Have you ever heard of Ruroc? This UK-based company quickly established itself in the motorcycle industry thanks to its creative motorcycle helmets and business philosophy that revolves around the riders themselves. This month, they have revealed a new brand – the EngineHawk.
Actually, we have reviews on two of Ruroc’s most popular helmets: the Atlas 1.0 and the Atlas 2.0.
This new brand symbolizes their expansion to the motorcycle apparel market, with a full range of options. Right now, we have only seen the motorcycle jacket designs, which look fantastic!
Actually, EngineHawk is ready to show their first motorcycle jacket tomorrow! That’s why we have decided to write up the post on everything we know about this brand and the background behind it. Will it be able to revolutionize the motorcycle apparel market? Time will tell.
Table of Contents
The Origin Of The EngineHawk Brand
This brand officially started eight months ago, with a couple of messages sent to the designer. Why is this brand called EngineHawk, though?
The idea behind the naming of the brand is that it should feel fast and aggressive. Hawk symbolizes freedom and protection, feelings closely tied to how riders feel when being on the motorcycle.
In the end, the final logo variation ended up being a visual treat – a combination of eagle wings and motorcycle exhaust on the tips of the wings.
They also brought some big names to their team. First of all, they brought James Kent aboard. He is a world-class designer who has extensive experience in technical aspects, performance, and fashion styling of motorcycle apparel.
To improve the manufacturing process, EngineHawk collaborates with Kido Sports, a renowned Korean motorcycle apparel manufacturer.
With such big names behind it, let’s go more deep into the vision and goal of the EngineHawk brand!
The Goal Of The EngineHawk Brand
As Matt Rees, the co-founder of Ruroc puts it; their mission is to “create a new brand to revolutionize the motorcycle industry.”
It’s a very bold statement, but they have shown extensive knowledge and proficiency in motorcycle gear design with the Ruroc brand.
You can see what Ruroc has to offer on the Ruroc official website!
Ruroc initially started with snow sports helmets before expanding to motorcycle helmets, where they’ve found great success, with Atlas helmet being one of the best-selling helmets on the market right now.
Now, they want to create gear that can save lives, gear that riders will use time and time again. You see, EngineHawk explicitly intends to solve a huge problem that motorcycle riders face. That problem is finding worthwhile motorcycle apparel that looks great, fits well, and performs well.
After all, riders don’t want another generic motorcycle apparel. They want quality-designed apparel that performs well and looks great.
That’s why EngineHawk aims to reinvent the “stale, standard, and boring” motorcycle apparel prevalent in the industry.
To solve this problem, they have created a team composed of two halves. The first half comprises manufacturing and engineering minds from the motorsports industry, combined with the fashion industry.
The second half are the riders, the “heart of everything” the company does. In the next section, we will detail how the users shape the end-products.
The Importance Of User Feedback
Right now, Ruroc created Taskforce Echo Hotel, a Facebook group where they show exclusive information on their new apparel brand.
If you want to be a part of this community, make sure to sign up on the EngineHawk official site. Keep in mind that you will need to sign an agreement obliging you not to leak any information!
The great thing about Ruroc’s business philosophy is that they are closely collaborating with the passionate motorcycle riders to provide the best possible product.
Group members provide feedback via surveys and posts in the group. Then, the company filters this feedback and implements some of the suggestions in their products.
Ruroc already proved to listen to feedback when it comes to their helmets, so we have no doubt they will do the same with this new brand! All this feedback helps a bunch to reinvent the motorcycle apparel industry the way that motorcycle enthusiasts want.
Right now, we have gathered some details on what kinds of gear users want EngineHawk to create:
- High-quality casual armored wear
- Size 8 tall riding boots for higher protection when compared to the size 6 boots prevalent on the market
- Reinforced gloves, especially for women, as most motorcycle gloves are susceptible to tearing due to gel nails
And now, here is a look into the first jacket designs of Ruroc’s new brand!
Sneak Peek Into Five EngineHawk Jacket Designs!
