Review Summary
- The Atherton jacket is made from Buffalo leather and feels soft and supple to the touch
- For a AA Certified leather jacket it is fairly lightweight whilst still retaining a quality feel to it
- Three different colors and a good range sizes are available
- The Atherton has been designed for women with stretch panels either side to give us ladies that extra bit of stretch where we need it
- Elbow and shoulder armor come as standard but no back protector which is disappointing
About Roland Sands
Roland Sands Design (RSD) is a long established award winning company with roots in racing, custom bike building and design. They are a motorcycle, product and apparel company blending their love of two wheels and the desire to create unique products.
Roland Sands is from Long Beach, California who began life in the motorcycle industry having his first motorcycle given to him for his 5th birthday, a RM 50 dirt bike. After being a professional racer for some 10 years, Roland then went to the design and manufacture side of building motorcycles and custom motorcycle products and in 2005, Roland Sands Design was formed.
The Roland Sands crew are a collection of road racers, off road, dirt track, supermoto and custom bike builders and riders each drawing on their experiences to create unique products.
Roland Sands Seventy4 Atherton Ladies Jacket
The color and design of the Atherton jacket caught my eye straightaway. You can tell from the style, that this is definitely a ladies motorcycle jacket.
With some leather jackets I have worn, I found that I need to wear them a few times before they feel comfortable, but the Atherton is made from 100% buffalo leather and feels soft to the touch and was comfortable to wear from the start as the leather is supple.
A great feature of this jacket is the removable quilted lining which means this jacket will be usable when the weather is cooler so you can wear this for more of the riding season.
There are stretch panels down either side of the jacket allowing for flexibility and that little bit of extra stretch where us ladies need it.
The rear of the jacket is as stylish as the front! The stretch panels go all the way down the back and are the same color as the jacket.
A classic style collar feels slightly padded to me and is perforated allowing for extra ventilation when riding.
There is a perforated panel down the inside of each arm which gives you that little bit of extra ventilation when riding adding to the comfort of the jacket. There is a zip on each sleeve and the cuffs are fastened with a zip with a leather tag.
Features
Elbow and Shoulder Protectors
There is CE Level 1 armor in the shoulders and elbow which come as standard with the jacket. When I am wearing the jacket, I do not notice the protectors, they feel comfortable and because of their construction, they sit nicely against my body.
There is no back protector as standard with this jacket which is disappointing. I think back protection should come as standard alongside elbow and shoulder. I had to take the back armor out of another jacket and put it into this jacket when I was wearing it.
All the protectors are secured by their own velcro pockets (this includes a velcro pocket for a back protector) and can be removed easily should you wish to take them out.
This jacket would double up nicely as a jacket to wear in the evening. Not only is taking the armor out quick and easy to do, but the jacket is stylish too and pairs up nicely with a pair of jeans. Perfect if you go touring on the bike, one less jacket to take with you when, as you know, luggage space on a bike is limited!
Removable Quilted Lining
There is a removable lining to this jacket which is connected to the jacket with a zip all the way around the inside of the jacket. There are also two poppers that attach around a loop toward the bottom of the jacket on each side.
The lining also goes down the length of the arms and there is also a popper and loop by each cuff, again, to keep the lining in place.
To take the lining out, simply undo the four poppers and the zip and remove the lining. Really simple and easy. Likewise to pop the lining back in, just push the sleeve lining into each arm, attach the poppers and do up the zip.
I actually find the best way to get the lining nicely in place in the arms was to put the lining on and then slip the jacket over the top. Everything lines up nicely.
Pockets
The Atherton has five pockets, four zipped pockets on the outside and one poppered on the inside.
The poppered pocket on the inside has two handy elasticated strips for keeping, say, your phone, neatly in position and is quite a substantial pocket.
The two outside breast pockets are zippered and a good size and the zip fastens from bottom to top.
The two outside zippered pockets on each side of the jacket are, again, a really good side but the zippers fasten from top to bottom.
Although they look stylish, I did not think they were particularly functional as I found when I opened the pockets, if you weren’t careful, things would fall out!
Stretch Panels
There are very nice detailed stretch panels down both sides of the jacket carrying on up to the shoulder blades.
I really like these, not only are they stylish but they add flexibility to the jacket when riding the bike. The jacket moves with you and makes it comfortable to wear.
The jacket is quite nice to wear when off the bike as having the stretch panels, the jacket moves with you when walking and you forget that you are wearing an armored leather jacket!
Zips
All the zips on the Atherton jacket, of which there are seven, are YKK. All of the zips also have a leather tab on the bottom of each one making the zipper easier to use.
For a complete list of features, visit the Seventy4 Atherton jacket product page.
Construction and Build Quality
Materials
The outer shell of the jacket is made from 100% buffalo leather with the inner lining being 100% polyester. The quilted lining is made from 100% polyester with the filling being 100% polyester too. The Atherton is Class AA rated jacket conforming to EN17092 standards.
Care Instructions
As with most leather jackets, this is not a washable garment. I usually wipe the jacket down with a damp cloth when I get back from a ride to keep it looking nice. I make sure that it is completely dry before putting it away.
I regularly treat the jacket with a leather protector which helps to keep the leather supple and looking nice.
The quilted lining on this jacket is washable however and the label says you can wash this separately on a gentle wash. Not suitable for putting in the tumble dryer or ironing though!
Branding
The branding on the Atherton is very discreet indeed. There are four poppers on the outside of the jacket to keep the collar and top zipped part of the jacket in place which have ‘Roland Sands Design Seventy4’ around the edges.
There is a metal diamond shaped pressed stud with ‘RSD’ in the center which is about a centimeter in height at the bottom of the jacket just to the right of the right pocket.
And that it is. No other branding on the outside of the jacket. The label on the inside says RSD Seventy4.
Sizing
The jacket comes in a good range of sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL.
I would suggest using the chart function on the website to help determine sizing.
I normally go up a size in a jacket as I like to wear layers underneath as I do feel the cold but having the quilted lining does help to keep me that bit warmer.
The Seventy4 Atherton Jacket Is Promising
I have the Atherton jacket in the merlot and I absolutely love the color, it’s a rich dark red and looks beautiful on.
This jacket has been styled for women and you can tell this when wearing the jacket, it fits where it should fit and because of the stretch panels, it is comfortable to wear.
I like the fact that a stylish jacket comes Certified AA too with back and shoulder protection although I am disappointed that no back protector comes as standard, I think all jackets should come with this.
Personally, I would like to see a connection zip on this jacket to give that added security of attaching your jacket to your pants. Even a short connection zip would be better than nothing at all.
I did find that with the ‘upside down’ zippers on the outer pockets, it did get frustrating after a while remembering to catch things as they fell out of the pockets when undoing them. Yes, they look stylish but no, they are not practical.
I like the removable inner liner, I found this easy to take out and put back in. Having the liner in makes a difference on a chilly night which for me, makes this jacket a lot more versatile and usable for much more of the year.
The Atherton jacket is smart enough to double us as an evening jacket too which would be ideal when touring as it means taking one less jacket with you when space is at a premium. The jacket looks great when teamed up with a pair of jeans.
I get a lot of lovely comments when I’m wearing this jacket, the style and the color are just perfect. Priced at $350 though does make the Atherton a considered purchase but for a nice quality, stylish and AA rated jacket with a removable liner, the Atherton would make a great addition to your bike wardrobe.
Specs
- Manufacturer: Roland Sands
- Price: (When Tested) $350 USD
- Made In: Pakistan
- Colors: Black, Kahlua and Merlot
- Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Review Period: May – July 2023
Important Links / Where to Buy