When we’re talking about a motorcycle jacket, protection and comfort are the main considerations. Once those are met, what else do we look for? That varies by personal preference, but for me, it’s style and pockets. And that’s what Joe Rocket provided for me.
See all of Rider‘s apparel reviews here.
Let’s start with pockets. Yes, pockets! It’s well known that ladies clothing often suffers from a lack of pockets, and when we are blessed with pockets, they’re often too small to hold anything larger than a quarter and a roll of ChapStick. So when I see any type of clothing with extra pockets, I snatch it up. The Joe Rocket Ladies Wicked Jacket has four exterior pockets, four spacious interior pockets, and that cool distressed leather look, so I was immediately drawn to it.
The leather on the Joe Rocket Wicked jacket is 1.0-1.1mm vintage-distressed cowhide, and it has heavy-duty metal YKK zippers. It also has a black reflective strip on the back, a ventilation system, four adjustment points on the arms and waist, and two belt loops to attach it to pants.
I don’t have a windscreen on my motorcycle, so if I’m riding on a cool day, the wind cuts right through me. The Wicked jacket blocks all of that out. I wore it during a ride on a cloudy 40-degree day with nothing but a long-sleeved T-shirt underneath and was quite comfy.
The jacket has armor pockets in the back, shoulders, and elbows, but armor must be bought separately (a full set from Joe Rocket runs $69.97). I had an easy time getting the armor into the shoulders and elbows but struggled with the spine armor. I had to bend it more than expected to squeeze it in, but once in place, it sprang back to its normal shape. With the armor added, the jacket was a little tighter in the shoulders, but I still had enough movement to be comfortable for longer periods of riding.
I haven’t worn this jacket in warmer temperatures yet, but it does have some ventilation in the armpits. The zippers on the forearms open nearly to the elbow, which would also provide nice airflow up the arms. The vest liner is easy to remove whenever needed as well.
This jacket has everything I was looking for in a riding jacket. The leather with the additional armor has me well-protected, the pockets hold everything I need with room to spare, and I have to say I look pretty cool wearing it. It’s available in Black for $349 in sizes XS-2Diva.