Right now, they have designed eleven jackets, but we know how at least four of them will look like. Here are some of the insights we’ve been able to acquire:
- Jackets will be named by the community
- They will reveal these jackets over time
- The jackets comply with rigorous safety standards, with the focus on impact protection and high resistance to elements (AAA classification indicating the highest level of protection)
Down below, you can find the revealed jacket designs and some observations tied to them.
The Predator Jacket
This first design flows with cafe racer jacket vibes, with extra padding in the shoulder marked with a sleek quilted pattern.
UPDATE: EngineHawk has officially unveiled this motorcycle jacket under a prototype name of Predator. It is a textile motorcycle jacket that is highlighted by the Triple A abrasion and tear resistance rating. If you manage to fall off your motorcycle while wearing this jacket, you will probably be good to go. Another great styling feature is the quilted leather on the shoulders and back, which hints towards the fashionable pride of the classic biker market. For now, EngineHawk is letting the community name this jacket. The Predator jacket will also be available in more color schemes, not just in Triple Black.
Check out some photos of this stylish motorcycle jacket in the gallery below (courtesy of EngineHawk):
Let’s dive into everything we know about the Predator motorcycle jacket!
Armor & Protection
The Predator motorcycle jacket will utilize triple-flex, low-profile SAS-TEC armor in elbows, shoulders, and the back. This flexible armor features a Level 1 CE rating, which will keep you safe in a case of a slide.
There is additional protection on the sleeves thanks to the super-sleek liner utilized as an outside-in cover. It provides tear and abrasion resistance and makes it much easier to put your arms in the jacket.
Fit
Right from the get-go, we can see that the Predator jacket is casual-looking, so it isn’t specifically made for the bike, as it sports an everyday wear styling. Still, EngineHawk didn’t make this jacket TOO casual, as they wanted to make it sleek too.
To take on the jacket with more ease, there are side zips on the waist part. Under the zipper is AirTex mesh, which transforms this component into an effective vent. Over the zipper is the popper stud strap that serves as a size regulator with two levels. For example, if you close the popper stud on the first level, you can leave the side zip open for additional airflow.
Just a bit above the lower waist part are the two zippered pockets with AirTex lining. You can leave them open as vents.
Above these, at the middle of the jacket, is another “Kangaroo zipper” pocket with a textile cover to keep it from getting wet. This one is envisioned as a storage pocket.
Finally, on the front of the jacket is the YKK matte zipper. Once you unzip it, the jacket will open up wide. There is a zip guard underneath and a chin strap, which adds some simplicity and doesn’t divide the zipper.
The zips utilized here are not metal but plastic – mainly to save weight. From a design perspective, they look like small bullets with a metal-like finish.
One of the Predator jacket’s remarked features is the quilted leather on the shoulders, which serves as an arm gusset. Basically, this section is an arm hold that provides a longer reach for the sleeves when you put on the jacket. As it squares you off, it will provide a better and more comfortable feeling, and because of that, the sleeves are quite ergonomic.
Garment
The outer shell of this motorcycle jacket is made of Nylon Spandex material. EngineHawk uses this material because it helps provide the targeted “street” look of the jacket. One of the main problems they wanted to address is that many motorcycle jacket brands who utilize the “street” look don’t have their garments CE-approved, only the armors.
The Nylon Spandex material is CE-approved, which outshines the competition in the “street” branch of motorcycle jackets. This material is a lot tougher than the material previously envisioned for this jacket and is stretchable too. On the inside of the outer shell is the microfleece material, which features a bonded membrane that provides more resistance to the elements.
The Predator jacket is fully lined with AirTex mesh, a highly breathable and functional material that helps circulate the properties of the outer shell fabric. All in all, the garment provides lots of breathability, along with extra safety with the armors in place.
On the tip of the sleeves, you can find a classic biker jacket component – the zippers. These are lined with AirTex mesh to provide additional airflow if you require it.
One unique component of the Predator’s garment is the hood, and it is an integral part of the jacket’s overall design. Remember, this is a “street” style jacket, so it shares some resemblance with hoodies too. Some may see the hood as a divisive feature, especially the seasoned motorcycle riders who hate it when the hoodie sticks out on the back and flaps around on the wind.
