motorcycle gear reviews: Icon Victory Death Or Glory Leather Motorcycle Jacket

Continuing to push forward as the most stylish and detail oriented motorcycle gear manufacturer, Icon has once again achieved their goal by introducing new for 2009, the Victory - Death or Glory leather motorcycle jacket. The Victory - Death or Glory can make any motorcycle rider the coolest bad-ass biker in an instant.

style

There is no question that this jacket screams style! The jacket showcases various patches on the front upper chest ala traditional motor sports attire. A large demonic skull embroidered on the front area of the jacket with the words "Live Fast" on the skulls forehead tells onlookers that the bearer of this jacket means business. The back showcases the embroidered words "Death or Glory" with two checkered flags in the background. Icon's staple forearm logo's add to the flair this jacket radiates.

The jacket showcases a two buckle system (non-functional) on either side of the abdomen area. A zippered pocket can be open to allow you to customize whether you want to have a more relaxed look or have the buckles close to your body.

The jacket comes in traditional bad-ass black as well as a unique option - white. Anyone who has worn black leather on a hot day can tell you that it gets sweaty pretty fast. White leather, however, is much more heat repellent against the sun's rays will reflect them away keeping you cool as a Popsicle in the freezer.

update:

For the perfect helmet to go with the Victory Death Or Glory jacket - check out Icon's Airframe helmet version of the same design scheme.

features

The jacket comes with a removable quilted insulated liner. However, we would state that this is a three (not four) season jacket. This jacket is designed for hot weather riding and the zippered intake and exhaust vents deal with the issue of heat quite well. There are two shoulder zippers that open two intake vents. Along the sides of the jacket are breathable sections that allow for hot air to escape which is impeded if the liner is worn underneath. The back has two large exhaust vents on either side which start at the arm and go down all the way down to about rib-cage level to allow hot air to exit the jacket.

The arm sleeves are zippered allowing you to ensure your gauntlet style gloves can be fitted for a seamless connection or to allow some air into the sleeve area.

Two zippered front pockets allow for storage of keys, wallet, etc. With a smaller buttoned pocket at the front as well.

safety

The jacket features removable CE armor impact protection in both the elbows and shoulder areas. A dual-density foam back pad provides protection on the backside. The entire jacket is made of a premium grade leather chassis which is 1.2-1.4mm in thickness.

quality

The leather material is made of Brazilian drum-dried leather - a fine quality leather that will certainly protect you against abrasion. The seams which we examined are 'seamless' (get the pun?) with no signs of frayed stitching. All of the zippers are all high quality YYK zippers.

show me the money

Just as any clothing store in New York City will tell you - fashion and quality are not cheap. Icon's Victory Death or Glory retails at USD $650.

overall

The Icon Death Or Glory Victory motorcycle jacket is designed for a specific rider. If you desire a high quality, stylish leather jacket and are planning on only riding in hotter temperatures - this jacket is one you may consider. You will definitely feel the sheer awesomeness of the jacket once you put it on. It can transform the look of any Joe Blow into a James Dean. We really enjoy the white color scheme option that is so rare to find. If you are looking for an all-purpose jacket, or something with a lot of bang for your buck - we suggest looking at Icon's other motorcycle jacket models or a different motorcycle jacket manufacturer altogether. However, it must be said once again - it will be extremely tough to find a more stylish motorcycle leather jacket.

rating

• Style: 10/10
• Features: 8/10
• Safety: 7/10
• Quality: 9/10
• Price: 3/10
• Overall Value: 6/10