Gear Review: Best of the tests

Best of the tests

Need to buy something we’ve not tested in this issue? Here are the products that scored highest in our recent reviews…

Textile Jackets (issue 19 Nov/Dec 2013)
Klim Overland Jacket | £393.95 | Laminated Gore-Tex at a more accessible price. About time! | 9 out of 10
Rukka Cosmic Jacket | £899.99 | An outstanding jacket, but loses a point on the price | 9 out of 10
Richa Discovery Jacket | £199.99 | Performs as well as some more expensive jackets | 9 out of 10

Tank Bags (issue 18 Sept/Oct 2013)
Givi XS308 Tanklock | £115.52 | Quick and easy to fit and has great features. Recommended | 9 out of 10
Oxford X40 Tank Bag | £109.99 | A huge capacity bag with good features | 8 out of 10
S W Motech Quick Lock Evo | £151 | Get over the fiddly fitting and you have a solid and secure bag | 8 out of 10

Body Armour (issue 17 July/August 2013)
Forcefield Pro Shirt | £189.99 | All-round protection with all-day comfort. Recommended | 10 out of 10
Halvarssons Torso Vest | £99 | Comfortable jacket and armour well worth considering | 9 out of 10
Alpinestars Bionic 2 Jacket | £199.99 | Top quality for top dollar | 8 out of 10

Summer Riding Gloves (issue 16 May/June 2013)
Halvarssons Braid Glove | £49 | These are cracking gloves; buy them with confidence | 9 out of 10
Lindstrands Comet Glove | £59 | Everything you need in a summer glove, and the price is right, too | 9 out of 10
Klim Element Short Glove | £149.95 | Expensive but worth every penny – start saving now! | 9 out of 10

Soft Luggage (Issue 16 May/June 2013)
Adventure Spec Magadan Panniers | £350 | Designed by a seasoned traveller; seriously recommended | 9 out of 10
Wolfman Expedition Dry Panniers | £167.50 (pair) | Strong and waterproof, but on the small side | 8 out of 10
Giantloop Siskiyou Panniers | £475 | Pricey panniers, considering they’re not waterproof | 8 out of 10

Helmet Cams (issue 15 March/April 2013)
Go-Pro Hero 3 Black Edition | £359.99 |  Best in test bar none, but the lack of an LCD screen as standard is woeful | 9 out of 10 Drift Ghost | £299.99 |  Tough and compact, the Drift Ghost takes some beating | 8 out of 10
Contour Roam 2 | £169.99 | The best value-for-money entry-level cam on test | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Full-Face Helmets (issue 14 Jan/Feb 2013)
Schuberth S2 Lines | £529.99 | Mortgage the kids and buy one! | 10 out of 10
Arai Chaser V | £379.99 | Quality, if you can live without a sun visor | 9 out of 10
X-Lite X-702 | £349.99 | Nothing to dislike here; comes highly recommended | 9 out of 10

Best of the tests

Socks (issue 13 Nov/Dec 2012)
Klim Klim Sock | £19.50 | No less than you’d expect from Klim but without the hefty price tag | 10 out of 10
Klim Covert GTX Liner | £89.95 | Not cheap, but warm, dry feet may be worth the investment | 9 out of 10
Seal Skinz Mid-Weight Knee- Length Sock | £34.95 | Great all-round sock for cold, wet weather conditions | 9 out of 10

Best of the tests

Hydration Systems (issue 12 Sept/Oct 2012)
Kriega Hydro 3 | £85 | A versatile and worthy investment | 9 out of 10
Camelbak Classic 2ltr | £44.99 | Small and convenient, ideal for the trails | 8 out of 10
Osprey Raptor 10 | £85 | A good pack with additional storage for a long day out | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Summer Pants (issue 11 July/Aug 2012)
Kyrano G8 jeans | £199.99 (knee and hip armour inc) | A perfect 10; they’re not cheap but they’re simply the best biker jeans | 10 out of 10
Lindstrands Wrap Jeans | £109 (armour available from £19.90) | They are what they are and we like them! | 9 out of 10
Draggin Jeans Biker | £169.99 (knee armour inc) | Good-quality jeans and good value for the money | 8 out of 10
Draggin Jeans Cargo | £139.99 (knee armour inc) | A totally unassuming, comfortable biker trouser | 8 out of 10
Hood K7 Jeans | £99.99 (armour not inc) | A good old favourite; pity the armour isn’t included | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

