AlphaFire X5
10-30-2006, 03:12 PM
Brand: MotoGP
Model: Nitrous
MSRP: $119.99
Distributor: Tucker Rocky
Price Paid: $87.96 shipped from MotorcycleCloseouts.com
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30015.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30012.jpg
Protection:
Carbon fiber protection is located on the outside wrist of each glove, as well as smaller studs on the second and third knuckles of the index, middle, and ring fingers.The thumb has padded studs rather than carbon fiber, and the pink has nothing. There is also a two-piece carbon fiber knuckle protector for the 1st knuckles on the back of the hand.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30016.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30014.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30013.jpg
The palm is a two panel design, which means that there are less seams to fail in the event of a crash. All the things that are on the palm are sewn over these two main panels, which eliminates the "patchwork quilt" type gloves which have a much higher chance of failing.
There is padding reinforcing the base of the palm underneath a second layer of leather, as well has padding along the gauntlet's length.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30018.jpg
According to the manufacturer, these gloves are made of "the finest Nappa leather." A little research turned up that Nappa leather is made from unsplit sheepskin, lambskin, or kidskin. To me, the leather feels very soft and supple, easy to move and flex. This will become even more true when I get a chance to break these gloves in.
Comfort:
External seams along the fingers. This means that when the fingers are sewn together the panels of leather are sewn together outside of the glove, making the inside (where your fingers are) smooth and protrusion free.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30017.jpg
Venting along the insides of the fingers allows cool air to effectively make its way into the glove. From my own experiences, this is one of the most effective ways to vent a glove.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30022.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30023.jpg
Rubberized matierial along the palm and thumb allows for a better grip on the controls, as rubber to rubber has a far greater coefficient of friction than leather on rubber. This feature should make for no-slip throttle gripping. I do not know how long this material would last under real world conditions.
Stretch panel on the back of the palm allows for easy movement of fingers, as it isn't stretching the leather.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30021.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30020.jpg
Secure straps:
The gauntlet has a dual-closure system, thus ensuring a much tigher fit than the typical single strap gauntlets.
The main wrist strap has excellent adjustment range, and can even be cinched down tight enough to fully enclose my 6.5" diameter wrist with adjustment room left over. The manufacturer did an excellent job in providing enough "loop" side for the "hook" strap to stick to.
The wrist cinch strap is covered by a leather flap similar to Alpinestars SP-1 and higher end gauntlet gloves. This prevents the cinch strap from coming undone in the event of a slide.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30019.jpg
Overall Opinion:
My main concern when buying gloves was finding something that fit my skinny wrist (6.5" around, as noted above). There was not much information on these gloves anywhere that i could find on the internet. No reviews, only limited mention in various forums and only as a "hey have you checked these out" type situation.
The fingers are slightly big, but they still manage to snug up to my long and skinny fingers surprisingly well. I intended to wear liners with these at times, so I couldn't have fingers that were too tight.
The guantlet has plenty of room to fit all sorts of jackets inside, and the double closure strap facilitates a tight fit no matter what.
And to be honest, I really like the white. It looks awesome, I think.
For $90, I think they are a fantastic deal. You can find them pretty regularly for $100 at various other online retailers as well, but I was lucky enough to find them for cheap; that's good for my poor college student budget.
If you have any questions or would like specific detail shots, please let me know. This is only my initial review as I haven't even gotten to road test these at all yet. I'll update and add more stuff as time goes on, hopefully giving some more information on these.
Model: Nitrous
MSRP: $119.99
Distributor: Tucker Rocky
Price Paid: $87.96 shipped from MotorcycleCloseouts.com
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30015.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30012.jpg
Protection:
Carbon fiber protection is located on the outside wrist of each glove, as well as smaller studs on the second and third knuckles of the index, middle, and ring fingers.The thumb has padded studs rather than carbon fiber, and the pink has nothing. There is also a two-piece carbon fiber knuckle protector for the 1st knuckles on the back of the hand.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30016.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30014.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30013.jpg
The palm is a two panel design, which means that there are less seams to fail in the event of a crash. All the things that are on the palm are sewn over these two main panels, which eliminates the "patchwork quilt" type gloves which have a much higher chance of failing.
There is padding reinforcing the base of the palm underneath a second layer of leather, as well has padding along the gauntlet's length.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30018.jpg
According to the manufacturer, these gloves are made of "the finest Nappa leather." A little research turned up that Nappa leather is made from unsplit sheepskin, lambskin, or kidskin. To me, the leather feels very soft and supple, easy to move and flex. This will become even more true when I get a chance to break these gloves in.
Comfort:
External seams along the fingers. This means that when the fingers are sewn together the panels of leather are sewn together outside of the glove, making the inside (where your fingers are) smooth and protrusion free.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30017.jpg
Venting along the insides of the fingers allows cool air to effectively make its way into the glove. From my own experiences, this is one of the most effective ways to vent a glove.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30022.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30023.jpg
Rubberized matierial along the palm and thumb allows for a better grip on the controls, as rubber to rubber has a far greater coefficient of friction than leather on rubber. This feature should make for no-slip throttle gripping. I do not know how long this material would last under real world conditions.
Stretch panel on the back of the palm allows for easy movement of fingers, as it isn't stretching the leather.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30021.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30020.jpg
Secure straps:
The gauntlet has a dual-closure system, thus ensuring a much tigher fit than the typical single strap gauntlets.
The main wrist strap has excellent adjustment range, and can even be cinched down tight enough to fully enclose my 6.5" diameter wrist with adjustment room left over. The manufacturer did an excellent job in providing enough "loop" side for the "hook" strap to stick to.
The wrist cinch strap is covered by a leather flap similar to Alpinestars SP-1 and higher end gauntlet gloves. This prevents the cinch strap from coming undone in the event of a slide.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/MotoGP%20Nitrous%20Gloves/2006-10-30019.jpg
Overall Opinion:
My main concern when buying gloves was finding something that fit my skinny wrist (6.5" around, as noted above). There was not much information on these gloves anywhere that i could find on the internet. No reviews, only limited mention in various forums and only as a "hey have you checked these out" type situation.
The fingers are slightly big, but they still manage to snug up to my long and skinny fingers surprisingly well. I intended to wear liners with these at times, so I couldn't have fingers that were too tight.
The guantlet has plenty of room to fit all sorts of jackets inside, and the double closure strap facilitates a tight fit no matter what.
And to be honest, I really like the white. It looks awesome, I think.
For $90, I think they are a fantastic deal. You can find them pretty regularly for $100 at various other online retailers as well, but I was lucky enough to find them for cheap; that's good for my poor college student budget.
If you have any questions or would like specific detail shots, please let me know. This is only my initial review as I haven't even gotten to road test these at all yet. I'll update and add more stuff as time goes on, hopefully giving some more information on these.