Hey friends,
Here is a review of two awesome 1 piece leather race suits. I received both from
Motoliberty down in Texas. The first was the Rev'It! Tarmac in white and black, and the second was the RS Taichi GP-X S207 in white and black as well. The first thing I noticed when pulling both suits out of the box was that the Rev'It! was a decent bit lighter than the RS Taichi. I think it was about 13lbs or so where as the Taichi was probably a little over 14lbs. Both are made from standard drum dyed leather and have CE rated knee, shoulder, and elbow armor. So let's start with the Rev'It!
The retail price of this suit is $1299, and so it is slightly higher priced than the RS Taichi which comes in at $949. While the leather and overall construction quality isn't much better, there are some small differences in features which I think warrant the price. I'll get to that in a second. First, the fitment. The suit I got was Euro size 46. Laying it next to the Taichi, in Euro size 48, it actually looked two to three inches longer. Trying it on confirmed this thought, and though it was easy to put on and was comfortable throughout, it was a bit baggy at the knees and lower legs. That made putting on my
Spidi VR6 boots a little more difficult.
I went out and sat on the bike and it seemed comfortable enough, but I did not take it for a test ride as I didn't want it to get dirty unless I knew for sure I would keep it.
Now for the features. The sliders are dual composition sliders. They have a plastic mount with aluminum inserts, which I was a big fan of. Also to justify the price, there were elbow sliders as well. Also included was an extra set of kevlar stretch panels at the elbows which made bending my arms that much easier. Definitely added to the comfort a bit.
The knee pucks also seemed to be a little more hefty and at least incorporated the rev'it! design. These little things show attention to details which I find improve aesthetics and overall appeal and comfort. There is also plenty of perforation throughout the suit which will keep you cool on hotter days.
A really nice feature, which I think I would unfortunately probably not use just due to the hassle of it (in my eyes anyways) is the aero hump on the back of the suit. It actually has a zipper (see below) which opens and allows you to place a hydration bag and run the tube out and over the shoulder (with little elastic clips to hold the tube), allowing you to drink while riding.
Now for the RS Taichi GP-X S207. As far as fitment goes, it was much much more difficult to put on...the reason for this being that once it was on, it literally fit like a glove, meaning that it was decently tight fitting and the clearly right size. In my opinion, the suit overall looks a lot cleaner and appealing. Obviously since it is cheaper, there were some things which I wish it had, specifically a larger zipper stay, and the stretch panels at the elbows. It is a bit hard to bend the elbows which isn't an issue on the bike, but off the bike it would a nice feature.
I do feel as though there is a lot more perforation which is nice since lately it has been horrendously hot. Also, again with the fitment, the knees were very clean and felt smooth. They did not bunch up and it was very easy to zip the sport boots around them. Now I understand why boots have such large calf openings. When riding in jeans they are quite loose but with a suit, they fit very snug.
An extremely nice feature which in my opinion trumps the aluminum sliders of the Rev'It! is the inclusion of shoulder slider air vents. On a hot day (or on all hot days since this crazy heat wave has stricken the nation), it allows massive amounts of airflow into the suit, as well as through the aero hump on the back. May not provide as much crash protection, and hope not to have to find out, but for street riding and such, it is a very welcome feature.
The knee sliders were just basic black, nothing fancy, but I'd imagine they get the job done. I probably won't ever test them out on the street, but eventually when I make it to the track one day, they'll probably work fine. Perhaps they may be even cheaper to replace since they are basic! Always look for the positives lol!
The back of the suit is fairly standard. Typical stretch panel and double layered leather on the butt. No water harness in the hump but it also allows for increased airflow so that's always good in my book.
So clearly, RS Taichi sizes run smaller than other companies. The 48 fits me perfectly yet the Rev'It! 46 is too large. So much for standardization! But that does give hope for short guys like me. Standing at a whopping 5'3", much like Dani Pedrosa, I have found the company which supports the munchkins!
Now for the most important part. The Ride. Although I was first a little unstable due to getting used to the new natural body position of the suit, it became second nature once moving. First and foremost I immediately noticed a vast improvement in my technique. Since leather grips way better than cotton jeans, and the knee pads being secure and padded, I barely had to squeeze to get a firm grip on the tank. I didn't even realize I was doing it and didn't get exhausted. This translated into very light responses and dramatically improved handling with less fatigue.
I went out when it was 95 degrees and I was very comfortable. The shoulder vents let in massive amounts of air and down into my back regardless of how I sat. Sitting more upright, the front perforation cooled me down pretty well. Tucked down onto the bike, the hump channeled plenty of air down my back. The kevlar stretch material around the back of the legs allowed me to move around on the seat better and to transition from one side to the other easily without bunching clothing.
And finally, instead of flapping jeans in the wind, the leather cut right through, with no billowing. It made for a much more comfy ride for sure, and I felt much safer and more confident. I got many looks from interested drivers. I guess they are more used to seeing squids than people wearing proper gear!! Better safe than sorry I always say.
So in the end, I kept the RS Taichi GP-X S207. Secretly, I had been hoping that it would fit better anyways because I had my eye on it for the longest time. The guys at sportbiketrackgear.com said it would probably be baggy, but Audrey at Motoliberty said it would probably fit decently well. It ended up fitting like a custom suit, and I am one happy Pandabear!
As far as having a 1-piece suit for the streets? Maybe not the best for going to the store and whatnot since it's a bit of a struggle to get in and out of, but for having fun and longer rides, especially on the highway, (and obviously track is a must) it is worth every penny, no lie.
Hope you enjoyed the rather long comparison review!
- Pandabear
P.S. Sorry for the sections that have some weird white highlighting going on. I have no clue why it appeared in random places, it must be a glitch.
