[REVIEW] Racer Gloves Multitop 2 Waterproof Gloves

Waterproof Gloves Review Summary

Review Summary

The Racer Gloves Multitop 2 Gloves are three-season all-around waterproof gloves. If you are in the market for all-around street/touring/adventure gloves, you should give these some consideration.

Aesthetics

Build Quality

Build Quality

Protection

Value

Pros

Solid construction

Comfort

Waterproof

CE Level Protection

Cons

No Touch Screen fingertips

Inner liner movement

4.6

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Introduction

Note: Thanks to Racer Gloves USA for providing the Multitop 2 Gloves for this review

I am one of those people who tends to carry extra gloves in case of changing weather during my ride. So when Racer Gloves USA asked us if we would like to try out some of their gloves, I asked for two pairs, the Pitlane (review to follow) for warmer weather and the Multitop 2 for all-around waterproof protection.

Racer Gloves USA is the exclusive US importer and distributor for the Austrian motorcycle apparel brand Racer Outdoor GmbH. Racer Austria has been creating premium street motorcycle apparel since the early 1990s and is well recognized throughout Europe. Racer Gloves USA’s mission is to bring you quality products that make your riding experience safer and more comfortable.

My province eased its pandemic restrictions by late spring, and I felt comfortable heading out for day rides. Although the coldest of spring riding was behind us, there were plenty of cool mornings, evenings, and warm days to give the Racer Gloves Multitop 2 Gloves a good shakedown in multiple conditions.

Features

Several features stand out on the Multitop 2 gloves.  The critical element for me is the comfort level provided by the Kangaroo leather palms.  Add to that the CE Level 1 protection and waterproof membrane, and you have an excellent pair of all-around three-season gloves.

Features:

• Kangaroo palm
• Padded palm protectors with Kevlar® underlining
• Carbon Fiber hard knuckle and finger protectors
• Waterproof breathable liner

For a complete list of features, visit the Racer Gloves Multitop 2 product page.

First Impressions

When I first opened the package, I was immediately drawn to the classic styling with an added pop of carbon fiber knuckle protection and tan leather palm. I am not one for flashy colors, so I was pleased to see the glove’s simple black appearance. The gloves are well constructed with a mix of materials giving a quality look and feel. The thing that really stood out the most was when I put them on for the first time, and it was like someone taken the time to break them in before delivery. They were comfortable right out of the box.

I took my first long ride on a cool morning. The temperature started at 8 Celsius and warmed up to the mid-20s Celsius. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to check out the versatility of the Multitop 2 gloves.

After several weeks of riding, these are my thoughts on the Racer Gloves Multitop 2 Gloves.

Construction

Outer Shell

The outer shell is made of cowhide leather with kangaroo leather palms. The palm also has an additional layer of leather and Kevlar-lined palm padding.

The back of the hand and gauntlet is constructed of leather with carbon fiber knuckle protection. The finger boxes are also made from leather with stretch panels at the knuckle for extra comfort.

All the protective padding and additional leather are double stitched.

Protection

The Racer Multitop 2 features multiple layers of protection:

• Full leather construction with kangaroo leather palms.
• Palm padding with Kevlar for added skid resistance.
• Additional leather and padding run up the outside of the palm to the end of the pinky finger.
• Double closure to ensure the gloves stay on.
• Carbon fiber knuckle and finger protection.

Although the gloves have a lot of protection built-in, many people feel that a hard palm slider is a must. I believe, in this case, Racer Gloves has used Kevlar in the padding as a replacement for the slider. This helps improve the overall comfort and removes bulk. Although the lower palm has additional padding, a hard skidpad would add better abrasion protection. That said, the knuckles have CE Level 1 Knuckle Protection (KP) rated armor. If you want that glove protection for spirited riding and track days, check out our review of the Racer Gloves High Racer Gloves as well as the High Speed gloves.

There is a CE-standard for motorcycle gloves, EN 13594:2015, with two categories: Level 1 and Level 2.

Motorcycle gloves with Level 1 performance provide a lower level of protection but offer greater flexibility than Level 2. In contrast, Level 2 gloves provide increased safety, but they may not be as flexible as a Level 1 glove due to their increased protective armor.

Waterproofing

The Multitop 2 gloves use an unspecified waterproof membrane. These full-gauntlet gloves offer exceptional protection against wind and rain.

Branding

Branding is subtle grey on black, which I like. Racer branding is on the back of the gauntlet, on the wrist closures, and the piping. You can find the Racer logo on the gauntlet and index finger, and it is all surprisingly subtle.

Colorways

The Multitop 2 gloves are available in black (seen in the review) and a black/white (very cool) combination. In either case, the palms are tan kangaroo leather.

