Alpinstars MX-1 review
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
G
Guest
·My favourite leathers (that I've owned) are alpinestar TZ1. I was terribly upset when the TZ1 was discontinued and replaced with the TX1. Apparently people had complained to alpinestar that the TZ1 leather was too tough and uncomfortable to wear, so they made the TX1 from a softer leather. As such the leather is not as resilient and the buttons have a tendency to fall out by themselves. (I tried a new pair on at the shop and the pant button had removed itself from it's place and was stuck in the other end of the button).
I'd be interested to hear what you think of the MX1 and it's build quality. And just out of curiosity, does the jacket have a section of elastic attached to the zipper that holds the pants on?
I'd be interested to hear what you think of the MX1 and it's build quality. And just out of curiosity, does the jacket have a section of elastic attached to the zipper that holds the pants on?
G
Guest
·The TX1 is a womans jacket the TZ-1 is not discontinued.
G
Guest
·That's strange considering I was trying on full mens TX1 suits... Maybe TZ's just aren't distributed in Australia anymore.
G
Guest
·I don't know about down under but here in the states TX are for women.
G
Guest
·By the way how is that jacket? I'm going to need a leather one when it starts to get cool here.
I've been planning to get a full review done but with school it really isn't working out.
I love the jacket. It looks great. When I first pulled it out of the plastic and put it one everyone in the shop said, "WOW." Then I got home and my wife said, "that is awesome." It has a lot of curb appeal and I feel more visible in traffic than I did with my other two jackets that are both black. The white is very white, and the red is very red. My cell phone camera doesn't do it justice. The black on the arms is very thick stretch kevlar. All of the other black on the jacket is leather. The logos look great without being to much.
It has been very hot and humid here for the entire time that I have owned it. I have done a few fairly long rides in it. As long as you can average above 50mph or so it is great. For backroad rides it would be hard to imagine anything better. The venting seems to work very well as long as you are moving enough. If you get into city traffic where you are stopping for lights and not making it above 45 then it starts to get hot quickly. I bought some of the Wal-Mart brand "underarmour" to wear under it for extended trips ($11). I think that it is as good as any real underarmour that I have worn and does a much better job of wicking than just wearing a t-shirt. It is basically like wearing "psycle skins," I stayed really dry with it on yesterday even though the heat index was around 97 with a lot of humidity. The humidity is the real killer to evaporative cooling. In a dry climate the jacket would be even better.
I think that all of the armour is absolutely top notch. The forearm armour comes way down. The shoulder armour is permanently formed in which at first I thought was a negative compared with the other A*'s jackets but I realized I would never ride with it out and it will never move in a crash. So I ordered it anyway and when I saw it in person I was extremely happy with it. I was also looking at the A*'s RC-1 and thought that the removable chest armour that it has would be nice so I was kind of torn on which one to get. Then I got my MX-1 and it has removable foam rib protectors. That it not advertised anywhere. They could be upgraded with harder armour for track use. As they are they put just enough extra cushioning in there that laying on the tank is a lot more comfortable. The back hump is about the perfect size. Not huge but big enough to offer extra cervical vertebrae protection. You would have to be going about 150 mph before it (or any hump) could provide much better aerodynamic properties. They are there to provide a bridge between your back and your helmet keeping your cervical vertebra from being snapped forward when your helmet hits the ground. They know that riders won't buy something if it is only there for safety purposes. So they tell you that it is "aerodynamic" and now every rider has visions of being so much faster that they think they need one.
