What We Wear! The Held 'Alcatar' Adventure Helmet

 Our Stan gets out and about on his Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled and puts Held Gear through its paces. 

Stan's Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled

Today, we'll hear about how Stan's been getting on with his Held Alcatar Adventure Helmet:

3.5 Alcatars for one of your..

"There's a saying that 'the quality remains long after the price is forgotten' - which is how you justify big-ticket items; The initial 'sting' of forking out a lot of money eventually goes away but the quality product you've bought keeps on doing the job beautifully. This sounds like I'm breaking news that the Alcatar is expensive, well actually it isn't. It's under £140. What you'd expect to carry a big price tag doesn't, but you get a hell of a lot of bang for your buck with this helmet. Exceptionally good value for money.

In fact you can get 3.5 Alcatars for the price of a well known competitor's similar lid. I've worn both and in my opinion there really isn't anything in it when you compare them, especially if you consider what you're getting for your money! Let's take a look at the Alcatar, what I like and what I don't like about it. 

The Overview

For starters, it's a nice looking lid. More than a touch of the 'Master Chiefs' about it so first impressions for anyone with a certain style of bike would be good. Put it this way, it's perfectly suited to the Desert Sled, as it would be to the likes of the BMW GS, Triumph Tiger, Honda Africa Twin etc. It comes in a number of schemes, including Gloss black, Matt black, white & red, black, white & red or black and white. 

It's not any where near as heavy as I expected yet feels very robust. The cheek pads are washable which is a bonus with this helmet designed for mile munchers. It has a visor that doesn't interfere with the peak and a flip-down integral sun visor. The flip switch for the visor was a bit tricky but a squirt of WD40 sorted that out. I like the fact that when the sun visor is down you push a button on the side and the visor pings up out the way.. The main visor is Pinlock ready and you can if you wish get a dark tint version of this. 

If you're worried about changing / removing visors (Hands up who has broken side pods!) then don't be - the Held Alcatar scratchproof visor will come off with the help of a flathead screwdriver, very easy! The helmet is also very well vented too, at the chin and on top which allows a nice flow of air.

Likes

The style! check it out from the front:

The soft fabric interior for comfort over long miles

The price tag!

The fact the peak didn't cause my head to flip back at 60mph+! Held have the airflow correct

Dislikes

The fact I got a black one! My bike is white & red 😏

Integral sun visor system not quite as easy to operate as other Held helmets - but a bit of practice and a squirt of WD40 later and it's fine.

Final thoughts

It's a very decent lid at an absolute steal for under £140. All the features you get and the style for that price you can't go wrong."

You can see more about Held including our online Made to Measure configurator, full online catalogue, gear care tips, dealer locator and the history of the company by clicking here

What We Wear: The Held 'Aerosec' 2-in-1 textile outfit

Held's 'The Stan' has owned his Held Aerosec 2-in-1textile suit for a couple of years now and has recently been pushing the boundaries, riding in it during the cold weather. How's he been getting on? Let's find out..

Held's Aerosec jacket- photographed without the flash as the Scotchlite reflectors lit up...

The Aerosec is really a three-season suit that can be added to by way of extra Held clip-in thermal top and base, which niftily attach using the blue clips inside the suit- look for the blue clips on the photos! That said, I wanted to see how the suit stood up to the cold, so I ventured out in just shorts and a t-shirt under it, outside temperature being 4 degrees and EXTREMELY windy.

I ride a Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled- which has plenty of grunt for cutting through the wind (aided by my Dart flyscreen). It's also perfect for muddy, potholed rural roads. The question was, would I be cold?

Ducati's Desert Sled- happy with the mud, stones and potholes

What I like about the Aerosec is, as the 2-in-1 label suggests, most definitely two textile outfits, in one. The photo below shows the jacket with the 'breezy chamber'- for warm day riding. The warm, windproof, waterproof bit gets zipped up and sits behind your back and you pop your arms into the sleeve as indicated by the arrow below. The jacket has plenty of zip vents for Summer, making it super cool to wear. 

How the jacket looks for warm day riding

Then, if it rains, or is cold, simply pull down the central zip (as in the photo below), and the waterproof, windproof, warm and breathable chamber is revealed...

Beginning to transform from a Summer jacket to a rainy / colder weather jacket

Once the zip is all the way down - tada! Ready for rain, wind, cold - and still breathable. Simply slip your arm in to the chamber as indicated and zip up the central zip again, this time with you inside it! 

