Pleasantly surprised by Triumph brand gear

I like high-quality protective gear, since I don't like abrasions and broken bones. In the past I'd had some Alpinestars stuff but when I quit riding for a while sold it off.

When I got the R3 I immediately got a few things used off eBay and Craigslist, figuring I'd keep what fit and what I liked, and sell the rest. Cheaper than buying new, even when sellers have a generous return policy (though I did buy my Shoei helmet new and at a shop in-person.)

Liked the Dainese gear pretty well, and the fit was good if not perfect. But I wanted leather pants with armor that were not full-on race pants (bent knee and pucks.) A guy on eBay was selling Triumph H2 Sport leather pants in my size, worn once, cheap so I pulled the trigger. Loved 'em and so I just got the matching jacket. Selling the Dainese.

OVERVIEW
The Triumph H2 Sport jacket and pants are designed for touring/sport-touring, with snug tailoring but cut for a more upright seating position than full-on race kit. You can wear it not look like a Power Ranger, though it's definitely bike gear. Their first aim is for maximum protective qualities via 1.2 to 1.4mm leather and Knox armor in knees, shoulders and elbows plus hip padding and back padding. The second aim is for true all-weather capability, which makes this stuff kinda complex.

COMPLEXITY
The jacket is leather with a water-barrier treated nylon liner. Each has a zipper to close it. Inside the nylon liner is a zipped-in quilted thermal vest for cold weather. Finally the insides of the arms and underarms are breathable elastic fabric and there are ventilation zips: two on the front and two on the back as well as the usual zippers at the cuffs. Add a couple of outer pockets and an inside one and you have a pretty elaborate rig that can go from fully zipped with liner for cold and wet, to all vent zips open and no liner for warmer weather. There's even a soft knitted collar with Velcro closure. It's not as big a mess as it sounds to put on, but it's not a "slip it on, zip it up, out the door" jacket.

The pants also have a water-barrier liner and ventilation zippers, as well as the usual long zips up the calves and a very sturdy waist closure. Again, softer elastic fabric in the bendy bits that don't need armor: backs of knees up the inner thighs to the crotch.

Oh, there are also sections that are made of Scotchlite reflective stuff. A lot of different materials in these.

FIT
On the slim side, and I found they fit a little tighter than you might expect. In other words, perfect for leather. I wear a 40R or 40L sport coat and the 42 in the Triumph left enough breathing room for comfort. I might have been able to wear a 40, but the torso and sleeves are PERFECT on the 42, withe sleeve giving enough coverage when my arm is bent, and no exposed backside when leaned over.

I wear a 32W and 32 or 33 inseam in street pants and the 32 Triumph leathers were so tight on the first wearing I had to suck in my gut and wriggle into them. Crushingly tight at first but a few hours of wear and they they are starting to feel good. Long in the leg, kind of a straight cut, not super-skinny but far from American baggy.

QUALITY
They're made by (in some overseas factory) the UK company Knox. The materials appear to be very high grade, from the heavy, even-grained leather to the YKK zippers to the (duh) genuine Knox armor. Comes with spare zipper pulls and snaps. Stitching looks good and the labeling is not so huge you look like a Triumph billboard. I'd put it right up there with Alpinestars or Dainese in terms of quality. For all I know they all come from the same huge Ukrainian leather shop.

IMPRESSIONS
Heavy, sturdy. Warm but on a nice day the ventilation zippers did work pretty well. My wife thinks my butt looks good in them. Have not ridden in more than a sprinkle of rain but I didn't get wet. A really nice, if lesser-known alternative to the bigger brands even if you don't ride a Triumph and well suited for the practical, not-a-racer, not-a-long-haul-tourer nature of the R3.