Photography: Arvind Salhan
The Royal Enfield Crossroader riding jacket has been in my riding gear range for quite a few months now. The jacket was given to me by Royal Enfield during the first ride of the Guerrilla 450 in Spain earlier this year, but I haven’t had the time to really use it extensively, until now. For a dual-purpose, all-weather jacket, the Crossroader didn’t feel very comfortable in the north Indian summer, so I swapped it out with my usual mesh riding jackets to take care of summer riding duties. And when the weather turned, with the pleasant autumn months, I started using the Crossroader again, now well into the onset of winter, at least in northern India.
The Crossroader promises to be a versatile riding jacket - suitable for different types of motorcycles, as well as for touring and adventure riding.
Designed for dual-purpose use, for summer riding as well as touring, and with a standard rain-liner the Crossroader riding jacket promises a lot of versatility. I have had the opportunity to use it in hot, balmy days, pleasant rides and on cold morning rides as well As promised, the Crossroader riding jacket certainly has its strengths and is versatile, making it easy to recommend on a wide range of riding conditions. But should it be on your shopping list? Read on, to find out.
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The Royal Enfield Crossroader riding jacket is designed as a dual-purpose touring jacket.
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The Royal Enfield Crossroader riding jacket is available in two colours - black and white (although RE calls it grey) and full black.
The Royal Enfield Crossroader riding jacket has been designed for dual-purpose use, which essentially means you can use it as your daily, go-to jacket, and also for occasional touring duties. The design, with two big pockets in the front, and with a mid-length fit, feels like a touring jacket, but the difference is in the part mesh construction along with 600D polyester. The arms, sleeves, elbows and shoulder areas, which are high-impact areas in case of a fall, are made of abrasion-resistant cordura.
There's plenty of mesh used in the construction and abrasion-resistant cordura in high-impact areas like the sleeves, shoulders and elbow areas.
And to keep things cool and comfortable, there’s liberal amounts of mesh through and through, on the chest area, sleeves as well as on the back for superior ventilation and air flow. I usually wear Size M, and the fit of the Crossroader is pretty good, and I didn’t have to consider downsizing to S, or upsizing to L. The waist area though feels a little too loose fitting, but you do have the option of tightening or loosening the jacket with the adjustable straps in the sleeves, hips and cuff area. The left sleeve has a handy ID card pocket where you can store emergency contact details, just in case it’s needed.
A standard rain liner can be worn over the jacket or under it, depending on personal preference.
And it comes with a waterproof inside pocket to store your phone, or wallet in case you need to ride in the rain. And talking about rain, the Crossroader comes with a standard rain liner which can be stored with the jacket in a pocket at the back, but I found the bulge of the rain liner hampering the overall fit of the jacket. But it’s a good thing to have a built-in rain liner, which you can wear over the jacket, or even under it, depending on your preference.
Overall fit of the jacket is fine, but there's a pronounced bulge if you want to carry your rain liner in the back pocket. The waist area also feels a little loose.
Coming to the fit, I’m not particularly well-built, and the fit could have been slightly snugger, particularly the waist area, which feels a little loose for a riding jacket. If I were to consider purchasing a riding jacket, I’d always try it on to see how it fits, instead of going for a size which I know I should wear. Overall fit could have been slightly more snug, and I'd recommend trying out a size smaller depending on rider's body shape and overall size.
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The Crossroader comes with decent armour, including a standard CE Level 2 back protector, as well as Level 1 chest protectors, in addition to elbow and shoulder armour.
This is possibly one of the best things about the Royal Enfield Crossroader riding jacket. It gets standard all-round protection, including CE Level 2 protection in the elbows and shoulders as well as a standard back protector. And what Royal Enfield seems to focus on as the main talking point of the Crossroader jacket are titanium sliders on the impact-prone areas in the shoulder area. More importantly, the Crossroader also comes with standard chest protectors, even though they are CE Level 1 armour inserts and Level 2.
Shoulder impact areas come with titanium sliders. Royal Enfield claims this is the first for any riding jacket.
The standard protection the jacket comes with is adequate and should work well, in case of any unforeseen riding mishap that you may face. What could be better is to go for lighter and softer D30 armour inserts, which should make this jacket even better – offering full protection and making it more comfortable to wear and making the jacket lighter as well.
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The Royal Enfield Crossroader is a versatile riding jacket and is good value, considering its ₹ 14,950 price tag.
For anyone looking for a versatile riding jacket, the Royal Enfield Crossroader offers superb value, for everyday use, as well as for touring. No matter what kind of motorcycle you ride – sport, modern classic, sport touring, or even adventure bikes, the Crossroader could go well with all kinds of different riding conditions. The fact that it has big pockets all round makes it a great choice for touring as well, and in most cases, I can’t think of any other riding jacket in my wardrobe, given the versatility the Crossroader offers.
For everyday use, the Crossroader could prove to be a little uncomfortable in traffic, and considering the mesh areas, it's not suitable for riding in cold weather as well.
But there are a few limitations. In extreme summer, I would prefer a full mesh jacket for comfort and breathability. But even then, you can’t ignore the fact that the Crossroader riding jacket does offer more protection and abrasion resistance, just in case of a fall. And in extreme cold, particularly in northern India, I wish the RE Crossroader came with detachable airflow pockets instead of the standard mesh areas, which are good to keep you cool in warm weather, but don’t offer any respite in colder weather. As a primary summer and spring or autumn use (particularly in northern India), the Royal Enfield Crossroader riding jacket offes a level of protection, practicality and versatility, which is quite attractive for a sub-₹ 15,000 price tag.
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