Alpinestars Supertech gloves review | Tried and tested on road and track by Neevesy

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There are a bewildering array of sports and track-riding gloves in Alpinestars’ line-up, but the Alpinestars Supertech sit at the very top of the range, just above the Alpinestars GP Tech V2, with spec and price tag to match. I’ve been wearing the Supetechs with one-piece leathers for sporty road tests and track action.

How comfortable are the Supertech gloves?

I’m always a ‘large’ in Astars gloves and these Supertechs are no different. That said it takes a while for them to bed-in, so it’s easy to think they come up too small at first. As with a lot of motorcycle gloves ,it takes a good few rides for them to ‘give’ but once they do they fit beautifully – snug, without being too tight, pinchy, or restricting movement. They’re light and partially vented, which is refreshing on a hot trackday and like all the Italian firm’s sporty gloves the ring and little fingers are fastened together to stop them flailing around in a crash. Velcro straps help secure the gloves tightly in place.

Do the Alpinestars Supertech gloves look good?

They’re available in a classy white/red/black, understated black or these: lumo orange/yellow/white/back. I love the design and the colours, which you can see a mile away, so good for anyone spotting you on track.

Are they good quality?

You could get yourself a pretty decent set of one-piece racing leathers for the price of these gloves, so quality needs to be exemplary…and it is. A mix of soft kangaroo and cow leather give the gloves a luxurious feel and the aramid sections and plastic armour scream MotoGP, which is no surprise as it’s the proving ground for Astars track kit. Even after heavy wear on trackdays and launches there’s no sign of wear or frayed stitching.

What is the protection like?

I haven’t crashed in this pair of Supertechs but have done in racing scenarios more times than I’d like to remember wearing similar gloves and they’ve always performed superbly. They do exactly what they’re designed to do: they don’t wear through when you instinctively reach for the ground, even at high speed, the stitching doesn’t burst and the plastic protectors do their job. Racing gloves will mitigate injuries, but the very fact you need your fingers need to be free to wiggle the controls means they’ll always be vulnerable and I’ve still broken fingers and thumbs over the years.

Are they good value for money?

Over 400 quid is a heck of a lot to pay for a pair of racing gloves, but they’re made from high quality materials with tech and knowhow derived from MotoGP and beyond. Whether they’re worth the cash is hard to say without having called them into action, but any glove tested to destruction by Marc Marquez has to be at the top of any racer or trackday regular’s shopping list.

So what’s the verdict?

These gloves aren’t cheap, but they’re top quality and although I haven’t crashed in them, I’ve tested similar pairs and they’ve always done their job. That said, even top shelf gloves like these can’t completely protect broken bones, simply because you need your fingers free to operate your bike’s controls. They’re a tight fit out of the box and take time to bed in, but once they’ve been worn a few times they’re supremely comfortable, cossetting and a pleasure to wear with lots of feel for using the throttle, brakes and clutch. I think they look great, too, especially in the lumo orange and yellow. If you’re going to wear a top notch set of leathers, you need gloves like these to go with them.

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Jim Blackstock’s review September 2023

Those criteria include abrasion and cut resistance and retention on the hand, so you know that these gloves are of the highest specification when it comes to protection.

I usually take a Medium in gloves but had to go up one size as they were a very tight fit – I couldn’t get the M on and even the L initially felt like it will need some breaking in to loosen up properly.

However, I tend to prefer gloves tighter rather than looser – I like the feel for the controls when gloves feel like a second skin and aren’t so large that they effectively insulate you from the controls with another layer of material between your hand and the bike.

Movement in the Supertech gloves is excellent; there are flex panels on each – pre-curved – finger, the thumb and there is a large elasticated panel on the back of the wrist that allows you to move your wrist perfectly with no restrictions.

There are strategically placed perforations to help admit cooling air and these actually make a difference, helping keep your hands cool when the going gets warm. There are several on the front of the gloves that, when gripping the bars, present directly to the airflow and there are exhaust vents on the back of the knuckle armour to allow warm air to escape.

The most obvious protection comes from the hard-plastic knuckle armour though there is also softer padding underneath this as well, with a layer of Kevlar-reinforced material too; we can’t see how you could be more protected unless you don’t ride.

There are Keprotech panels (a material developed for racing to increase abrasion and fall resistance) scattered liberally around the gloves, including on the heel of the palm and over the scaphoid bone and round the side of the palm, pull-tabs over the wrist-retaining strap, on the base of the thumb, on the fingertips and the outer edge of the index fingers.

There are also plastic nibs on the three main fingers and a bridge between the ring and little fingers to prevent the pinkie from being splayed and damaged in an accident. The leather bridge also forms a secondary layer of protection for the outer edge of the little finger and there is a grip panel across the top of the palm on both.

In addition to the hard knuckle armour, there is also a large section of TPU over the cuff closure, backing up the wrist strap to retain the gloves. Like the knuckle armour, this is vented to give airflow and hence, cooling, for the hands and wrist when riding.

Putting them on feels like adding another layer of skin – the larges are a tight fit but for me, there are worth the effort to get them on and feeling right. They move perfectly with the hand and fingers and provide an exceptional feel for the bike, as you can imagine.

The fingers are the perfect relationship between length and thickness compared with the overall width of my hand; the only slight tightness, for me, is at the very base of the thumb where my digit is a bit too chunky but this has improved with every ride.

Verdict

These are a lot of gloves but for a lot of money. If you are looking for something sporty for warmer, summer road rides, then they are probably a bit much; however, if you are serious about track days or competing, then these should definitely be on your wish list.

They are created for track use and as a result, have impressive levels of design and protection. The use of layered leather and the Keprotech enhancements offers security and reassurance, and this is backed up with that CE rating of 2 KP – not easy to come by and the highest possible for gloves.

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