One-Man Tents (issue 11 July/Aug 2012)
Hilleberg Akto | £400 | A wonderfully made tent for the harshest conditions | 9 out of 10
MSR Hubba HP | £320 | Light tent with a lot of space at a good weight | 9 out of 10
Vango Helium Carbon 100 | £400 | Great for the uber lightweight adventure biker | 8 out of 10
The North Face Mica 1 | £220 | Great tent at a good price for all but the tallest adventurers | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Flip-Front Helmets (issue 10 May/June 2012)
Shoei Neotec | £470 | Well done Shoei, no doubt this will be another best seller | 9 out of 10
Shark Evoline S2 | £299.99 | Two quality helmets in one! | 9 out of 10
Nolan 104 Classic N-Com 3 | £269.99 | Sure to be a hit with Nolan fans and quite a few others too | 9 out of 10

Best of the tests

Camping Chairs (issue 10 May/June 2012)
Sunncamp Super Deluxe Comfy Low Chair | £32.99 | Comfortable chair for the larger biker | 9 out of 10
Regatta Delux Folding Camp Chair | £29.99 | On the big side but you’ll enjoy the comfort | 8 out of 10
Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair Vango | £29.99 | Great for the long-distance size-conscious traveller | 8 out of 10
Venice Chair | £22 | The rally-going ABR’s fireside chair of choice, no doubt | 8 out of 10

Adventure Helmets (issue 9 March/April 2012)
Arai Tour-X4 | £474.99 | Quality that comes with a price, but the Tour-X exudes quality | 9 out of 10
X-Lite X-551 | From £320 | It’s the one I’m going to be wearing this year | 9 out of 10
BMW Enduro | A great Enduro helmet to suit all, and not just for BMW owners | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Rainsuits (issue 8 Jan/Feb 2012)
BMW ProRain 3 rainsuit | £87 | If you can afford it, buy it | 9 out of 10
Held Monsun | £76.99 | One for the shortlist – we like it | 8 out of 10
Alpinestars El Nino Suit | £99.95 | Great suit, would have scored higher without the mesh lining | 7 out of 10

Best of the tests

Head Torches (issue 7 Nov-Dec 2011)
Petzl Tikka 2 | £35 | If you’ve got the money, buy one now! | 9 out of 10
Mammut Lucido TR1 | £35 | No-nonsense no-frills head torch that does the job | 8 out of 10
Lifesystems Intensity 80 LED Head Torch | £24.99 | A great price for a very bright and useful torch with a brill hands-free operation | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Boots (issue 7 Nov-Dev 2011)
Sidi Adventure Gore | £249.95 | The new definition of perfect: ‘Sidi Adventure Boots’ | 10 out of 10
TCX Infinity GTX | £229.99 | Great quality, top comfort | 9 out of 10
Altberg Roadrunner | £194.99 | Quality, comfortable footwear that you can have made to measure | 8 out of 10
W2 4-Dirt Adventure | £149.99 | Excellent value-for-money adventure-style boots | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Multi-Tools (issue 6 Sept/Oct 2011)
Victorinox Outrider | £38.99 | A well-mead tool with a brilliant knife and saw | 9 out of 10
Leatherman Kick | £39.95 | Basic tools, but an affordable quality Leatherman | 9 out of 10
Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Multi-Tool | £49.99 | A tad more expensive, but all the tools you might need and a handy survival guide | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Touring Pants (issue 6 Sept/Oct 2011)
Klim Traverse Pants | £279.95 | Simple, practical and fantastic. Love ‘em! | 9 out of 10
Rukka Kalahari Pants | £549.99 | Superb quality and performance, as you’d expect from Rukka | 8 out of 10
Rev’it Dfender GTX Pants | £369.99 | Well designed, quality construction, a great pair of pants if you can live with the
looks | 8 out of 10

Best of the tests

Cook Sets (issue 5 July/Aug 2011)
Coleman Non-Stick Cook Kit Plus | £34.99 | Could nest better, but nonetheless a quality, strong cook kit that’ll have you feeling like a master chef in no time | 8 out of 10
Edelrid Ardor Duo | £45.75 | Nicely made, strong and durable, but a bit pricey | 8 out of 10
Gelert Altitude II Cook Set | £36.99 | A good-quality, tough cool set, but I would have liked a proper lid | 7 out of 10

Best of the tests

Touring Jackets (issue 5 July/Aug 2011)

Rev’it Defender GTX Jacket | £416 | Excellent product, a genuine all-climate jacket | 9 out of 10
Held Hakuna Jacket | £270 | Morocco here we come, in style and comfort | 9 out of 10
Richa Adventure Jacket | £150 | Performs and good as a jacket twice the price | 9 out of 10

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