The Alpinestars Oscar Trucker Is a Rare Kind of Motorcycle Jacket
I’ll be the first to admit I have a fair bit of vanity. I like stuff that looks cool, and I want also to do the looking cool. I can’t help it. While this usually doesn’t interfere with most of my life, it often directly clashes with my desire to wear clothes that I like while also trying to keep the skin on my body when riding motorcycles. While there aren’t many quality bits of kit that keep you from looking like some kind of budget superhero, thankfully, there are some. The Alpinestars Oscar Trucker motorcycle Jacket is one such piece of motorcycle gear that can protect you from the fast-moving blacktop and keep you looking fresh.
Does anyone make good-looking motorcycle gear?
Admittedly, of all motorcycle gear, jackets are probably the easiest to find in a variety of styles. You can go full anime bad guy or James Dean and stay safe all the same. The tricky part in caring about fashion and your skin is that the two often clash with one another.
While Alpinestars is probably most well-known for its tough racing gear, there is a growing inventory of more (for lack of a better term) “lifestyle” gear that looks more like street clothes but is made using durable materials and slotted for armor. The Oscar Trucker jacket is one of the best examples of this category.
Alpinestars Oscar Trucker motorcycle jacket
The Oscar Trucker Jacket might initially hit you with a bit of Carhart energy. Being from Alabama, this is nothing short of the highest praise. It comes in a positively earthy coyote brown canvas that’s thicker’n day-old grits. Its thickness not only makes it tough but also wind resistant. I’ve been using this jacket during the Alabama winter, which is a bit of an oxymoron. However, on cooler days, the fleece liner makes the jacket plenty warm, if not even a little overkill for the mild Alabama “winter.” But even on warmer days, taking the liner out and opening the vents keeps you cool enough.
The jacket’s canvas and slim-fit design make me feel good. I can go into the coffee shop or wherever and feel semi-well-dressed. Y’all know getting off a motorcycle and still feeling like a human being is a fairly rare event. The only part that rubs against my style sensibilities is the large branding across the upper back/shoulders. Without this, the jacket would be flawless as far as style is concerned. However, motorcycle gear requires a bit of compromise.
How is the Oscar Trucker jacket made?
The jacket stokes my ego enough by looking pretty cool and fitting decently, but is it safe?
It goes without saying that Alpinestars is not Ralph Lauren. The legendary apparel company is about keeping riders safe. Everything else is a distant second place. Alpinestars uses a myriad of spacey materials to keep your skin and bones in all the right places.
The Oscar is made using thick, weather-treated canvas. It also features Alpinestars Level 1 Nucleon Flex Plus armor on the shoulder and elbow. If you care to upgrade, you can get the same Nucleon chest Level 1 and Nucleon back protectors. In an effort to keep you safe in a slide, the Oscar has 600 Denier polyester reinforcement on the shoulder and elbow for added abrasion resistance.
I won’t rattle on about fancy materials, but the jacket is made of stuff that science says will keep us safe. I’ve taken two spills (in the dirt/gravel) so far and have yet to catch as much as a scuff. With any luck, the jacket will continue to make me feel cool without making me feel grateful for it saving my hide.
