An old MSF instructor once told me: “Dress for the accident and not the ride.” It’s amazing what stays with you over the years. Having always remembered that when riding on the street I normally wear a full leather suit because up until last year I didn’t have much of a choice since I didn’t own a dedicated riding jacket. That all changed when I evaluated the Alpinestars Stage perforated leather jacket (read the full review here). Now thanks to Shift I’ll have another option as I just snagged their new Octane leather jacket.

Safety is always a concern for me so seeing that the Octane came with removable CE approved shoulder and elbow armor was reassuring. There’s also an integrated memory foam back protector in its own pocket for added protection, which is good to have if you don’t have a dedicated back protector. If you do own one (I use the Teknic 7-link unit) you should definitely use that instead.

Speaking of safety we as riders always want to have a fun ride and arrive back at home in one piece. As such being seen by other motorists is paramount. I believe Shift is aware of this issue since they added just enough color for extra visibility (full black not applicable). In these times of cell phones, in car navigation systems and other devices that distract motorists perhaps if a glare of color (e.g. Red, Blue, Silver, etc.) refocuses their attention on the road then a catastrophe could be avoided. This however is no substitute for being a rider keenly aware of your surroundings.

The Octane is constructed of 1.2-1.4mm premium grain leather and has leather accordion panels in key flex areas (elbows and shoulders) for unrestricted movement. KorMax™ stretch Aramid panels add more flexibility while providing abrasion resistance.

This jacket has perforated leather panels with additional air intake vents on the shoulders and chest area so this probably won’t be the jacket you’ll be wearing in January if you reside in an area that sees the changing of the seasons. If you insist on wearing it when its 30 degrees outside (like I did while testing this jacket) I’d definitely wear a sweatshirt underneath. The included liner did help prevent some of the cold air coming through though.

Full-length and short connection zippers are standard so if you want compatible Shift pants, attaching them shouldn’t be a problem. The sleeves have the same quality zippers along with snap type buttons on the cuffs. This is a nice touch as most jackets just have zippers on the sleeves and they always seem to leave a gap around the wrist area. Snap type buttons are also available on the waist so if you had a few too many Fatburgers you can adjust accordingly.

Since the air is cool and the wind is brisk this time of year sweating isn’t much of an issue. Although when July comes around and the mercury climbs into the 90’s and above it’s nice to know that the Octane has a removable and washable quilted full-sleeve liner. This liner can easily be unzipped from the jacket and tossed in the wash. Just remember not toss it in with your whites otherwise bad things will happen. This is precisely why I don’t do the laundry.

Having donned the jacket for its maiden voyage I set out to cover some familiar roads and see how comfortable I felt wearing my new duds. I had plenty of mobility in the arm/shoulder areas and the double pockets on the outside and inside lent themselves quite nicely to carrying the necessities (cell phone, wallet, camera, pen & paper, gum, Powerbar and more). Yeah, maybe I should get a man-bag huh?

The Octane felt great, was comfortable and “broke in” perfectly on all the trips I took while using it. Thankfully the temperatures warmed up later that week so the other rides weren’t as harsh on my most sensitive of areas. This is a well constructed jacket that should be included in any rider’s gear collection.

The Shift Octane Leather Jacket retails for $449.95.

Go to Shift Racing (www.shiftracing.com) to purchase this jacket and maybe toss in a pair of their Carbine gloves why you’re at it. You know you want to. 

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