If "Glove Nirvana" can exist, I think I've found it

[skyway]

Over the last several months I've taken a keen interest in evaluating my safety gear. The one area that I tried to give a lot of thought to was the gloves on my hand. Since our hands are usually the first thing to hit the road as a natural instinct in a crash, and the fact that hands are pretty darn important pieces of the anatomy, I set out on a mission to find the best protection for my pinkies.

I am currently wearing the Held Steve glove, and though I have been happy with them, I know there are gloves out there that offer more protection. So the critera I set out with was maximum safety and most importantly comfort, since I like to ride for extended periods. I mean what good is a glove if you can't wear it all day and night.

Initially I looked to a high end Held glove as an alternative to the Steve model, but after a little digging I came to find out that their best offering in the US is obsolete in Europe already and has been replaced. So I did a little more digging and found some actual glove safety data in the form of a UK magazine review done by RiDE.

Lots of interesting data compiled by the magazine which you can read about here:

RiDE Magazine Summer Glove Review

The problem with most of the gloves in this review is that they are difficult to obtain in the US. So it was back to the drawing board for a little more hunting.

I then found this glowing review about a glove called "Racer High End" which was written by a lady called Beth Mills. Never heard of them before, but I thought I'd check them out.

Review: Racer High End Gloves

Here's the manufactures webpage:

www.racer.at

So after reading about them, a quick Google led me to a dealer in NorCal called Motostrano. So I made a point of stopping by there to test ride a set of these Austrian Beauties.

www.motostrano.com

All I can say is that these gloves are safety feature loaded and did I say extremely comfortable. I'd say they felt broken in after about 4 hours of use. The review above sums them up pretty well, but an added bonus compared to my Steve gloves is that typing away on my Garmin 2730 GPS with the gloves on is like having a freaking stylus strapped to end of my glove. Deadly accurate for typing on the touch screen.

Just as a comparison while at the store I tried on all of the high end Alpinestars Racing gloves and none of them came close to the comfort of the Racer glove.

Another huge added plus for these gloves is that they actually have them in women's sizes, which a lot of manufactures seem to ignore in racing gear.

The nice young girl who helped me out at the store actually races super moto in them and reported to me of several crashes in the same glove and has come away unscathed.

So in my quest for a full on race spec glove with the all important need for all day comfort, I think I've found it in the Racer "High End" glove.

Damn these things are nice.

 

[Groo]

So from the Motostrano website... are those the "Racer Men's Kangaroo Gloves", or the "Racer Multi-top Waterproof Gloves"? The Waterproof seem to be more on the touring side of things. Also, it doesn't look like any local vendor carries these near me... any ideas on sizing?

 

[twowheelnut]

For a moment there, I thought Michael Jackson was posting...

Came across the Held gloves a bit back - forget where. Sweet, very sweet. I'm due for a new pair and will check out those Racers. Thanks sky!

 

[fjr]

Are they "cool'? As in ventilation??

I need a new pair but really like airflow. TIA.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

tralk about the ventilation. We are approaching 100 degree days here

 

[HIGHLANDER]

They look pretty damn good... almost a copy of my Held Ninja gloves

For many years I refused to buy gloves over $100, but now I've crossed the line I'll never go back to cheap gloves. For all day (or multiple day ) comfort with great fit out of the box you can't beat quality gloves.

Sky, didya get the Ducati fever when you were at Motostrano ?

https://www.held-usa.com/products/ninja.shtml

If you enlarge the pic you''ll see the ultra cool red ones I have

 

[Toecutter]

Came across the Held gloves a bit back - forget where.

Okay, too much sharing. Bad images, man, bad images. :blink:

Interestingly enough, I was thinking not long ago how nice it would be to have some Roo skin gloves. Thanks, Sky. And thank you too, kangaroos.

 

[Bugnatr]

+1 to Groo, which model glove to which you speak?

 

[skyway]

So from the Motostrano website... are those the "Racer Men's Kangaroo Gloves", or the "Racer Multi-top Waterproof Gloves"? The Waterproof seem to be more on the touring side of things. Also, it doesn't look like any local vendor carries these near me... any ideas on sizing?

Racer Men's Kangaroo Gloves

I just got my regualr size of glove, roo feels snug when you first put it on, but in a few hours it just molds to your hands. :dribble:

I also forgot to mention that there is no bunching of the glove in the palm of my hand when at the handle bars, I hate that.

Unlike some dealers, IIRC Motostrano has a 14 day return policy with no re-stocking fee crap to deal with.

I did try on the Racer Multi-top, and they did feel a little less substantial, not much though, but are designed for riding in the rain.

 

[skyway]

Are they "cool'? As in ventilation??I need a new pair but really like airflow. TIA.

