Oscar Monty boot by Alpinestars, and Nolan N21 helmet
The Italian giant Alpinestars jumped into the retro craze earlier this year with its Oscar line. This is a signal, among others, that retro-styled motorcycle gear has really caught on, and is now big business.
The yearning for authenticity (the definition of which is explored in the Alpinestars video below) is partially behind this trend, but ultimately style is the driving force. Take a look at the following two videos – the first by Alpinestars, and the second by helmet manufacturer Nolan, and tell us what you think of retro-style gear and whether you might be buying some soon.
Retro gear… Spare me. I ride a ’71 BSA Lightning as transportation. That’s retro enough. I actually wrench on the bike and do everything but the bottom end. That’s REALLY retro these days. The only retro gear I’ll wear is my Vanson jacket, and it’s armored up. I have not seen any retro gear yet that has the same level of protection as the modern stuff, particularly when it comes to helmets and gloves. I wear the full kit no matter how hot it is, jacket, full face helmet, pants with armor, boots, all of it. This poser silliness just slays me. The kiddies need to get real.
I got a degree in health information management and one of my assignments was to study TBI or traumatic brain injury. I was shocked and enlightened at the same time with what I discovered. I think that many riders are not aware of just how fragile our skulls are (NFL is certainly finding out the hard way – no pun intended) and the damage that can be inflicted in even a small accident, where your head my hit the sheet metal on a car or if you bounce your head of the pavement. The brain sits in a pool of cerebral fluid in the skull attached at the bottom by the spinal cord. Kind of like a balloon if you held it by the stem with your fingers. And when there is a sudden stop, your brain being in fluid still moves, and hits the skull interior in the direction of the impact. What is most damaging to our brains is what follows the impact and that is called edema, or build up of fluid. It’s this excess fluid that eventually kills brain tissue. I also found out that most ERs, if they think there is any possibility you have any trauma to your brain will not use local anesthetics. That means if you were unfortunate enough to have broken your arm and leg too, they will reset them WITHOUT local painkillers. This is because most anesthetics raise blood pressure and that is the last thing they want happening in the brain so the lesser of two evils is to go without the anesthetics. Ouch indeed. I think I’ll keep wearing my helmet and I’ll probably be able to hear the unfortunate rider screaming in the ER a block away with it on.
You are right and I don’t think a single post here debates the fact that it’s a good idea to wear safety gear, particularly a helmet.
I wanted to respond to this. Particularly to Brian below who said “I’m sure you’re right that there are some immature, willfully ignorant types who just ain’t gonna hear it…but you don’t shut down safety education efforts because an “invincible,” contrary-minded 20-year-old might find the message offputting.’
In this country (USA) the average age of a motorcyclist is 49 (I didn’t make that up check the statistics). I don’t think its news to anyone that the majority of bikes sold in the USA are Harley’s, Victories, Indians or Japanese V twin Harley clones (again I didn’t make that up, check the statistics). If you have seen any rallies, gatherings or groups of riders for that matter of this style of bike, I think it would be safe to say full coverage helmet use by this group would be considerably less than 1 %, ANY helmet use by this group (unless mandated by state law) would be less than 10% and that is probably being very generous. The peer pressure in THAT group NOT to wear safety gear is overwhelming. A rider may show up in a helmet once, but when he looks around at how his fellow riders are dressed, he won’t wear the helmet to the next ride. Guaranteed. No amount of preaching to that group is going to make them don full face helmets, armored jackets, armored pants, motorcycle specific boots or armored gloves. Preaching to the 18-25 year old squids is also useless. They are going to wear their full face helmets and probably some gloves but will wear T shirts jeans and gym shoes if they are lucky. So preaching to the vast majority of motorcyclists is a waste of time. The people that are left, a tiny minority of cyclists in this country are probably going to choose wearing gear anyway, because a certain percentage always will. Those that want to. Sometimes I will wear it all, but sometimes I will wear an open face helmet ,leather jacket, jeans and work boots depending on temperature, length of ride etc and NO amount of preaching is going to make me dress any differently. I am an adult (65, starting my 50th year of street motorcycling) and know the risks associated with riding a motorcycle, as I imagine most adult motorcyclists do. Preaching is a waste of time. Leading by example in your peer group will be the most effective tool towards getting some people to wear gear. No matter what you do, or say, some will wear it, some won’t.
