Hello Armadillo!
(Review - November 2007)

Armadillo Scooter Wear is a new brand that launched their first range of scooter wear in October 2007. Taking obvious design cues from typical retro styling, Armadillo have blended the old with new technology to come up with what they reckon is decent riding gear for the 21st century scooterist.
The new range will eventually feature jackets, gloves and trousers in various designs and colours, but for now we have a modern take on the classic parka, and believe it or not I have been wearing it for the last month or so to see how it fares. Skipping the design for a moment, I can report that initial tests suggest that instead of the traditional ‘moisture absorbing’ qualities of the genuine US army surplus parkas favoured by original and retro mods, the Armadillo parka actually repels the rain. Yes it does, I’ve tried it and it’s true!
A soft lining is fixed inside the parka with zips, and the main zip up the front of the coat is supplemented by buttons, which together equate to a fairly windproof ride too – certainly up until October it stood up well to the ravages of British weather.
The real technology bit however is the protection the parka offers the rider should you come off. “Armadillo Scooter Wear have incorporated removable d3o™ CE certified EN-1621-1 components into high impact areas of the jacket. d3o™ is a material already used in snow and riot gear, and contains ‘Intelligent Molecules’ that flow freely under normal conditions making the material soft, flexible and low profile, but lock together on shock to absorb the energy from an impact.” Hopefully, I’ll not get a chance to test the protection aspect, but as regards to comfort this soft, almost gel-like armour certainly doesn’t feel inhibitive or restrictive as some riding jackets can do. In fact, as far as comfort goes the whole parka offers the rider a full ‘snug as a bug in a rug’ experience, although while the hood could prove useful when parked up, it does flap around a bit at speed.
The parka also boasts an internal ‘MP3’ pocket for a music player (not a three-wheeled Piaggio scooter) and routing for earphones to keep them tidy. At around £160 when launched, this parka may not be as cheap as they were in the 60s, but in my opinion it’s superior should you actually want to remain warm, safe and dry when riding a scooter. OK, the styling may not be original enough for some, but isn’t being modern what being a modernist is all about?

Andy

Available in green or black, please see www.armadilloscooterwear.com for a list of retailers or for more information. I’ll continue wearing the Armadillo over the coming months and report in due course.

Alpinestars Stella Vista Drystar Jacket
(Reviewed - October 2007)

First impressions of the Alpinestars Stella Vista Drystar ladies jacket were: “Wow it fits!”
Being a girl, and a small one at that, has meant until recently I’ve had to wear the smallest size ‘man-fit’ jacket available as I prefer a three-quarter length jacket. This usually means it’s too big and pretty uncomfortable due to the shoulder and elbow protectors being in the wrong places so you have the choice of this or having no protection. Not only did the Stella Vista look great but in a size small it is a snug fit yet still has a space underneath for those important extra couple of layers.
Initially, the elbow protectors made the jacket quite rigid in the arms, which significantly effected the flexibility. For the first few weeks I got round this by opening the elbow air vents but after a short period of wearing-in it was fine. There is no shortage of pockets, including in the liner, although I did find bulky items in the lower pockets tended to make the jacket ‘ride-up’. Being able to remove the thermal liner is great when riding to rallies in warmer climes.
Although we haven’t had the best rally season or summer this year, the Stella didn’t get the full waterproof test until the Shires rally. Heading up the A1 the heavens opened but I was impressed that the water didn’t get through! As well as the waterproof fabric the Stella has water-displacing channels down the zip paths.
My only criticism would be the lack of reflective strips, which can make riding in the dark (with Lambretta lights) a bit nerve-racking.
All in all I’d definitely recommend this jacket and give it 9 out of 10 for style, comfort, fit and most important of all it is waterproof.
AM
The Stella Vista Drystar jacket retails at £199.95 and is available from all Alpinestars stockists. www.alpinestars.com

Weise Air Spin Jacket
(Reviewed - August 2006)

With some sweaty miles under my belt this year already I was very much looking forward to using the Weise Air Spin waterproof and vented jacket for the very obvious reason that it should be pretty cool.

It’s always worried me slightly that shedding layers in the summer does make you somewhat vulnerable when Mr Dipstick in his 4x4, whilst trying to send a text message, does a U-turn on you. This however is a little different. Weise claim that their Air-Spin is ideal for summer riding or touring in hot climates, and it must be said that on recent experience the nylon airflow (or perforated to you and me!) chest and back panels made for some cool riding. The arms and shoulders have a tough ‘aramid’ fabric shell with genuine Knox CE protectors fitted at the shoulders, elbows and back, and for night riding the sleeves and back have subtle reflective panels.

Inside the Air-Spin there’s a removable waterproof/breathable drop liner, “to protect the wearer from sudden downpours” as the press release states. Well on experience it does, to a certain extent, although it must be said that the ‘downpour’ I recently subjected it to was more monsoon-like than a shower. In fact, for the first while it was fine, suggesting that it would be OK in light to heavy showers. However, after half an hour or so I could feel the damp seeping in around the front zip, interestingly an area not covered by the liner. That said, it seemed OK elsewhere.
Other features on this jacket include Velcro adjustors at the waist and press-stud adjusters on the arms, two front pockets and YKK zippers throughout.

The Weise Air Spin Jacket is produced in black/gun, black/blue and black/red in men’s sizes XS – XXXL priced at £99.99 (and there are matching trousers, too, if you’re interested). In summing up, I still think it’s a great bit of kit for cool but safe summer riding, while still able to keep you dry through a brief summer shower. I’m just not so sure it should be relied upon for the entire season, however. Contact 0800 369 537 or visit www.weise-clothing.co.uk for more info.

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