I WROTE a first impressions review of the Alpinestars Celer jacket in September and thanks to some unexpectedly warm weather, I’ve been wearing it pretty consistently since then.
My thoughts so far? Apart from some small niggles, I really like this jacket – here’s why:
First of all, it offers a sleek and comfortable fit that’s improved a little as the leather has become suppler with use. It looks like a ‘sporty’ jacket, and the way it feels matches what its styling is trying to get across.
It’s practical too – the pockets are a decent size and because the zips have little tabs on the end, they’re easy to access with gloves on. The internal pocket is generously sized, but because of the close fit, sticking a fat wallet or a phone and wallet in there makes the jacket bulge a little.
This is personal, but I think the Celer looks damn fine. The design does a good job of blending form and function because features such as the external armour, venting, accordion and reflective panels are well incorporated into the styling of the jacket.
The last couple of months have been mild but the Celer has seen me through plenty of chilly rides and I’ve never got five miles down the road and wished I’d put on a more appropriate textile jacket. I obviously wouldn’t choose it for really cold conditions but so far, the lining has been enough to to keep me warn and comfortable when called upon.
I’ve taken the Celer on a couple of trips to the warmer climes of southern Spain. It lacks the highly-perforated front panels of more expensive Alpinestars jackets, but thanks to some perforated areas and the closeable shoulder vents, it’s kept me cool in the heat. The shoulder vents open with zips which can be adjusted while riding, but I’ve found they can snag on the material behind them, rendering them useless until the material is pulled away from the zip.
I said in my first impressions review that it felt like it might be easy to rip off the flimsy leashes that secure the arms of the liner to the jacket. I was right - after a couple of months’ use, one of the leashes at the left arm has come away from the liner because the stitching has failed. It’s something that’s happened on a couple of Alpinestars jackets I’ve owned and is more annoying than anything else.
During use the Celer has been comfortable and practical, and it looks the part too. It’s not the most vented leather jacket out there, but it still manages to perform well in the heat. In fact, its lack of perforations at the front contribute to it being useable after summer’s long forgotten. It’s well-appointed with CE-approved armour in all the places you’d expect and the 1.3mm thick leather is good quality.
Tested: Alpinestars Celer leather jacket
Price: £449.99
Contact: Alpinestars
- Sign up for Visordown's weekly newsletter, Bugsplat, to get the best motorcycle news, road tests and features plus exclusive competitions and offers direct to your inbox. Register as a Visordown member here and tick the box for Bugsplat in your newsletter settings here.
