Royal Enfield Streetwind Eco Riding Jacket Review

If you are a biking enthusiast or ride an awful lot daily, you must think about your safety and the gear you can wear while riding. But more often than not, most of the protective gear is clunky, heavy and cumbersome to carry. Sure, safety comes first, but if it comes with a little bit of convenience, that is always better. 

Recently, Royal Enfield sent us the brand new Streetwind Eco riding jacket to test out, and I happily volunteered to do so. Believe me when I say, I am glad I did. First of all, this jacket is made of 100 percent recycled materials, 75 PET bottles to be exact. Now that is seriously eco-friendly. Heck, Royal Enfield also calls it the world’s first sustainable motorcycle jacket. It really makes you feel one with nature.

How safe?

What’s better is that it comes equipped with Ergo pro-tech CE level 2 armour on the shoulders and elbows. So your shoulders and elbows are well protected from the brunt and impact. Sadly though, it doesn’t get a level 2 back armour which would have made it even safer. But there’s nothing to worry about because it comes with a back pocket and you can easily fit an armour of your choice without any hassle.

Super light

Generally, riding jackets are bulky, and heavy and can be a nightmare to carry around. But that isn't the case with the Streetwind – it is super lightweight and is as easy to carry around as a cotton bomber jacket.

Really breezy 

Living in a tropical country means riding in hot temperatures, and in that situation, what you require the most is ventilation, provided by mesh. And thankfully, this jacket is all mesh. Recently, Pune has seen some insane hot temperatures, and in that same period, I have ridden different bikes, back to back and constantly on all sorts of terrain. The Streetwind Eco riding jacket helped me not give up with its excellent ventilation and breathability.

Fit & Quality

Let me be honest with you, I’m a pretty big boy. Not just tall, but also large, and the Streetwind fits like a glove. You see my height is 6’2” and my shirt size is L, and this L-size jacket fits right just out of the box. There are also straps on the waist, bicep, forearms and sleeve that you can tighten according to your body dimensions. This results in a really well-fitted jacket and gives you that edge in movement.

As good as it looks and feels, there are a few threads that come off from here and there, and the zipper too, can get a bit sticky to use. However, the inside pockets (for the armour) and the straps and velcro on the outside are of good quality and don’t worry you too much when under rough use.

Easy to wash

Coming to what’s tricky on most riding jackets — the washing and drying. The Streetwind Eco is super easy to wash - make sure you don’t stuff it in the washing machine - with just some water and a little bit of soap. The off-white colour can get dirty quite easily and doesn’t look that great once it gets dirty, but thankfully, washing is not an issue. It even dries off pretty quickly, because of the mesh.

Verdict

To sum up, I would say the Royal Enfield Streetwind Eco is a pretty great everyday riding jacket and at a price tag of Rs 5,950, it is quite a decent buy. Especially considering the eco-friendly nature, overall mesh and the fit of the jacket. Oh, and the funky and youthful colour options make it all the more attractive, I have got to say, the Yellow and Black one looks pretty hot. In the end, though, the presence of a level 2 back armour and the absence of the rogue threads would have made it all the more appealing.