The trousers perform in much the same way too- see the photo sequence below: 

The Held Aerosec trousers - 'breezy chamber' mode

Let the unzipping commence - waterproof, windproof, dry and breathable chamber revealed

There we go! Ready for what Mother Nature has in store

So, that's how it all works - but did it do the job? Four degrees centigrade and very, very windy was an ample test for the suit. I elected to wear just a t-shirt and shorts underneath. Cruising along at 60mph I could feel the wind hitting me, but none was making it through the suit. I was comfortable. One tip with this suit - make sure ALL the Summer zip vents are done up, one on the side of the trousers was half undone, and I had to pull over to adjust and thus remove the slightly cold feeling..

Thirty miles later and I was a little cooler, but still ok to carry on riding. To add perfection to the test conditions rain was needed, I was not disappointed as heavy drizzle began. I've worn Held for years so wasn't concerned about the waterproofness. The gear as predicted kept me dry. 

The ride came to an end after a short stop at the post office - I arrived home not hot, but certainly not cold - if that makes sense. As it's a three-season suit, I had no clip in thermals and I was wearing hardly anything underneath I was very impressed. I'll add another layer next time, and I know that will do the trick. In Summer it was also amazing - in the breezy chambers with the vents open it was a joy.  What a super suit! 

ENDS

The Held Aerosec now comes with a Gore-Tex 2-in-1 membrane (Stan's is the pre- Gore-Tex model) and the jacket retails for £483.99, trousers for £351.99. Bearing in mind this suit is like two suits in one and comes with a guarantee that you can extend online FREE for 5 years it makes a superb investment. 

You can follow Stan on Instagram - @scramblerstan - give him a follow and say hi! 

Held Clip-In Technology

Clip-in Technology From Held: 

Flexibility and functionality in every situation

2015 onwards garments: look for the blue tabs on the inside- you're ready for clip-in!

Wearing the same apparel on hot summer days as in the transition period with single-digit temperatures? No problem with the Held Clip-in technology. All Held jackets and trousers,
which are equipped with the Clip-in feature can be retrofitted and upgraded with Held Clip-in products.

Just pop the clip-in garment into the main item of clothing and secure with the press-stud tabs!

On the specially coloured fixation loops, the Clip-in products are installed by press studs into the outer shell. With the blue coloured loops and press studs, the system is easily distinguishable from other fastening systems of the base garment like connecting zips, air-vents and removable membranes and linings. 

Example of the clip-in thermo top- this one is for ladies!

The individual Clip-in products can also be worn separately for any non-biking activity as leisure wear!

See our range online, here

Held Racer Report: Sean Neary and Zoek Racing, Oulton Park

The two Zoek Racing riders were competing in round three of the Ducati TriOptions Cup at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the bank holiday weekend with Sean Neary from Lymm recording a win and a third place to lead the championship by a healthy nine points and Newark rider Craig Currie securing an 18th place in race two after retiring from the first race with a technical issue.

Neary was competing at his home track and a large contingent of supporters was there to see him race. They were not disappointed as after qualifying in fourth place Neary started the first race from the second row right behind the pole sitter.

He got away to a good start moving straight into second place behind Lewis Rollo and followed him around the Cheshire circuit for a few laps before making his challenge for the lead on lap six of 10. The pair circulated in close company with Rollo challenging at every corner but Neary wasn’t prepared to back off and retained the lead. On the penultimate lap Rollo made a mistake and slid off unhurt out of the race leaving Neary to romp home for his first win of the current campaign with just over a second to spare from Rob Guiver.

He said: “I followed Rollo to see where his weak spots were for me to make a move on him. when I did get past him I kept my cool, checked my pit board and maintained the lead, I lost my knee slider with three laps to go so felt unable to get around the left handers so well. But I had a bit in reserve as well just in case I needed it and am absolutely made up to get the win and have to say a massive thank you to the Zoek Racing team for sticking by me and for all the help from Maxton suspension this weekend.”

In race two Neary didn’t get such a good start and settled into third place for the three laps before being overtaken by Lewis Rollo. But he never gave up and regained third place on lap seven which he held to the chequered flag for his second podium finish of the weekend.

