Belstaff Brooklands jacket in black

It has been in the range since the Melanottis acquired the brand back in 2004. It has barely changed since then, and has consistently been the most popular jacket in the range. In fact, it is untrue to suggest that there have been no changes to the Brooklands in the last 20 years. Shortly after they took over the brand they added a waterproof membrane to jacket's spec.. A few years later they upgraded the armour to Level 1 D3O. But that was it.

The Melanottis always had style in mind when they developed their new collections, and at times the way a jacket looked was more important to them than the way it performed. And so it proved to be with the Brooklands. This was always a very cool jacket. In styling terms, it closely resembled a jacket that Steve McQueen wore when messing about with his pals on their desert sleds. But it has never worked well on the bike. A lot of people put up with it, but the problem was that when you leant forward, even at the gentlest of angles, the jacket would rise up, leaving the lower part of the wearer's back exposed.

Well, at long last, for 2024, Belstaff has given the jacket a longer tail. It's just one of a number of changes that have been introduced for this season.

In the intervening years many manufacturers re-tested their garments. Belstaff never did, but when they introduce this new Brooklands, they had no choice. The garment passed at the AA level, which is what we would have expected. So the way we see it, this new Brooklands is a better, more practical motorcycle jacket. It is now, notionally, a more protective one too.

In most other respects, the Brooklands is largely unchanged. The outer chassis is still an eight-ounce waxed cotton. In fact, British Millerain calls the material Ultracore. It has a slightly firmer handle than traditional wax cotton. It is a slightly more water-resistant material, but will develop a very pleasing patina over time. You still get a membrane obviously, and the jacket still comes a D3O armour in the elbows and shoulders. There's a pocket for a back protector.

But in another first for the Brooklands, Belstaff has given the jacket vents to help cool the rider in warm weather. There are incoming vents on the biceps, and exhaust vents on the back.

In just about every way, therefore, the new Brooklands is a step on from its predecessor. But not only have they improved the jacket, they have reduced the price by almost £50. We always liked the Brooklands for its looks. Well now we like it as a motorcycle jacket too!