Sunday, May 4, 2014

Who fits the Alpinestars Bionic 2 jacket?

After buying a Leatt neck brace a few months ago it was frustrating to discover that it doesn't work with the Fox Titan jacket that I use. The Titan fits me really well, is comfortable, gives CE-1 arm protection and CE-2 back protection, and replaces the armour in my outer jacket. But the design of the chest protector interferes with the front support of the Leatt, so different armour is needed.

Scouring various internet forums uncovered the Alpinestars Bionic 2 as one of the few jackets that works with a neckbrace and offers both CE-1 and CE-2 protection like the Fox Titan. So I ordered an XL. Although I heard they fit tight, I was at the bottom of the XL sizing range according to the measurements indicated by Alpinestars.


Now, I'm not a big guy--6'-1" and about 190 lbs--but there's no frickin' way I could fit into that XL. The arms were painfully tight, the stitching was stretched to the point of ripping, and I lost sensation in my hands after about a minute. Also, the chest was weirdly shaped and seemed to leave half my torso exposed. Riding was out of the question. The 2XL--largest size offered--was equally bizarre. The chest protector didn't cover my lower ribs, the shoulders were painfully tight and dug in to my arms, and the arms were still numb-inducing tight through most of the length although the wrists were floppy. I didn't even bother trying it with the Leatt. I really wanted to like the Bionic 2, but there's no way I could get it to fit. Unless mine were labelled incorrectly (didn't seem to be the case) it's really puzzling who it's designed for.

Now I'm back to square one looking for a jacket. The Clover Crossover would likely be a strong contender if budget allowed.


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