He said: “Third today just caps a solid weekend at Oulton. I am leaving round three with the championship lead so can’t ask for more than that. It will be a long old battle this year but I’m well up for it. Huge thanks to Zoek Racing Team, Matthew Sanders of Zoek, and Paul Nolan of Charlestown for his countless work behind the scenes. Evolution Waste, Craig Currie, JHP Ducati Coventry, Steve Jackson @Toiletspares, Chris Dutton of Claim Eazy, Motul, Joe Carlin, Guy Mainwaring of Held, Shark Helmets, Maxton, Lee Jackson, Applied Nutrition, Warrior Club, Tom Tucker Caines and the whole team for all their hard graft they deserve it, legends the lot of them - and of course Nicola Gore for always supporting me.”

Newark rider Craig Currie was not so successful this weekend but after completing his qualifying in 12th place was looking forward to a good race. As the lights went out he set off from a fourth row grid position but found himself down in 22nd place on the first lap. He made it back up to 19th on lap five but then encountered a technical issue and was forced to retire with three laps remaining.

With the bike back up and running for race two Currie took his place on the starting grid but much further back on row seven. He didn’t get the best of starts but soon recovered and began to make progress, moving into the top 20 on lap four. He continued to move forward and was right behind Paul Slade on the final lap. But although the pair crossed the finish line side by side Slade took flag for 17th place by a whisker from Currie who was just 57 thousandths of a second adrift in 18th place.

The series takes a six week break now to allow for the two major road races, the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT festival and the riders will reconvene at Snetterton in Norfolk over the weekend of June 15-17 for round four.

For more information on Zoek please click here

For more information on Held please click here

Held Racer Report: Zoek Racing and Sean Neary, Brands Hatch

ZOEK RACING BRANDS HATCH INDY

 The two Zoek Racing riders, Sean Neary and Craig Currie were at Brands Hatch for round two of the Ducati TriOptions Cup at the weekend resulting in a second and fifth place for Lymm Rider Sean Neary and a 17th for Newark rider Craig Currie.

Sean Neary

Neary was up in the top four throughout free practice and qualifying and began the first of two 15 lap races from a second row grid position in fourth place. As the lights went out Neary got a good start and was up to second place on the first lap. He took the lead on lap three but was pushed back to second place one lap later when Rob Guiver took over the top spot.

Although he was never more than a few tenths away from the leader, Neary could not find a path through to snatch the lead on the short and tricky Indy circuit at the Kent venue and towards the end of the race decided to opt for a safe second place and 20 championship points sooner than make a risky move and perhaps throw it all away.

He said: “P2 in today’s race, I’ll take that! I really wanted that win but wins don’t come easy in this class! Big thanks to the Zoek Racing Team and all our sponsors for always backing me no matter what. I didn’t score any points in the first three races last year so it’s a big improvement!”

By the time the second race got underway the rain had arrived making for tricky conditions. Neary held the lead for a couple of laps but dropped back to finish the race in fifth place. He said: “ I racked up some more points in that race and its now on to my home round next at Oulton Park. Big thanks to the whole team and our sponsors. We just need some luck for Craig now.”

 Neary is currently third in the rider standings on 54 points.

Craig Currie was running in the top 15 during qualifying and began the first race on Saturday from the fifth row in 13th place. But despite running in a point scoring position through the majority of laps he was beaten back to 17th on the final lap by Waghorn and Hill who caught and passed him on the final lap.

Currie said: “Towards the end of the race I had a few issues with the bike so lost a bit of ground. But at least I finished the race and tomorrow is another day!”

Unfortunately the Newark rider was unable to take part in race two because of ongoing problems with the Ducati.

The next round is at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the bank Holiday weekend of May 5-7

pic credit Dave Yeomans

For more information on Zoek please click here

For more information on Held please click here

NEWS: DUCATI READY TO CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MONSTER

Ducati: Ready to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Monster

• A programme of events and initiatives to celebrate the anniversary of the iconic Ducati Naked bike
• A special celebratory parade on 24 March in France at the “Sunday Ride Classic 2018”
• 25 years on from the start of production, Ducati displays a 1993 Monster 900 at the Bologna museum

Borgo Panigale, (Bologna, Italy), 5 March 2018 – Twenty-five years have passed since the first Monster left the factory in Borgo Panigale, Bologna. Since its presentation to the public and the press at the “Intermot” international exhibition in Cologne in 1992, and its launch onto the market in 1993, this iconic Ducati model has brought a radical change to the world of motorcycles, creating a brand new sector – the naked sport bikes – and generating one of the most devoted communities of enthusiasts.