As both a current, and prior, owner of Alpinestars gear I’ll say that they are *highly* overrated.
As for retro gear? IF, and that’s a HUGE “if”, it works as well as more modern designs then I am certainly willing to add them to my shopping lists. If not – No, goodbye, good riddance, GET OUT.
Am I in?
Not only no, but hell no.
The retro craze whether bikes, cars or accessories, points to a weakness in current, non retro design. Many folk are waxing about the “golden days”. Todays styles lack something, something big. Todays modern style is unnatural, it has little flow, and seems to be searching for something. Thus the thrill of retro. I ride a 07 Guzzi Breva 1100. Its styling is post modern, somewhat weird, Italian. It is not ugly, but something got screwed up along the way. It will never be viewed as beautiful, and that is what the retro craze in trying to capture, the natural beauty of man and machine.
I wear what I have or works. I wore out the originals of most of the stuff these kinds of guys sell. OK, I get retro but save your money. Trust me Gore-Tex works better than canvas in the rain as but one example. Now if you are a poser well then fine…..which means the HD stores will be loaded.
The Alpinestars stuff – at least the jackets have CE-approved shoulder and elbow armor, and provisions for a back protector. So they’re not totally useless. Sure are spendy, though. The rest of the Oscar line….. nah, I’ll pass.
That Nolan N21 helmet: nope, nope, nope. I have never and will never wear anything but a full-face helmet.
I tried to stay out of this, but I feel the need to put in my two cents. its not every day, I ride my VFR or CB1000, sometimes I might ride one of the many small vintage bikes, 50cc to 250cc, and for those days, when I’m just putting around with others on similar bikes, I feel ‘overdressed’, in full leathers, when we are just going to lunch or the coffee shop. I can see the need for these, shown above.
Enjoyed the ad?! Ignoring the effort to define authencity isn’t it great that people are getting on bikes, regardless of the liability assumed by levels of gear worn (fashionable or not) and the type of riding being pursued. Bicycling along in spandex and lycra at high speeds next to motorcyclist’s in full gear riding conservatively around town provides a nice contrast in risk tolerance and hopefully highlights there’s room for different dress codes on the road. As for road rash: if anyone is looking at the tour de france this year it is amazing the level of abuse that can taken without having to pack it in (although there’s been a far bit of attrition too). Some interesting motorcyclist action in the tour this year too, and the riders have a varied approach to ATGATT too. Vive la differenece.
No way
When motorcycle racers switch to wearing open faced helmets, carpenter’s work shoes, blue jeans, and wife-beater shirts while on the track, I’ll do the same. Until they do, I will respect that they wear ATGATT and do likewise. They are the voice of experience in wearing protective motorcycle gear.
It is a bit more convenient for motorcycle racers: that is what they wear to work.
So I suppose when you are driving around in your car you are wearing a flame proof jump suit and full face helmet because auto racers who are the voice of experience in wearing protective gear while behind the wheel of a car wear that?
Actually, a lot of lives would be saved if people in automobiles did wear helmets.
@tank……… cell phones are killing way more people than guns…imo
I think I read that 33000 people per year were dying in gun incidents in the U.S. each year. How many people are cell phones killing?
As I read it, your overall point is not that everybody needs to wear a full airbag-equipped leather one-piece at all times, but that racing (broadly speaking) provides a good example in this area. It’s certainly true that racing has pointed the way forward, and that race-derived protective gear has “trickled down” to the street.
50 years ago, I’m sure plenty of people would have scoffed had someone pointed to race car drivers as examples of why they should wear seatbelts on the street…
touche!
Wear this and you might get a little bit of the old devochka when you stop for coffee. All the hipster ladies will say, “Hey now! Got room for me?”
Hipster bullshit.
There’s different gear, dress, or ‘uniform’ for just about every human activity. And dressing ‘appropriately’ is sometimes mandatory in this life. Here it’s not though. But certain things do seem to go together when it comes to bikes and gear .. off road, sports, or touring all have gear that’s designed for those specific kinds of riding. You wouldn’t wear off road riding gear to cruise around on your ’67 Bonnie would you? Well you could, as long as you didn’t mind looking stupid.
