A whole new concept in jackets
Available in a ladies cut as well as a gents
My new Tor Jacket from Knox arrived the other day. One of the things that make the range of clothing that they offer is the way they reimagine motorcycle clothing. To this end the Tor is no different.
With the new Tor they've taken the traditional fabric motorcycle jacket, the type that we would wear riding an adventure bike or a touring one, and created an entirely new option.
There are several issues with traditional jackets. While the best are very good combining light weight with protection, waterproofing and comfort there has always been a trade off where what they offer is concerned. Indeed something that works well all year round is always going to involve some sort of compromise. The challenge for Knox was to come up with something better.
So what they’ve done with Tor is make a jacket that meets these challenges, but does so in quite a different way.
The fabric is incredibly stretchy which means that it, and its Microlock armour, on the elbows, shoulders which are complimented with a full back protector, hold the wearer in a comfortable and highly effective protective way. Should something not going entirely to plan the Tor will step up when it comes to protect the wearer. There’s even a velcro patch inside to take a chest protector. Indeed the construction of the jacket has earned it a AA rating.
Clever design makes for an easy wear
Because the fabric is completely ventilated the jacket carries all of this with a body made from in-motion mesh. There’s no longer any need to be a sweaty mess when you get off your bike. One of the side benefits of this fabric is that it accents my incredibly good looks while still being wonderfully comfortable.
One of the advantages of the traditional fabric jacket is the amount of pockets that they have. The existing range of Knox underarmour doesn’t feature any as it’s designed to be worn under a jacket. The new Tor does have them and this makes a huge difference. While there are four on the front and one map pocket on the rear as well as an inside pocket on both the left and the right, when the inner pockets are taken into account there are no fewer than 14 of them in total! In one of them there’s even a visor wipe. The chest pockets have clips built in and the zip pulls are made with reflective material.
Feeling weightless
Many of the traditional jackets have a full zip to attach them to the pants. This prevents the jacket from sliding up in the event of an accident. Because the Tor doesn’t have this option the company have included belt loops inside it. This allows the rider or pillion the facility to attach the piece to a pair of trousers to keep it from riding up. I use mine with a pair of AAA rated Shield jeans. These are a very clever piece of kit in themselves.
Accenting my beautiful good looks...
If one happens to get caught in the rain, it sometimes happens in Donegal, the Tor also comes with a waterproof over jacket. It’s light enough to fit into any of the pockets and I really like that I can pull it on over my head. There are no zips, just a drawstring and the whole thing is reflective with a classic, but very subtle, design. A bit like myself really. There is also an option to wear one of the companies thermal jackets between the two. I reckon that this will make it a true all year round option.