Updating a Classic
The original Corazzo 5.0 motorcycle and scooter riding jacket launched in 2004 and quickly became the standard riding jacket for anyone who wanted a a stylish jacket with improved visibility and the protection. It is the jacket that put Corazzo on the map and has kept us there ever since.
We knew we needed to update the 5.0 as technologies evolved so in 2014, we began the process of designing the 6.0. We knew the new jacket was going to have a lot to live up to but we were confident that our design team could not only meet the needs of the 5.0 loyalists but could blow those expectations out of the water without abandoning the 5.0’s appeal or losing it’s loyal followers.
Stay Cool When it’s Warm
The first thing we addressed when designing the 6.0 was how to make it usable in a variety of temperatures without being too hot or cold. This was achieved by doing two things: ventilation for warm weather and a removable full-sleeve liner for colder weather. The core of ventilation on motorcycle jackets is vents. Vents can come in a variety of sizes and in different places to serve different jobs. For the 6.0, we utilized under-arm zippers as an intake and back zippers as an exhaust. The idea being that when you are riding your motorcycle or scooter, your arms are going to be out and forward. The wind naturally enters into your armpits during this time, which is why they are an intake.
As for the exhaust, those serve 2 functions. As the cooler air enters your jacket through the under arm intake vents, it picks up that heat your body is generating and exits out the back of the jacket through the exhaust vents. It also prevents your jacket from filling with air since without them the air that comes in through the intakes would just inflate your jacket until you like a grape riding a pencil. If you have ever seen someone wearing a faux-leather jacket while riding a motorcycle, you will know exactly what I mean.
Stay Warm When it’s Cool
The liner for the 6.0 needed to be warm without adding bulk to the shell. This is important for comfort and also travel as you may need to remove it during your ride and it needs to pack down small during those times. Being that we are Corazzo, we couldn’t just design a simple liner as that would have been too easy so we designed a whole jacket instead!
The 6.0 liner also has a few key features to help make it the best liner on the market today. As you can see, the cuffs are extra long and have thumb cutaways. During extremely cold weather, you can slip your thumbs into these and put your gloves on over them for an added layer of insulation on your hands. When not being used, they can be folded up so they are out of your way. We also made sure the collar could be zipped up to cover your neck in extremely cold conditions.
We also made sure it used the same zipper system as our Vest liner (sold separately) so you have the option of wearing a vest, the full sleeve or removing the liner completely. I personally have found this extremely handy and most often wear my liner without sipping it into the jacket. This way when I arrive at my destination, I can pull off the shell and and still wear the liner when I am at dinner, etc. This is especially great during long distance touring as it’s just one less thing to pack in your limited available carrying space.
Fit is Everything
When riding a motorcycle or scooter, you want a jacket that is comfortable without being too tight but not so baggy that you look like a little kid wearing Dad’s suit jacket. You also might need to layer and that requires some level of adjustment.
On the 6.0, we went to great lengths to get the fit exactly right. More often than not, motorcycle jackets run small and ordering one of those is 1 part research and 2 parts hope and pray. For the 6.0, we made sure that when you order one, you can predict how it is going to fit. If you generally are comfortable in a certain T-shirt size, then that is the size you want to order the 6.0 in. It’s that easy.
A few of the technical fit features we added were waist adjusters to bring the jacket in during colder riding and sleeve extensions. That 2nd one is probably my favorite as I personally have longer arms than most people. The sleeves are extended on the top of the hand so when I put my glove inside my sleeve and strap down the velcro, the cuff well covers what is normally an air gap for me. It’s a simple idea but something you will only find on the Corazzo 6.0.
Light up the night with Scotchlite
A key feature of the 5.0 jacket and ALL Corazzo jackets is our use of 3M Scotchlite reflective fabrics for the ultimate in night time visibility. On the 5.0, the 3M Scotchlite stripes were a key design feature and something we knew the 6.0 would need as well.
Protection
Since 2004, all of our motorcycle and scooter riding jackets have incorporated Kevlar reinforced removable Knox CE certified elbow, shoulder and back armor and the 6.0 continues that trend. We also built the entire shell from water resistant Cordura and used waterproof taped zippers throughout. That’s a lot of protection packed into a few short sentences!
Most jackets sold today do not include the back armor but here at Corazzo, we know people buy our products not only for style, but also to increase their protection when riding. Why should we sell anything that offers less than complete protection?
Want to learn more? Check out the original article from Corazzo HERE