Ps. If you don’t think that style, looks, attitude, and fashion go hand in hand with many motorcycle and accessory buying decisions, try selling them for awhile and see what’s really important to a very large number of people who buy them.
Assuming one is over 18 years old, can enlist in the military, be handed a gun and shipped overseas to fight for the freedoms in this country, you should be free to dress however you want when riding your motorcycle. Wear all the gear you want, cross the centerline and run head on into a semi at 55 mph and you are not going to fare well. Should people wear safety gear? I think it is a wise move, although there is only 1 piece of safety gear designed to save your life and that’s a helmet. The rest of the safety gear just keeps you from getting scabbed up. In America at this time there is still freedom of choice when donning gear for riding. A half helmet is safer than no helmet or bandana, an open face 3/4 helmet is safer than a half helmet, a modular is safer than an open face 3/4 helmet, and a full face helmet is safer than a modular ( generally depending on brand) but in the end, it may not matter what kind of helmet you have on, or if you are wearing no helmet at all. Every time you climb on a motorcycle you are taking a risk, and must understand, that depending on circumstances, no matter what you are wearing on your body or your head, there is a chance you might not be coming home for dinner. It’s a risk we all willing accept, and we must also accept that there are no guarantees. Just last night on the news a rider 48 years old ran wide in a corner, crossed the centerline, struck a telephone pole and was killed. The news even made mention that he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. People still die in cars surrounded by six air bags and a steel crumple zone. We have very fragile shells and life is dangerous. Wear what you feel comfortable wearing and quit preaching to other adults. When the big guy calls you home, no matter what you are doing or what you are wearing, he never gets a busy signal.
I agree with everything you said except there’s no reason to believe a modular helmet is not as protective as a full face helmet. When the lid is shut, it is a full face helmet. When it’s open, it is a 3/4 helmet so, yes, in that instance it is not as safe. My Nolan does have a sticker that says not to ride with the face shield open – but I do occasionally and see many others do the same. Now I’ve seen that modular helmets are the most popular style for the bagger crowd too. It’s a great shift away from the “DOT” beanie that used to be the norm.
I agree with a lot of what you said. What I don’t have a problem with (as long as it’s done respectfully) is “preaching” the gospel of gear, in the sense of making good arguments for wearing it.
(And no, I don’t count posting “ATTGAT!” everywhere as making a good argument.)
How many of the T-shirt-and-jeans crowd do you think survive big slides across pavement, have half their skin flayed off, and then go right back to the rah-rah-freedom-ATTGAT-sucks mantra? I’m guessing not very many. In fact, I’m guessing most of them wish they’d actually listened to one of those safety gear sermons.
(As an aside, I also think it’s important to note that gear can do a lot more than just keep you from getting “scabbed up.” I suspect that many broken bones and other potentially debilitating injuries have been avoided because of things like knee/shin armor, boot armor, palm sliders, etc.)
I rode for 10+ years, always with a full-face helmet and a (non-motorcycle) leather jacket, but never with gloves, and never with anything more protective than normal jeans. I was fortunate not to have had a get-off in that period…but I can tell you that I would have been cursing my own stupidity afterwards if I had. And I can tell you that my current attitude toward gear was most definitely shaped by people who preached the gear gospel in venues like this. How is that a bad thing?
Yeah, a head-on with a semi is gonna end badly however much gear you’re wearing. Much as semi-vs-car is probably gonna end badly even if you’re wearing a seatbelt. But that’s not why we wear seatbelts…and it’s not why we wear gear.
Preaching about gear has the same effect as preaching about smoking, doing drugs, drinking or texting while driving. It has no effect whatsoever other than to alienate and make people want to do just the opposite. I’m quite sure when you were young your parents told you in no uncertain terms not to do something, and as soon as you were out of their site or control, you couldn’t wait to try whatever it was they warned you about. Wearing gear comes with age and experience. You have to get to the point where you WANT to wear the gear before you will do it.
I can’t speak to the effectiveness of campaigns against drugs or texting…but look at the smoking rate over the past 30 years. You think “preaching” about the dangers of tobacco had nothing to do with that?
How many more riders do you see wearing safety gear today than you did 20 years ago? I can’t point to any data, but in my subjective experience I’d say it’s probably something like a 30% increase, maybe more. You think “preaching” about safety gear in magazines, in advertisements, in videos, on forums, etc., had nothing to do with that?