It's an important anniversary for Ducati, a moment full of activities and initiatives to celebrate this significant landmark. Among the events is a Monster rally organised in France at the “Sunday Ride Classic 2018”, an international event dedicated to collectors' bikes to be held at the “Paul Ricard” Circuit in Le Castellet during the afternoon of 24 March. Ducati and the European DOCs (Ducati Owners Clubs) involved in the event have called Monsteristi together to stage a racetrack parade to celebrate the anniversary in spectacular fashion. The invitation to take part in this peaceful invasion of the circuit is open to all Monster owners who need only register for the event and turn up at the track.

March 5 is another date to remember. Exactly 25 years ago, the first Monster came off the Ducati production line in Borgo Panigale, Bologna. This year, to mark the anniversary, an original Monster 900 MY1993 is on display at the Ducati Museum. The bike, obtained via a collector and enthusiast who kept it in excellent condition, is ready to be admired by the museum's thousands of visitors in the room dedicated to this iconic and historic motorcycle.

Lots more events aimed at celebrating the 25th anniversary of Ducati's first Naked bike are planned for the 2018 World Ducati Week, the world's largest Ducati rally, held every two years, which gathers together thousands of enthusiasts. The event will be held on 20, 21 and 22 July 2018 at the Marco Simoncelli Misano World Circuit in Misano Adriatico. Yet another reason not to miss this fantastic occasion.

For full information and to register to take part in the Monster parade at the “Sunday Ride Classic” see Ducati.fr. 
The programme of events at WDW2018 will be communicated shortly on the official Ducati website.

#welovemonster
#parade25ansmonster


Want to learn more about Held in the UK? Click here

New Held Centre opens this Friday 24th February!

A HUGE selection of Held can be seen as the new upstairs exclusive Held Centre at Kawasaki Dealer GT Superbikes near Cardiff opens this Friday, 24th February.

Celebrations continue on the 25th too, as GT Superbikes also shows off the 2017 Kawasaki Range!

We'll will have two of our main men available on the Friday and Saturday to discuss all things Held and motorcycling. And on Saturday, if you're brave enough, you can RACE Manx GP Winner TOM WEEDEN on the GT Superbikes ManxGP Game. We're giving out prizes as well, so do you think you can beat him?

Race Manx GP Winner Tom Weeden at GT Superbikes on Saturday on the ManxGP Game!

Here's an overall flavour for what's happening:

• Opening of the new exclusive Held Motorcycle Gear and Accessories Centre
• 2017 Kawasaki Range on display
• Meet ManxGP winner, TT Racer and Held wearer Tom Weeden- and race him!
• Chance to win Lee Bowers Refined Raw Z300
• Win Held Prizes
• Open until 9pm on Friday
• Special offers available on both days
• Refreshments available on both days

It's going to be awesome! So, if you're in the South Wales area, come on down! Here's how to find GT Superbikes:

Beeches Industrial Estate

Coedcae Lane

Talbot Green

CF72 9DY

Call: 01443 449555

Email: info@gtsuperbikes.com

Web: www.gtsuperbikes.com

Cowhide, Kangaroo, Stingray- Explained!

Cowhide, Kangaroo, Stingray- Explained! "Made from cowhide! Made from Pittards leather! Made from Kangaroo Leather! Made from Stingray skin!"

Ever wondered what the difference is, and why? we take a look at the different products used in Held gear..


Leather

The traditional ‘go-to’ material for motorcyclists. While often not as practical or adaptable as textiles, leather still leads the way in abrasion resistance and, with the right care, is extremely durable. Leather garments should be fitted as tight as possible in order to firmly hold protectors in place. With wear, leather garments ‘break in’ and mould to the body. Held Rider Equipment uses the finest cowhide as standard, as well as kangaroo, goat, hairsheep and stingray leather in certain applications.

Held Street II Jacket- premium cowhide

TFL COOL™ leather

Revolutionary treatment for black leather which helps it reflect solar radiation in the same way that white leather would, keeping the surface up to 20°C cooler and the wearer up to 12°C cooler, without the impracticality of wearing light colours. 

TFL Cool leather on the left, not on the right!