To prevent that, EngineHawk shaped the hood in a flat profile on the top, which means that it will sit flat and won’t flap around. They also aim to put popper studs under the hood itself so that you can attach the hood over there. That way, it will stay in one place and won’t flap around, which is such a simple design choice that can bring a huge difference.
The hood is lined with AirTex mesh to provide ventilation, but the outer layer is textile to not let in too much air inside. There is a size regulator at the neck collar part of the hood to make it tighter or loose, depending on personal preference.
We can also see the branding on the chest which is gel-injected for more durability in the long run.
In summary, the Predator jacket is a simple and clean jacket, great for riding into the wind or for an everyday commute alike. It looks casual, and you wouldn’t be wrong to think that it features some high-quality, abrasion, and tear-resistant material, as well as armor pads inside. Basically, this jacket is the epitome of the EngineHawk brand – keeping it fashionable and highly functional for motorcycle riders.
The Ironhead Jacket
This one oozes with the classic trucker jacket style with tack buttons. We can see the pockets on the chest area. The overall casual styling of the jacket is hard to resist.
UPDATE: EngineHawk has officially unveiled this jacket, and it’s called the Ironhead. Check out some of the photos of this cool jacket in the gallery below (courtesy of EngineHawk):
Along with the photos, we also got some juicy information on the prototype variant of the Ironhead motorcycle jacket.
The jacket got its name from the legendary Harley-Davidson engine from the 1950s to the 1980s. You know, this bike:
Apparently, the jacket will provide a great fit for the riders, despite having shoulder, elbow, and back protection inside. Well, that’s all thanks to the experts from the fashion industry who joined the EngineHawk team. The Ironhead jacket doesn’t only look good, but it protects well too – with the combination of ergonomics that makes it a damn fine jacket for on and off the motorcycle.
Armor & Protection
The leather material of this motorcycle jacket features a Double A rating for tear and abrasion resistance. We’ll talk more about the protective qualities of the garment a bit later.
The main star of the show when it comes to protection is the SAS-TEC armor with a 9mm profile. Keep in mind that EngineHawk will launch the Ironhead (and all of their other jackets) in Level 1 and Level 2 variants, with the main difference being a slightly thicker profile of the Level 2 armors and 15-20 grams of additional weight. The SAS-TEC armors can be found on shoulders, elbows, and the back. All of these are removable as well.
This SAS-TEC armor is the triple-flex variant, which adds much-needed flexibility, adding up to the ergonomics of the jacket. The armor is made of tear-resistant fabric, and the good thing is that it will retain all of its flexible properties even in cold weather (unlike the regular SAS-TEC armor). Also, as this is a breathable material, it will greatly help with airflow along with the addition of the slide resistance.
Thanks to the neutral profile that this triple-flex SAS-TEC armor has, the jacket won’t look like it’s outfitted with the armors, which only contributes to its casual wear styling EngineHawk is aiming for.
Fit
These jackets usually get tight at the sleeves when you put your arms forward during a bike ride. Also, your shoulders get pointed at the top, which causes further discomfort. So, what has EngineHawk done with the Ironhead jacket sleeve design to prevent this discomfort from happening?
Well, they have flattened the sleeve heads to be more flexible. That way, when you turn your shoulders, there will be less disruption on them, as the sleeves won’t be so tight as on your usual leather jacket. This greatly increases the overall comfort when riding. So, in summary, if you enjoy leather-style jackets, the ergonomic sleeve design will make this jacket all the more desirable.
When designing the sleeves of leather jackets, the main problem is the potential struggle to get the arms inside the sleeves. So, EngineHawk utilizes a sleek fabric with Triple A tear resistance on the inside. It’s certainly a nice combination when you couple it with the tear-resistant outer layer. Basically, it makes it easier to slide the arms in and out.
Another thing with the sleeves is that you don’t want them to roll up when you slide, so there are two popper buttons on the sleeve tips to regulate how tight they are on your wrist. This serves as a size regulator, which is handy, especially if you want to get gloves on your hands. Also, there is a zipper on both sleeves to serve as additional ventilation.