I’m sure you’re right that there are some immature, willfully ignorant types who just ain’t gonna hear it…but you don’t shut down safety education efforts because an “invincible,” contrary-minded 20-year-old might find the message offputting.
Yea that’s pretty much how I feel. As far as gear in magazines, I saw 7 bikes out yesterday. 1 Sport bike, 5 Harleys and a Magna 750. the kid on the sportbike had a helmet t shirt and gym shoes. The 5 harleys and magna riders and their passengers were totally gearless.
On a normal Sunday I will see maybe 30 bikes. 1 or 2 of the riders might be wearing helmets.
I’d call that a failure of a campaign.
More texters than ever even, though there are the “don’t text and drive campaigns” plus it is illegal here
More drug users even though we’ve had ” just say no” for 30 years plus they are illegal.
Fewer people going to church where all they do is preach at you.
Peer pressure is a much more effective tool than preaching.
If you started a campaign today ” Loud pipes are obnoxious and hurt our image” how many of the loud pipes save lives crowd do you think would put their stock pipes back on?
If you said more than “one” I’d venture you’d be wrong.
true dat, Brian.
at least the boots have ankle and toe protection
as for the open face or half helmets – I decided long ago that protecting my face, head and brain were of the highest importance, such as they are.
I took a rock to the face at 50 MPH that shattered my cheek bone – I’ll never wear an open face helmet on a naked/sports bike again.
The white soled boots look like the ones I used to wear in the 60’s and gave me blisters. More bad memories and they’ll probably look like crap inside 3 months.
Modern protective gear has evolved to its current state for a reason. Still, if this means someone will wear *some* protection vs. none then good. Just not for me.
I’ll never forget the time I hit a big dragonfly smack in the center of my faceshield at about 75mph. It sounded like a rifle going off inside my helmet.
As far as I was concerned, that put a big checkmark in the “pros” column for full-face helmets.
+1 even if you use a full face and ride with the visor up depending on speed a big insect can do a lot of damage to your face… or your eyes…
I think it looks pretty cool, but it’s not for me either. If I was into short rides on retro bikes with like minded people, I could see it.
It’s all just the search for more money.
Astars et all have identified a new merchandise segment and want to expliot it. They already have a full product line of power ranger gear so not much new to do there, just tweaks. And that aging segment is saturated.
The sales guys in these organizations all have annual $ goals they have to meet, normally growth of X% year over year. In order to meet their goal and get a raise, they gotta put some new crap out there and see what sticks.
word.
I might dress the part if I was riding a bike from decades ago but it would have to be a bike from the sixties or earlier in my mind. My “old” bike is an ’84 Interceptor but even when new I had already switched to full-face helmets but I admit that sneakers were the order of the day.
In our area I’m just not seeing many resurrected older bikes. It’s pretty much sportbikes and Harleys with a sprinkling of all the rest to balance things out.
I’ll stick to today’s fashions and I’m comfortable doing so.
I had an old football helmet I wore riding around the orange groves that looked a lot like the N21. It wasn’t much help for the occasional face plant. I’ll stick with the 104.
I got hit on my bicycle by a car head on at about 35mph. I rag dolled over the car and landed in the street on my head. My Giro helmet did its job with the impact to the car hood or windshield and then the street. The rest of my body was about as naked as you can imagine with its lycra shorts and lightweight shirt. I survived after a few hours in surgery putting bones back in place. I confess that I used to ride my Harley wearing a beanie aka fake DOT approved helmet. I now have been wearing one of these 3/4 trendy helmets. It’s comfortable. It gives you that wind in your face exposure that I love on a mid summers day. For facial protection on a 3/4 helmet you must follow protocol. Grow a thick BEARD.
I love the whole retro thing , many of us do not want to get off our bikes looking like an over armoured stormtrooper . Stuff you can wear both on and off the bike is just more practical in daily life .
If you like the styling, and the gear is gonna help protect you in a mishap, that’s great. As several have said, any gear is better than no gear, and Alpinestars is quality stuff.
Personally, though, I can’t quite get past the 3/4 helmet thing. I understand the benefits; I just can’t swallow the risks. Actually, I’ve always found it a bit odd, given the impact stats I’ve seen, that a 3/4 helmet can even pass DOT requirements. (Though perhaps it’s good from an overall safety perspective. If the only legal alternative were a full-face, maybe more people in states without helmet laws would go without).