I haven't ridden in blazing hot weather with them yet, but from the review:

How do they fare in the hot, hot weather of the California Vall-ay? Simply put, they rock. The little finger vents do their job, as well as the perforated section on the back of the hand. If you put your hand out in the air stream and spread your fingers, that Lycra panel will let in some more air for that extra “Oh yeaaahhhh...” I did a 400 mile trip in 95+ heat and my hands were fine. Cold is another story. Cold is not our friend when wearing the High End but that's why the Powers That Be invented these things called “heated grips.”

I'm sure they won't flow as much air as a mesh glove, but if the time comes and you unexpectedly meet Mr. asphalt at any speed, the last thing on your mind will be "how hot are my hands right now"

 

[Groo]

I've got an email in to Motostrano to see if they can give any info. on sizing... since gloves can be fairly different from manufacturer to manufacturer... I'll let everyone know when/if I get a reply.

 

[650cent]

Hey,

For super comfort and good protection without the racer CF, I really like my Lee Parks gloves. I have both the gaunlet and the shorter ones for summer. Kind of expensive but made in the US and just about lifetime warrantee.

Bill

 

[skyway]

They look pretty damn good... almost a copy of my Held Ninja gloves
For many years I refused to buy gloves over $100, but now I've crossed the line I'll never go back to cheap gloves. For all day (or multiple day ) comfort with great fit out of the box you can't beat quality gloves.

Sky, didya get the Ducati fever when you were at Motostrano ?

https://www.held-usa.com/products/ninja.shtml

If you enlarge the pic you''ll see the ultra cool red ones I have

Highlander, lots of pretty bikes in the paking lot.

 

[skyway]

I've got an email in to Motostrano to see if they can give any info. on sizing... since gloves can be fairly different from manufacturer to manufacturer... I'll let everyone know when/if I get a reply.

I went with my usual glove size and they fit perfect. I went with no bling black.

Purty. :dribble:

 

[Groo]

I know that every person has an opinion, and opinions are like @$$holes... we've all got one... but I've become decidedly unenthusiastic about my Lee Parks Deer Tours. I don't know where 650cent thinks they're lifetime warranteed, but it's not on Lee's website anywhere. They were very comfortable when I first got them, but bled black dye all over my hands for months. That finally slowed down, but now they've faded on the tops to where they are mottled/blackish/brown.

At least one of the seams was unstitched when they were brand new... which I had my wife fix with her sewing machine... but still, that's kind of lame. now there are other places where the stitching is coming undone/becoming frayed, and the velcro closure strap sometimes will pull through the ring that it runs through.

They are still relatively comfortable, but not what I'd consider the end-all-be-all of riding gloves.

 

[Geezer]

Just looking at the pictures I see two things I would want to know more about before spending that much money:

First, they have a lot of stitching, and it looks like double row stitching. More stitching means more holes in the hide and that creates a weak spot where they can tear more easily.

Second, the hard knuckles may be stiff enough to crack and cut your hand when they hit the pavement.

 

[Groo]

Motostrano's reply on sizing...

Not much of a size chart is available for these gloves unfortunately. They run true to size if that helps, and are not overly large or anything.

And while I just ragged on his product, Lee Parks does make the following good comments related to motorcycle glove construction, which echoes some of what Geezer just said... my bold added....

Secret #1: U.S. deerskin is superior to cowhide in comfort, protection & utility.

Secret #2: Most gloves fail at the seams.

With the majority of manufacturers more concerned with adding flashy features than real protection, they end up with overly complicated designs with too many seams. Each seam is a potential failure point. Count how many seams are in your own gloves. Most have as many as four seams on every finger, but Lee Parks Design gloves have only have four seams in the entire glove! Fewer seams mean real safety.

Secret #3: Thin Kevlar® thread reduces seam strength.

Unlike textiles, more threads per inch in leather makes it weaker, not stronger. Kevlar® is a very strong aramid fiber made by DuPont® but it makes a lousy thread for motorcycle gloves because it doesn't stretch when the gloves undergo stress. That makes it act like a cheese knife cutting through the leather and letting the gloves rip open. Lee Parks Design gloves use a special "dual-duty" design that has two strong nylon threads per hole, engineered with just enough elasticity to maximize the seam strength.

Secret #4: Hard carbon fiber shatters (not deforms), creating a safety hazard.

Popular carbon fiber knuckle guards turn into dangerously sharp shards of fiber-reinforced epoxy resin which can aggravate a wound

 

[FJRMGM]

last time I saw gloves like that Mel Gibson was in Australia wearing them in "Road Warrior"...

 

[panthercity]

Hey,For super comfort and good protection without the racer CF, I really like my Lee Parks gloves. I have both the gaunlet and the shorter ones for summer. Kind of expensive but made in the US and just about lifetime warrantee.

Bill

Which might be worth something if they'd ever respond...