Pittards leather

The hairsheep is a cross between a sheep and a goat only found in the mountains of some African countries. Its hide is soft and comfortable, like goatskin, but it has a more dense – and therefore hard wearing – structure which is ideal for glove making. Pittards are the leading producer of high-grade hairsheep leather. Moisture will cause normal leather to go hard, crack and shrink. We soaked two gloves in chemical sweat for 24 hours. The Pittards WR100 hairsheep hide glove was still very soft when compared to the cowhide glove of the same thickness. Plus it is also up to 30% more resistant to tearing and abrasion.

Held gloves with Pittard leather back

Kangaroo hide

Of the 48 species of kangaroo, many are protected. However the unchecked reproduction of largest breed has resulted in massive over-population and culls are therefore carried out under the supervision of the Australian government. Fortunately for motorcyclists, the hides make excellent rider equipment. 

Held Slade leather suit- with mix of Kangaroo and cowhide, with Titanium inserts!

Kangaroo hide is far more abrasion resistant than cowhide of the same thickness. This is because, unlike cows, kangaroos only sweat through their tail and therefore there are no pores in the hide. Kangaroo garments can therefore be lighter and provide more ‘feel’. Special tanning and drying methods mean kangaroo hide is resistant to moisture and so is less likely to loose its shape or degrade over time. 

Stingray skin

The most abrasion resistant material that is pliant enough to be used in the manufacture of gloves. Selected styles of Held gloves feature Stingray protection on the ball of thumb, knuckles and wrist, backed with shock absorbing gel pads in order to allow fallen riders to slide more easily with less chance of fractured limbs cause by rolling.When exposed to a 10 Newton load on an H22 friction wheel at Pirmasens testing Institute in accordance with DIN 53754, Kangaroo leather wore though after 4,000 revolutions, while stingray skin withstood a 20,000 revolutions.

Held Titan gloves- Stingray leather covered Carbon shell side & finger protection

For more information on Held in the UK, or to find your nearest dealer please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

3-layer Gore-Tex jacket for all year round motorcycling

If you're looking for a jacket that can cut the mustard all year round- keep you warm and dry when it's horrible weather yet cool and comfy when it's hot then the Held Carese II is worth the investment!

Held Carese II GTX Gore-Tex motorcycle jacket RRP £569.99

• Gore-Tex 3 layer technology - waterproof for life!
• Breathable: Coolmax mesh lining, 3D air mesh panels
• CE-approved Held SAS-TEC shoulder & elbow protectors

A Gore-Tex enduro style motorcycle jacket constructed with advanced materials to offer you the best in performance and comfort for those long expeditions across Continents. The Gore-Tex liner is 100% waterproof and windproof providing perfect insulation, whilst maintaining its highly breathable properties.

Stay safe: CE-approved soft shoulder and elbow protectors from SAS-TEC come with the jacket, with the option to upgrade to a Quatrotempi back protector too. The outer also offers abrasion resistance in the event of a slide.

The internal laminated jacket is now useable You can take it out of the jacket and use it as a lone waterproof rain mac/jacket for those journeys off the bike - essentially it is buy one jacket, get a waterproof over jacket free!

Held Carese II GTX colour variations

 
Technical info:

• DU PONT Cordura 500 D outer
• Detachable Gore-Tex Performance shell LTD liner
• Waterproof, windproof & breathable
• 8 Air-Vent zippers front, back & in the arms
• CE 1621-1 SAS-Tec soft shoulder & elbow protectors
• Temperfoam at back, upgradeable to Quattrotempi CE armour
• Coolmax inner lining
• Longer cut for touring
• 4 outside pockets, 2 of which are waterproof
• Front fold-away chest pockets which act as air vents
• Rear pocket to store Gore-Tex LTD liner
• 3 inside pockets
• Internal mobile phone pocket
• Waist belt
• Hip adjustment
• Arm adjustment
• Soft Collar
• Connector zip
• Reflector inserts
• Front air vent panel

For more information on Held in the UK and an online catalogue & dealer list please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Our gear: the Held Masuda Fibreglass helmet

I gave the Gaffer a sideways glance as he asked me to put to one side my Held ST-6 full carbon helmet and use the Held 'Masuda'. I love the ST-6 and was reluctant, at first, to try out the sub-£200 helmet. 

However, as it appeared from the box I was immediately impressed. Held have an Italian designer on board now and the looks are great!

