Introduction
![BMW R 1250 GS Adventure [2019] Alpinestars Revenant Gore-Tex Pro](https://imgd.aeplcdn.com/0x0/statics/grey.gif "BMW R 1250 GS Adventure [2019] Alpinestars Revenant Gore-Tex Pro")
We have already told you about the Alpinestars Revenant jacket when it comes to its construction, its protection, and its touring capabilities. And being Gore-Tex lined, we have also told you how the jacket holds up on a wet ride. You can read about that HERE and HERE.
This report though is dedicated to how the Revenant feels and fares when ridden offroad. Now, no matter what pace you ride at off the road, it is a very physical activity. It’s also deceptively dangerous. The speed might be slow, but the terrain, the obstacles, and the dangers – rocks, sharp tree branches, slippery drops, and even snakes – are very real. And therefore, the right gear is key.
Protection
Off road gear is mostly light. But, when it comes to ADVs, one doesn’t go riding whoops, or whipping jumps, or even shredding berms. It’s mostly forest trails or slushy inclines or rocky drops. Here, both impact and abrasion protection matter.
On that front, the Revenant feels very much at home. And we say that from personal experience because we did come crashing down in the gear more than once when offroading. The extra padding on the shoulder helps, and the tear and heat resistant outer fabric is a boon too.
Running Cool
It’s equally important that the riding gear doesn’t get the rider all hot inside especially when off roading. On that front, the times it was cool and raining, the Revenant felt great even when taking on forest trails. But, as we have mentioned before, this jacket doesn’t like too much heat or humidity. And on a hot day, it does get quite hot when off roading. Our suggestion, then, is to either try a cooling vest or just ride with your inners dipped in water.
Freedom of Movement
The third thing one wants from their off-road riding gear is the freeborn of movement. Unlike riding on the road, where one is mostly perched on the bike with hardly any movement required to get the bike to their bidding, off road, it’s a completely different story.
One needs exaggerated body movements so that the bike can stay as upright as possible. The body movement helps keep the centre of mass aligned making it easy to keep the bike upright. This is especially true when riding a heavy bike. With the Revenant, particularly without the airbag jacket inside, there’s enough room to allow freedom of movement. We also never found the jacket getting in the way or snagging itself to things.
Works Off road?
Like we said in the previous report, it’s a fantastic jacket to have in cooler climes especially in India. And this works off road as well. Now, imagine taking on the rain or hail or snow on a motorcycle when riding in the north of India. And then having the Revenant on you not just to keep the water and cold out, but to keep your skin and bones intact as well. So yes, it does work, off the road too.
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi
![BMW R 1250 GS Adventure [2019] Image](https://imgd.aeplcdn.com/272x153/bw/models/bmw-r-1250-gs-adventure-2019-standard20190725112257.jpg?q=80 "BMW R 1250 GS Adventure [2019] Image")
