Many additional safety features over the standard Violator gloves.
Padded knuckle protector “floats” in a separate section to offer more comfort and better protection; new closure system is very secure.
As with many race gloves, these can be a bit hot in the summer.
There must be a Kawasaki in my future — first the KBC VR-1 helmet we recently tested and now these Teknic Violator Pro gloves both were sent by their respective manufacturers in Kawasaki green!
Don’t be afraid though; this Violator Pro color never made it to production (sorry Kawi riders!), but you can get them in black; black/silver/white; black/royal blue/white; black/red/white and black/yellow/white.
You can view them all on the Violator Pro page on the Teknic website. By the way, my wife absolutely loves this color!
As soon as we posted the test of the 2001 model Violator, Bill Ringrose, the Customer Support Manager at Specialty Sports Limited (the designer, manufacturer and importer for Teknic gear), dropped us a line and asked if we’d like to see the ’02 model. Not being one to turn down an opportunity to test a new piece of equipment, the only natural answer was “sure!”.
As soon as we took these gloves out of the box, we realized that this wasn’t just a few minor pattern changes to the existing product. These gloves are radically improved. Teknic has really taken the lessons learned from racing and rider input and made what has to be one of the most state of the art pair of gloves we’ve ever seen.
It’s simply amazing how they can sell these things for $129.95 and still make a profit. I really like my ’01 pair of Violators, but now I’m feeling like they’re the equal of the space shuttle in the era of Jean-Luc Picard’s Enterprise.
Life used to be simple — the original Violators were one of the best-selling gloves on the market as soon as they hit the dealers’ shelves. But for 2002, Teknic’s Violator comes in two flavors; the Violator and the Violator Pro. The 2002 standard Violator is somewhat like the ’01 Violator, except it doesn’t have the carbon fiber knuckle protectors, using heavy cowhide instead. The new Violator Pro has many additional features; I’ll try to explain them by using these photos:
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Starting from the upper left and going around clockwise:
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Again, starting from the upper left and moving clockwise:
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The Violator Pro’s knuckle protector now lives in its own separate padded section covering the glove; not only does this give much more protection for the knuckles, due to the added layers of leather; it’s also more comfortable, as the knuckle protector can slide over your hand as it moves. |
The new and innovative inside wrist closure system and padded leather flap that covers the cinch. |
As you can see, these gloves are loaded with very well thought out features. One thing we noted is that the Violator Pro seems to run just a touch smaller than the older Violators reviewed previously; the size large feels tighter but we’re sure it will stretch with use and in the end, it may offer a more comfortable fit.
Other features I may have missed:
- The uppers are Japanese drum-dyed cowhide; the innovative stitching means that there are several layers of protection in the vital areas;
- The kangaroo un-dyed leather palm offers greater abrasion resistance and excellent feel;
- Schoeller Keprotec Kevlar layers in palm, little finger and thumb, increases abrasion and heat resistance.
If you’re in the market for a new pair of gloves (or even if you’re not!), our recommendation is to definitely check out the new Violator Pro gloves.
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wBW Product Review: Teknic Violator Pro Motorcycle Gloves |
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| Available From: Teknic | Suggested Retail Price: No longer in production. |
| Colors: Black; black/silver/white; black/royal blue/white; black/red/white and black/yellow/white. Made in: Unknown. The standard Violator gloves are made in China. |
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| Review Date: Circa 2002? | |
| More: wBW Motorcycle Clothing Page | Review Index | Owner comments – see below | wBWReview: Teknic Violator gloves | |
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Owner Comments and Feedback
Not all comments will be published (details). Comments may be edited for clarity prior to publication.
From “J.G.”: “I just bought Teknic Violator gloves from motorcyclegear.com after reading your review. They have the gloves on sale and provided a link to your site. The review was helpful. Thanks!”
From “E.S.”: “Heya, just read your review and thought I’d add my $.02: I’ve had a pair since June ’02 and everything everyone says about them is true; great fit and finish, fantastic feel, comfortable, and well made. I tested this last bit in Nov. I went down at 70-80 mph and I tend to try to “catch” myself in falls.
Yet, the Violator’s held up great. A little bit of abrasion is apparent on the kangaroo palms, a lot of abrasion on (all) the chrome knuckles, and one can see that the Keprotec patches hit, but hardly show any wear. The one discrepancy I noticed with my particular pair is that I fit into Mediums (usually I’m a LG, or XLG). And yes they do stretch a bit. I’m so satisfied with mine, that am going to buy a second pair (from New Enough).”
From “N.P.”: “The gloves are great! After minimal break in, they seem to be holding their own. After 5000 miles two stitches on the index finger have worked themselves loose but easily fixed. Fit is good.
Comfort is really good. Tend to be rather warm so venting could be improved. All in all for the price I paid I shouldn’t be a bit disappointed and I’m not. excellent value for the money and features offered in this glove.”