Throttle Jockey: Corazzo Corso motorcycle jacket and Cordero gloves

During a recent long road trip on the new Indian Chief Vintage, motorcycle and scooter clothing outfitters Corazzo were kind enough to loan me a jacket and riding gloves.

More well known in Mod scooter circles than by hardcore Rockers, Corazzo gear leans solidly into the fashion realm while retaining high quality and protective elements like slip-out industry-standard padding and robust construction. In other words, you look great but are still protected, which is pretty much mandatory when riding a stylish steed like the two-tone Indian Chief Vintage.

The Corso jacket ($379) features smooth, supple brown leather and ample armpit venting using high-quality zippers. The interior liner zips out quickly and that’s a good thing as I had to ride the bike in L.A. heat bordering on 100 degrees. Pitzips and cuffs open, the jacket felt pretty airy, and as I rolled out of L.A. proper and up the California coast on Highway 1, the temperature quickly dropped by over 30 degrees. I simply zipped the liner back in, closed up the pit zips and felt snug as a fashionable bug.

Another nice feature on the jacket is a zippered pocket right at the left wrist. Lo and behold, a regular-sized cell phone seems to fit just about perfectly, with room for your driver’s license and some toll booth funds. Very handy indeed.

The Cordero gloves ($55) are best described as summer weather pieces although my digits stayed plenty warm as the Vintage rolled through cloudy coastal weather with temps in the mid-50s. There’s a classy leather tension cinch at the wrist and my only complaint is that the gauntlet area is perhaps a bit too short, but that shortcoming is more than made up for by the soft supple feel of the gloves, excellent feel through the palms and quality construction.

Again, this is not gear for the track. It’s aimed towards fashion-conscious urban riders who want style and performance in their outerwear. As you can see from the prices, it’s well below the cost of top-of-the-line performance equipment. That makes it a good call all around: affordable, great looking jackets and gloves you love to wear and can protect you should the worst happen are a tough find in this market. Corazzo hits the mark.