It rained. Hard. That was my first ride home in my new Triumph H2 Sport Jacket and H2 Sport Jeans. It had started out fine, which I was looking forward to, especially in a brand new set of leathers that were stiff and tight. But within 20 mins a few spits of rain had turned into a downpour, which I was stuck in for the next 40mins on my commute home. Lazy Saturday evening traffic did not help either, and of course the Irish road user turns into a panicked animal when they can no longer safely use their smartphones and ignore the road. A bit too much rain, heat, or weather in general turns the whole thing into a farce. Then there is me, in my new leathers, and for the first while every instinct was screaming at me to pull in and slip on waterproofs, but I had none to slip on.

The manners of the traffic soon had my full attention and as I slowed to go through the etag lane of the M4 toll it hit me, it is pouring down, I am in my leathers, and feeling bone dry. I rode on until the westbound Esso service station just before Mullingar to fill up and walked into the store, at which time I had my first proper look at just how wet I was, on the outside. Getting home not long later and dripping in the doorway I was as happy as a pig in muck, the H2 leathers did exactly what they claimed to. All the safety of leather, but also being waterproof…and not costing the earth compared to the other waterproof leather alternatives.

They do hold water, it is the inbuilt liner that does all the work, unlike other brands which have the waterproofing impregnated into the leather itself. However on its first outing this worked fantastic, and living in Ireland a waterproof leather suit sounds like the motorcyclists wet dream (pun unintended). This however was my first 83km’s of living in the suit. Besides that the overall quality and fit is superb, but the sizing is probably tighter than I would like, while my Held suit fit me comfortably as per the sizing guidelines, the Triumph suit is much tighter on initial wear. Obviously this also comes from it being leather which I am hoping will soften in time like my other leather suits. The suit also has the TFL cool system to keep the black leather from baking you alive on those warm days, but I would say that this is an absolute must in this suit as are the very generous air vents as the waterproof liner will have an unavoidable effect on your warm weather comfort. Or so I suspect….

I have been wearing the H2 suit five days a week, not even bothering to take off the H2 jeans in work some days. Yes it is that comfortable. The pants do get a bit warm when you are running around on hot days, but what else would you expect? The whole thing is absolutely waterproof. I have walked out of the door into pouring rain, ridden to work, and then come home in the rain without any dampness sneaking through. Of course I am happy about the suits performance in adverse weather, but I am equally delighted over how comfortable the suit has become to live in. Just like any set of leathers once the the stiffness gives way and the suit softens then it becomes like slipping on a second skin each day. Leather is a natural companion to motorcyclists, offering protection and comfort. Suits like the H2 add an extra dimension of practicality which gives the wearer less to be concerned about as they focus on the road ahead.

For some the only real negative to the H2 would be the branding, there is certainly no mistaking this as being a Triumph suit, whether you see this as being a negative or a positive is going to come down to the individual. Hopefully the suits performance will speak for itself and be enough for most to decide upon. No it is not cheap, but for this quality and performance it is exceptionally well priced. Anyone looking for a genuine do it all motorcycle suit should be including this in their search.

I cover, on average, in excess of 30,000km a year on my motorcycle. Not having a car licence means that good gear is essential for all year motorcycling. I would not waste my money or time on gear that I did not believe was up to the job. We will see how I feel about the H2 in a year’s time, but right now I have little doubt that my trust in this suit is well deserved.

Peace and keep the rubber side down.