RST Rift 2 piece - review Hot

RST has gained a nice foothold in the low-mid range products market, the Rift leathers sit nicely in this area not being too expensive. The only real issue I could find was with the fit and 1 minor point with the construction.

Well reputed brand - mid level pricing

Initial thoughts

RSTare certainly a well established brand in the affordable sector ofmotorcycling, from glove, boots and helmets to leathers the pricing isalways competitive for the given spec, the Rift 2 piece leather set isno different. Following a styling close to its more expensive brother -the Pro Series, the different colours work well without too much of apower ranger effect. The leather is initially tougher than othercomparable sets but we will see how this settles in.

Sizing

Onething that struck me when trying the set on was the sizing, im not 100%sure if it is just my size or the leathers but the jeans were about theright size (and not as tight as I would have expected) while the jacketwas tighter than I expected... Very odd. It seemed to me as though thejacket was cut for the next size down while the jeans followed thecorrect sizing pattern for a Euro 58. As with most motorcycle clothingthough the best fit is a touch on the tight side so I hoped that thejacket will 'give' a little over time to allow at least a littlemovement. That didnt exactly happen as much as I would have likedthough.

That said, each manufacturer has a slightly differing cutso had I been trying these on in a retail environment I would havesimply chosen the next sized jacket to match the jeans, no big problem.With our changeable weather in the UK it is important to be able to fitmultiple layers under the jacket so a little bit more room would haveworked well

Construction and Safety

RSTCertainly though out the spec level on these mid level leathers, madefrom 1.3mm drum dyed Brazilian cowhide, they are twin and triplestitched where necessary and carry Knox armour in all the usual places.Around the collar is a neoprene material which I found rubbed the backof my neck after a while.

Also worth noting is the issue I had with the fastener on the jeans waist. After a while and not really that much use the fastener started to come loose from the fabric and eventually it came off completely - heaven knows where it got to but that doesn't really matter. I contacted RST who reassured me the dealer network were able to take them back and a repair or replacement could be made, as they were on test at the time I opted to make the repair myself so I could continue using them daily - I should have sent them back really though.