RST Pro Series Adventure-X Airbag jacket & trousers

Tested by: Ross Mowbray | Jacket: £500, Trousers: £220 | www.rst-moto.com “In short, I am a fan. RST’s Adventure-X jacket and trousers offer everything you’d want from a quality bit of textile kit. The airbag’s an added bonus...”

I’m more than partial to a set of textiles, but in recent years there’s one brand that’s ticked the right boxes for me more than most: RST. I’ve recently got my hands on (and legs and arms through) a set of the British brand’s new Pro Series Adventure-X jacket and trousers, having been forced to retire my previous set of RST Pro Series Adventure III textiles which have been left bruised and battered by a couple of years of hard use both on- and off-road.

The new Pro Series Adventure-X kit uses the same formula as before, but now the textiles come kitted out with RST’s new X-Liner, which is a quilted thermal liner and the SinAqua waterproof membrane in a single layer. No more faffing about with multiple layers, there’s now just one, easily removable lining to worry about.

At this stage, I’ve not had the chance to see what it’s like without the lining in – the weather’s been terrible – but riding in wet, icy cold downpours while being blasted by 40mph winds has proved the perfect test for its waterproof and thermal qualities. The verdict: pretty bloody good. I’ve done some big miles in proper comfort with only a small leak down the back of my neck. You do get a bit of water hanging about on the cuffs, in between the lining and jacket outer, but that’s hardly anything to whinge about.

The high-denier outer has ballistic textile overlays in key impact areas. Now, it’s not exactly a lightweight bit of kit, but it’s doesn’t feel particularly chunky and cumbersome either. It’s comfortable, and I’ve been quite happy wearing it day after day on longer, big mile trips. My gear is slightly heavier than the standard kit for another reason: I’ve got a jacket with a builtin In&Motion airbag.

That’s right. RST is one of the companies going all out for a slice of the airbag revolution. It’s adopted clever technology from In&Motion that triggers an integrated airbag if the onboard sensors detect a crash scenario. Thankfully I’ve not had a chance to put it through its paces just yet, but it’s great to know that I’ve got an extra tool in the arsenal to help keep me safe should the worst happen. It’s straightforward enough to use. Just plug the In&Motion brain into the back protector, attach the inflator, sync it up to your smartphone using an app, and turn it on. Easy. In addition to the airbag, the jacket also comes with top level (AA rated) back, shoulder and elbow protection (plus some TPU shoulder cups), and the trousers get Level 2 knee protection too.

For when the weather warms up enough for you to whip out the liner, there’s ventilation in the form of a fixed comfort mesh lining and multiple air vents, to ensure air flow in and out of the jacket and trousers to keep you cool while you’re on the move.

In short, I am a fan. RST’s Adventure-X jacket and trousers offer everything you’d want from a quality bit of textile kit. The airbag’s an added bonus, although you can still get the jacket without (if you don’t fancy it) and save yourself a couple of hundred quid.