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I ordered my new Speed and Strength "Twist of Fate" leather jacket Monday morning, well Friday comes around and its on my doorstep.
I thought I would do a review in case anybody is interested, and the best part is, I've included a BUNCH of pretty pictures, cause everyone knows how much we like pretty pictures.
Box is here, it's Christmas in October for me!
Side note: I ordered it from sportbiketrackgear.com and am impressed with everything. Got the jacket for 163.95 shipped on close out instead of the 499 retail price. Okay, side note over.
Pull it out of the box, look it over, inspect for anything out of place, loose threads, etc. Everything looks good
Wait a second...the "kinetic cuff adjuster" is no where to be found.
Okay I'll explain, the Twist of Fate, which for the rest of this review I am calling TOF, is supposed to come with adjustable cuffs, you have your standard zip, snap closure, and then you can adjust the cuff with a Velcro strap, from there, just a snap, zip close-open, and your cuffs are adjusted for you. Pretty cool feature.
Why does my jacket not have it?
Check the tags, it's written on there pretty clearly.
Everything else is in place and working well, so, I determined that this feature for me is really not a necessity, and the over all build quality is really nice, I'm not too concerned.
My theory is that Speed and Strength, being a fairly new company (2009?) made this jacket, added the cuff adjuster thing later and I just got one of the earlier built jackets on closeout, Speed and Strength is releasing a new version of the TOF, called the TOF 2.0, same jacket, tweaked design, perforated leather instead of zipper vents, etc.
Moving on!
Protection
I decided to compare the armor in the Joe Rocket, (of an unknown model, made around '04) with the armor in my new Speed and Strength piece.
Not too sure if it's the newer technology or the different brand as I've yet to see any new JR stuff in person.
The SS armor feels much sturdier than the JR armor.
The NOT CE approved back pad that comes in the SS feels like the CE shoulder and elbow armor in the JR.
Here are the photos of the armor, JR on the right, SS on the left.
Same thing JR right, SS left, Reverse side, I.E. side that touches your body.
Comparison between the two back pads, JR right, SS left, the girlfriend helping me out here. She's as excited as I am about the new jacket...not.
Overall build quality and Features
The SS feels really solid, could not find anything out of place or any loose stitching on the coat, armor is solid and held in place very well, although it is a PITA to remove and put back into the jacket, not an issue really.
Leather feels good and thick, 1.2-1.4 mm. I did notice an extra layer of leather in the shoulders and elbows when re-inserting the armor, which is pretty reassuring. Nice "thermoplastic" molded shoulder protectors and back protector/speed hump. The "accordion" style stretch sections on the shoulders are nice for mobility. The vest liner is just that, a vest liner, but served to keep me warm on my ride tonight, (which was cold). It comes with a matching zipper for the 360 degree pant attachment, to be sewn onto your favorite pants, as well as two belt loop snaps for attaching to...you guessed it, a belt! or belt loops if you prefer. No 360 zip on the JR, or belt loop attachments, but the JR does sport an eight inch zipper which works flawlessly with the JR pants I have (Go figure).
Top SS, Bottom JR
To top it all off the SS has "strong arm adjusters" on the forearm that actually help keep the elbow armor in place and make the jacket a little more form fitting and less bulky while riding (a nice feature which I have missed since I replaced my brothers JR with the red JR in the photos).
The Speed and Strength has two pieces of reflective piping running down the length of the jacket. You can't tell they are reflective unless it's dark and light hits them. While it isn't much, in this case, some is better than none.
The JR I was using did not have any reflective qualities save for the silver strip of leather on the back.
More Pictures!
Compare the JR(bottom) to the SS (top)
Sizing
The above should help give you an idea of sizing. The SS is sized Very generously.
I am 5' 11" about 180 pounds, with a 41" chest and a 32" waist.
I like long walks on the beach and...oh wait, wrong site. Sorry
The JR I was using is a size 44 US, the SS is a size 42 US. The SS feels very roomy, fits a lot like the JR did, maybe a tad bigger even, though a little shorter in the front. I'm sure after it breaks in, it will fit and feel great.
Riding impressions
The SS feels right at home on the bike, the four vents located on the shoulders and biceps in concert with the two HUGE back vents provide quite a bit of airflow, not as good as perforated leather of course but c'mon its a vented jacket. The fit is great on the bike, and the waist adjusters function VERY well. The liner as I stated earlier is quite warm for what it is. I am very pleased with this jacket and would not hesitate to buy the race suit version when that time comes. If you're interested in the race suit the link below is a video that goes over a crashed one from an active racer.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhPMLSrqqc0&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Speed & Strength Twist of Fate Suit Crash Review from STG[/ame]
Overall
I am very happy with the jacket from Speed and Strength and I would recommend it to anyone in need of a good, solid leather jacket. I personally would purchase another one of their products and it most likely will be a jacket that my girlfriend's been looking at called "little miss dangerous". Cheesy name but if we do end up buying it I will have her write out her thoughts for the ladies if you like.
For all you who are asking "why is he wearing his helmet in all those pictures?" Two reasons
1. I have a small head and I look funny with the bulky jacket and no helmet.
2. I just wanted to show of my new scorpion 400.
So If you are curious about what I look like here you go.
