Product Review: AGV Photon 1-piece suit

[VTEC_EATER]

Well, I dont know how to get this under the "product review" section, so Ill post this here:

Product features:

• One piece road racing suit made of premium * 1.4 mm cowhide. ***
• Double and triple stitched seams in all high impact and * abrasion areas add strength and durability. ***
• Fully ventilated through perforations in torso, legs, and * upper arms for maximum airflow and cooling. ***
• Removable molded, dual density armor in shoulders, * elbows and knees. *** • Kevlar stretch panels on the inside of arms, behind * knees, and in crotch area to reduce bunching and increase * comfort and mobility. ***
• Elbows, shoulders, and knees have CE approved dual- * density, molded polyurethane foam armor with a hard plastic * shell for maximum impact protection and abrasion * resistance. ***
• Aero Sport carbon mini race hump built into back of suit. ***
• Spandex wrist cuffs for added comfort. ***
• Plastic knee cups and sliders (included) add extra * protection. ***
• High quality, genuine, YKK steel zippers used * throughout. ***
• 3M Reflective badges for added night-time safety. ***
• Removable foam back pad.

Product Strengths:

Other than what is mentioned in the product features up at the top of the page, here are a few I have come up with.

First off, the price point ($400) of this suit is very difficult to match without getting into really thin leather or moving down to cheap goat hide.

Secondly, the leather is very soft making for imediate comfort and hopefully less break-in of the suit.

Third, the torso is longer than the Dainese suits and allows for a more relaxed fit off the bike. On the bike, both suits are equally comfortable and dont allow for the leather to bunch up thanks to the strechable areas and the kevlar strech panels.

Fourth, the knee cups are integrated into the shin armor (placed in a pocket inside the suit) and not a part of the suit. The nice thing is that when you are off the bike, your knee stays in the knee cup and the leather can move independantly (not drastically of course) of it. The good thing is that you do not have to pull the legs of your leathers up when you get on the bike to get your knee into place.

Fifth, knee pucks are included. Hey, it saves you a little money.

Sixth, the styling is pretty nice. Not too flashy, even though it does have some chrome colored leather here and there.



Product Weakness:

Well, with the price being so low, you have to start looking at things like stiching. While the stiching is nice and doesnt have any little strands hanging off, many of the panels are single stiched together. The higher end suits will double stich these all together for added strength. There is the possibility of these coming apart in the event of a crash. Double stiching is only used on the outsides of the arm and legs, around the waist and a couple other places on the back. I would have liked to see more double stiching in the suit. As for triple stiching, Im still hunting around for one. So far I havent found any. Oh wait, there is one right in the middle of the back. While this may be a little alarming, you have to understand, this is a beginner track suit. More than likely you will be traveling at low speeds when you crash, and Im sure the suit will keep your skin in one piece, but the suit will probably have to be sent out to be restiched.

One more very minor thing, but, the finishing touches, like the areas around the wrist and calf zippers, is left somethat unfinished. What I mean is, the leather isnt folded over and sewn to give a clean look. Its somewhat raw looking. This doesnt effect the strength of the suit in a crash, nor does it effect the comfort of the suit, but its just a little detail that most, if not all manufacturers practice.

Overall Opinion:

Overall, you get a lot of really nice features. Thick, soft cow hide, CE approved armor, knee pucks, comfort, and a great fit for a dirt cheap price. The stiching, from what I have heard, typically is AGV's downfall. More double stiching and triple stiching would be nice, but you will have to pay a higher price for things like that.

Sizing:

As for sizing, I am 5'11", 165 lbs, have a 40" chest, 31" waist, and a 31-32" inseam. I purchased a size 54/44 (euro/US). It fits next to perfect. I still have just enough room for a back protector (which I highly recommend you get). The calves are a tight fit, so people with big calves will probably not have fun ziping the calves up. The bicep area is roomy enough for someone who works out. Chest and waist, pay close attention to the size chart. More than likely you will need to go up 2 sizes in the chest to get it to fit right there. The waist is perfect. If I had any more of a belly, it would begin to get tight.

And now for the pictures (click to enlarge):

[VTEC_EATER]

More pictures:

[pgansz]

kind of dissapointing about the stitching thing...i was seriously just thinking about getting an AGV jacket...they seem pretty sweet with good ventilation and stuff and like 50-75 bucks less than astars stuff...does anyone else have anything to say about AGV junk???

[VTEC_EATER]

I wouldnt necessaraly call it junk. I have heard plenty of reviews of people crashing their AGV suits 6 or 7 times and it held up great. Yeah, stiching pops. Its the weakest part of the suit, or any jacket/pants. Its nylon vs. asphalt. Which do you think is going to win? I have an AGV jacket as well and its quality is top notch. Fit and finish is great. Some stiching I have seen on other jackets is freyed or hanging, but my AGV stuff is perfect. Yeah, its only single stiched, but the quality of the stiching seems to be better, ya know what I mean?

Oh well, take this review for what it is. Im not saying this is a bad suit, or a good one. It is merey a product description. I showed the good and the bad, and gave it a very non-bias opinion. I hope it helps people out when buying gear.

[pgansz]

i didn't mean that it was junk...i was just asking if anybody had it...i'm planning on getting either the mission jacket or another one...and maybe some gloves..

[MikeP]

I have an AGV Rage 2 piece. I haven't used it a whole lot yet since it came just before I put the bike up for winter. The fit and quality's great, though. Hopefully I'll never have to test its crashworthiness. If anyone wants pics or more of an opinion, let me know. I can't write a big review yet because, like I said, I haven't used it on the bike that much.

Mike

[Rogue6]

I picked up a used AGV Phantom suit off of ebay for a very good price. The suit is broken it, but has never been down. The construction seems very good to me. I am coming from a two piece alpinestars setup with their track pants and tz1 jacket. The leather on the agv doesn't seem quite as thick, but the seams still look very well stiched. I will have no problem trusting this suit to protect me in the event of a spill. The only thing I will be picking up in addition is a better back protector and possibily some amored shorts for more theigh/upper leg padding as there isn't much on the AGV suit right now. Overall, for the price it seems like a very good value at this point!