Alpinestars S-mx Textile Jacket Review

[thatguyx]

well I came out again today to ride. Beautiful and sunny, average 35*.

Recently I picked up the jacket from a close-out sale at www.denniskirk.com MSRP $180, close out $45. Get'em while they're hot.

Well to begin the jacket has some pretty nice features...
- Ballistic reinforced fabric in all critical areas
- CE approved smart protectors and knit stretch side panels
- compartment for back protector (thin foam included)
- Tank is protected from scratches by a flap over the front zipper
- Inner liner included
- Molded rubber Alpinestars Logos
- Reflective piping along the sleeves
- Bungee pull cords to prevent cold from getting in
- Mesh liner

The jacket wasn't downed in to test, (knock on wood), but it feels sturdy for a textile jacket. The armor included I believe is three pieces of thin foam. I can't remove them, but I can feel three individual pieces glued together. The "armor" feels like it will do a decent job absorbing some impact, but no where near the quality of the armor in my Alpinestars Stage Leathers. There is a pocket underneath the mesh for a backpad. The jacket came with a perforated foam that is about .3 inches thick. Doesn't look like it will do to much, but better than nothing on your back. You can pick up the RC back protector for around $30 and use that instead. The inner liner is a full sleeve liner which is nice for keeping my arms warm. The sleeves have a button on them and the jacket has tabs near the wrists to snap into place. Also for keeping warm, the jacket's bungee cords do a great job of keeping wind out. And I didn't experience and ballooning. The flap over the top of the jacket keeps wind out also. Also to keep scratches off of your tank if you don't have a tank protector, the flap over the bottom of the zipper is a nice addition and does its job well. Speaking of flaps, they're all strong velcro and I didn't have any problem attaching or removing. The sleeve enclosures are velcro and then can be adjusted nicely.

I ordered a Lage which if I read the sizing chart correctly is about a 44. My chest is 41-42" and there's plenty of room in this jacket with or without a liner and a hoody. I kind of wish i went a size smaller, but the armor feels like it won't move too much to be ineffective. But the armor does move a bit since I got a size a little too big. This jacket does a great job for cold weather with layers. Today the only parts of me that was cold were my hands and knees. I was wearing long johns under my jeans. As for warm to hot weather riding (70+) this jacket may be a problem as it doesn't have any dedicated vents. I have yet to try the jacket without the liner, but the sides are are not the same material textile as the rest of the jacket and they appear that they will breathe some. I'll most likely report back once the weather gets hotter and if I'm gonna use this jacket or not.

The jacket also has two exterior pockets, one interior pocket, and one interior pocket in the liner. With the size I have for me, I could fit a bunch of stuff in comfortable. (ie: wallet, cellphone, pack of smokes)

Overall I really like this jacket. I think it will make a great jacket for commuting in cold to warm weather. As for more aggressive riding, I have yet to try out my A* Stage leathers, but I'll let you know.

Price (10/10) atleast on close out
Protection (7/10) foam armor is decent, but what do you expect for the price? I also have no clue as to what the rating is for the textile
Comfort (8/10) still gotta test warmer temps
Features (8/10) Lots of pockets, full sleeve liner, extra flaps and velcro, but no vents
Overall (8/10)


Below are some pictures, that I had up in another thread.

[thatguyx]

bump on a great deal.

[FLIPEXED]

Looks like a kickass jacket; I own a A* textile and its my main jacket for commuting to work. The color scheme you got is awsome and it looks to be very reflective.