Anyway, to my mind the best compromise for those who want that open-air feeling is something like the Bell Bullitt (which is seen on several of the riders in the video). Huge eyeport, plus something to keep the pavement from performing involuntary facial reconstruction surgery. I’m surprised more helmet manufacturers haven’t offered something similar.
Nah, it looks dorky, like most handbuilt bikes.
Some really nice looking stuff. I suspect the jackets are made for much slimmer builds than mine.
Negatory. I get the whole retro styled jacket thing, but boots,helmets and gloves are all modern functional. Brian said it best. Quit posing in gear you weren’t a part of and develop your skills. Besides, to me, those boots look like clown shoes.
Anything to get people to wear more than T-shirts and shorts has to be good.
I like the boots. They look comfortable and they serve their purpose. But I’ve taken too much road debris in the face shield to every live without something in front of my nose and mouth.
No.
When I was a lad around 1970 or so, I was riding my SL70 Honda, my first “real” motorcycle, and the two tires got caught in two separate tracks which slammed me down on the ground before I even knew it happened. I went to get up and decided, I think I’ll just lay here a while. I was wearing one of those old soup bowl helmets and something smacked me just under it’s lip. Shortly thereafter, I saved my money and bought a 3/4 helmet and later a full face Bell helmet. Since then I’ve gone through quite a few helmets and in my old age I seem to have developed a Shoei head. Those helmets have occasionally served their purpose very well. As such, I wouldn’t give you ten cents for one of those retro helmets. I still have my pretty face and a reasonably functional brain at 65 years old and a lot of the credit goes to those helmets.
By the way, if Alpinestar wants to sell me something, how about a Marc Marquez replica racing jacket. I bought one of those Pakistan knock offs last year, and it’s not really that bad of a jacket, but there’s no official merchandise available. I’ve noticed that all of the foreign ads on ebay have pretty much disappeared, I would assume some sort of cease and desist order was involved. The place I got mine from had MM, Rossi, Lorenzo and other GP star replica jackets, all of which have disappeared from their web site. Cheeze … hasn’t anyone in the cycle business seen all of that Nascar stuff everywhere … how come no GP stuff? Barely a t-shirt or hat to be had, much less helmets or leathers.
I crashed in that stuff in the seventies. I’ll pass. Hipsters…meh
I like a lot of the retro looking stuff, especially a number of brown leather jackets I’ve seen. I don’t much like the scooter helmets from Nolan though.
Not me.
Don’t have any desire to relive the hippy-dippy daze.
Let the hipster-dipsters have that stuff.
I started out with a Buco open-face, red metal flake helmet, and was glad to upgrade to a Bell Moto 4 when they came out.
nopey dopey
I like the look but not the safety factor. Latest and greatest is the way to go. ATGATT = All The Gear, All The Time.
Which is why I never ride without my garish hi-viz one piece Roadcrafter…..
I don’t really get what makes a replica or something styled after the past “authentic”, but whatever. It is some nice-looking stuff, in my opinion, though I prefer my battle armor to be a little more substantial. I wouldn’t forgo a modern, full face helmet, but other than that, I’d ride in that gear sometimes, particularly if my destination were some type of event or activity that would make my regular gear feel cumbersome.
In the same way that Icon made it cool for the invincibles to wear quality gear by making it fashionable to that particular demographic, the “authenticity” movement may provoke the same outcome for this particular type of buyer.
Agreed, anything that gets people who would otherwise wear regular rags on their motorbike into something protective is a good thing. Let’s face it, safety is a relative term when used in the context of motorcycles.
Stupid – motorcycling is a dangerous hobby/sport. I am worried about upgrading to airbag riding suit, Linked anti dive ABS with traction control and carbon fiber shell riding boots.
That helmet is good for planting flowers.
Maybe you should by a Volvo.
A Polestar would be fun!
I have crashed at Laguna Seca and Thunderhill – of course that gear is not meant for the track.
I have hit a deer in a straight line doing the speed limit. That gear would have included a hospital stay.
So you’ll look like the Michelin tire-man with masculinity issues?
