When it comes to motorcycle apparel in any discipline, Alpinestars is at the forefront of development in both safety and also styling whether it be their world famous boots or the various other safety products they have on the market.

For 2010, Alpinestars has released an updated version of its top of the line Techstar motocross gear, available in Australia in white/blue (as tested), yellow/red/back and black/white colour schemes.

The cool thing about the Astars gear is that it’s not as main stream as some available brands on the market, meaning that when you turn up at your local track, chances are that you’ll stand out in the crowd.

The Techstar jersey has a wrap over collar and shoulder panel designed to eliminate interference when wearing neck braces (stay tuned for a review on Astars’ Bionic brace in the coming weeks).

It also has multi-panelled polyester microfiber with mesh panels for ventilation, an extended rear panel, padded elbows with injected rubber for extra protection, pre-curved sleeves, bold and fade-resistant graphics, micro wrist cuffs, and woven logo detail.

As for the Techstar pants, they feature a durable Polyester/Cordura/Polymesh construction for the lightest Techstar pants yet, have a reinforced and padded three-panelled knee construction with wave ribbed internal stretch knee panels, and a heavy nylon reinforced seat.

Also featured on the pants are leather reinforced inner leg panels backed by 500 Denier vented nylon for heat and abrasion resistance, plus lightweight, ventilated mesh liner and thigh vents for cooling.

There are removable Internal hip pads, windowed TPR and Velcro® waist adjuster tabs and nylon waist adjuster with embroidered logos, a gripper waist band and hidden front zipper with snap front closure, plus TPR knee details and welded rear TPR logo with custom D-rings.

Finally, the gloves for twenty-ten are made up of a highly durable, vented Spandura mesh upper with 3D TPR protector on back of hand, is constructed with a pre-curved shape and Lycra knuckle flex points to eliminate palm bunching, plus they have durable Clarino palm and thumb reinforcements.

Now that we have all the technical information out of the way, you’re probably anxious to find out what the product is actually like! Well in summary, I have to say it’s by far the best Astars moto gear that I’ve ever worn.

Yes, us media types tend to get excited when a new package arrives at the office, however this year’s Techstar gear is a massive step forward for the Astars range since much of the gear in recent years has remained very much the same.

The less restrictive neck on the jersey is far more comfortable, and the lack of a V shape as per last year’s jersey means that you don’t get as much dirt roosted down the front.

The arm cuffs are a good fit for my arms, again with as less restriction as possible, while the air venting underneath the arm pits, plus the padding in selected sections of the jersey are all well designed with function in mind.

I’m a big fan of the new colours this year, super bright in most colour ways, with options that tend to match a wide range of rides depending on what bike you have.

While the overall colours look good, it’s the little things such as the Astars logos that are placed throughout the jersey’s design that cap it off for the 2010 range.

As for the pants, the knee panels are a lot better in black, although they do tend to go tight in the wash if the leather shrinks, but I think that depends on the method of cleaning.

The best thing about the pants is the adjustable waist, allowing you to adjust it via straps on each side depending on your size so they’ll be sure to fit your waistline perfectly if you’re in the ballpark with the size.

This year’s gloves are also heavily revised, now minus the adjustable wristband, basically being much more minimal in fabric and heading along the lines of many gloves these days with an ultra thin connection to the handlebars.

I’ve worn Astars on and off for a lot of years now when it comes to riding moto, and I can safely say that this year’s range is the best yet by a very long way.

PURCHASE DETAILS
Available colours: white/blue, yellow/red/back and black/white
Price: Jersey $79.95, Pants $249.95, Gloves $49.95
Distributor: Monza Imports
www.monzaimports.com.au

PLUS POINTS
+ Styling
+ Neck comfort
+ Waist adjustment

MINUS POINTS
– Knee shrinking (depending on wash method – be careful!)