In my previous articles, I debunked the myths about track riding and explained how to best prepare for a track day. As with street riding, proper gear is critical. The most common accidents on the track are low-siders, when the front wheel loses traction in a turn and the bike falls to the inside, and […]

Take breathable summer boots on tour and you can be sure to see rain and get cold and wet feet. Wear your 100 percent waterproof boots and it’ll be 100 degrees, giving you trench foot. It might not have rained, but your feet will think differently. Not many companies offer up a true compromise. Alpinestars’ […]

With the proliferation and advancement of armored riding gear as well as electronic aids like ABS and traction control and the increased popularity of advanced rider training, motorcycling is perhaps safer than it’s ever been. However, it looks like the next great advancement in rider safety may be arriving in stores this spring. It’s called […]

For many gear companies, summer hand wear means a simple mesh glove that’s great for airflow but provides little or no real protection. Not so with the GP Air gloves from Alpinestars. In fact, the GP Airs don’t contain mesh at all. Instead, the gloves use different materials and clever design to achieve the airflow […]

What to wear, what to wear—this is the question when heading for rough terrain on an adventure bike. Street boots aren’t up to the rigors of even light off-road riding, yet dirt-only boots are overkill and lack the comfort demanded by touring riders who wear their boots the entire day, both on and off the […]

Motorcycle racing, for all of its speed and apparent danger, has become dramatically safer over the years thanks to continual advances in motorcycle, racetrack, and protective gear design. Wearable airbag systems are one of these recent breakthroughs and Alpinestars has just taken them a step further. The latest version of A-Stars Tech-Air system holds eight […]

On September 1st MotoGP rookie sensation Marc Marquez crashed between turns seven and eight during warm up laps at Silverstone. At the time he was wearing the Tech Air airbag suit from Alpinestars. The graph above shows the impact forces recorded by Marquez’s suit as the event unfolded. The yellow line down the middle indicates […]

When it comes to thick, waterproof, cold-weather gloves, you have to be careful not to judge the book by its cover. A pair of gloves may look warm and waterproof in the store (or online), but a hundred miles down the road in January its true colors will come out. So let’s get this out […]

In general, the term “all-weather” is applied far too liberally to any gear with a removable liner. If advertising accuracy were as important as, well, advertising, the term would be revised to “most-weather” or “some-weather.” In reality, no single article of clothing outside of a space suit can honestly claim to be “all-weather.” There are, […]

Winter gloves are usually a compromise between warmth and feel, and it’s often the attention to detail that helps strike the right balance. The Alpinestars Overland Drystar gloves incorporate many of the features that their racing-oriented gloves are known for—full gauntlets, knuckle protectors, pre-curved fit, and a “finger bridge” connecting the pinky and ring fingers […]

At the beginning of this riding season when I glanced over my motorcycle gloves, I realized it was time to get a new pair. Alpinestars GP Pro gauntlet leather gloves caught my attention due to their elaborate protective features, and I figured if world-class racers walk away from an unplanned mid-race dismount with all ten […]