I know chicks dig scars…
I’m partially in. I’ve had a Triumph Leybourne waxed cotton jacket for almost 3 years now. I really like it because it doesn’t look like a motorcycle jacket, but still has protective armour. It’s also the warmest and most waterproof jacket I’ve ever owned.
I also have a Bell 500 open-face helmet which I purchased on a whim (it was cheap). It’s also very comfortable. Unfortunately here’s where I consider style has triumphed over practicality, as it’s really noisy regardless of which visor option is fitted. The snap-on bubble shields can’t be retracted and it’s impossible to put on whilst wearing spectacles.
For boots I occasionally wear Doc Martens 8-hole boots when commuting. Makes sense if I’m wearing them for the whole day and walking around town.
The Nolan N20 is actually a pretty good helmet, with a long visor option. I consider it a modern open face with ‘retro’ paint styles available. The N21 looks like the improved version. Lots of scooter riders in AU wear N20s.
Forget the trendy rubbish: does anyone know who provided the backing track for the Nolan video? That I’d gladly buy! Probably not what the average 67-year-old wants to listen to, but…
I wear lace up boots everyday for work.
I wear an openface helmet so I don’t have to take off my glasses.
I wear tight pants because I’m fat.
It has nothing to do with fashion. It’s authentic because I live in the authentic world.
“I wear an open face helmet so I don’t have to take off my glasses”
You can do that with a modular(flip-up) helmet too and get more facial protection. 8^ )
Wearing open face because of glasses is like saying you’d rather bleed than sweat
Nope, nein, nada…
The cruiser riders in my office won’t buy or wear any gear. Here’s great products they ‘could’ wear but won’t anyways, just because. I mean these neanderthals won’t even wear gloves. I don’t know what retailers & manufacturers should do with that info, but there it is.
I just read that Neanderthals had a 18% larger brain than us homos, suggesting they were much smarter. Maybe there’s something to that…
I just read that the Neanderthal population was decimated to the point of no return during over several decades of experimentation with two-wheeled vehicles due to the unavailability of Aerostich suits and full-face helmets.
what got them was all the jumping up and down on the brontosauarus carcasses extracting oil out of them, or maybe it was the fracking?
Keepin’ the nope goin’. Nuff said.
Love retro styling, but not at the expense of protection. Anything less than a full face helmet is just asking for a broken face.
nope.
nope.
“The yearning for authenticity… is partially behind this trend, but ultimately style is the driving force” where style = sales
Amen
I think it’s great…..I’ve been riding in three different countries for the past 43yrs…looks like the same, only better gear, as I had when I started riding…now where can I find a green XS1?
Nope
Are you effin’ kidding me? I was around and riding when this crap was NEW. I’ll take modern 21st Century gear every time!
For you retro guys, think of old brakes, suspensions, ignitions, lights, carbs. Cool – until you have to count on them.
Function should ALWAYS trump form.
Authenticity= nothing in this video.
Nope.
If you feel the need to constantly wax poetic about how “authentic” and “honest” it is to ride a motorcycle–and if you have to dress yourself in (essentially) a uniform to feel “authentic” doing it–odds are your bike is little more than a fashion accessory.
Here’s an idea: Wear the gear you like, but don’t make styling your first priority. Buy the bike that makes you happy, whether or not it’s “authentic.” Then put down the camera, stop tweeting and instagramming every five minutes, and just go ride.
Just because you didn’t tell the whole world about it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Exactly.
well said!!!!
Right on.
They look like my Tims.
Funny stuff – semi-protection for semi-riders. So, still suitable in a sense.
Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue on riding even after its coolness wanes with the kids, and I’ll keep using my old, dirty, beat-up Teknic jackets, Helimot gloves, and Shoei helmet that have many tens of thousands of miles ridden in them (and have never really been “cool”), making them more “authentic” than any of the contrived crap the rolled-jean-cuff contingent has ever actually seen. Comical, that…
The infatuation-with-faux-authenticity thing is what makes the current hipster-isms such a great running joke, though, so I look forward to how far it all clatters along for before going away, much like their shoddily-assembled, ill-modified, and poorly-running UJMs will before hitting Craigslist for $400.
you know bates makes boots like those with the zips on the side. But its not as fancy pants like that though.
But the hipsters will love it
What’s a hipster?
😉
It’s ladies underwear. No matter the context.
Not just no but hell no