Tag Archives: Dyneema

Form And Function: Ashley Watson’s Waxed Cotton Jackets for Motorcyclists

From the green hills of the Central Hemisphere comes Ashley Watson.

Ashley is a designer who has been itching to update the laminated fabric of traditional motorcycle gear into a more classic, sustainable choice  – and he’s gone and done it with waxed cotton

a model wearing the Ashley Watson Armoured Jacket for motorcyclists

According to a report from MCN, The Eversholt MkII (don’t ask us to pronounce it) is a variant of the Eversholt – the first waxed cotton jacket made available from Watson, and one that he made sure to test on an extensive trip across Europe prior to its release. 

Quoted by Watson’s website as “one of the world’s most protective textile motorcycle jackets,” the Eversholt MkII passes CE testing with a triple-A rating and comes with a hybrid Dyneema/Aramid abrasive resistant lining that houses the latest D3O Armour.

an armoured jacket from Ashley Watson

And the sustainability is sound, considering the market’s alternatives.

“Waxed cotton can be easily maintained at home – making the garment function for longer…laminated waterproof fabrics (the alternative to waxed cotton) are woven from virgin synthetic yarns which are derived from fossil fuels”, says Watson. 

a close-up photo of the new GSX-s950, in Triton Blue.

A front view of the new Ashley Watson Eversholt MkII

“The adhesive used to bond the layers of these fabrics together means that they can’t be recycled. In effect, this means that after a relatively short lifecycle, a jacket made from a laminated fabric will become landfill and take centuries to decompose.”

The jacket is rounded up to the neat sum of £765, as Watson is apparently making each by hand in his shed – adding to the exclusivity of the jacket. Watson is also limiting this batch to 300 units – though we hope in future he will consider expanding his brilliant ideas to the colonies.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Pando Moto update Steel Black jeans

Lithuanian motorcycle clothing company Pando Moto have updated their Steel Black 02 single-layer riding jeans for men and women which are claimed to be tougher and blacker.

We reviewed the Steel Black 9 jeans last year, but the new 02 version has updated the Dyneema technology to make them tougher.

Dyneema is a Dutch invention which blends the abrasion-resistant material into a single-layer denim that meets CE standards for protection without the need for a separate layer.

Updates also give the pants an even darker sheen inside and out.

They say their 13oz single-layer stretch denim has 25% Dyneema and is CE approved personal protection equipment under EN 17092, level AA (speed 70km/h) safety.

Steel BlackPando Moto Steel Black riding jeans

They are also more expensive than the Steel Black 9 ($A470) at $590 and come in a small array of sizes from 29” waist to 34.Pando Moto Steel Black riding jeans

Using the same updates, and Moto has released a version for women called Kissaki DYN 01 with the same slim-fit design and same price. They also come in five sizes from 27W to 34.Pando Moto Steel Black riding jeans

Both come with SAS-TEC Triple flex armour knee and hip armour.

Safety

The benefits of single-layer protective jeans is that they are lighter while still having abrasion protection.

That makes them better for urban riding and more comfortable when you get off the bike to visit your favourite restaurant.

However, single-layer protective material does sacrifice some protection as explained in our article quoting Dr Chris Hurren, a research scientist at Deakin University in Geelong where he and his laboratory work on protective motorcycle clothing.

It is worth noting that in another article, Chris points out that urban and country riders need different levels of abrasion, impact and seam-bursting protection in their riding gear.

He explains the differences in this video from MotoCAP, the world’s first safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing which launched on 18 September 2018.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com