Agv Sport Ii Suit
AGV SPORT II SUIT
CW EVALUATION
Top-flight protection at a bargain-basement price
ALL IT TAKES IS ONE FALL. YOU stare at your road rash, pondering the wisdom of riding in anything but full leathers, and you know it's going to take a long, painful time and lots of non-stick bandages for your skin to regenerate itself.
Unfortunately, this realization sometimes does not mesh with certain financial realities. Full-coverage suits generally are expensive. But expense is relative, and that's where AGV’s Sport II two-piece leathers come into the picture.
Ata retail price of $549—not inexpensive, certainly, but at least on the low end of the leather-suit price scale—these AGV street leathers provide rider protection, as well as features found on more expensive suits.
The Sport II is made of 1.5mmthick goatskin, softer and more supple than cowhide, and with a greater resistance to tearing, according to the folks at AGV. The short-waisted jacket zips to the pants-top and incorporates a foam back protector. The suit also has foam shin, knee and hip protectors. More substantial armor, made of hard-plastic shells lined with foam, is found in the elbows and shoulders. The armor in the shoulders is attached by velcro fasteners, that in the elbows is sewn inside the jacket's lining.
Ventilated leather is used in the jacket's armpits, at the insides of its elbows and in the backs of the knees. Zippered ventilation slits just above the kidneys on the jacket back provide an exit for incoming air.
We did not, thank heavens, have occasion to test this suit’s crash-worthiness. But we have worn it extensively, and can report that unlike the protection in some suits, the Sport 11 's armor is unobtrusive, the foam pads and plastic plates going about their jobs without binding or chafing. We also can report that the seemingly> too-simple ventilation system works. And we can report that the suit seems nicely made, and has held up well.
Obtaining this suit means having your local dealer—any dealer, as long as he’s willing to handle the business-call AGV (571 l Industry Lane, Frederick, MD 2 I 701 ; 301/6634550) and order it in your size, and your choice of color combination. Currently, three combinations are available; blue-and-light-blue, redwhite-and-black and black-and-gray. Like any off-the-rack suit, it may fit you, and it may not. If it doesn’t, you can send it back in favor of another size or a return of your money. Our suit fit moderately well, though the bottoms of the legs are big enough around that we’ll have them taken in. Also, the jacket’s sleeves were a little long. No big deal, and easier to fix than having to add length.
Certainly, there are suits with more features, better ventilation and different body armor. But considering its budget price, AGV’s Sport II suit seems like a pretty good deal. E3
