RST Heavy Duty CE Aramid Lined Shirt - Slate

This is really an excellent piece of gear, especially for the price.

I decided I needed something like this while out on a sunny ride in my GoreTex jacket. Even without the thermal liner I was pretty toasty so came to the conclusion I needed something a bit more appropriate for the warmer weather.

I chose this one simply because it was at a good price point, and it didn't clash with any of my other riding gear, so I didn't end up wearing double denim - never a good look!

While it's sold as a shirt, and more or less looks like a shirt, it is more of a summer jacket and it's quite heavy.

However, that said, it is very comfortable to wear on or off the bike, not that I think I would choose to wear it for a night out or anything. For riding in warmer weather it is much more comfortable and far cooler than a regular leather or textile motorcycle jacket.

The fabric is heavy duty and feels very sturdy. Not that I wish to personally test its protectiveness I don't feel any less safe than when wearing either of my other motorcycle jackets.

The shoulder and elbow armour are very good and remains very discreet, the elbow armour is particularly good and continues a good way down the forearm. There is also a large pocket in the inside of the shirt to fit back armour should you wish to.

As well as a zip there are a few popper fasteners which are very firm to use. There are a couple more poppers on the breast pockets and I doubt they would ever pop open and spill the contents of your pockets under normal use.

The external pockets are quite shallow, though, I can't fit either my wallet or my phone in these pockets. There is one internal pocket inside the left lapel which is big enough to fit larger items, though.

One criticism of this shirt, and other gear in general, is the use of Velcro to fasten pockets closed, like the internal pocket on this shirt. The Velcro always seems to do a much better job of attaching itself to the liner than it does to itself, and usually frays the liner in the process.

Check sizing; I'm a 42" chest and so ordered the 44" as I usually find one size up is enough. However, while it did fit it was quite snug especially across my chest and shoulders and even the wife said I needed a bigger size. I took it back to the Bristol store, even though I ordered online initially, and Sports Bike Shop were only too happy to exchange it for a larger size.

Overall, though, it's a fabulous shirt/jacket - it looks the part and does a great job of providing a good level of protection without roasting me in hot weather. It's probably the best piece of gear I've purchased all year and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend both the shirt and Sports Bike Shop to anyone!

A lot sturdier than expected. I'll be using this a lot in summer under my cut. Order a size up if you're leaving the elbow armour in.

I can't really fault this jacket. Only downside is that it doesn't come with back armour.

I'm F6,3 athletic build and normally wear a L/XL I bought a L jacket and it's a good fit. It's ok if only wearing a T-shirt but there's enough room for a jumper if needed.

After purchasing the check version, I went ahead and bought this one too. These shirts are great. Excellent levels of protection on the shoulders, elbows and forearms but it maintains the look and, feel of a shirt. Definitely looks good and, is comfortable to wear. Happily, sizing is spot on and, I had the feel of a premium bit of kit. It's just a shame these shirts don't come in more colour offerings. I would buy again.

As usual, SportsBikeShop were great.

As described it's a heavy duty shirt, this ticks the short ride/commuting box in the warmer weather, shirt fits true to size, there's room for thin jumper underneath.

Only gets 4stars as there are a couple of possible niggles, collar can flat about at speed, there's the potential of the bottom press studs scratching the tank? the elbow armour is too bulky will need swapped out or ditched(shoulder fine) and it's probably over priced? Some rival shirts are a bit cheaper.

So would I buy again...yes I bought this so I didn't look like a biker or a lumberjack off the bike(even though the helmet gives it away)