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| © Zach Bowman The Aether Divide motorcycle jacket is what you get when Armani meets asphalt. |
This is nearly a $1,000 motorcycle jacket. The Aether Divide will set
you back $995, which is nearly three times what I paid for my first
bike, a 1976 Honda CB550 Four. When it comes to a piece of gear like
this, there’s only one question that matters: Is it worth it? The short
answer is no. And also, yes.
Welcome to Gearbox, where we showcase the best non-car stuff we get to sample.
All
bike gear sits on a spectrum, with functional protection on one end and
style on the other. Aerostitch probably makes the best kit on the
planet for keeping you safe, warm, and dry on a motorcycle, but the
company’s bulky onesies look like they were designed for trash men from
space. A vintage Schott lies on the other end. Plucked straight from The Wild One,
the classic cross-zippered leather number is the definition of cool,
but offers about as much protection as a prayer when you inevitably
bounce off the pavement. At least EMS will find you dashing while they
cut the thing off.
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| © Zach Bowman Aether Divide Motorcycle Jacket |
Aether has always aimed to find that perfect, fabled middle ground.
The California-based company’s ethos boils down to beauty through
utility. But make no mistake, every item in the company’s catalog is a
luxury item. And while that’s true of nearly everything surrounding
motorcycles in the United States, Aether is one of the few companies
that actually treats its products as such. Yes, you can get something
cheaper that does the same job, but would you rather wear a Casio or an
Oyster Perpetual on your wrist?
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| © Aether Divide Motorcycle Jacket |
$995.00
The
apparel maker sent over its Divide Jacket last spring, and it wasn’t
until this past week that the thing really shone. Fall in East Tennessee
is perfection on a motorcycle, the air cool and full of the deep smell
of fallen leaves. And, because you know that riding season is coming to a
close, you find yourself on the bike as often as possible, even when
the forecast looks bleak. So when my wife asked if I wanted to grab
lunch, I left the Miata keys in their drawer, pulled the Divide off its
hook, and fired the R100 out of the garage. Gray skies and an autumn
chill be damned.
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| © Zach Bowman Aether Divide Motorcycle Jacket |
The Divide is technically an adventure jacket, tailored and designed
for the pocket-obsessed BMW GS crowd. That means it has the usual
compliment of armor, but also long sleeves to cover your wrists while
you’re standing on the pegs, arms extended. It’s also stitched from
abrasion resistant, seam-sealed GORE-TEX. And while that’s great for
blasting across the steppes of Mongolia, the fabric is also weirdly
suited for enduring commuter duty. Breathable, but also highly weather
resistant. That’s all standard fare for this type of kit, be it from
Alpinestars or Klim. What sets the Divide apart is attention to detail.
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| © Zach Bowman Aether Divide Motorcycle Jacket |
What’s impressive is how well the jacket manages air flow. There are
plenty of vents if the day’s warm, but my chilly ride to lunch was made
cozy by the Divide’s draft mitigation. The sleeves feature an inner cuff
that seals out the wind. That seems so painfully obvious, but I cannot
tell you how many three-season jackets I’ve tried that lack that crucial
detail. Nothing’s worse than riding through a cold rain at 80 mph, the
wind and water working their way up your forearm. The Divide also uses a
double-lined collar, with an inner draw string that can pull tight. The
outer layer’s trimmed in soft leather that’s easy on the neck. The main
body is unlined, but weirdly, that makes it more versatile than other
options with a zip-in layer. Throw a fleece on underneath when the air’s
cool, and you’re good to go.
I watched the clouds darken as we
ate, and the first drops were already falling by the time we said
goodbye. It was a steady pour before I could make the interstate, but
the Divide didn’t care, merrily beading water as I blitzed for home.
You’d be amazed how far you can ride in miserable weather so long as
your core’s warm and dry.
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| © Zach Bowman Aether Divide Motorcycle Jacket |
Worth is a funny thing. So often, an object’s value comes down not to
what it can do, but how much desire it stokes in the masses. The truth
is, as much as I’d like to turn up my nose at the thought of a $1,000
motorcycle jacket, as much as I’d prefer to wear my leaky bargain kit
like some dumb badge of honor, I want the Divide. I want what
it promises: years of unflappable service that allow me to spend more
time in pursuit of a thing I love: good miles on a good machine.