Overall Build Quality

The Racer Gloves Multitop 2 gloves appear to be very well put together. During my review period, I have not encountered any problems with the build quality.

Fit & Feel

Sizing

The Racer Gloves Multitop 2 gloves fit true to their sizing chart. Depending on the manufacturer, I wear either a large or extra-large. Because of this, I always refer to the sizing charts. Using the directions in the Size Chart Guide, my hand measures about 9.5”. In this case, I ordered a size Large. The gloves fit perfectly.

The Multitop 2 comes in 6 sizes:

No women’s specific sizes are listed for this model.

Comfort

Out of the box, these are one of the most comfortable gloves I have ever worn. The leather is soft and took no time to break in. The fingers are pre-curved and have accordion knuckles for better articulation. There is elastic at the wrist to make it easier to get on and off.

The polyester liner makes for a very comfortable interior feel.

Retention

The Multitop 2 uses a velcro wrist closure and gauntlet closure to keep things snug.

Care Instructions and Warning Label

So, the care label tells us that we can’t do much of anything. ( I need to look more closely at these tags on my clothing)

• Do not wash
• Do not bleach
• Do not tumble dry
• Do not iron
• Do not dry clean

Since most options are ruled out, I would recommend to spot clean with a damp cloth. The light-colored palm shows dirt, but I like the worn-in look.

Warranty

Racer Glove offers a standard 1-year warranty that the gloves are free from defects in material and workmanship.  Warranties vary across the industry, with 1-year being the minimum standard, while others offer two or more years.

For further information, please visit Racer Glove Customer Service.

Road Testing

I received the gloves in early May, expecting that I would get out riding almost immediately. Instead, we were in the middle of a provincial stay-at-home order with restrictions on all non-essential travel. However, I was able to get in many short rides and several all-day rides.

Most of my use was between 5 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit) and 30 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit).

If the temperature were going to stay in the single-digit range all day, I would reach for insulated or heated gloves. But, if the forecast called for rising temperatures, the Multitop 2 met my needs.

At the other end of the temperature range, I found the gloves worked great right up to 30 degrees Celsius. When my hands got sweaty, the inner liner tended to shift slightly when removing the gloves. If the temperature gets above 25, I typically change to warm weather gloves (did I mention I also received a pair of Racer Gloves Pitlane gloves?)

The gloves worked great. My hands were comfortable in all but the coldest or sweltering conditions. I have used the gloves in various situations, around town, and on secondary and major highways. They have continued to perform very well.

I often use my smartphone as a GPS for speed/speed limit and music. I think these gloves would work great for touring or adventure riding, so the lack of touchscreen-enabled fingertips surprised me. Touch-sensitive fingertips are now a common feature for modern motorcycle gloves. Maybe this will be available on the next version of the Multitop?

I did have the opportunity to use the gloves in the rain, too. I usually try to drive around dark rainy skies, but I went out for a ride to find them in this case. I mainly found light rain with few short heavy downpours, which is more than enough for a fair test. The inner membrane kept the water out, but the leather did absorb a lot of water. The Racer Gloves Multitop 2 Gloves passed the rain test easily.

Conclusion

I have few negatives to say about the Racer Gloves Multitop 2 Gloves and much to praise.

They are very well constructed using quality materials. In addition, they have the features that I look for in an all-purpose pair of gloves; waterproof, excellent protection, comfort, and subtle styling.

I was so impressed with the initial comfort of the Multitop 2 gloves that I had a friend try them for a ride. He sent me an email with his thoughts. His impressions were so similar to mine that I thought I would share (thanks, Norm):

• Look: I always like the look of a two-tone glove. Understated appearance would look great on a wide variety of bikes: cruiser, sport, scrambler…

• Fit: Very comfortable. Palm pliable, soft. Glove already felt worked in. I like how there are two binding mechanisms- they let you customize how snug you want to wear them.

• Size: I usually wear XL and describe my fingers as long but more on the slender side. L fits perfectly.

• Suitability: My hands get cold very quickly and then take a long time to warm up. Today’s ride was about 13 degrees celsius, and I rode without a windshield for about 2 1/2 hours. My hands started to cool just towards the end of the ride. Had the temperature dipped, I don’t think I could have stayed with this glove.

I am not surprised that Norm and I have similar thoughts on the gloves, as we agree on many things related to motorcycles. In this case, I would use the Multitop 2 in high single-digit Celius temperatures.

The Racer Gloves Multitop 2 gloves offer outstanding styling, CE Level protection and are waterproof. But, the biggest thing for me was comfort, comfort, comfort! The Multitop 2 gloves feel great from new. If my protective gear is comfortable, I am more likely to wear it!