This is a webBikeWorld Owner Report by J.L.B. on the Speed and Strength “Rage With the Machine” motorcycle gloves.Speed & Strength seems to be everywhere these days with a wide range of reasonably priced motorcycle clothing and helmets. The Rage with the Machine gloves are third from the top in the men’s range of Speed & Strength motorcycle gloves.
The gloves are made primarily from goat leather (82%) and they include fabric panels for stretch and breathability. The gloves feature “Engineered Thermoplastic Knuckle Protectors” and padded finger protectors on the thumb and first three fingers and a pre-curved race-cut fit. I consider these glove as a three-quarter-length type with a partial gauntlet and padded protector that protects the outside of the wrist.
They’re available in sizes ranging from small to 2XL; the 2XL gloves are the subject of this review. Note that the Rage With the Machine gloves are not water-resistant or waterproof.
Details and Fit
I have a genetic anomaly in that my fingers are longer than the standard “palm circumference size charts” would suggest. More than that, my index fingers are about 3/8″ longer than the expected proportions compared to my other fingers. As a result, I wear size 2XL motorcycle gloves and I can only find a few of those with finger lengths that are long enough to fit me.
Imagine how I felt when I pulled on a pair of the Rage in the Machine gloves to find that the fingers are just the right length! In fact, I own a pair of the Held Classic Steve gloves (review) — the long finger version — and the Rage With the Machine gloves actually have a little extra length in the index finger compared to those.
All of this means that if you have “normal” finger lengths, you may find these gloves a little long. But if you have long fingers like me, you may be very happy to discover them. The other thing that I noticed the first time that I pulled the gloves on my hands is how soft, flexible, and comfortable they are.
The pre-curved cut fit works naturally with a relaxed hand position and the soft and flexible leather requires no break-in at all. In addition, there are leather corrugations on the back of each finger joint that make curling my hand around the handlebar grips easy and natural.
The large knuckle protector is sewn across the front and sides, but not on the back, which allows the material underneath to stretch over my knuckles and move relative to the knuckle protector.
Also, the gloves have the Speed & Strength “Speed Dial Touch Screen Technology”. The tips of the first and second finger, along with the thumb are treated to allow finger gestures on a touch screen device.
Ventilation
Although not technically a vented or hot weather glove, I found the Rage With the Machine gloves to be at their best in the range of 60 to 90 degrees F.
There are a couple of perforations in the palm side of the fingers and breathable fabric on the knuckles (under the protector) and the back part of the wrist/gauntlet.
It looks like the knuckle protector is vented with stainless screens in the vents, but in fact the screens are a fabric backing and there is a layer of synthetic leather on the underside of the knuckle protectors.
Air is much more likely to get in and out through the fabric below the knuckles and the knuckle protector design is just for styling.
I am guessing that the goat leather itself is very breathable because this glove is as comfortable as a fabric motocross glove, at least up to 90 degrees F, which is as warm as I’ve seen so far.
At lower temperatures, I found the gloves to be a bit breezy.
Also, because of the large knuckle protector, the gloves don’t fit into rain over-gloves very well, so when it becomes cold or wet, I change gloves to something warmer.
Comfort and Liner
As I mentioned, this is a really soft and comfortable glove. The goat leather makes up the majority of the palm side and the gloves are unlined in the palms.
The goat leather is thin and responsive which gives great feel of the controls. Overall, the feel reminds me of those Held Steve Classic gloves.
There are sewn on patches across the top of the palm, the little finger outboard edge and a padded patch at the heel of the palm that appear to be synthetic suede.
At the tips of the first and second fingers is a small section of black goat leather. These are there for styling, but I wish they had continued the lighter color leather to the tip of the fingers for two reasons.
First, the change in the leather type means that there is a seam just above the first finger joint. It doesn’t both me, but is an unneeded discontinuity.
The second reason is that the black leather isn’t 100% color-fast and I end up with a couple of black spots on my fingers after a warm day’s ride.
The back of the palms are covered with a knit polyester material that is soft and comfortable, however.
Overall Quality and Construction
Speed & Strength lists the materials used in the Rage With the Machine gloves as 82% goat leather, 8% synthetic leather, 8% polyester and 2% polyamide for the outer shell.
From the premium materials, a list price of $89.95 and its third position in the S&S glove line, you would expect a premium product with high quality and overall, that is what you get with the Rage With the Machine gloves.
Cutting and stitching is well done and double stitching is used in high stress areas.
If I look closely, I can find a few areas where the stitching isn’t perfect, but overall it’s a well-made and high quality product.
Of course, it’s a bit difficult to tell what will happen because I have only about 1,000 miles or so of riding with them, but so far the gloves are holding up with no signs of wear. With any luck at all, I’ll be wearing these for years.
Gauntlet and Closure
Some would say that every glove should have a full gauntlet for safety, but I’m not as sure, because my jacket (Motoport) has a tight-fitting sleeve with armor that is long enough to protect my wrist.
I find that on rainy or cold days I can end up with a lot of sleeve layers coming together at the wrist and a full gauntlet adds one more layer to an already tight zone.
So sometimes I find that a short style glove works well, especially if it has a good wrist closure to keep the gloves on my hands in an accident.
The Rage With the Machine gloves make an interesting in-between choice that I a rather like.
While not a full gauntlet, the wrist is longer than typical short gloves and it cuts diagonally across the wrist to provide a padded impact protector on the outside of the wrist.
As a between choice on wrist protection, I wouldn’t wear these gloves on a race track, but I am pretty happy wearing them in the real world.
Also, the wrist closure is at the inside of the wrist and it has a rubber strap with a hook-and-loop closure.
This is one area that I wish they had improved a little more because the strap is on the short side and the patch that it hooks to is also small. For security, I prefer a longer engagement length for the hook and loop connection.
Protection
The key protective feature on these gloves is the protector that stands tall above the main knuckles.
It is made of a rubbery plastic that flexes easily, yet provides both padding and abrasion resistance that should also provide good protection in the event of a crash.
The fingers, thumb, heel of the palm and the wrist all get an additional layer of leather and a button of padding that feels like some kind of high-density foam.
This is typical of many other gloves on the market today, so it should provide reasonable protection.
Conclusion
Overall, the mid-priced Speed & Strength “Rage With the Machine” gloves have excellent comfort and feel, combined with a reasonable level of protection.
They are comfortable motorcycle gloves for spring, summer, and fall. And, at least in the 2XL size, they have long fingers that will be helpful for some…but a problem for others.
Owner Comments and Feedback
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From “D.W.” (June 2014): “For what it’s worth, I have had the Ultimo Race Leather Motorcycle Gloves, which are pretty similar in construction (ignore the big fake air scoop on the knuckle.
Nice leather, decent construction and broke in in about two hours of riding. Goatskin flows so much air they almost feel perforated. Overall a steal at about $65.”