The motorcycle jacket that thinks it’s a bike cover

Due to be launched on Kickstarter in January, and expected to ship in March, the Astric is claimed to be the ‘ultimate motorcycle jacket’, having a built in rain-cover that folds out when you park the bike. We spoke to Adrian Chan, co-founder and CEO of Astric.

Where did the idea come from for this jacket?

Our team consists of Ada Qin (design), Yamashita Kenji (finance/production) and Xiaowen Xu (marketing) – we’re motorcycle enthusiasts and fashion designers.

A cover is essential to protect the bike from theft, dust, rain and UV harm, therefore we would like to create a product that can combine a motorcycle jacket and a bike cover, as bikers have nowhere to store their cover if their bikes have no top box, panniers or tail bag.

The Astric Jacket and Rain-cover are designed in a way that the cover can be folded and stored in the compression zipper bag at the back of the jacket, and the jacket can be folded and stored inside the rain-cover when you park your bike.

What are the biggest markets you expect to hit?

Riders of café racers, street bikes, bobbers, choppers and scooters in the US, Europe and Asia markets.

Is the jacket water resistant?

The fabric used is 210D PU-coated polyester imported from Japan, with an extra DWR [Durable Water Repellent] treatment. We tested our prototypes and got a water resistance of Grade 5 [the JIS standard Grade 5 calls for protection against water jets], and a water column pressure of 5,000mm [specific breathable drop liners in bike jackets typically achieve a hydrostatic head of anywhere from 10,000mm to more than 20,000mm].

Is there the option of a thermal liner for colder weather?

Yes, we are looking for this feature in coming versions of the jacket (depends on our motorcyclists' feedback). We are open to any possibility.

Is there any armour in the jacket?

No.

What sizes will be available?

There will be six sizes for the jacket – M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL and 4XL. The cover will come in four sizes (LxWxH):

S - 183 x 89 x 120cm

M - 203 x 89 x 120cm

L - 228 x 99 x 124cm

XL - 246 x 104 x 127cm

The cover is detachable from the jacket and can be washed separately.

Are there any plans to make it a CE-approved garment?

After the Kickstarter campaign, we will investigate the possibility to make it a CE-approved garment.

What’s the expected price?

The expected Kickstarter selling price is USD150 - USD200 [around £110 to £150], including shipping.

Do you think you’ll have any other jacket styles available in the future, for instance adventure-style etc?

Yes, we are open to any possibility.

BikeSocial says…

It’s a clever idea, and covering your bike is certainly a useful security measure – see our security advice here. As there’s a lock loop built in, your cover and jacket should also be reasonably safe.

It’s a shame the Astric isn’t, at this stage at least, going to be CE-approved – from 21st April 2018, all motorcycle clothing sold across Europe will have to meet the provisional European Norm (prEN) 17092, as anything marketed as a garment for motorcycle use will be deemed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). If Astric wants to continue to sell the jacket in the UK and Europe, it will need to be tested – you can find out more about the new standards and laws here.