Held Masuda: German quality, Italian design £199.99

 First impressions:

Very comfortable, way beyond it's £199.99 price tag. A great fit, made perfect by the integral cheek pump system which allows you to pump it up to provide a PERFECT fit.

Held have improved on the integral sun visor too- pops back up with a single touch on the button. I was particularly impressed with the no-tools visor change, practiced a few times to get it right, now I can change it like a TT pit crew (!)... Certainly beats messing around with the visors on certain other brands, and busting a few side pods on the way...

Next to the chin- the cheek pump system. Big one to pump, little one to release air

Easy on-off visor change system

After testing:

I've now ridden over 600 miles in the Masuda and it's comfy as anything. The removable cheeks pads (which I've washed once already) and the Outlast lining (designed to regulate temperature) work well to keep the lid fresh as a daisy :) The investment by Held in the lining pays dividends too in terms of comfort on longer rides.

If you've never used an integral sun visor give it a go- perfect for the in-out UK sun and more importantly you can ride on into dusk without having to change visors / take your shades off!

Integral sun visor, breath deflector and plenty of air vents

 
Don't ask about wind noise as such- I ride a naked Cafe Racer and it's noisy! All I will say is that I also have an Arai and a Shark and the Held Masuda is no noisier!

I like the slightly smaller shell size as well, suits me and doesn't make me look like I've got a goldfish bowl on my head.. ;)

Really impressed too with the paint, nice chevrons on the top (see below) and i've washed it a dozen times or more with warm, soapy water and it still looks like new. 

 
All in all it's a great lid, with a price tag that offers exceptional value. Here's the official specifications:

• Washable cheek pads
• Clear, scratchproof visor
• Air-vents at front & chin
• Quick release ratchet chin-strap buckle
• Clear lacquer
• No-tools visor change mechanism
• Choice of 2 shell sizes for a perfect fit
• Clear, dark tint, silver & purple iridium visors available
• Inc. sun visor
• Pinlock ready visor
• Integral pump system

You can see more of the Masuda and the colours available on page 246 of our online catalogue:

What We Wear: The Held ST-6 full carbon helmet

The best way to start this blog about this great helmet is: 100% carbon helmet for under £270! Mine is the plain version, but it comes with colours on the black, too.

Held ST-6 full carbon motorcycle helmet for under £270!

It's light, it's strong, it looks great and it has plenty of features. But what's it like to ride in, across the entire year, over thousands of miles? Luckily we try and test as much of our gear as possible and this helmet has been a personal favourite of mine for over two years now. I'll talk about some bits that float my boat ;)

The Held ST-6 100% carbon helmet- MY first choice of lid

We've all got different shaped noggins, so choosing the helmet with the best fit is the most important factor, for me, anyway. One of the things that pleased me instantly about the Held ST-6 is the cheek pump system (See below). You can press away on the little button, just above where the chin sits and feel the helmet's insides pumping up, delivering a virtually perfect and reassuringly 'personal' fit every time you put it on. Taking it off is easy as a tiny button alongside the main one lets the air out before you take it off!

Held ST-6 cheek pump feature- perfect fit, every time

The visor comes Pinlock ready and Ive just fitted a pinlock insert that changes colour according to the light. Pinlock has made a huge difference  in terms of delivering crystal clear vision in any condition, as they always seem to. The helmet also has an integral drop down sun-visor, which has proved invaluable to me in those situations where the sun keeps appearing and disappearing!

One of the things I like most about this helmet is the easy visor change. No more broken side pods, and no hassle. I took the video below when I got the helmet and this video is the FIRST TIME I undid, and re-attached the visor. Easy!

Before I give you the official 'spec' for the helmet, below there's a photo collage I created to try and give you a feel for this awesome lid. I've covered about 5,000 miles in it, it's been comfy, easy to keep clean and caused lots of interest at bike meets. Very happy with it and certainly worth £269.99!

The Held ST-6 100% carbon motorcycle helmet in all its glory

Now, the official word:

100% carbon outer shell
Soft outlast lining for climate control
Clear, Pinlock ready, scratchproof visor
Integral sun visor
Air-vents at front and chin
Quick-release ratchet fastening
Quick change visor
Integral pump system for perfect fit
Air vents at front and chin
ECE 22.05 certified

To see the full range of 
Held Rider Equipment in the UK please click here

Fitting the Held SAS-TEC back protector

The Held SAS-TEC Quattrotempi back protector is superb. It's robust, yet soft enough to mould, using your body heat nicely to the shape of your back. It's nice and light too, you hardly know you're wearing it. 

