Belstaff Brecon Bomber jacket in olive

The Belstaff Brecon Bomber is basically as close as a motorcycle jacket could ever get to the famous, MA1 flight jacket.

 

Now the MA1 was developed for American jet fighter pilots in the 1950s, it having become clear that, at the higher altitudes that could be reached by these aircraft, a fur-collared, leather jacket would not make the grade. Okay, there are a few stylistic differences between the two jackets, but to anyone who knows their military clothing, it’s pretty clear what the designers had in mind when they set out to create the Brecon.

 

The neck collar, for example, is constructed using the same kind of French Rib Knit material that you find on the MA1. Although on the Brecon you also get a fold-back, stand-up collar to keep drafts at bay. You also get French Rib Knit at the ends of the sleeves, and around the hem of the jacket.

 

There are a couple of button-down, slash pockets with flaps. Again as per the original. One nice little touch is the pen holder on the left sleeve that was very much a feature on the genuine MA1 jacket.

 

Of course, perhaps the most distinctive difference between the MA1 and the Belstaff is that the military jacket had a bright orange interior, the idea being that the jacket could be turned inside out to aid visibility if a pilot was downed. The Belstaff has a plaid one.

 

Obviously the feel, and the way the Belstaff jacket wears, is very different to the jacket it emulates, as it's fashioned from a really quite robust wax cotton. Now Belstaff doesn't give us a weight for the wax cotton, but it is undoubtedly at the heavier end of the spectrum. We reckon it's heavier than the fabric used in any of the company's staples. We're talking about the Crosby, the Brooklands and the Trialmaster. It would not be right to suggest that the Brecon was uncomfortable or difficult to wear. It's not; but it is a jacket of substance; a jacket with its own sense of heft. And that's a bit unusual for Belstaff. All too often we look at one of their jackets, and feel that it's a bit lightweight, a bit on the flimsy side; more of a fashion piece than a motorcycle one, perhaps. Well that's not the case here. The Brecon feels very sturdy; as though it can take a lot of punishment, as though it will stand up well to the elements, and as though it will survive an unfortunate coming together with the black top.

 

It's also lightly wadded, meaning that the Brecon is certainly more suited to the cold and the wet than the warm and the dry. The jacket actually doesn't come with a membrane, which surprises us a little because most 'non-summer' Belstaff jackets do. But with wax cotton this heavy we cannot see that the rain is going to find its way through to the body. In theory, it could. But there would be to be a lot of rain over a long period of time.

 

The jacket passes the EN17092 abrasion standard at the AA level, which is what one might hope for. In terms of impact protection you get D3O's ventilated, Level 1 protectors in the elbow and shoulders. The back protector is not included, but the pocket will take a D3O Viper protector or a Rheon one.

 

Everything else about the Brecon is just detailing. So we're talking about adjusters in the sleeves to change their internal volume. Zipped vents on the biceps. Loops to connect the jacket to a pant. A rain gutter behind the main zip to prevent water ingress. And a bottom button that looks like brass, but that is actually silicone to protect the bike's paintwork.

 

The Brecon is a proper, motorcycle jacket. Okay, so it's been fashioned in the image of a military one, but don't buy the Brecon solely because you buy into its design background. Obviously you've got to be happy with the way the jacket looks, but buy it because you want a jacket that's going to do the business on the bike. It will look great off the bike. But on the bike is where it will come into its own. It's quite a piece.