A childhood photo of the world’s only female Ducati Master Tech, Hannah Johnson, hanging out with biggol’ bikers.
Childhood Photos: Hannah Johnson
Review: Icon Hella Leather Jacket
What pops into your head when you hear “Icon Motosports”? Often times it’s armored vests, bright colors and loud emblems. Women’s gear has usually been cluttered with pink, stars, flowers, swirlies and countless other “frilly” things. Not anymore. Icon isn’t limiting themselves to elaborate designs, proved true with the Icon ladies leather Hella jacket.
Walking into Cycle Gear as a new rider to check out motorcycle jackets, everything in sight was a bunch of crap. It’s like walking into a whirlwind of 80’s fine art snobbery full of bright colored shapes and splatter paints on riding gear. It was disappointing to see that almost every ladies jacket included at least 3 different colors (at least one of which almost always being pink). It was easy to wonder, “What happened to the good ol’ leather jacket?” Knowing very little at the time about proper safety wear and the true benefits of armor, I took a peek at some helmets and promptly left… opting to keep using my old Wilson’s leather fashion jacket.
As I’ve gained experience and had the opportunity to wear Dainese and Rev’It gear that we sell at the shop, I realize now how foolish my previous choice was. Ride without armor? Are you insane? No, I wasn’t… just daunted by the lack of options and abundance of crap being mass marketed toward women.
My first armored jacket was a mesh jacket I found used for $35. As the leaves began to fall in Portland it was obvious I needed another option. I found myself an armored textile Dainese jacket that worked pretty well. It had big pockets, armor, thermal liner… everything a rider could need really. But it just wasn’t a leather motorcycle jacket. You know- the kind of gear you bond with, you love, you keep.
That can be found with the Icon Hella jacket. It’s bad ass, looks good, and still has some feminine qualities to it. Let’s start with the outside and work our way in, a little foreplay never hurt anyone.
It has a lady like shape.
Holy crikeys, it’s got curves! A tailored type fit, the waist follows that of a real woman’s- it tapers inward! There’s space up top for those who’ve got a good rack to deal with, room down low for them child-bearing hips, and adjustable waist straps if you’ve got a Marilyn Monroe body going on and need a little tighter fit.
It won’t scratch your tank.
The flap/button combo at the base of the zipper covers any metals that might be able to harm your tank while riding sport bikes (or anything else with heavy lean angle).
Your tramp stamp won’t show.
The back of the jacket extends a little lower to cover your back so you don’t have to deal with the dreaded “wind tunnel” effect down your crack at 80mph. Serious bonus and one of my favorite things about this jacket.
Someone thought about it.
Beyond the jacket’s good base structure, it has a few extras that really come in handy. A big metal loop on the end of the zipper pull so you can unzip with your gloves on, zippered intake/exhaust vents with red accent fabric, big outer zippered pockets that are easy to access…
…and c’mon it has a totally superfluous but adorable rhinestone chest logo. (A little bit of flair can be a good thing.)
The inside is pretty sweet.
It’s got a luxurious cross-stiched red liner and two interior pockets for storing your valuables and/or secret treasures. Paired with the perforated arms, the zip out liner transforms it from a summer to spring/fall jacket in a zip.
All the armor is removable.
CE field armor on the elbows and shoulders, plus a foam back pad… all removable. I especially enjoy this feature for breaking in leather jackets- it’s nice to wear them around the house for a couple days without extra restriction. Furthermore, this jacket is classy enough to be worn as a fashion jacket.
It’s not a prissy jacket.
Contrary to what you might think, I threw this jacket on the ground, the hood of my car- I didn’t treat it with special care or anything. The white leather does not get as dirty as you might think, and when it gets a little bit of grime you can just wipe it off with a damp cloth.
Between the white and black color options, it goes without saying one has a safety advantage. So far, the white leather has been easy to clean. That being said, one can’t deny the awesomeness of a classic black leather jacket. For $350 this is a damn fine choice, unless you have something against a few rhinestones on the logo. More information can be obtained (like where to buy) on rideicon.com.
You can buy the Icon Hella jacket on RevZilla.com »
Posted on March 30, 2012 in Gear & Gizmos, Motorcycles by Alicia Mariah Elfving