The protectors come in three sizes, Small, Medium and Large and fit most Held Jackets - not just the Quattrotempi range. In this blog you'll see how we fitted it, in less than five minutes, perfectly for the Held Sixty-Six Jacket. 

The protectors are made for the longer jackets- but there's no reason why you can't easily adapt them for the perfect fit to the shorter jackets too, such as the Sixty-Six. Take a look:

Held Sixty-Six Jacket and back protector ready for fitting

 

Locate the protector pocket, the SAS-TEC protector is so supple it can be easily slipped in

Built for long Held jackets, it's too big for the shorter Sixty-Six

 

Not a problem though- mark a line where it needs to end

Simple tools required to make it fit

Simple adjustment made

Bingo! Nice and snug fit now, ready to ride!

So, it's as simple as that. 

To see our online catalogue click here

Warm in Winter and great all year round..

The Held Hakuna Jacket has served me well over the last 3 years- standing around on a chilly bonfire night, riding in the rain, riding in the cold, riding in the warm. It has proven to be a real all-rounder. Good value too with an RRP under £300.

Held Hakuna - a great all-round motorcycle jacket

Take on the world with confidence in this cutting edge touring jacket. It's mega warm when it's cold - but this jacket also has AIR-VENT zippers in the front, back and arms, zip off side panels, and a concealed AIR-VENT channel underneath the front zip for extra cooling when the going gets hot! With dupont CORDURA outer shell, COOLMAX mesh lining, and HUMAX Z-Liner membrane it is the ultimate in comfort for the long way round, down or up! It also packs a punch with KNOX CE armour at the shoulders and elbows, TEMPERFOAM at the back, upgradeable to CE armour. If you are after style, comfort and protection in a jacket that can take on continents and win, this is THE jacket for you!

Specifications:

• DUPONT Cordura shell (100% Polyester)
• COOLMAX mesh lining
• HUMAX-Z-Liner membrane
• KNOX CE armour at shoulders & elbows
• TEMPERFOAM at back, upgradeable to CE armour
• 4 outside pockets
• 2 inside pockets
• Back pocket
• Zip-off side panels
• Double arm adjustment
• Waist adjustment
• Waist belt
• Stretch panels at shoulder
• Soft collar
• Air-vent channel underneath front zip
• Connector zip
• SCOTCHLITE reflective panels

Note: Jacket is only waterproof while the HUMAX climate lining is zipped in - With no lining attached, the jacket maximises air-flow and remains shower resistant.

For more information on Held in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Made to measure gloves from Held

Always fancied a pair of Made to Measure summer / race gloves? Made personally for your hands? With a choice of colours? And your name embroidered on the side?

Well now we can do that for you!

Check out racer Scott Smart's:

Held wearing racer Scott Smart's personalised gloves

Or racer Gary Mason's:

Racer Gary Mason's personalised Held gloves

How much?

The Made to Measures are available in the Held Titan and the Held Phantom Glove. The service is charged at the price of the glove + 30% (max), meaning you could have a pair of Made to Measure Phantom IIs, with your name on the side, and a choice of colours for under £60 extra!!

How do I go about it?

We can liaise with a Held Dealer to sort it out for you, and it's a real simple process to get a Bespoke, one-off pair of gloves:

* Contact us at social@held-uk.co.uk  including your name and phone number,  and we'll help you through the process.

Then it'll be:

* Choose your gloves: Titan (RRP £229.99) or Phantom II (RRP £184.99) 

* Choose your colour scheme (Yellow, green, red, black, blue, grey, white... etc!)  

* Choose your lettering / numbers (Bear in mind the space available on the glove- 10 characters max - so if your name is Sokratis Papastathopoulos you'll have to abbreviate!) 

* Draw neatly round your hand on a sheet of A4 (like you did when you were a nipper) to just below the wrist joint

Re-live a childhood moment- the hand drawing!

Just what we need!

* Photo-copy your palm and the back of your hand (tip: put a tea-towel over your hand so as not to allow the light in as the copier lid won't close properly on your hand!)

Photocopier!

How long does it take?

Around 6 weeks from the day we receive your information and measurements!

So why not treat yourself! Drop us a line at social@held-uk.co.uk

For more information on Held in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk