KIWI RIDER OCTOBER 2017 VOL.1 | Page 33

Photos : Andrew Gosling

PRICE COLOUR

SIZES

Jacket $ 549 ; Pants $ 379 Blue / sand , Silver , Black S to 5XL

RST ’ s Adventure III suit is for those riders who don ’ t just ride on tar-seal but enjoy getting away from it on gravel roads , and beyond . I used this suit for a hot , dusty and humid ride on the launch of Suzuki ’ s 2017 V-Strom launch . This was a tour of some of the dustiest , sandiest roads and trails that Northern Queensland has to offer . The outer shell of both the jacket and pants is made from heavy duty 500D Cordura and Ballistic 1660 material that ’ s double and triple stitched in high stress areas . The jacket features CE Approved armour for the back , elbows and shoulders , while the pants get CE Approved knee armour . There are removable thermal and waterproof linings . The waterproof lining is Sinaqua which offers 10,000mm / cm2 of waterproofing and 5000g / m2 / 24hrs of breathability . What does it mean ? Well , that ’ s a pretty decent waterproof rating and ok breathability for a zip-out waterproof lining . I ’ m not normally keen on removable waterproof linings for general road use , but the benefits of this kind of system suit hotter , more active environments . When riding reasonably slowly in tougher terrain and it ’ s hot , the removable lining type of suit allows for far more breathability and airflow to keep the rider cool compared to a material with a bonded waterproof outer fabric . With both the thermal and waterproof linings removed , and all of the vents open , I found the suit nicely comfortable to wear even in the 30-odd degree Aussie heat . I could easily feel the air coming through the vent mesh , cooling me down ; it ’ s clear the Adventure III suit is focused on hot weather performance . There ’ s also an elasticated under-crotch strap to stop the jacket rising up . There are a heap of pockets , including four in the pants , while the jacket gets two internal and two external as well as a removable bumbag / rear pocket . On the venting front , there ’ s a huge range from mild to fully vented , with vents on the chest , back , full-length arms , full thigh and ‘ exhaust ports ’ on the back . If you can ’ t stay cool in this suit , it ’ s stubbies and vest as riding wear for you .

It ’ s well cut and well spec ’ d and at $ 549 for the jacket and $ 379 for the pants , the Adventure III suit is certainly good value for money , which has become something of an RST trademark .

~ BEN WILKINS

CONTACT : www . nwa . co . nz

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