Knox Honister motorcycle jacket review - Sportsbikeshop

[@JCavSD]

I've purchased the Honister almost as soon as it was available, and I'm guessing I've put about 8,000+ miles on it. I live in Southern California, so it's great in the heat. I have a 41 inch chest, am 5'8" tall, weigh 156 lbs. and a medium fits snug but not tight. I sometimes wear a thing Gore-Tex vest over it to cut back on the airflow, and a Revit Flare jacket, with armor removed, over that for additional warmth and water proofing. There are only three minor annoyances: 1)The sleeves could be an inch longer. Even with the thumb loops in use I can have a very small amount of skin exposed when using my short summer gloves. 2) The bottom of the jacket flares out a little, for no apparent reason. 3) The zippers on the exterior pockets sometimes hang up a little and don't operate as smoothly as I'd like. These are very minor annoyances. Overall one of the best jackets I've owned in 37 years of riding. On an unrelated note, I also ride a GSX-S1000GT...fantastic bike.

[@CAVEY2575]

I bought the Urbane 3.0 the matching gloves and the Handroid 5.0 from Sportsbikeshop. The stitching on the gloves on the jacket cuffs and the retaining finger strap failed in 6 weeks...also the mesh material freyed where there was contact between the cuff and the glove.The Handroid gloves were a size XXL (I'm a size 12 glove every glove I own is a XXL) , the leather "gave out" and they were too big in 3 weeks. Sportsbikeshop were fantastic....swapped the Handroids for an XL size and so far they have been fine....and they gave me a credit for the jacket and summer gloves. Knox kit looks fantastic...has obviously been safety tested but think the materials or manufacturing process' they use may need a tweak to ensure better longevity

[@davebethell1]

I have the Honister, which is more of a jacket fit than my Urbane pro (MK1), which seems to be more of an armoured heavy duty base layer. For sizing I'm a M in the Urbane pro, and a L in the Honister (5'10", 12 stone). It's comfortable and has great protection. I like the fact you can layer up under and over the jacket. I use a Craghoppers soft shell jacket over this to reduce wind chill, and a fleece under it for extra warmth if required. Excellent for a recent trip to Germany where one day varied from 8 degrees to 25 degrees due to the altitude in the Black Forest. Layering up gives you the best of all conditions, as you can adapt to suit the weather. Expensive, yes. The only bike jacket you'll need, also yes! Highly recommended.

[@OhHeyAngel_]

Have abs my Honister for a month now and I'm honestly in love. I managed to fit perfectly into a small, thinking the sizing would still be an issue like other jackets. I do agree with the arm/sweat/sticky issue mentioned, however, I have since started to wear thin long sleeves and that's fixed the "getting the jacket off issue" if anything, some track guys suggested investing into some silk layers to make removal even easier.

[@LKESBO]

always giving the correct info in very simple way thank u , u helped me with the size part 👍👍

[@stevenesq]

Im only a good weather rider so i only use the mrk 3 urban pro instead of the honister. Nothing wrong with it you understand its just my go to jacket.

[@flip.910]

Stretchy enough to fit an airbag vest underneath?

[@sportsbikeshop]

That's not something I'd expect to work as the Honister is very close fitting. Cheers, Tony

[@Fishfood007]

Will need to buy a jacket like this here soon. Too bad I can’t get this one. Too hot in all black and I don’t do all black for safety seriously Knox any added color I don’t care what it is just don’t make safety gear all black. Probably going to get the marrakesh and upgrade padding.

[@totororobkaye50]

Looking for a jacket to use in UK , would most recommend this one ?

[@antondubkov]

I am 5'11 40" chest - my size is supposed to be M per size chart (and generally M for motorcycle jackets across various brands is my size). I tried M and L in the store -- M fit fine except sleeves felt too short, and the thumb loops were digging into my palms. Size L felt somewhat loose but sleeve length was good, so I went with L. The difference between L and M is very significant. I also tried S and it felt pretty much like M (since the material is stretchy). I wish they made the size gap between L and M smaller, or made sleeves longer on M. Waiting for the summer to see how it works in 24+ degrees... hopefully it won't be a waste of money.

[@davebethell1]

I too found the sleeve length a little short. I have a 40 inch chest, and again the M would be perfect, but the arm length was too short. When riding a long distance I find the thumb loops also dig in with the L size, so I don't use the loops on long rides. The Honister fits more like a jacket rather than the second skin of the Urbane Pro. However this does give options of fitting a layer under the jacket for cooler days. I'm sure you'll be happy with the jacket, especially on hot days.

[@PeterPiperNYC]

Is the Armor large like the Rukka? I think the larger size is called Type "B" ?

[@sportsbikeshop]

Let me get back to you on this when I'm back at HQ tomorrow. Armour marked Type B covers more of the body than Type A, sometimes marginally and sometimes considerably. I'll need to check a Honister for its markings and how the size compares to the Rukka inserts, which are much bigger than the normal type. Cheers, Tony

[@PeterPiperNYC]

@@sportsbikeshop Great, Thnak you for your prompt reply

[@PeterPiperNYC]

@@sportsbikeshop As a follow up, I am wondering if a larger type "B" chest armor would fit conveniently in the Honister in place of the standard one that is available? Thank you , Cheers

[@sportsbikeshop]

Knox only have one type of chest protector and I can't say whether it's Type A or B as we currently have no stock. It's rated to Level 1 for impact protection. You may be able to fit something else as it attaches to a Velcro insert inside the jacket, but whether it fits as conveniently as the official Knox protector is unlikely. I hope that helps. Cheers, Tony

[@sportsbikeshop]

OK, I've checked the Honister armour and it is Type B, which covers a larger area than Type A. It's not as large as the Rukka inserts (for illustration, a shoulder insert from a Honister is approx 250 square centimetres and an equivalent Type B Rukka shoulder insert is 400 square centimetres. I hope this helps. Cheers, Tony

thanks for the video content. I have a question , Do you think the jacket is suitable for the drivers which is using sport bike like Panigale. i ask this question for the sake of that; is back protection is fitted perfectly when driver drives at high speed ?

