Constructed from premium 1.2 – 1.4mm cowhide, the Speed and Strength Twist of Fate 3.0 has a look and feel that outpaces its relatively modest price. This sturdy frame is built for maximum abrasion resistance and is backed by CE-rated armor in the back, knee, elbow and shoulder. The shoulder also features a new style of titanium-capped protector that sits atop the leather on the exterior.

Despite the thick leather and the array of armor, the Twist of Fate 3.0 is a incredibly comfortable suit that feels broken in the first time you try it on. This is due in part to the high-quality and very supple leather used by Speed and Strength. Adding to the overall broken in, comfortable feel is the generous use of Schoeller® Keprotec® stretch material in the arms, crotch, thighs, and calf. The Twist of Fate 3.0 also provides plenty of ventilation, with perforated leather throughout the chest, upper arms, thighs and lower back.

Like both of its predecessors, the Speed and Strength Twist of Fate 3.0 is a suit that performs at a much higher level than its price-tag would suggest. For more information and expert sizing advice, just give us a call at 866.931.6644 or, if email is more convenient, you can feel free to send those to SUPPORT at RIDERSDISCOUNT dot COM and we’ll get back to you right away!

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Alpinestars constructed the suit using high-grade, highly abrasion resistant 1.3mm leather with reinforcements in impact zones. Adding to the the protection provided by this sturdy base is an array of protectors that use much of the same technology found in the top of the line Race Replica suit. These include MotoGP and WSBK proven DFS (Dynamic Friction Shield) protectors cover the shoulders, knees and elbows. GP style armor is layered underneath at the elbows and knees in order to absorb major impacts to these vulnerable areas. 

The Atem offers a great deal of protection, but this is worthless if the suit doesn’t fit properly. This is why Alpinestars put a great deal of time into developing a suit that can provide a snug fit for a wider range of body sizes. One of the most obvious results of this design focus is the unique Aramidic stretch panel crossing the center of the chest. Aramid is an extremely durable synthetic material which is also used to enhance flexibility in the crotch and back of the legs. These soft stretch panels work in conjunction with leather accordion panels in the shoulders, lower back, elbows and knees in order to insure a flexible fit that conforms to the body. Alpinestars even added adjustable straps to the inside of each wrist and ankle to make doubly sure that everything stays in the proper locations during a slide or tumble. All of these features do double duty by giving a secure fit and improving comfort, but Alpinestars also gave the Atem a few new features that are there purely for rider comfort.

This suit, like most, has a removable liner. What sets this one apart is the use of a 3D mesh that allows a pocket of air to sit between you and the leather, making it extremely breathable by giving warm air a place to escape. 3D mesh is also found on the collar, wrists and ankles. The mesh collar extends all the way down to the top of the hump for airflow and more comfortable race-tuck with a helmet on. 

The Atem is a suit that, while expensive, actually offers a great deal of bang for the buck. There aren’t currently any other suits that offer this kind of high-end tech at a price near it. On top of that, we think it’s one of the best looking suits on the market!

MSRP $1499.95

The Alpinestars Atem suit, shown here in Black/White/Red. (Also available in Black/White and Black/White/Yellow.)

The back of the suit shows the MotoGP profile hump, as well as the expansion zips on each calf.

A unique Aramid stretch panel on the chest helps provide a better, more comfortable fit.

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The 2012 Alpinestars Racing Replica is the brand’s flagship suit, so they used their premium, full grain, 1.3mm leather for the highest level of abrasion resistance and durability. The leather pieces are sewn together into an aggressive race fit using multiple-stitched main seams that are extremely resistant to tearing. Perforation is abundant on the large leather panels, but it is not found from seam to seam. Alpinestars carefully thought out the layout of the perforations in order to provide a great deal of ventilation without reducing the strength of the leather by punching too many holes in it. For this reason, you will find that there are no perforations next to the seams, or in high risk abrasion zones. In addition to high-grade leather, a variety of armor types beef up the protection provided by the Racing Replica. 

Starting at the top of the suit, the shoulders have hard, thermoplastic molded shoulder protectors that not only provide a great deal of impact protection, but also vent air through the open channels in the shell. Alpinestars has done a lot of research and gathered a lot of data, so they are very familiar with the parts of the body that touch down first and most often in a crash. This is why they beefed up the elbows and forearms by using a seamless leather construction with external PU protectors on top. These take the brunt of the impact and slide instead of catching the pavement. Impact energy is further mitigated by the CE certified armor and energy absorbing foam found underneath the leather. Inside the torso, Alpinestars provides a CE level 2 back protector and a chest protector. The chest also has pockets that allow you to easily add the Bionic Chest Guards if you choose to do so. Continuing down the suit, you will find the tried and true knee protectors that will be familiar to those that have worn the previous generation suit. Alpinestars did not carry these over to the new suit because they are cutting corners, they did so because they are highly effective. External TPU armor wraps around the knee and CE certified protectors with energy absorbing foam backs it up underneath. One unique aspect of these knee protectors is the is the soft grip patch found on the inner surface of each of each leg that helps give you better contact with the bike. All of this protection means that the new Racing Replica is not exactly lightweight, but this doesn’t mean it’s uncomfortable.

