Belstaff Xl Trialmaster Suit
BELSTAFF XL TRIALMASTER SUIT
EVALUATION
BETTER THAN SUPERMAN'S CAPE
SUPERMAN MIGHT BE MORE POWERful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but when it comes to staying warm and dry, all he’s got is a glorified leotard and a cape. A smarter choice would be Belstaff’s XL500 Trial-master suit. Because while the two-piece outfit won’t stop a storm of gunfire, it’s better at fending off thunderstorms and cold weather.
Moreover, the British-made jacket and pants are far more familiar in terms of materials and construction than anything from the planet Krypton. For instance, a polyurethanecoated nylon shell and a soft nylon liner sandwich a lightweight, quilted, synthetic insulation in both jacket and pants; and all of the seams are sealed and taped. The long-waisted jacket features a corduroy-lined mandarin collar with buckle closure, a zip-up front with a doubled, snap-secured storm flap, a floating belt and two-position snaps at the cuffs. Belstaff uses brass hardware throughout, too, including the three screened vents in each armpit, something not even Superman's outfit can boast.
But although The Man of Steel cuts a pretty dashing figure in his snug-fitting uniform, even he would get snickered at in the Belstaff pants because of their full cut. And despite their gathered elastic waist and threeposition snaps on each side, the pants tend to sag down, emphasizing their bagginess. What’s more, they’re a little tough to pull on over boots, and offer the same number of pockets as Superman’s leotard-none. But the jacket makes up for that shortcoming with four pleated pockets, each with a snap-down double storm flap.
Anyway, it’s when the weather turns foul that the Belstaff suit makes a lot more sense than anything in Superman’s closet. The lightweight insulation (only to boot-top level in the pants) means the suit isn’t terribly warm, but it allows plenty of room for multiple layers of clothing underneath without making its wearer feel overbundled. Our tester stayed perfectly cozy during an extended ride through temperatures ranging from the 30s to the 50s, wearing only street clothes (including a heavy shirt) and an electric vest beneath the suit. The myriad buckles, flaps and snaps make effective storm doors against drafts, and the long waist allows the rider to sit on the jacket’s tail to keep cold winds from blowing up his aft. When the weather turns balmier, there are plenty of adjustments in the jacket’s closures to allow adequate ventilation.
Rainy weather was another matter, though. The suit kept the rider dry during numerous short, two-to-three hour storms, but a ride in a five-hour downpour left him with soggy shorts at day’s end. Apparently, the seams in the crotch of the pants hadn’t been properly sealed.
That would be a damning fault in a wallet-breaking suit, but the Belstaff costs only $109 for the jacket (sizes XS-XL) and $79 for the pants (European sizes 68, 72, 76, 80, 84cm, at inseam), making the dampness slightly easier to bear. Better yet, the suit's U.S. importer, Motorace (P.O. Box 861, Wilbraham, MA 01095; 1800-628-4040), stands behind Belstaff's 12-month guarantee, and will replace any faulty garments.
So while the Belstaff Trialmaster suit—available in black only—might look more like something Clark Kent would wear rather than Superman, it makes an excellent outer shell that’ll protect you from some of the worst that weather has to offer. It won’t make you invulnerable to rain and cold—but it might just provide the next best thing. E3
