Hi All,
I've been riding in my Qmoto Black Rock suit (Jacket & Pants) for a little over a month now - and thought it was high time for a bit of a review.
I'm a street rider - commute, tour, pleasure - and ride a Blackbird (but not generally at high warp factors). I don't do racing or track days, but I do ride every day and was looking for a sensible, sensibly priced set of leathers as a replacement for my old set which were very well loved (ie worn!)
My journey started by hitting the local (Aucklanc) bike shops - and thinking maybe I could only afford to buy a jacket this side of Summer... I also hit the net and KB looking at all the economical alternatives (1-tonne/motomail/lifestyle/quasi)
Quasi's reputation here was very good - and I was happy enough with others' comments to go ahead and buy from Bret without first seeing the product first hand (something I was very wary of from other vendors).
Long story short - I ordered a set of the Black Rock leathers - Bret helped me out with sizing (I'm not the smallest chap in the world - but (just!) small enough to fit the standard sizes. It should be noted here that for a little extre folding (but still not enough to make it more expensive than you'd pay for similar quality for big brands in the shops) - you can have custom fit versions...
So - first up - the styling
The gear is styled very modern - but in such a way that it will not look out of place whether you ride a sportsbike, tourer or cruiser. Classic black, with well placed, professional looking "Q-street" logos (made from rubber) on the shoulders and knees, and Q-Moto logo on the collar.
Centre zip and round neck - with neoprene at the back for comfort - enhances the look though zip itself is somewhat recessed being the leather when closed - so your tank should be pretty well protected from the zip (my old jacket being a "diagonal" zip with summer and winter positions - this was something I was interested in)
Scotchlite reflective strips - high at the front and low at the back add a measure of additional safety and visibility - without screaming "Hi-Vis" - so whatever your position on this controversial topic - you'll be happy! It even looks stylish!
Quality insulated liner on the jacket with logo trim once again makes this 'feel' like a top quality product. Under the removable quilted lined is a quality mesh liner which is carried through to the pants as well.
Styling on the pants is again very modern - but still understated. Black leather with Schoeller Keprotec in the crotch area makes them very comfortable (but it did take a coupe of days to get used to it being a degree or so cooler in the nether regions than I was used to - bonus for summer!
CE Armour in the shoulders, elbows and knees, well placed pockets, low back (jacket), High back (jeans) and an 8" zip to join them up round off the package.
Check out Bret's video and pics on the Qmoto website for more details....
A month in - I'm still loving the gear. In fact I'm living it more - obviously like all leather gear - it does take a little time to wear in.
When new, the armour in the elbows seemed to dig in a bit, and the armour on the knees kept riding a bit high (prompting me to push it back down when setting off from lights etc. )
A month down the line, and everything has found it's rightful place and is totally comfortable. In fact I was a little worried for a while that due to my slightly rotund stature I might find the jacket a little tight - no so though - and in fact I can get a hoodie on under my jacket and still move (and breathe).
In fact the sizing on the pants is really great too... whilst they are comfortable and the right size on their own - I've found it's also perfectly workable to wear my work trousers under the leather pants (a bonus for commuting - provided you're not a wrinkle nazi!). Another thing I like is the pants stay up (without a belt or braces I've needed before) - making it much easier to keep wearing them out and about.
I also got rained on the other day - and whilst I've never expected leathers to be waterproof - I certainly got a little rain protection - and was even more happy to see that I didn't have any dye leaching out of the gear when it was wet.
Overall the quality, style, fit and build of this gear is phenomenal - I can certainly echo the comments of others on KB when I say it feels like I've underpaid for this gear when you compare to the big brands in the shops.
I'm in no way connected to Q-moto (I'm not on the payroll - and I'm not getting anything for nothing!) - this is my first experience with it and I wanted to share. More than happy to answer any questions
Many thanks to Bret and the team - you've definitely got one more convert..!
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Originally Posted by rachprice
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