[@sportsbikeshop]

Hi, I think it would be suitable, yes. It's a good, close fit and the back protector will stay in place if you wear the right size and have the jacket connected to a pair of jeans using the belt connection loops. Cheers, Tony

@@sportsbikeshop thanks a lot for your reply👍.

[@baruchdor]

I have the knox urban pro mk2, is there a reason to think about the honisteris?

[@davebethell1]

The Honister is AAA. Also the Honister fit is more like a jacket rather than the snug fitting Urbane Pro if that's a consideration.

[@ale_fina]

@@davebethell1 What kind of riding would require AAA rating protections? Is it worth it for city riding with an occasional longer trip on a highway (once a week in the weekend)?

[@davebethell1]

@@ale_fina It's a personal choice. Some people think shorts and a tee shirt are okay to ride in. I think skin grafts are a lot more painful than parting with £400. The rating is nothing to do with the location of the riding, it just provides test results so you can choose between similar garments. Not that a lab test is anything like a 'real world' accident. But it's better than hoping this are good enough. I don't do city riding, I primarily ride on country road around the Yorkshire area of the UK. Rural roads are considered high risk in the UK, with a speed limit of 60mph. If I was unlucky enough to be in an accident I'd rather have 'over performing' protective gear rather than taking that chance. Each to their own.

[@secretspy44]

I believe the mk3 is a safety rating upgrade over the mk2, and the honnister is a rating upgrade over the mk3. The older model of urbane pro had CE 1 armor included instead of 2 which is included in the urbane mk3, if I'm remembering the specs correctly.

[@cloud9847]

@@ale_fina honestly, anything over roughly 55mph is getting into AAA range. Highway speeds definitely need AAA if you want to truly be protected. City riding at 40mph and slower you'd be fine with AA in my opinion.

[@nickwhite9319]

Are these really as protective as a leather jacket?

[@sportsbikeshop]

That would depend on the quality of the leather jacket (materials and construction). Most leather jackets pass at either CE level A (21%) or AA (55%) and only 24% of them are AAA. The Knox Honister is AAA and that, to my mind, means it should be considered more protective than three quarters of leather jackets. Whether it's more, or less, protective than a leather jacket that also meets AAA is impossible to tell as we can't know the distance by which a garment exceeds the standard. If I were to set about designing the most protective clothing for motorcycling then I would start with leather as it has the best potential, if used in the right way. But the only way to objectively tell whether the right leather has been used in the right way is to look at its test results. Sorry for the long answer, and I hope it helps. Cheers, Tony

[@stocks7765]

no absolutely not

[@Notabot1310]

If you’re not comfortable with a textile jacket, icon make a leather mesh jacket. It has leather on the shoulders and elbows parts only and comes with armour for the back elbows and shoulders as well.

[@The-Splat]

While the AAA rating is great, it’s disingenuous for Knox to claim they’re as protective as leather. Knox successfully lobbied against better protection standards (AAAA and AAAAA) because they would have differentiated between their clothing and race leathers.

[@ameliahunt8516]

Great review, but sadly ignored the women's version. Knox, unlike some brands, offers a great female-specific version of its excellent kit. It's a shame you didn't highlight that, and only bothered to mention the male default. Otherwise great content, thanks.

[@sportsbikeshop]

Fair comment, and apologies for missing that out. Thanks for getting in touch. Cheers, Tony

[@barnabyvenskunas2309]

Klim Marakesh ?

[@sportsbikeshop]

There are similarities, but the Marrakesh doesn't have mesh sections and is AA rated under CE rather than AAA. I'd say the fit isn't quite as close either. Cheers, Tony

[@stocks7765]

@@sportsbikeshop The Marrakesh flows air throughout the whole jacket, not only trough mesh panels

[@howardgraff4084]

I've been a biker for more than 40 years. As a matter if safety, I simply won't wear fully black gear (or ride a fully black bike!). In this jacket the rider will be almost invisible at night and rather hidden during the day. There are many great jackets out there that are easier for drivers to see. I'd prefer one of them.

[@MS-kh2je]

Wear 2 belts

[@Jonathan-L]

The Honister looks like a quality product and should give acceptable protection for anyone who falls off their bike at very low speed or drops their bike in a driveway or carpark. For those sort of crashes, a summer jacket costing 40 quid would also be suitable. Furthermore, those low cost jackets are available in colours besides black. Black jackets in summer ... why?

[@stelios_poulman]

I don't think you'll find any 40 quid jackets that are AAA rated...If you do, let me know!

[@PortuguesePirate99]

@@stelios_poulman 😂 Honestly i was trying to find a basic A rated jacket to go over the top of the Urbane Pro or this Honnister for rain protection and i dont think you could even find that for £40 haha