P98
PRODUCT REVIEWI
LIST PRICE: $3799.95
WEBSITE: https://www.alpinestars.com/products/
racing-absolute-v2-leather-suit-1pc
Sonoma has a nice selection of
fast and slow corners with plenty
of elevation change, a few chicanes
and some hard braking entries,
perfect for testing out a race suit's
mobility, fit and comfort.
You will first notice the extra
venting the Absolute V2 offers. You
can feel the added airflow though
the suit, and as the day heated up
it made a measurable difference.
When it came to moving around
on the bike, there was no problem
whatsoever. Initiating direction
changes, tucking in or transitioning
back and forth through corners was
easy.
Sometimes, leathers can be
restrictive in these instances. How-
ever, not once did I feel the need to
reposition my body to facilitate a
lack of desirable movement when
negotiating certain parts of the
track. Whatever body position, the
Absolute V2 suit is plenty accom-
modating, allowing the freedom to
move around at will.
As the day progressed, so did
my understanding of the Absolute
V2. The subtleties of racing a bike
at speed are quite physical and
require a lot of movement. If the
leathers don't afford a good range
of motion, it will eventually hinder
racing performance. The proper fit
and flexibility the leathers pro-
vide are key to facilitating a good
result. Alpinestars claims the suit
is roughly nine percent lighter than
any other of their other suits cur-
rently on the market.
I felt confident about what
Alpinestars has achieved with the
new V2 suit. Being able to flog it all
day long on three different Yamaha
models, there was never a point
of resistance from the V2 suit.
Even though all three bikes were
substantially different, I felt right at
home on each one.
The Absolute V2 comes in sizes
ranging from 46 to 58 in three
different color schemes—Metal-
lic Blue/Black/White/Red Fluro,
Cardinal/White, and Black/White/
Red Fluro.
The $3799.95 price tag is a lot
of money for the new Alpinestars
Racing Absolute V2 suit. I was
watching MotoGP from the Red Bull
Ring five days later, and I realized I
was pretty much wearing the exact
same suit as the ones on TV, minus
the big money sponsorship logos—
and the big money. But in my book,
the suit is more than worth the
price.
Tom Montano
Reinforced fabric on the outer knee helps abrasion resistance.
• GREAT FLEXIBILITY FOR
INCREASED RANGE OF MOTION
• MUCH IMPROVED VENTING
• FIT AND COMFORT FOR WHAT
IS AN OFF-THE-RACK SUIT IS
EXCELLENT
• GREAT FLEXIBILITY FOR
• QUITE A HIGH COST OF ENTRY
• CAN'T BUY A KANGAROO
SUIT IN CALIFORNIA
• IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE
IF THE TECH AIR 10 WAS BUILT
INTO THE SUIT
