Alpinestars AMT-8 Stretch Drystar XF jacket in brown

The Alpinestars AMT-8 Stretch Drystar jacket is hard to categorise. For a start, we don't know exactly what the outer fabric of the jacket is; and Alpinestars doesn't really tell us. There's a kind of crepe-like feel to the material. And one can discern a very slight, Ripstop-type patterning to its design, but it's the high-stretch component that makes it so comfortable. It really is quite difficult to do justice to the way it wears.

 

Alpinestars refers to the jacket's pre-curved sleeves, which is what manufacturers normally talk about in relation to one-piece leathers and heavy jackets, but one can evidence it here, and certainly on the bike everything seems to fall nicely into place. Alpinestars also talks about the jacket's 'contoured bottom edge'; what we would call a 'lowered tail'; and yes the jacket has quite a pronounced one. And that's what you always want on a motorcycle jacket. We reckon a lot of people will wear the AMT-8 over a pair of jeans, so we like the fact that it will more than cover the belt line. In fact, with most people it will actually touch the saddle. The jacket purposely sits quite short at the front.

 

A breathable outer shell is the 'sine qua non' of any layering system, because it's the absence of a membrane that makes a jacket wearable and bearable in really hot weather. And so as there's no fixed membrane with the AMT-8 it is going to flow the air pretty well when the inner jacket is removed. It won't flow the air quite like a Klim Marrakesh, an Induction or a Rukka Vihti, but it will still be nice and cool to ride in on a warm day. 

 

But what you get that you don't get on the other jackets I have mentioned is zippable vents. And on the AMT-8 you get these up the flanks and down the forearms. There's also a large exhaust vent on the back concealed beneath a deep storm flap.  What is particularly neat about the vents on the flanks is that they are designed to stay open, and act like air scoops when you're on the bike. It's a clever piece of design, and we think it will ensure that you get lots of air into the jacket.

 

Now with something like the Marrakesh, we recommend wearing the Zephyr on the inside to protect you from the wind chill, and then a Scott waterproof on the outside for laminate levels of waterproofing when it rains.

 

The AMT-8 comes with a waterproof/windproof liner that can be worn inside the jacket, or on the inside. And although every manufacturer tells you that their removable liners will do this, in reality most of them don't. But the one that the AMT-8 comes with does. And that's because it contains loads of stretch.  Wearing it over the main jacket just isn't an issue. And when it's not in use it packs neatly into the jacket's rear pocket.

 

Wear the liner on the inside of the jacket, and you will have a set up that is pretty much a match for a drop-liner jacket. In fact, a jacket with a removable membrane will not 'wet out' to the extent that a drop-liner one will. With it in place you'll also have as high a level of protection from the pernicious effects of the wind as you would get from any waterproof jacket. But put the waterproof on over the shell jacket, and you've got a solution that will technically out-perform a laminated jacket from a waterproofing standpoint.

 

 

And, of course, this is why we love layering. As with jackets like the Marrakesh, you could ride anywhere in any climactic condition in the AMT-8; and always be properly insulated from the elements.

 

 

Just one little thing. Alpinestars apparently is not prepared to share with the world the waterproofing and breathability scores of its membranes. Make of that what you will!

 

 

What we haven't talked about is the cold. For us the best solution is always a separately-worn insulating piece of some description. That could be a fleece. That could be something like the Rukka Lahti, which delivers great warmth in an easy-to-wear, lightweight jacket that is also relatively inexpensive. For us the ultimate solution would be something like the goose-down-filled Klim Maverick, of course. It is incredibly warm, works well off the bike when you're wandering about, and compresses nicely to create a mid-layer without too much by way of bulk.

 

Now sometimes when a jacket is suspiciously comfortable, the trade off is often a trade off in abrasion resistance, because something like Elastane will always make a garment's outer shell weaker. Well we don't know how Alpinestars has achieved it, but the AMT-8 jacket still rates AA for abrasion resistance under EN17092. That's the same as the Marrakesh, but it's nonetheless impressive.

 

The armour in the jacket is Level 2, and it comes fitted as standard in the elbows and shoulders. It's large, which is good. And it’s reasonably flexible, although I would say that it feels a little clumpy in comparison with some of the more modern Level 2 armour from people like D3O. 

 

The back protector is not included, but we would go for a D3O Air Level 2 protector, or the same from Rheon. The jacket takes a two-part chest protector set; and for this you would go for the Alpinestars ones because it's designed to fit the pocket exactly.

 

What else can we tell you?   

 

Well, you get two, zipped chest pockets, and two more below; somewhat unusually, the zips on these face towards the centre of the jacket; but it works fine, and we can see the logic to doing it this way. There’s one waterproof pocket inside the jacket, and one mesh one.

 

You get Velcro adjusters on the forearms. And Velcro flaps at the ends of the sleeves, but no zips. At the neck there’s a drawstring cord. The inside of the neck, by the way, is a combination of mesh for breathability and a much softer material like Neoprene for comfort

 

There's a little loop on the left side for a water bladder pipe, but there's no space for the bladder inside the jacket.

 

Initially, we are going to be holding the jacket in stock in brown. Now we kind of think it works best in this colour, but it also comes in black. It's on the website, but if you want one in this colour it might take us a few days to get in.

 

Technically, there is a matching pant, but in our book this is a jacket you'll probably wear over a pair of single-layer jeans like the Rokker Legend jeans. So we're not going to offer the pants to begin with. Again, if the demand is there we can get them in. And if a lot of people want them we will add them to our line-up. As with so many Italian brands, the pants only come in one leg length which, in our view, is pretty darned useless!

 

For us layering is the way to go. Not if you commute all through the winter. And not if, for whatever reason, your work involves you spending a lot of time riding in heavy rain. But most of us don't; and if it's not raining a jacket like this will be so much more comfortable to ride in. And the warmer it gets the more you will notice, and appreciate, the difference. And if you want to go touring to warmer climes, layering will always be your best option.

 

If it rains hard for a long time, wearing the waterproof over your AMT-8 will give you all the protection from the wet stuff that you'll need. You just have to be prepared to pull over, and put it on. And for us this seems a small price to pay to be be able to have a jacket that is going to protect you in all weathers, in the way that a waterproof one won't.

 

It may be clear by now that we like this jacket. And in our view it nicely compliments our offerings from Klim and Rukka. The Klim Marrakesh is more comfortable and is more casual looking. The Klim Induction flows a lot more air. The Rukka Vihti is somewhat more protective.

 

The Alpinestars AMT-8 looks and feels more like a regular motorcycle jacket; and some people will prefer this. In theory, the similar jackets from Klim and Rukka will technically flow more air through their outer chassis, but with the vents on the Alpinestars opened up you are going to be hard pushed to tell.

 

In terms of price, funnily enough, all the alternatives come in within pennies of one another once you equip them all with Level 2 armour and back protectors. The only exception is the Klim Baja which, for reasons we don't fully understand, is a bit more expensive.