The new Racing Replica is a stiff suit at first and many think it is too small when they first try it on, but it stretches and conforms to your body very quickly thanks to the abundant leather and Kevlar stretch panels. Torso mobility is aided by the new leather stretch panels encircling the shoulder and connecting to the collar. These same panels branch off and run down down the side of the body to the waist. The lower body is flexible due to the use of Kevlar stretch material in the crotch and back of the legs, but this ends at the knee. Leather stretch panels take over again at that point to surround the knee armor and cover the entire calf. The calf is another area that generally feels tight the first time the suit is worn, but it stretches to your size quickly.

One of the reasons that you find the additional stretch panels in the upper body is the optional Tech Air airbag system. This system is a great piece of technology that Alpinestars has been developing for more than 10 years. It uses sensors and a computer to constantly monitor rider movement so that it can determine if a crash is imminent by recognizing movements that deviate from the norm. In the event that a crash is going to happen, the airbags can be deployed in less than .05 seconds to protect the shoulders and collarbones. The Tech Air Airbag system is not available through Alpinestars dealers at this time and must be purchased directly through Alpinestars themselves. 

The Alpinestars Racing Replica suit is the best suit on the market, whether you use the airbag system or not and we can’t recommend it highly enough. 

MSRP $2899.95

Leather stretch panels make this a flexible suit and give the additional expansion room necessary for the optional Tech Air Airbag system.

The leather is perforated in a way that gives a lot of airflow without taking away from the strength of the leather.

The collar is soft for comfort and it lets air flow right through it. The hump also catches air and sends it down your back to help keep you cool.

Knee armor not only protects, but also helps you grip your bike. The grey portion shown on the inside of this knee is the softer grip pad.

The Alpinestars Racing Replica comes with a CE level 2 back protector and removable chest protector. Get extra protection by adding the optional Bionic Chest guards!

Tech-Air Airbag ready! 

This suit is also available in black, and white/red.

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Held used Kangaroo leather for the main construction of the Race-Evo – about 70%. Kangaroo leather is both stronger and lighter than cowhide, which pays off in safety and comfort. Large cuts of leather were used so that fewer seams were necessary to hold it all together. Cowhide, durable synthetics, and other, more exotic materials like stingray hide make up the remaining 30% of the suit. This combination gives you the best of both worlds. The highly abrasion resistant stingray leather is found on the shoulders and sleeves. This helps them slide, rather than catch the pavement during slide. The shoulders, elbows and knees also feature an innovative type of protector. Held coated titanium in extremely hard ceramic alloy and set them as inserts in molded plastic. Titanium is tough and abrasion resistant already, but the additional ceramic coating makes them even more durable and long lasting.

Kangaroo leather is more abrasion resistant than cowhide, which means that thinner material can be used. This saves a significant amount of weight and makes it more flexible. These weight savings allowed Held to cram more protective features into the inner suit without weighing the rider down. These features include extra layers of leather in major impact zones and armor that was developed with the help of their fellow German engineers at SaS-Tec. The two companies developed a new type of shock absorbing protector that can take on extreme amounts of energy over multiple hits. Armor comes in the form of soft, pliable foam that becomes even more malleable when exposed to body heat. This allows it to conform to your body individual body shape. You can find these protectors in the shoulders, elbows, ribs, hips, tailbone and knees. The back has a SaS-Tec unit as well. It is made of a similar, conforming foam, but it is CE level 2 certified, whereas the rest are CE level 1. These features make the Race-EVO great at protecting you when it counts, but there is also another area where it shines – comfort.

Held put a lot of focus into making this suit comfortable to wear and a big part of this was making it flexible. They accomplished this through the use of a ton of stretch material, both accordion and Schoeller Kevlar. The accordion stretch panels are found in the standard lower back location, as well as running up the sides of the back. They then connect with another set at the shoulders that cuts back inward towards the hump. Schoeller Kevlar is used in areas that don’t need to withstand an impact, such as the underarms, crotch and calves. This material is soft and stretchy, but very durable. This same material extends to the cuffs of all four limbs so that they fit comfortably into your boots and gloves without binding up. At the neck, you will find that they lined the collar with a softer stretch material that will not irritate your skin or restrict head movement. A narrow strip even extends back to the hump so that you don’t have to strain at all against the leather to hold your head back when you are in a full race tuck. All of these aspects make the Race-EVO a suit that not only conforms to your body like it was custom made specifically for you, but also feels well broken in the first time you put it on.

At $1899.99, this suit is a premium product, but the features and quality that you get from Held make it well worth the money. 

• Shown here in black/white, it can also be had in red/black/white.
• The collar of this suit has a strip of stretch material that extends back to the hump. This greatly improves the comfort when you are in a full tuck. The hump also circulates air throughout the body of the suit.
• Molded plastic armor with a ceramic coated titanium insert sits over the SaS-Tec shoulder armor. They are vented for additional air-flow, as are the similar guards on the knees.
• The fully removable liner has a raised honeycomb pattern at the back to keep a layer of air between you and the suit.
• The complete set of SaS-Tec armor removed from the Race-EVO. As you can see, they have you covered throughout the suit. The back protector is even a full coverage CE Level 2 unit that can take multiple impacts.
  

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