No, you’re not seeing the theoretical offspring from a union of Honda and Energizer battery logos in the photo above.
The Enginehawk Hawkeye UV jacket. $499 US
It’s the flashy new emblem we’ll soon see adorning the jackets of motorcycle riders all over the world. Enginehawk is the name given to a brand new line of motorcycle riding gear being developed by popular UK-based helmet manufacturer Ruroc.
Their lineup of 11 riding jackets will be officially released on April 27th, 2021. Designed in the UK and manufactured in Indonesia, these classic-looking jackets and thermal liners are easy on the eyes and get lots of attention everywhere they pop up online.
The Enginehawk Hawkeye UV jacket. $499 US
The Mission
Enginehawk’s claimed mission is to produce stylish, breathable, comfortable, AND protective riding gear for the two-wheeled masses designed around what riders’ want. Or in Enginehawk’s own words: “Our mission is to save lives, on and off the bike and make kick-ass gear.”
That’s what every manufacturer claims about their riding gear, but Enginehawk has an interesting angle on doing it thanks to their social media sourced audience participation.
Have Your Say
You can go to the EH website and request access to their Facebook Group (Taskforce Echo Hotel) where they answer questions directly and share many teasers about the gear being developed. They occasionally do giveaways to random members on there as well.
I’ve been lurking on the group for a couple of months now watching as the 18,000+ members make suggestions and give feedback to the half dozen or so moderators from Enginehawk and Ruroc.
Matt Rees in particular seems to keep up with the commentary and also to genuinely notice and consider many of the suggestions given by the group members.
Yes, those comments could be from planted sponsored insiders or even incognito EH/Ruroc employees posing as regular people, but I want to believe that’s not the case. Let’s try to reign in any cynicism for the time being and give EH the benefit of the doubt.
AA and AAA Abrasion Resistance
All the EH jackets shown on the website have claimed AA or AAA abrasion resistance certifications which I find satisfying to see emphasized by EH in their marketing.
The Enginehawk Knucklehead jacket. $329 US
Typically leather jackets of any motorcycle-rated thickness and quality will pass AAA abrasion tests, so it’s not like EH is revolutionizing motorcycle PPE with these AAA claims. Neither have they incorporated Dyneema or another revolutionary lining material to achieve the AA or AAA abrasion resistance, but it’s still a positive trait to crow about.
The AAA-rated Cookies N’ Creme jacket (and Creme N’ Cookies photo below) in particular gets my nod as one to potentially become a review specimen on wBW. It’s also available in black with white striping.
The press material they sent me lists these jackets as AAA but on the EH website, there’s an asterisk beside that part. That likely means the optional CE Level 2 armor is necessary to achieve the AAA abrasion rating rather than the CE Level 1 armor that comes standard.
Enginehawk Creme N’ Cookies jacket $429 US
AAA means the jacket’s exterior (or lining material) will withstand the punishment of being dropped down from a height of 50mm onto a belt of 60 grit sandpaper revolving at 18mph with sufficient downforce applied to simulate a crash.
Achieving one of the longest times before wearing a hole through the jacket (when compared to the industry average) earns this AAA rating. These days the gold standard is around 4 seconds in high-stress zones (like elbows).
The Enginehawk Airborne jacket $329 US
The fellas at EH recently posted a short video to show the difference between AAA and non-AAA jackets. I grabbed the screenshots below to give you an idea of what the video was like.
It’s hardly scientific in nature, but I appreciate EH bringing safety awareness to riders about testing standards with this stunt and marketing strategy.
SAS-TEC Armour
Photo from SAS-TEC
As mentioned, Enginehawk includes CE Level 1 armour in all their jackets/hoodies made by a reputable German manufacturer of 20 years they’ve partnered with named SAS-TEC.
Photo from SAS-TEC
In my experience CE Level 1 padding is far too flimsy to be adequate in a crash, but it’s better than nothing which amounts to what many manufacturers include for armour with their jackets.
EH will upgrade your armour to the more substantial CE Level 2 SAS-TEC pads for only $20 more when you buy. That better protection will be 3mm thicker than the 6mm Level 1 stuff.
Photo from SAS-TEC
They don’t mention whether buyers should go up a size when they order to accommodate this thicker armor. It would be worth doing that if you land close to the high end of the fitment chart to ensure a good fit.
April 27th Launch
The Enginehawk Predator armored hoodie. $429 US
Soon the people will be given an opportunity to order these jackets that can be paired with a couple of Enginehawk liners/hoodies for added insulation in cooler weather. The market alone will ultimately decide whether Enginehawk will become a major player in the ultra-competitive riding gear industry.
The Enginehawk Predator armored hoodie. $429 US
There are some huge fish in that pond, but Ruroc has shown a knack for making waves in the equally cutthroat helmet market after only three generations of Atlas motorcycle helmets. A bunch of lids with eye-catching graphics and high-tech features have successfully wooed buyers from everywhere to lay their money down, so the odds are good this line of Enginehawk jackets will also be popular.
The Enginehawk .50 Cal jacket $499 US
Thus far, we’ve been unsuccessful (due to high demand) in getting our hands on the Ruroc helmets to provide you with an honest wBW review. Our Enginehawk contact has promised to send a jacket our way and to connect us with the helmet representatives as well.
Only then can we truly weigh in and gauge whether these are all that’s promised or just another player in the large game of motorcycle PPE with a nice personality.
– Jim
Enginehawk Jacket Launch Photo Gallery
