In my never ending quest to build the perfect jacket collection, one that can take me from cold-and-wet to too-hot-and-dry and everywhere in between, I recently picked up the Alpinestars Grease Monkey.

Before I go any further, a quick shout out to Junior at Cycle City Motorsports.  You see, I had been trolling around looking for a more casual jacket I could wear on those mild summer evenings and spring days.  I found this one on the Alpinestars site and sent Junior a PM to see if he had any.  They didn't but he offered to order one for me.  I was concerned about him ordering it and me not liking it, but he assured me that if I didn't like it, he would probably keep it for himself anyway.  Awesome.  He ordered it the morning of the 10th.  It arrived the morning of the 11th and he graciously held on to it for me until I could get there after work.  Thanks again Junior.

Onward...
As I said above, I wanted a jacket I could wear to dinner and still look like a casual jacket, ie not stick out like a super hero.  I have an A* mesh jacket but sometimes that's a little too airy.  Reading the specs on the GM, it sounded exactly like what I wanted.  The pictures looked good, almost like a M1 jacket or a Dickie's jacket on steroids.

The Jacket:
This is a textile jacket with with a poly/cotton shell and internal windbreaker and zip out quilted liner.  The waist is straight across and the sleeves are not pre-curved.  It has a collar similar to a casual jacket and some cool embroidered patches on the front chest and sleeve.  There is also some black silk screen on the front and back that give it a nice touch.  While it's the same letter size as my mesh jacket the fit is a little more relaxed without the liner in.  With the liner it's a little more snug.  A word about the liner.  It works.  I could barely try it on in the store with the liner in it.  I wore it to work in about 45 degree weather Monday morning and did not need the liner.  I'm usually a pretty warm person anyway, so that might explain some of it.



Features:
Full padding all around: elbow, shoulder, back, and chest padding.  It has the typical A* PE padding.  I have a A* T-Breeze and the armor seems to be identical.  The waist comes to my pant waistband and has some button waist tabs for those with slim mid sections.  The sleeves also have a button cuff but I don't mess with them as the button holes are very snug.  Lots of internal pockets which is always nice:  one in the left chest, two on the left midsection, and one on the right mid section.  Additionally there are two hand warmer pockets for when you're off the bike that are held closed with hook/loop swatches.  Note:  Don't put stuff in the pockets you don't mind losing.  It's unlikely that something would fly out on its own, but there really isn't much keeping it in.



The zip pull is a nice big metal star which is visually appealing but.. we'll see how awesome it is in a strong wind blast as those little metal star points are stabbing me.  The main zipper starts about an inch above the bottom hem, so that might take a little getting used to, but at least the wind flap is on the correct side for me.  The internal liner zips out pretty easily, but it's easiest to lay it down.  Don't forget the snap-closed loops inside the sleeves.  There are also two belt loops to hook it to your belt and keep it from riding up or exposing your lumbar to sun and your ass to cold wind blasts.



The Ride:
As I said above, I wore this to work Monday and wasn't that cold, your mileage may vary.  It was nice on the way home too as it had warmed up considerably from the morning.  It is a very light feeling jacket, so I wouldn't want to wear it too far from home and get caught in unexpected weather.  The collar is a little challenging. I like the way it looks, but one side tends to twist up weirdly, and I'm curious what a strong wind blast will do to it.  Some small patches of hook/loop would be a nice added touch.  I didn't feel it ride up or bunch uncomfortably on me.  The sleeve cuffs are so slim that it was weird seeing my glove gauntlets so narrow.


Final Verdict:
Considering the smokin' deal I got with the OCMoto discount, I'm real happy with this jacket and will be working it into the rotation.  It absolutely has it's place based on weather and destination.  As awesome as it is to walk in someplace and everyone know you're a biker, sometimes it's nicer to just blend into the crowd (yeah yeah, helmet gives it away too, I know).  It has some cool detailing like the screening and patches that add just the right amount of pop to the jacket and entice some visual interest.  The contrast liner inside also gives it some pop. 

It has a few things I don't really like and one is the shoulder pads.  I'm not sure what the deal is, but this jacket will not work with a backpack. I wore a backpack Monday to carry some Girl Scout cookies to work and the straps made the pads dig into my collarbones.  Not awesome.  The collar and the zip pull will need to prove themselves.  This jacket is not vented by any means but I reserve final judgment until I wear it on a warmer day.  It seems to flow enough air to stay cool without getting cold, but we'll see.

Overall, I like it.  The small things that I'm worried about don't outweigh the features and the utility of this jacket.  Like I said above, it's a Dickie's jacket on steroids and that's exactly what I was looking for.

Wow A, NICE review!!!  Ever considered moonlighting as a gear reviewer?!?

Makes me wanna check that jacket out for sure!

Quote from: Duck-Stew on April 22, 2011, 03:35:15 AM
Wow A, NICE review!!!  Ever considered moonlighting as a gear reviewer?!?

Makes me wanna check that jacket out for sure!

if you could point me at someone who'll pay me to do it, you bet.

  good review

I like the "unsuspecting-motorcycle-jacket" look. 

It looks like an everyday casual jacket but has the padding and armor. 

Quote from: IZ on April 23, 2011, 03:05:09 PM
good review

I like the "unsuspecting-motorcycle-jacket" look. 

It looks like an everyday casual jacket but has the padding and armor. 

that's actually exactly why I bought it.  I wanted something i could wear to the local and not look like a space ranger, well except for walking in with a helmet.  I actually have a dickies jacket that looks very similar and I occassionaly confuse them in the dark closet.

Quote from: Privateer on April 23, 2011, 03:56:12 PM
that's actually exactly why I bought it.  I wanted something i could wear to the local and not look like a space ranger, well except for walking in with a helmet.