Rs Taichi Viper Evo Jacket
RS Taichi Viper Evo Jacket
CW EVALUATION
Racy looks, feature-filled
ASK ANY VETERAN TRACKMEISTER and he'll tell you: There’s nothing better for protecting your butt in a high-speed tumble than a top-quality set of roadracing leathers. When it comes to street riding, though, a tight-fitting, knee-slider-equipped one-piece suit can be overkill, particularly if you just want to cruise over to your buddy’s house or catch a flick at the local multiplex.
Enter RS Taichi’s Viper Evo jacket. This is essentially the top half of the Japanese leather-maker’s SI395 Blast Viper Evo racing suit. Both share the same anatomically shaped armor, stretch kevlar on the sleeves and underarms, elastic neck and wrist inserts, chest perforation, zip-out nylon liner, shoulder-top ventilation, aerodynamic neck support and racy graphics. The jacket, however, is unique in that it also gets rib expansion panels, zippered handwarmer pockets and zippered back vents.
The biggest difference, though, is in the type of leather used and where the two garments are manufactured. Taichi specs buttery-soft, 1.5mm-thick full-grain cowhide for its race suits, which are made in Japan, whereas the jacket uses slightly coarser, 1.2mm hide and is produced in Korea. Those changes are simply a matter of commercial reality; if the jacket were made in Japan from the same leather as the suits, it would probably cost twice as much as it does.
We’ll take the trade-off. Our size 44 sample fit our 6foot, 2-inch, 180pound tester like a glove. Finish is beyond reproach, the dyes are colorfast and the YKK nylon zippers are snag-proof. Due to its niche-specific design, however, the Viper is not terribly versatile. The hundreds of tiny perforations across the chest, for exam-
ple, can’t be closed off, and because the jacket is designed to fit snugly, there isn’t much room underneath for additional layers. The leather isn’t waterproof, either.
Weather issues aside, this is one of the finest sportbike-duty jackets we’ve tried. □
DETAILS
RS Taichi USA 2531 West 237th St. #109 Torrance, CA 90505 310/326-2867 www.rs-taichi.com Price..........$450
4lps A Race-worthy protection A Quality construction A Available in white/red, white/blue or black Downs ▼ Aero hump gets in the way of backpacks, courier bags, etc. ▼ No matching pants
