Alpinestars 2018 New Motorcycle Gear

Alpinestars, a name the motorcycle community already associates with superior performance, technology, and protection, has announced a collection of new gear for 2018. The new goods—76 different items, to be exact—will soon be available to the general public, ranging across multiple categories such as sport, adventure touring, street, and off-road. Here's a quick look at some of the gear (launching Monday, August 28) that stood out to us, included notable new steps in safety technology, or was just plain cool.

This performance textile jacket has been designed to cover a wide range of riders in terms of style, use, climate, and fit. The notable difference with this jacket is that the Drystar membrane is actually laminated into the outer shell itself, eliminating the bulkiness of most similar all-weather jackets. This not only means less weight overall, but it also helps keep the rainwater from penetrating into the outside layer of the jacket. Technically, Alpinestars categorizes this as a touring jacket, but it wouldn't be out of place if used for general street riding. It features four large intake vents located across the chest and arms, and two exhaust ports on the rear of the jacket. The included CE-certified Bio Armor can be replaced with Alpinestars' upgraded Nucleon protection, if so desired.

Similar to the jacket, the Yokohama Drystar Pant includes the same laminated Drystar membrane that keeps the weight down and the water protection up. The Yokohama includes suspenders to help keep the pants in place around your waist, and large intakes for airflow.

More in-line with the Yokohama, the Hyper Drystar is also categorized as a touring jacket, but won't look out of place on the city streets or twisty canyon roads. The jacket is based on a touring fit, which includes multiple volume adjusters, and also features a Drystar membrane—however, this one's a standalone layer, separate from the outer shell. Robust protection on the elbows and shoulders are hidden underneath the outside layer, so as to maintain a more "discrete" appearance. Stretch paneling is located in target areas to increase freedom of movement on different types of motorcycles. Here's something cool—the inner lining also features aptly-placed stretch-paneling, which helps the jacket move along with you. The Hyper Drystar Jacket is also available in a women's cut, featuring all of the same technology.

This is the "big daddy" touring jacket—very adventure-esque. It features a Gore-Tex weatherproof membrane layer that's also laminated into the outer shell, for the same thin feel and lighter overall weight. It features stretch panels in key locations (like the Hyper jacket) and reinforced sections that help with durability.

Alpinestars targeted the adventure touring market with the Campeche Boot, with a "50/50 split" in mind—i.e., certain riders need both on and off-road protection. The Drystar membrane keeps your feet from feeling the harsh effects from the elements, while the oiled leather finish aids in the cleanup of dirt, muck and grime. Stretch paneling across the calf helps with fit, and the high-grip sole helps with your on-road footing.

The Patron glove allows you to use a phone without the removal of the glove itself, thanks to touch-screen compatible fingertips. Stretch paneling between the forefinger and the thumb helps your hand flex and feel comfortable while in use on the bike, and a CE level 1 knuckle protector is encased in full leather. The Gore-Tex membrane is breathable and waterproof, and specialized "Gore-Grip" on the palms give you better grip on the bars. A built-in visor wiper is a "handy" addition (sorry), allowing you to wipe away any water that builds up on your visor.

The Equinox is a textile winter riding glove, with a fully laminated textile/leather construction. The Outdry technology can be found in a membrane on the back of the glove, which helps the water bead off the glove as opposed to soaking in. The Equinox also features stretch paneling, a visor wiper, and touchscreen-compatible fingertips.

Also a winter-oriented glove, the Café Divine is a luxury glove that's a new addition to the popular Oscar collection. It features a "sport-heritage" feel, a leather-covered knuckle protector and Drystar waterproof technology. The same touchscreen compatible fingertips found in the Café Drystar as found on the other new gloves, as well as the same stretch paneling between the forefinger and the thumb.

Here’s a cool, discrete, dark jacket for those that aren’t a fan of the all-too-common flashy advertising. It features 1.3mm leather construction, CE-certified armor in the shoulders and elbows, and removable protection in the chest and back areas. The really crazy thing? Giant sections of stretch-paneling that run down either side of the jacket, from the wrist all the way down to the waist, giving the wearer huge flexibility. The SP-1 is only available in black, but it does also come in a special airflow version with massive perforation across the chest, arms, and back.

A Gore-Tex membrane that keeps the weather out of your boot? Cool. Blurring the existing SMX design with a sport-touring look? Definitely cool. Altering the shin plate so it's thinner and fits under your pant leg easier? Rad. You spoke, and Alpinestars listened—this was the unique blend of sport and casual that you asked for, and from a sport-touring perspective, it's right in-line with some of the rowdier sport-touring bikes available today.

Here's an accessible boot which is aimed at those riders looking to upgrade from a riding shoe. The main focus point? A rider who doesn't need a full-race boot, but a rider looking for something more along the lines of a sporty road boot. It features a toe slider, shift plate, ankle protection, and maintains decent flexibility on and off the bike.

Not only does this new riding shoe it look like a normal sneaker, but it's actually waterproof as well. It has a soft insert along the sides of the ankle, and offers more protection when riding than your day-to-day sneaker. Designed to look just as sharp off the bike as it does while riding, the Jam Drystar shoe certainly appeals to those who prefer to maintain that casual feel at any cost.

Alpinestars applied the same quality control and manufacturing standards used on its standard suits to a new, smaller suit that's been designed specifically for young riders in the 9-14 year-old range. It features injection-molded shoulder protection, knee sliders and an aerodynamic speed hump that doubles as an air intake. Having worked closely with the younger riders in the Asia Talent Cup, the crew at Alpinestars gained an immense amount of useable data across the board, helping them design a suit that blends comfort with and superior performance.

It’s another notable step forward for Alpinestars, and any of you adventure/all-weather riders will find find a lot of new touring-type gear to choose from. My particular interest is in the laminated jacket liners—anything to cut down on the bulkiness of ADV jackets is something I see as a huge plus—and likewise, I can’t wait to get my hands on a sample to put through the paces. It’s also great that Alpinestars is finally standardizing youth sizing for a mass-produced full leather suit, which is something we haven’t seen from them until now.

Keep your eyes peeled for reviews on these new offerings, and let us know what you want to see us test!