Hondaline Formula 1 Riding Suit
HONDALINE FORMULA 1 RIDING SUIT
CW EVALUATION
Stylish protection for the street rider
PROTECTION IS THE SINgle most important consideration when buying a riding suit. Obviously. skidding along an abrasive stretch of tarmac isn't the time to wish you had chosen your gear more thoughtfully. De sign and price are a notch below protection in importance. but also play a major role in the purchasing decision.
Made by Hein Gericke for Honda, the Formula 1 jacket-and-pants combination can be worn separately or as a complete, zip-together suit.
Although advertised for both street and track use, the Formula’s 1.1 - to 1.3mm-thick, top-grain, drum-dyed leather is not as thick as that used on most roadracing suits, and utilizes single stitching, although neatly sewn, throughout, rather than more sturdy doublestitching in high-stress areas. We'd stay away from the track with the Formula 1, especially since it is not equipped with knee scrapers.
The suit is excellent for street rides, though, especially the jacket, which has several appealing features. High-density, closed-cell foam padding is used liberally at the shoulders and elbows and the entire jacket is lined with ventilated nylon mesh.
The tapered sleeves are cut with a sportbike reach in mind, and have zippers on the inside of each cuff. The snap-down, manderin-style collar has an extra-tall, padded neck, and an extra-long tail section covers the rider's lower back, even in sporting tuck. A pair of zipper-controlled vents located under the arms provide cooling on hot days. Neither the jacket nor the pants offer handwarmer pockets, but two smaller pockets, one in the jacket's left arm and another in the inside left breast, provide room for essentials.
I hough a snap-in cold-weather liner is not available, the jacket has a wide comfort zone. During our testing, we encountered daytime temperatures in the 30s without needing more than an additional sweatshirt.
A rear, 6-inch zipper mates the jacket and pants together, along with a pair of velcro patches in the front of the jacket’s waist cuff.
The knees and hips use the same kind of closed-cell foam as in the jacket. Padding in the hip area is wide and extends halfway down the thigh, but isn't especially thick. A single, square section of padding is placed directly over each knee.
Like the jacket, the pants are fully lined with ventilated nylon mesh. Leather stretch panels located above the knee and in the lower-back area allow flexibility, and knit stretch panels sewn behind the knee and calf area also ease movement. Zippers on each leg serve as closures.
Since the Formula 1 suit is produced as an off-the-rack item, proper fit depends on your size. We ordered a suit for our 6-foot-2, 205-pound Associate Editor and sizing presented some problems. The size 44-regular jacket fit well, tighter than a sport coat, but looser than properly sized racing leathers. The size 34 pants, though, while a good fit in the waist, were too tight in the thigh area. Since the suit’s top and bottom can be purchased and sized individually, trying different measurements is the path to personal fit. Jacket sizes range from 34 to 50, and pants sizes 28 to 44.
Available from Honda dealers in two color combinations, red/white/ black and white/red/blue, the jacket is priced at $350 and the pants are $310. The jacket is also available with an HRC logo for an additional 10 dollars, should you want to add a little flash and fly the company flag.
Overall, the Hondaline Formula 1 suit provides excellent street-riding protection. Both the jacket and pants are priced about average compared to the competition, and show strict attention to construction quality, just the kind of thing that could save your own hide in the event of a spill. ™
