The annual Aldi motorcycle gear sale is on this Saturday across all Australian stores with a line-up of buyers expected when the doors open at 8am.
An Aldi spokesman says they will not be stocking motorcycle gear permanently but will continue with the annual themed sale.
This year products include open and full-face helmets, leather and textile jackets and pants, thermal underwear, socks and more.
Aldi sent MotorBikeWriter samples of their full-face helmet, jacket and thermal neck sock for review. The spokesperson says their motorcycle products are “top quality” and properly certified”.
“The majority of the Aldi Torque motorcycle protective clothing adhere to strict European safety standards for abrasion, impact and cut resistance,” the spokesperson says.
“Our motorcycle jackets and non-denim pants meet EN 13595 Level 2 Certification and have an abrasion resistance of between 12 and 19 seconds. Our carbon knuckle and padded leather motorcycle gloves are both EN 13594 Certified. The ful-face and open-face motorcycle helmets meet Australian and New Zealand safety standards and are AS/NZS 1698 approved, and SAI Global stickered.”
I once lined up with dozens of other riders for the annual Aldi sale and only secured a rain suit and a pair of socks before anything else I had my eye on was sold out.
I’ve never bought any other Aldi gear, but several of the guys I ride with swear by them and my Aldi socks are still going strong several years later.
The prices are so cheap and the number of items so low, you can guarantee most of the good stuff will all be gone in short time.
The items Aldi sent me seem reasonably good quality.
The $139 abrasion-resistant textile winter jacket feels fine, fits well, is comfortable, features sturdy YKK zips and has the new CE soft armour (shoulders, elbows and back) that everyone seems to use these days.
It has storm flaps, weatherproof pockets and a massive pocket/pouch in the back. There is no removable waterproof liner, but the jacket has taped seams and a waterproof membrane that does a good job of keeping out the elements.
If it gets a bit warm, there are two short vents in the front and back.
I like the fit with long arms and a long rear flap so your back isn’t exposed when you lean forward on a sports-oriented bike.
They also sent a $9.99 motorcycle neck wrap which has soft and stretchy material with windproof material in the front.
It sits around your neck and some way across your shoulders so you don’t get air leaks and works really well. It uses Velcro fasteners for an exact fit on any size neck.
They also have various balaclavas in similar material all for $9.99.
While the helmet feels a little on the cheap side, at $79.99 that’s understandable.
It includes a drop-down visor with a locking mechanism that feels a little flimsy. However, the main visor opens and closes fluidly and quietly like on a more expensive helmet.
The Chinese-made helmet comes in matte black, gloss black, graphic black or graphic silver with a spare visor and replacement cheek pads, and a quick-lock chin strap.
The plush inner lining feels comfortable and not cheap like I expected and it’s a reasonably quiet helmet for a poly.
Other products include knuckle gloves at $34.99, long and short boots $89.99, textile pants $99, rain jacket $29.99, rain pants $19.99, milder pants $24.99, milder top $24.99, denim jeans $79.99, men’s leather jacket $149, men’s leather pants $119, open-face helmet $49.99, leather gloves $29.99, socks $9.99, bike cover $29.99 and Bluetooth units $59.99. Their jeans come with a 4-second abrasion resistance standard.
Neuroscience Research Australia’s Dr Liz de Rome, who has been working on improving the safety of motorcycle clothing for more than 10 years, says abrasion resistance safety standards are not regulated in Australia.
European safety standards require a minimum of four seconds of abrasion resistance in high-impact areas.
“This standard is something we encourage consumers to look for before they purchase any protective clothing,” she says. Other products exist with much higher abrasion resistance.
Aldi opened in Australia in 2001 and now has more than 365 stores on the east coast with stores planned for SA and WA.
The spokesperson says all products come from overseas. “The innovation and quality of our international products cannot currently be matched here in Australia.”
They say their prices are kept low by eliminating all “costly extras and overheads by selecting only the best products in each category, displaying products in reusable crates and not giving out plastic bags, which also encourages customers to recycle”.
They also don’t have customer loyalty programs or expensive point-of-sale displays.