Riding a motorcycle in the pouring rain isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. However, I can confirm that Akin Moto’s Alpha 4.0 motorcycle jacket made my latest rain-soaked road trip much more pleasant than expected.
Each year, I join a group of motorcyclists on the ‘True North’ ride. The weekend consists of a ride from Perth to Geraldton (in Western Australia) with a small crew and then joining a large group of riders for a day riding around the countryside. Over 4 days I cover around 1800 kilometers riding from my home near the state’s southwestern tip to Geraldton and back. This year in we’ve had a particularly wet winter and the forecast for the weekend wasn’t looking great. Despite this, my comrades and I decided to stick to the plan and brave the weather.
The 4.5-hour ride from Perth to Geraldton went without a hitch. Despite the average-looking forecast, we arrived at our accommodation dry. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the following day. After hitting the road with 20 or so other riders the sun quickly disappeared behind thick grey clouds. Less than 10 minutes into the ride the rain began to fall. In an attempt to avoid the rain we headed inland, but our efforts were fruitless. That day the heavens dumped over 40mm of rain on us. This resulted in flash flooding across many of the roads we rode and an hour-long stop at a roadside cafe to shelter from the storm.
By the time we arrived back in town, my feet were swimming in my boots, the rain had somehow made its way into my helmet, and my leather gloves felt like they’d been reconstituted. However, despite the biblical proportion rain storm, my torso remained dry. The Akin Alpha 4.0 riding jacket I’d secured for the trip kept me dry and warm. And it continued to do so for my entire rain-soaked 900km ride home.
The Alpha 4.0 motorcycle jacket is Akin’s latest iteration of their best-selling riding jacket. Offering a laundry list of purposeful features it’s well-suited to both commuters and adventurers and is 4 season compatible. Amongst the latest updates to the design is Zeus’ flexible and breathable armor. Purchased separately the Zeus armour sits comfortably against the body and is hardly detectable to the wearer or onlookers. Designed to harden instantly on impact the armour boasts a CE Level 2 rating and can be installed on the shoulders, elbows, and back of the Akin Alpha 4.0. As for abrasion resistance, the Alhpa 4.0 is constructed from a Protective Maxtex 600 D fabric and double stitching in burst-prone zones.
Other new additions to the Akin Alpha 4.0 jacket include an improved ‘Smartvent’ ventilation system that uses 5 zippered openings to allow air to flow through the jacket on warmer rides. Conversely, when temperatures drop, the Alpha 4.0 comes with an all-new Thermoline removable liner with wrist gaiters to keep the cold out and the warmth in. All of the external branding is now reflective to increase nighttime visibility and a magnetic locator keeps the jacket’s removable hood in place while you’re on the move. There’s also a hidden fob hook in one of the waist pockets for stashing keys safely.
As for waterproofing, the new improvements Akin has made to the Alpha have definitely paid off. Sitting between the outer shell and inner liner is a waterproof Humax membrane that has a 14k waterproof and 19k breathability rating. This means it’ll keep both the rain and your sweat at bay. The jacket is also fully seam-sealed and all of the pocket zippers are water-resistant YKK Aquaguards. The Alpha’s main zipper is a 2-way Aquaguard zip too and it sits behind a wind and rain-blocking storm flap that’s secured using glove friendly press studs.
Akin has also fine-tuned the fit of the Alpha 4.0. Since acquiring the jacket, I found the fit to be snug on the inside but loose-looking on the outside. The two-way main zipper is a big plus for those with more aggressive riding positions too since it prevents bunching around the waist. The sleeves and liner did a great job at keeping me warm with only a mid-weight sweater underneath and the velcro on the cuff meant I could wear either gauntlet or short cuff gloves comfortably. The ventilation system also works great with the openings on the chest and armpits letting plenty of air in. The Alpha comes in either an all-black or black-white finish. I went with the latter because of the extra visibility it offers in inclement riding conditions.
As I already explained it’s this jacket’s waterproofing that has impressed me the most. After getting hammered by the rain for hours on end, the only water on my torso had either blown up from my waist or dripped down off my helmet. Usually, I wouldn’t ride in rain as heavy as that weekend. It wasn’t fun to say the least. But thanks to the Alpha the whole experience wasn’t as uncomfortable as it could have been. Funnily enough one of my fellow riders was equipped with the Akin Gorm Moto Anarok which also proved itself to be steadfast protection against the rain. My hat’s off to Akin for this one.
The Alpha 4.0 jacket is available in either all black or black/white and comes in sizes small through to 3XL.
Available from: Akin Moto
