Motoport Atlas Jacket
MOTOPORT ATLAS JACKET
CW EVALUATION
Updating a classic
MOTORCYCLE JACKETS COME IN ALL shapes and styles, but for all-around usability, it’s tough to beat the classic Belstaff. Waterproof, belted and multi-pocketed, the British-made Belstaff has been a staple in motorcycling since the 1950s.
Motoport USA, importers of the Motoline Atlas jacket, have recently updated the Belstaff. Instead of the messy waxed cotton of the original, the Atlas, priced at $169, is constructed of waterproof Oxford nylon, with dual-density foam armor at the shoulders, elbows and forearms. (The same jacket without the armor is available for $145.) Other modern touches are an insulated zip-in liner that gives true, three-season versatility, a fulllength Velcro strip that weather-seals the jacket’s front zipper, and a choice of colors. The old Belstaff came in any color you wanted as long as it was black; the Atlas is available (in sizes
XS to XXXL) in black, black/teal, black/red, red/gray and blue/gray.
Otherwise, the made-in-Taiwan Atlas remains true to the original, with a generous cut that allows clothes layering, an easily adjustable waist belt, snap closures at the wrists and four large front cargo pockets. In addition, an inside wallet pocket is provided in both the jacket and the liner, and there’s an inside stuff pouch at the lower rear intended for storing the folded-up liner-though this is a tight fit and gives the jacket a distinct “bustle.”
Motoport USA (7720 B El Camino Real, Suite 504, Rancho La Costa, CA 92009; 800/777-6499) claims the jacket (and matching $85 bib-style pants) is waterproof, and several rainy-day rides did nothing to disprove that claim. This is one all-weather jacket that doesn’t need to be backed up by a rainsuit. In fact, our only complaint about the Atlas is that the plastic draw-
string cinches and two metal snaps at the jacket’s front hem-intended to seal against rain-often go unused, serving mainly to scratch fuel tanks, especially on sportbikes. We did away with the problem by removing the drawstring and taping over the snaps.
Comfortable, versatile, affordably priced and with built-in crash protection, the Motoline Atlas proves that when it comes to motorcycle gear, at least, you can improve upon a classic. □