Moving to the main part of the jacket – the waist is designed to be slightly tapered. This design decision was made because of the armor panels, as they have to be evenly distributed so that riders get a more three-dimensional fit.
Garment
We mustn’t forget the garment itself. With the Ironhead jacket, there is more to the protective qualities other than the triple-flex SAS-TEC armor panels – the garment itself is protective as well.
The outer layer is made of Cowhide leather with 0.9 to 1.1 mm of thickness. This particular leather is imported from KIDO, one of the industry leaders for motorcycle jacket garments. Keep in mind that this outer layer features a Double A rating which means it gets superb tear and abrasion resistance.
The whole jacket has a matte polish and a premium finish that is quite pleasant to the eyes. This is a major giveaway that fashion industry experts crafted the jacket.
The inner layer of the Ironhead is made of ThermoLite fabric. ThermoLite provides natural breathability and stable, lightweight insulation. Basically, it will hold the heat in during the colder rides and provide balanced breathability so that you don’t sweat.
There are two asymmetrical tipped pockets on the chest and two zippered pockets on the lower side of the garment.
The pockets on the lower part of the garment are made of AirTex. Basically, you can unzip the lower side pockets and leave them as vents.
You can also find inside pockets for additional storage while using the outer pockets as vents.
Coming from the top of the garment, there is a collar with popper buttons. These popper studs are here to keep the collar in place not to flap when you are riding at higher speeds.
One cool thing is the bike chain that will serve as a neck loop to hang your jacket on a coat rack. Actually, every EngineHawk jacket will come with that feature.
Directly underneath is a two-way zipper with an additional leather layer that you can open and close with the popper buttons. EngineHawk decided to use the two-way style for additional functionality and comfort, regardless of its cost. This is awesome in scenarios when you ride your bike, and the wind gets inside the jacket, filing it up like a balloon. You can pop the lower zipper up in such a case, and the jacket will regain its regular shape.
The top YKK zipper has a longer profile, is flat, and will come in a matte finish. It’s strong and reliable and won’t get broken off or stuck as easily.
The bottom zipper features a piston styling, just to be true to the EngineHawk name.
All in all, the Ironhead looks like a jacket that balances out the top-grade functionality of premium motorcycle jackets and provides classic styling features. It will be a life-saving motorcycle jacket that you will be able to wear on and off the bike.
The Hawkeye Jacket
This black leather zipper jacket looks so badass! It’s certainly one of our favorite jackets of the revealed bunch. The zipper is uncovered, though, which could pose some issues.
You see, uncovered zippers will let the wind inside the jacket and cool you when you least want it. Imagine a scenario when you are riding on a naked bike or in cold weather.
If the zipper stays exposed, this will be a nice summer season jacket.
The back of this jacket looks killer too!
UPDATE: EngineHawk has officially unveiled this jacket, and they named it the Hawkeye. It got its name due to the hawk’s ability to see both the visible and UV color spectrums. The name fits nicely with its Carbon Black UV reflective night strips for safer night driving. Check out some of the photos of this sexy jacket in the gallery below (courtesy of EngineHawk):
With the gallery of photos, we got some juicy new information on the Hawkeye jacket itself! As you can see from its styling, it’s clearly inspired by legendary leather jackets from the age of Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen. Something like this…
With the Hawkeye jacket, EngineHawk aims to provide a retro-style leather jacket that looks badass and provides epic protection in case of falling from the motorcycle. Let’s see what EngineHawk has done with this epic motorcycle jacket!
Armor & Protection
Like the rest of the motorcycle jackets under the EngineHawk brand, the Hawkeye also features triple-flex SAS-TEC armors at the shoulders, elbows, and back. They are easily removable and the best part of them is their flexibility. You will feel extra comfortable but also safe at the same time thanks to their neutral profile.
Fit
Judging by the styling of the Hawkeye jacket, we can see that it promotes a stronger silhouette, which we can see on the waist lining. The waist lining is tilted a bit forward and generally more refined so that the jacket doesn’t look like a box when a larger individual puts it on. Also, the pockets are tilted a bit inwards so that it is easier to put stuff inside and to provide additional airflow. Larger individuals will certainly be able to fit in this leather motorcycle jacket well!
