Kushitani Touring Suit

KUSHITANI TOURING SUIT

CW EVALUATION

Style and protection for the street

FOR TOO MANY YEARS IN THE U.S., full leather riding suits have been held hostage on racetracks. While European riders have been willing to wear racing suits for street riding, most Americans have been content to ride with less than full protection, opting for leather jackets and Levis. But with the increasing popularity of sportbikes in America, things are beginning to change, with more and more street riders purchasing either full racing leathers or leather sporttouring suits. Too, more companies are offering a better selection of street-oriented leathers.

One of those companies, Kushitani, known for its high-quality racing suits, has been making street leathers for overseas riders for a number of years, but now through U.S. Kushitani (2355 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 9505 1 [408] 2460200), offers its Touring Suit in four conservative color combinations— all-black, blue-and-black, red-andblack or gray-and-blue—to U.S. riders.

Made of top-grade calfhide, this simply styled, two-piece riding suit features double-leather padding on the shoulders, elbows, knees, hips and buttocks for extra protection.

After several months of hard use, our suit has stood up well. It has been worn in virtually all riding conditions from cold, pelting rain to hot desert sun, and shows little sign of wear and tear. Bugs wash off easily, and even after being drenched in several rainstorms, the suit reveals no water spots or dulling of exterior color.

Though the overall quality and function of the Sport Touring Suit are excellent, it does have some shortcomings. First, the fit of our sample suit is a bit odd in that the arms are long, as almost an inch of extra material gathers below the wrist on riders of average size. Also, there is no ventilation, other than the front zipper, so on warm days, when the rider works up a sweat, moisture gets trapped in the suit, then it bleeds color from inside the leather onto the rider’s shirt. Also, there are no pockets in the pants, the small, outside breast pocket is difficult to open, and while there is an inside pocket which is easier to use, it is barely large enough for a wallet and comb. Finally, some of our more-conservative riders complained that the suit, with its external padding and tapered legs that require boots to be worn over the leathers, still looks too much like a racing suit.

Overall, the Kushitani Touring Suit is a very nice piece of gear, but at $699 it is also expensive. And with its lack of ventilation and usable pockets and its—to some—race-oriented features, it may not be all that practical for many street riders. Certainly, the suit offers more protection and more style than jeans and a jacket, but it could offer a lot more than that if it paid more attention to the needs of the average street rider.