Alpinestars AMT-8 Stretch Drystar XF jacket review

This is the first Alpinestars jacket we have offered for many a year. We did do some Alpinestars gear when we ran the Brands Hatch Megastore many, many years ago. But the truth is that we have long felt that Alpinestars was not really a Motolegends kind of brand.

And in truth a lot of their gear simply isn't for us. Alpinestars is huge, and their aim is to be all things to all people. But that is not our proposition. We know where we stand; and basically that's some things for some people!

But there are some things that Alpinestars does better than other people; and where we think that's the case those are the products that we'll be offering. As ever, our approach will be to cherry pick. A jacket we like here. A pair of boots there. And so on. Our aim is to find their best products; and bring them to you.

And, basically, our first product is this jacket. And we do think it's quite special.

Let us tell you about it.

The AMT-8 Stretch Drystar in principle

We are the layering people. Layering is not for everybody. For some folk life on two wheels has but one focus. Protecting yourself from the rain.

We think this is outmoded thinking. We think it's obsessive. We think it's unnecessary. We think it's an over-reaction. And we think it doesn't reflect the way that most of us ride.

Of course, here at Motolegends we've got all the best, Gore-Tex, laminated gear from people like Rukka and Klim for those who really do find themselves doing a lot of riding in the wet and the cold, but the fact is that it doesn't rain every day; far from it. Most people only rarely find themselves riding in the wet stuff. And when they do it means that they've been caught out. And for these folk wearing a hot, sweaty and cumbersome, waterproof jacket every time they leave the house just doesn't make sense.

And that's because a jacket without a waterproof membrane will be so much lighter, easier, cooler and more comfortable to wear.

I understand that the Boy Scouts' motto is 'Be Prepared'. But heck we don't put our wellies on when we pop out to the shops just on the off chance that it might rain, and the same should apply to motorcycling. For most of us, most of the time, a waterproof jacket is over-the-top.

Which is my way of introducing the Alpinestars AMT-8 Stretch Drystar jacket.

It's a super-stretchy, highly comfortable, very breathable, generously vented jacket that doesn't have a membrane. But what it does come with is a stretchy waterproof/windproof liner-cum-jacket that can be worn on the inside, or the outside, of the main shell.

I am going to talk about the jacket in some detail, but before I do let me tell you that the AMT-8 is a freakin' lovely and brilliant jacket. Alpinestars may not be our kind of brand in many ways, but they are the biggest in the business, and one imagines that they've picked up a trick or two along the way. And what they have created in the AMT-8 really is quite special.

Now we are going to be getting into bed with Alpinestars for one particular reason; and that reason will become clear in a few weeks' time. And given this I have to admit that I didn't expect, or even really want, to be impressed with their clothing. But this jacket is exceptional. Exceptional such that I am going to have to work hard to find fault with it. And for me that's quite unusual!

For us, comfort is so important. We don't pursue comfort at the expense of protection, but we are big believers in the doctrine of 'passive safety'. And this is all about being in a relaxed frame of mind on the bike, so that all your energies can go into staying alive!

So that means not getting too hot, not getting too cold and not getting too wet. It's about being able to ride both mentally and physically relaxed. It's about not being encumbered by heavy and stiff gear that slows your reflexes down when it comes to reacting to unforeseen circumstances.

And so I have to report that the AMT-8 is one of the nicest, easiest-to-wear, motorcycle jackets I have come across.

Of course, having spent so many years banging on about the Marrakesh, I find myself having to qualify that statement.

And so I would still have to say that, in a blind taste test, nine out of ten cats will still prefer the feel of the Marrakesh. Its outer fabric is stretchier, and the armour is lighter. But one of the main appeals of the Marrakesh is that it does not wear or look like a traditional motorcycle jacket. Well the AMT-8 does feel and look like a classic, motorcycle jacket. For this reason some may not like it so much. But given that the AMT does look like a traditional, motorcycle jacket, the way it wears is quite extraordinary.

The AMT-8 in detail

I don't know 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 the chassis, but it's the high stretch component that makes it so comfortable.

It really is quite difficult, in words, 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 a '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 bike’s seat.

A breathable outer shell is the 'sine qua non' of any layering system. Now as there's no fixed membrane with the AMT-8 it is going to flow the air pretty well on its own. The fabric itself won't flow the air quite like a Klim Marrakesh, an Induction, Baja S4 or a Rukka Vihti, but it will still be nice and cool to ride in on a warm day.

But what you get with the AMT-8 that you don't get on the other jackets I have mentioned is zippable vents. And on the Alpinestars' jacket 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 guard. What is particularly neat about the vents on the flanks is that they operate 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 on the outside for laminate levels of waterproofing when it rains.

The AMT-8, however, 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 a match for a drop-liner jacket from a waterproofing perspective. For a couple of hours, the jacket won't wet out. And with it in place like this you'll also have as high a level of protection from 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 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. That seems strange to us, but make of that what you will!

What we haven't talked about is the cold. But for us the best solution will always be 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.

But for us the ultimate solution would undoubtedly 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 stretchy and comfortable, the trade off can be a drop 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 one from Alpinestars because it's designed to fit the pocket exactly.

What else can we tell you?

Well, you one zipped chest pockets, and two more below; somewhat unusually, the zip on the lower pockets 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. There are also a couple of short zips inside the jacket to allow you to potentially zip in an airbag vest if that’s your thing.

Concealed neatly in the pockets is an elasticated drawstring that allows you cinch the jacket in a little at the waist. 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 right 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 prefer the jacket 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.

A matching pant

Technically, there is a matching pant, but in our book this is a jacket you wear over a pair of single-layer jeans like our Rokker Legends. So we're not going to offer the Alpinestars 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.

Like so much Italian gear, the pants only come in one leg length which, in our view, is pretty darned useless!

In conclusion

For us layering is the way to go. Not if you commute all through the winter. And not if, for whatever reason, your job or voluntary 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 can be so much more comfortable to ride in than a waterproof one. And the warmer it gets the more you will notice, and appreciate, the difference.

And, of course, if you want to go touring to warmer climes, layering will always be your best option.

If it rains hard, 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 that often seems a small price to pay to be able to have a jacket that is going to protect you in all weathers, in the way that one with a fixed waterproof membrane won't.

It may be clear by now that we like this jacket. And in our view it nicely complements our similar offerings from Klim and Rukka.

The Klim Marrakesh is more comfortable and is more casual looking. The Klim Induction and the Klim Baja flow a lot more air. With its larger armour, the Rukka Vihti is somewhat more protective than the other jackets.

But the AMT-8 looks and feels more like a regular motorcycle jacket; and some people will prefer this.

In theory, all the jackets we reference from Klim and Rukka will flow more air, 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 S4 which, for reasons we still don't fully understand, is a bit more expensive. This having been said, with the Alpinestars you don’t have to fork out extra for a windproof and a waterproof.

But what this jacket definitely tells us is that more manufacturers are seeing the benefits of layering. As we have said, we think it's the way to go!

You can buy the Alpinestars AMT-8 Stretch Drystar XF jacket with free next day UK delivery online, or visit our store in Guildford to try one on.