I was able to try on a US 38 A*'s jacket at one shop and a US 42 at another shop. Neither was the MX-1 but they gave me enough of an idea of A*'s fit that I decided on a 40 US (50 euro). I only have a 36 in chest so the 38 fit a little better there but it was really short on me because I am 5'10". I know that isn't super tall but according to their sizing charts their 38 is for people to 5'7" or 5'8". If I had been buying exclusively for track use I would have gone with the 38 for that skin tight feel. The 40 gives just enough extra room that I don't have to work so hard to get it on and it leaves more length on my back. I still have to drop both arms down behind me and bounce it up into place (like any good leather jacket that is the right size) but once it is on then it fits about how it should except for a little extra room around my skinny chest. I plan to wear a back protector on the track so I think the extra room there will work out since it fits perfect across the shoulders and down the arms and back. Note: If you can just throw a leather jacket on like any other coat or jacket then it is probably to big to offer the best protection. Leather is safest when it fits like a second skin.
One morning when it was a little cooler on my way to school, 65ish I think. I realized that it probably won't work very well for a cold weather jacket. The venting is to good for that. It comes with a thermal vest but the vents are in the arms, shoulders, and pits. I think that If you were going to ride with it below 60 you would want to block the venting somehow.
Negative points: 1. The zippers on the wrist are supposedly "semi-auto lock" or some jazz like that. They don't lock very well. If you move your wrist a lot they run up an inch or so. They should have the little leather straps like every other jacket on the planet. The strap for the main zipper holds it perfectly. I wear gloves that have a long gauntlet (race style) and then it really isn't an issue because they are covered. 2. The moulded vents stick up just enough that you can't turn your head quite as far to look behind you because the bottom edge of your helmet hits. 3. The connection zipper is hooked to some elastic material that is anchored to the mesh inside. When you fully inspect it it seems like everything is anchored well but I would like to see it anchored to leather. I'm going to just have faith that A*'s knows what they are doing.
Summary: A great jacket. Looks great. Worth the money.
I love the jacket. It looks great. When I first pulled it out of the plastic and put it one everyone in the shop said, "WOW." Then I got home and my wife said, "that is awesome." It has a lot of curb appeal and I feel more visible in traffic than I did with my other two jackets that are both black. The white is very white, and the red is very red. My cell phone camera doesn't do it justice. The black on the arms is very thick stretch kevlar. All of the other black on the jacket is leather. The logos look great without being to much.
It has been very hot and humid here for the entire time that I have owned it. I have done a few fairly long rides in it. As long as you can average above 50mph or so it is great. For backroad rides it would be hard to imagine anything better. The venting seems to work very well as long as you are moving enough. If you get into city traffic where you are stopping for lights and not making it above 45 then it starts to get hot quickly. I bought some of the Wal-Mart brand "underarmour" to wear under it for extended trips ($11). I think that it is as good as any real underarmour that I have worn and does a much better job of wicking than just wearing a t-shirt. It is basically like wearing "psycle skins," I stayed really dry with it on yesterday even though the heat index was around 97 with a lot of humidity. The humidity is the real killer to evaporative cooling. In a dry climate the jacket would be even better.
I think that all of the armour is absolutely top notch. The forearm armour comes way down. The shoulder armour is permanently formed in which at first I thought was a negative compared with the other A*'s jackets but I realized I would never ride with it out and it will never move in a crash. So I ordered it anyway and when I saw it in person I was extremely happy with it. I was also looking at the A*'s RC-1 and thought that the removable chest armour that it has would be nice so I was kind of torn on which one to get. Then I got my MX-1 and it has removable foam rib protectors. That it not advertised anywhere. They could be upgraded with harder armour for track use. As they are they put just enough extra cushioning in there that laying on the tank is a lot more comfortable. The back hump is about the perfect size. Not huge but big enough to offer extra cervical vertebrae protection. You would have to be going about 150 mph before it (or any hump) could provide much better aerodynamic properties. They are there to provide a bridge between your back and your helmet keeping your cervical vertebra from being snapped forward when your helmet hits the ground. They know that riders won't buy something if it is only there for safety purposes. So they tell you that it is "aerodynamic" and now every rider has visions of being so much faster that they think they need one.
