VOLUME ISSUE NOVEMBER , P97
STANDOUT FEATURE
Excellent stretch paneling that offers
a greater range of movement
RIDER ANALYSIS
I suited up with my Tech 5 airbag
vest, gloves and boots at Sonoma
Raceway. The suit is not the easiest
thing to put on with a Tech 5 vest,
but I managed to do it without help.
The new Matryx material at the
lower leg is stiffer than on previous
designs, making it a little bit harder
to get the foot through, passing the
knee section with its new external
knee armor. Other than that, you'll
be able to slide right into the suit. I
started out on a Yamaha YZF-R7, and
right away, I found it easy enough to
move around on the bike.
ABSOLUTE V2 RACE SUIT
Another new design com-
ponent that stood out was the
introduction of Alpinestars
Composite Stretch technol-
ogy (A-CS). This new Stretch
Composite replaces the exist-
ing leather accordion panels in
the suit's side torso, shoulder
blades and upper knee areas.
A-CS Tech material also helps
increase the suit's ventilation
while providing a greater range
of movement.
The new Stretch Composite
material has a lower profile
and a weight reduction of
nine percent over standard
accordion-style leather mate-
rial. The suit's lower back and
hip section also features A-CS
Tech with about 30 percent
more coverage in these areas
which helps increase mobility
while on the bike.
The new A-CS Tech ma-
terial offers a 248 percent
increase in tear resistance
over standard stretch material
and a whopping 570 percent
increase over bovine leather.
A new Matryx material at the
lower leg offers even more
weight loss and breathability.
At the inner arms, crotch,
back of the leg, collar and pec-
toral areas, Kevlar-reinforced
stretch panels provide high
elasticity for freedom of move-
ment and increased protec-
tion. Other features include
Schoeller-Keprotec seam
reinforcement construction at
the knees and elbows.
The new race-grade GP-R
PRO CE Level 2 shoulder, el-
bow, forearm and knee armor
is complimented with GP-DFS
sliders present at the shoul-
ders, knees and elbows. Plus,
the CE Level 1 Bioflex racing
hip protection is taken straight
off the MotoGP and WSBK suit
designs, which is another wel-
come bonus. There is a slot on
the left arm for the Tech-Air 10
LED display to provide infor-
mation about the status of the
airbag system.
Bonded Kevlar seat area
gives greater protection if
you land on your butt.