-Kevin
I thought I would do a review in case anybody is interested, and the best part is, I've included a BUNCH of pretty pictures, cause everyone knows how much we like pretty pictures.
Box is here, it's Christmas in October for me!
Side note: I ordered it from sportbiketrackgear.com and am impressed with everything. Got the jacket for 163.95 shipped on close out instead of the 499 retail price. Okay, side note over.
Pull it out of the box, look it over, inspect for anything out of place, loose threads, etc. Everything looks good
Wait a second...the "kinetic cuff adjuster" is no where to be found.
Okay I'll explain, the Twist of Fate, which for the rest of this review I am calling TOF, is supposed to come with adjustable cuffs, you have your standard zip, snap closure, and then you can adjust the cuff with a Velcro strap, from there, just a snap, zip close-open, and your cuffs are adjusted for you. Pretty cool feature.
Why does my jacket not have it?
Check the tags, it's written on there pretty clearly.
Everything else is in place and working well, so, I determined that this feature for me is really not a necessity, and the over all build quality is really nice, I'm not too concerned.
My theory is that Speed and Strength, being a fairly new company (2009?) made this jacket, added the cuff adjuster thing later and I just got one of the earlier built jackets on closeout, Speed and Strength is releasing a new version of the TOF, called the TOF 2.0, same jacket, tweaked design, perforated leather instead of zipper vents, etc.
Moving on!
Protection
I decided to compare the armor in the Joe Rocket, (of an unknown model, made around '04) with the armor in my new Speed and Strength piece.
Not too sure if it's the newer technology or the different brand as I've yet to see any new JR stuff in person.
The SS armor feels much sturdier than the JR armor.
The NOT CE approved back pad that comes in the SS feels like the CE shoulder and elbow armor in the JR.
Here are the photos of the armor, JR on the right, SS on the left.
Same thing JR right, SS left, Reverse side, I.E. side that touches your body.
Comparison between the two back pads, JR right, SS left, the girlfriend helping me out here. She's as excited as I am about the new jacket...not.
Overall build quality and Features
The SS feels really solid, could not find anything out of place or any loose stitching on the coat, armor is solid and held in place very well, although it is a PITA to remove and put back into the jacket, not an issue really.
Leather feels good and thick, 1.2-1.4 mm. I did notice an extra layer of leather in the shoulders and elbows when re-inserting the armor, which is pretty reassuring. Nice "thermoplastic" molded shoulder protectors and back protector/speed hump. The "accordion" style stretch sections on the shoulders are nice for mobility. The vest liner is just that, a vest liner, but served to keep me warm on my ride tonight, (which was cold). It comes with a matching zipper for the 360 degree pant attachment, to be sewn onto your favorite pants, as well as two belt loop snaps for attaching to...you guessed it, a belt! or belt loops if you prefer. No 360 zip on the JR, or belt loop attachments, but the JR does sport an eight inch zipper which works flawlessly with the JR pants I have (Go figure).
Top SS, Bottom JR
To top it all off the SS has "strong arm adjusters" on the forearm that actually help keep the elbow armor in place and make the jacket a little more form fitting and less bulky while riding (a nice feature which I have missed since I replaced my brothers JR with the red JR in the photos).
The Speed and Strength has two pieces of reflective piping running down the length of the jacket. You can't tell they are reflective unless it's dark and light hits them. While it isn't much, in this case, some is better than none.
The JR I was using did not have any reflective qualities save for the silver strip of leather on the back.
More Pictures!
Compare the JR(bottom) to the SS (top)
Sizing
The above should help give you an idea of sizing. The SS is sized Very generously.
I am 5' 11" about 180 pounds, with a 41" chest and a 32" waist.
I like long walks on the beach and...oh wait, wrong site. Sorry
The JR I was using is a size 44 US, the SS is a size 42 US. The SS feels very roomy, fits a lot like the JR did, maybe a tad bigger even, though a little shorter in the front. I'm sure after it breaks in, it will fit and feel great.
Riding impressions
The SS feels right at home on the bike, the four vents located on the shoulders and biceps in concert with the two HUGE back vents provide quite a bit of airflow, not as good as perforated leather of course but c'mon its a vented jacket. The fit is great on the bike, and the waist adjusters function VERY well. The liner as I stated earlier is quite warm for what it is. I am very pleased with this jacket and would not hesitate to buy the race suit version when that time comes. If you're interested in the race suit the link below is a video that goes over a crashed one from an active racer.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhPMLSrqqc0&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Speed & Strength Twist of Fate Suit Crash Review from STG[/ame]
Overall
I am very happy with the jacket from Speed and Strength and I would recommend it to anyone in need of a good, solid leather jacket. I personally would purchase another one of their products and it most likely will be a jacket that my girlfriend's been looking at called "little miss dangerous". Cheesy name but if we do end up buying it I will have her write out her thoughts for the ladies if you like.
For all you who are asking "why is he wearing his helmet in all those pictures?" Two reasons
1. I have a small head and I look funny with the bulky jacket and no helmet.
2. I just wanted to show of my new scorpion 400.
So If you are curious about what I look like here you go.
-Kevin
Thanks for the review .Im looking at gear and its nice to hear 
I have got to work on my sensitivity ........ok thats over lets get to the next caring moment
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