I was able to try on a US 38 A*'s jacket at one shop and a US 42 at another shop. Neither was the MX-1 but they gave me enough of an idea of A*'s fit that I decided on a 40 US (50 euro). I only have a 36 in chest so the 38 fit a little better there but it was really short on me because I am 5'10". I know that isn't super tall but according to their sizing charts their 38 is for people to 5'7" or 5'8". If I had been buying exclusively for track use I would have gone with the 38 for that skin tight feel. The 40 gives just enough extra room that I don't have to work so hard to get it on and it leaves more length on my back. I still have to drop both arms down behind me and bounce it up into place (like any good leather jacket that is the right size) but once it is on then it fits about how it should except for a little extra room around my skinny chest. I plan to wear a back protector on the track so I think the extra room there will work out since it fits perfect across the shoulders and down the arms and back. Note: If you can just throw a leather jacket on like any other coat or jacket then it is probably to big to offer the best protection. Leather is safest when it fits like a second skin.
One morning when it was a little cooler on my way to school, 65ish I think. I realized that it probably won't work very well for a cold weather jacket. The venting is to good for that. It comes with a thermal vest but the vents are in the arms, shoulders, and pits. I think that If you were going to ride with it below 60 you would want to block the venting somehow.
Negative points: 1. The zippers on the wrist are supposedly "semi-auto lock" or some jazz like that. They don't lock very well. If you move your wrist a lot they run up an inch or so. They should have the little leather straps like every other jacket on the planet. The strap for the main zipper holds it perfectly. I wear gloves that have a long gauntlet (race style) and then it really isn't an issue because they are covered. 2. The moulded vents stick up just enough that you can't turn your head quite as far to look behind you because the bottom edge of your helmet hits. 3. The connection zipper is hooked to some elastic material that is anchored to the mesh inside. When you fully inspect it it seems like everything is anchored well but I would like to see it anchored to leather. I'm going to just have faith that A*'s knows what they are doing.
Summary: A great jacket. Looks great. Worth the money.
G
Guest
·In Europe the TX-1 comes in two different versions - the TX-1 for men and the Stella TX-1 for women.
I just bought one in Germany this weekend, and sofar it seems like a very comfy suit. I do miss the option of having a backprotector fitted inside the lining, but using the external model is probably better.
Re: Alpinstars MX-1 review (updated)
Long term update.
The jacket has broken in very well. It still looks just as good as new and has become even more comfortable. Alpinestars now has these available to replace the foam chest padding so that you don't need a separate chest guard. They fit right in the built in chest pockets. ALPINESTARS CHEST GUARD - BIONIC (2007) - Motorcycle Parts, Motorcycle Service, Motorcycle Accessories, Motorcycle Clothing, and Free Shipping On Most Online Orders - Motorcycle Riders Inc A good upgrade I think.
The cuff zippers that I said wouldn't stay down at first now stay down just fine. It seems they just needed a little break-in. I thought at first that I would upgrade the back-pad with A-stars CE rated protector but I decided to go with a separate back protector for more protection of the lower back on the track.
I have the matching track pants now and the combo is very nice together. They are every bit as good as the jacket and should put me in good shape since I plan a lot more track time this year as soon as round one of my boards are over on June 14th.
Long term update.
The jacket has broken in very well. It still looks just as good as new and has become even more comfortable. Alpinestars now has these available to replace the foam chest padding so that you don't need a separate chest guard. They fit right in the built in chest pockets. ALPINESTARS CHEST GUARD - BIONIC (2007) - Motorcycle Parts, Motorcycle Service, Motorcycle Accessories, Motorcycle Clothing, and Free Shipping On Most Online Orders - Motorcycle Riders Inc A good upgrade I think.
The cuff zippers that I said wouldn't stay down at first now stay down just fine. It seems they just needed a little break-in. I thought at first that I would upgrade the back-pad with A-stars CE rated protector but I decided to go with a separate back protector for more protection of the lower back on the track.
I have the matching track pants now and the combo is very nice together. They are every bit as good as the jacket and should put me in good shape since I plan a lot more track time this year as soon as round one of my boards are over on June 14th.
