469.95

www.saddlemen.com

FORCEFIELD

ACTION SHIRT

Sometimes the armor in jackets

and pants seems like an

afterthought. At Force� eld body

armor gets all the attention,

and when lead man Alan Zafrin

introduced the new Action shirt at

Indy, he sure got ours. The Action

shirt puts Force� eld’s renowned

CE-approved Nitrex armor right

where it needs to be: under your

garments in lieu of the standard

bits. So go ahead and yank out

those chunky pads. Wear the

shirt in conjunction with the com-

pany’s Sub-4 back protector for

complete upper body protection.

$225

www.forcefi eldperformance.com

HELMET SECURE

HELMET LOCK

Clever solutions to everyday

problems are what every engi-

neer strives for, and the guys

at Helmet Secure hit the nail

on the head with their stem-nut

helmet lock. This device mounts

right on your triple clamp and

provides a keyed, coiled cable

long enough to run around your

helmet’s chin bar. It’s more

convenient that that underseat

helmet hook, provides more

security, and keeps your lid

and tail section from getting

scratched. There’s also a bar-

mounted version.

$79.95

www.helmetsecure.com

ICON VICTORY METAL

GOD JACKET

The gods must be crazy if this

is what they wear! Icon’s latest

exercise in excess rivals the

Italian brands’ most extravagant

offerings in terms of price and

imagination. The Victory Metal

God’s vintage-washed leather

chassis is adorned with 125

embedded metal skulls, as

many buckles and zippers as a

straitjacket, and more leather

cordage than a herd of

Hell’s Angels.

$1200

www.rideicon.com

56 MOTORCYCLIST

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THE NEEDS FOR SPEED

’m fortunate to get to ride at the

racetrack fairly often, and have had

the opportunity to run through quite

a bit of gear since I started at Motorcyclist

two years ago.

I have several roadracing suits in my

closet, but I tend to gravitate toward my Pilot

leathers ($1100; www.pilotleathers.com).

Small details like the soft beading at the

wrists, neck and ankles and the well-placed

accordion panels make the suit all-day com-

fortable, and the custom patchwork and let-

tering give it a “factory” look. Materials and

construction are on par with suits priced hun-

dreds more, and options like colors, lettering,

patches and perforation are all included in

that price. The suit’s only real weakness is

the quality of the knee sliders, which melt

faster than butter in a hot frying pan.

Comfort and protection are the primary

factors that determine what I wear. Arai goes

above and beyond in both those regards,

which is why the Corsair V ($899; www.

araiamericas.com) has become my helmet of

choice. The Corsair is expensive, but there’s

a con� dence that comes from knowing your

headpiece is the culmination of 50 years

of near-obsessive design and analysis. The

face shield mounting system is the helmet’s

only � aw—any design that requires an

instructional booklet and a DVD needs to be

rethought!

When it comes to gloves, they’ve got to

� t perfectly, which is why I keep a pair of

Alpinestars GP Plus mitts ($189.95; www.

alpinestars.com) in my gear bag. These are

comfortable, offer proven protection and are

easy to get on/off. The all-leather chassis

has a last-defense Kevlar lining and is dotted

with hard plastic armor and double-thick

leather in places I know from experience tend

to get beat up in a crash.

As for back protectors, nothing comes

close to the security afforded by the Force-

� eld Sub 4 ($190; www.johnsonleather.com).

The Sub 4 is the latest version of Motor-

cyclist’s 2008 Product of the Year, and gets

its name from the fact that it transmits

less than 4 kilonewtons of energy in the CE

EN1621-2 impact tests. Not only is it the

most effective back protector on the market,

it’s comfortable—the soft, pliable design con-

forms to your back, and the shoulder straps

and belt ensure that it stays in

place as you

ride. The

downside is

it’s nearly 2 inches

thick and can cause � t

issues if your suit is snug.

Festooned with buckles

and ratchets, Sidi’s Vortice boots ($475;

www.motonation.com) are almost absurdly

complicated. But all those contraptions serve

to keep the boots in place during worst-case

scenarios. They’re too much trouble to put

on for a street ride, but when I’m stra� ng

corners at the racetrack, they provide

unparalleled protection. Yes they’re costly,

but Sidi offers full parts support and

the Vortices are almost

in� nitely repairable.

And they have vented

soles!

If you’ve ever

worn a leather

suit on a hot day,

you know what a

struggle it can be

to extricate your

sweaty limbs from

within. With Alpinestars

Tech Race underwear ($84.95 top, $74.95

bottom; www.alpinestars.com), getting in/out

of my leathers is much easier—no � ailing

or tugging necessary. I make it a point to

take off my leathers between sessions, and

thanks to my A-stars Tech underwear, I no

longer need a friend’s help to do so.

ARI

HENNING

I

PHOTOS: Joe Neric

www.motorcyclistonline.com 61

PERSONAL BEST

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