To provide an overall better fit, there is an accordion elastic under the shoulders part. The Hawkeye jacket’s back part is elastic to tailor to larger individuals and provides a hefty dose of flexibility to anyone who wears it. It feels quite fashionable and comfortable at the same time.
The sleeves are also quite elastic, thanks to the flexible material on the inside of the sleeves. They have a lightweight feel and won’t put too much pressure on your arms when you place your arms inside. The sleeve design makes this jacket not feel like a motorcycle jacket, as it is exceptionally lightweight and comfortable. Its material is breathable, like on a knitted jersey – which adds a good dose of ventilation.
Garment
The outer layer of the Hawkeye jacket is 1.2 mm Cowhide leather. It is a sturdy and robust material that doesn’t feel heavy and clunky at the same time. The leather lining features Double A abrasion and tear resistance to provide additional slide protection. Actually, the same material is utilized for the armor pockets. Because of the high-quality leather, it is relatively easy to put this jacket on and off, which shows how the designers care about additional flexibility that most other motorcycle jackets lack.
On the top of the jacket, we can see the neoprene collar trim that provides softness when the head is going back and down during the motorcycle ride. There is a classic popper stud element that makes the collar tight and keeps your neck in a neutral position.
We can see the quilted material on the shoulders, which will be in charcoal reflective stitching when the jacket gets in retail status.
Under the shoulders are Carbon Black UV reflective strips that provide additional safety during night rides. In the daytime, the strips are unnoticeable, and in the nighttime, they come to full glory.
These strips feature a texture to resemble leather so that they don’t feel out of place. This texture is Carbon Black, just to let you know.
On the front bottom, we can see two side pockets with AirTex mesh on the inside, which can serve as the ventilation system.
When you unzip the jacket, there are two zipper top check pockets with AirTex mesh and additional two pockets on the lower part of the jacket. You can combine which pockets you want to use for storage and which ones for ventilation.
On the bottom back sides are the zippered leather gaskets that serve as additional ventilation.
The two-way zipper dominates the front of the garment. It is an invaluable asset, and not just for a motorcycle jacket, but every jacket. Two zippers provide an ability to release the tension when you are sitting upright when riding. You know, when you are riding, and all the air gets accumulated at your belly, causing discomfort. Well, you just unzip from the bottom, and all that air gets out. Simple as that!
The zippers will be made of rubber to promote a more comfortable grip and durability in the long run. We all hate when the metal zippers break, and this is a dash of fresh air for sure!
Also, there is a zip guard on the inside of the jacket to prevent leakages, which is a great addition, as we were afraid that EngineHawk would forget to address that annoyance. Good thing they are listening to feedback!
The inside of the jacket is made of reflective Carbon Black material, with AirTex mesh lining to provide some breathability.
The Hawkeye jacket looks fantastic and has tons of cool features that make it safe for motorcycle rides. Its styling is retro, and the jacket could be easily worn as an everyday jacket, not just as a motorcycle jacket. We are certainly hyped up to see if EngineHawk will optimize the jacket when it comes to retail!
Wax Jacket Style
This one looks like it’s 100% textile, but we are still not sure. We can see the zipper under the tack buttons. Like the jacket before it, the zipper could use an additional cover not to let the cold in. Then, there are two pockets in the chest area.
Overall, this wax jacket provides a very casual and simple styling that is simply awesome!
So, is EngineHawk the brand that will bring a true revolution to motorcycle apparel? It’s too early to say, but the hype is real, that’s for sure!
Stay tuned for more updates as EngineHawk rolls them up, as there will be more reveals in the weeks to come. We can’t wait to see what other gear EngineHawk has in store for motorcycle riders!
Check this post later for all the additional info on this new, ambitious motorcycle apparel project! We will update it on a regular basis for you guys to have an ultimate spot for all the juicy info!
If looking for specific motorcycle jackets, make sure to check out our motorcycle jackets review section!