It's on the to do list, but I'll put the belt sander to work if I have to!!Looks good. Now you need to get them on the track and scuff up the knees a bit
G
Guest
·I know this is an old thread, but I'm thinking about getting one of these jackets. Thanks for doing such a great write up of the jacket, threads like this are a goldmine when you're looking for new gear.
My question is, can you still wear a backpack with the hump on the back of that jacket? Also, in the first picture you posted at the top of the thread it looks like there's no hump at all, is it removable or just a quirk of the camera angle?
My question is, can you still wear a backpack with the hump on the back of that jacket? Also, in the first picture you posted at the top of the thread it looks like there's no hump at all, is it removable or just a quirk of the camera angle?
Just a quirk of the camera. The hump is definitely there. I still wear a backpack to school every day with this jacket. I just adjust the straps so that it sits a little lower. It isn't as comfortable as not having it there but I would rather have the hump and be a little uncomfortable than give up the hump. It's been almost a year now and I have Zero complaints about the jacket. It is getting better with "age" as it breaks in.
G
Guest
·Hey Will, are you and Jason Disalvo competing for coolest beard or something? :eyebrows: Welcome to JasonDiSalvo.com | 2008 Edition I think he raised the bar with the Mohawk...
G
Guest
·Will, maybe you mentioned it and I just missed it, but where did you purchase your set? Mail order?
G
Guest
·Thanks for the info. I'm still trying to decide wether to get the MX-1 or RC-1, decisions, decisions. I plan on doing what you did with essentially making my own 2 piece suit. I find with the matched sets, either or the jacket or pants don't fit right and the local retailers here are not willing to mix and match for me. It's a real pain getting gear here because although there a lot of dealerships, none of them really carry a lot of gear, let alone in different sizes. They also want me to pay for something before they'll order it for me to try, so I might as well just shop online.
Yes, except that I can't really compete because I'd be thrown out of school if I got carried away.
The jacket was ordered from one of my local dealers. They had a jacket on the shelf that was perfect for my wife. View attachment 29526 They had four of them on the shelf. According to the bike sales guy it was a mistake by a previous parts manager to order so many. There isn't a single mens A-stars jacket on a shelf at any local dealer and they have four of the exact same womens A-stars jacket? A year later the other three are still there. So I told them I'd give them $800 for two jackets, one for her and they ordered the one that I wanted. That's $200 less than if I had paid full price for both of them. Cal-Sportbike (my favorite online retailer, and a site sponsor, or at least they were) had given a great price but since I was able to work out a good deal locally I went with it. The pants were from a member of the WERA board. Brand new with tags. They wouldn't fit him and the place he ordered from wanted a 25% restocking fee so he gave me a good deal.
No dealership here had a single pair of street boots, out of about 10 dealerships that I visited in a 150 mile radius I found two A-stars jacket one too big, one too small, and both were low end. Leather pants? Other than black leather with fringe there probably isn't a pair in the state. So I know what you are going through. I had the same problem with trying to find a good fit. I'm tall and thin so the one piece suits that were tall enough were way too baggy and the suits that were thin enough weren't tall enough.
Newenough.com doesn't charge any restocking fee so if you aren't sure of sizes they are a good way to go. Their prices are slightly higher initially though so gamble on a lower price somewhere else but possibly have to pay restocking fee, or pay a little more and know that you won't have to pay the fee if you do need to return something?
G
Guest
·I live in a city of over 2 million, you'd think someone would stock some gear. I guess motorcycles are too much of a niche market in North America. A lot of local retailers have stopped stocking Icon stuff too because they are so heavily discounted in online stores.
I'm 6'2" and I weigh about 225lbs, so I'm tall with a beer gut. It's hard for me to find a jacket that fits my gut without being too large in the chest which bunches up when on the bike.
I'm 6'2" and I weigh about 225lbs, so I'm tall with a beer gut. It's hard for me to find a jacket that fits my gut without being too large in the chest which bunches up when on the bike.
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Join the discussion
