The discovery jacket from Fuel Moto blends the familiar styling of primitive textile adventure jackets with discrete protective features and sophisticated design details. Together, the combination is a standout.
The Discovery’s outer shell is constructed of waxed canvas with brown suede in the pocket flaps, cuffs, and elbow detail. CE Level 2 armor comes standard in the elbows, shoulders, and back. The liner is removable and independently wearable. It’s actually pretty stylish, and I find myself wearing it without the jacket often when I am not on the bike. The fit is boxy, a little wider in the body and shorter in the sleeves than many other European brands.
The waxed canvas and suede smooth out and gain a little shine the longer I wear this jacket, and it looks better with each ride. This fashionable and practical jacket is getting a lot of wear, but it’s not without a few hiccups.
Thicker canvas would provide a sturdier feel—though the weight of the suede helps with that. More annoying, a buckle around the neck needs to be dealt with—either tied or buckled—before every ride or it will slap around at high speeds, frustrating riders who like to keep their jacket partially zipped.
It makes sense that a product like this would come from Fuel Motorcycles. The Spanish company makes gear its employees want to wear on their rides—and they do ride. Fuel is the organizer of the annual Scram Africa ride through Morocco, and its workers chronicle their daily adventures around their hometown of Barcelona on social media. If they sort a few niggling details, they’ll have a top-shelf jacket.
