Triumph Kirkby Motorcycle Glove Review
The new Kirkby riding gloves from Triumph are not perforated leather, notwithstanding the appearance of the knuckle protectors. They are solid leather throughout with no ventilation panels or anything else that would suggest they are warm weather gloves only.
So I felt it was fair to wear them here in Wisconsin where the one thing I could run in early March that has levers, handlebars, an air-cooled engine, and tires was my snowblower.
We had a thick layer of new snow on the ground, and a temperature of 18 degrees above zero; perfect conditions to test the gloves for comfort during a few of hours of continuous use.
To be fair, Triumph didn’t produce these gloves for this kind of winter activity — they are not insulated. Despite that, my hands didn’t get cold. But, more important, despite use more rigorous and physical than motorcyclists will usually demand, my hands experienced no pressure spots from finger seam stitching, poorly placed palm padding or overly stiff knuckle protectors.
I had several hours of riding with the gloves in southern California during Triumph’s International Introduction of the 2014 Thunderbird LT and Commander models. There, conditions were more what you’d expect motorcycle gloves to be used in — sunny and warm, and in the low 80s. In those conditions, the gloves did not cause overheating to my hands, but they might prove a little warm for temps over 90 degrees.
Triumph characterizes the Kirkby as a short, vintage-styled glove, but it has quite a few modern design cues. The wrist band is wide, soft and elastic, with a similarly wide hook and loop closure system. This makes it possible to cinch the glove up nice and snug without any binding.
High density foam inside leather form the knuckle protectors. They are well placed and don’t interfere with motion or cause pressure on the knuckles when the hand is clenched. Matching finger protectors have a small amount of soft padding, but are more for appearance.
Accordion style leather stretch panels at the base and mid-point of each of the fingers, base of the thumb, and diagonally across the back of the hand allow good flexibility with snug fit around the entire hand. A mild pre-curve is built into the glove.
The palm side of the index and middle finger tips, palm, inside of the thumb and heel of the palm are reinforced with an extra layer of material.
Despite the reinforcing layer, sensation through the glove was good for finding and using handlebar controls on the Thunderbird. Sensitivity was less of an issue with the snowblower.
Triumph Kirkby Gloves:
Sizes available: S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
MSRP:Â $59.99
For additional information, visit Triumph Motorcycles.
