The Royal Enfield Nirvik is the flagship all-weather touring jacket, and it's priced reasonably as well. Boasting of high-quality material, and the very best D3O CE Level 2 certified armour inserts, the Nirvik riding jacket boasts of all-weather usability, offering high-quality protection at a reasonable price tag. We've been using it for a while now, in cold weather riding, and as the temperatures get warmer as well, and try to get a sense of if the Nirvik meets its "all-weather" usability claim.
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The Nirvik has an understated design, classy and fits well, with a lot of pockets designed for practicality for your two-wheeled adventures
The Nirvik is available in a choice of two colours - Black and Brown. My personal choice is the one in black, although the brown one doesn't look bad as well. But then, colours are a matter of personal choice. The design is simple, with four large pockets offering plenty of storage space for small essentials. The breast pocket-like flaps also double up as chest vents offering air flow in warm weather through the mesh lining, and there's a bigger vent at the back as well.
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The breast pockets also double up as flaps to open the vents for air flow; you can use them as flaps, or pockets, not both
In all, there are 11 pockets, each pocket to keep small essentials while riding a motorcycle, including a specially designed pocket for a cellphone. Zippers are all from YKK, so they should last long and won't break easily or give up. I like the styling; it's not too short, not too long, fits well, and the material is comfortable straight out. My only gripe is the ribbed finish on the shoulder and elbow areas. It's not so visible on the black jacket, but to me, on the brown, it just doesn't go with the overall finish of the jacket.
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The Royal Enfield branding is subtle, and that's a good thing
The Royal Enfield branding (especially on the black colour option) is subtle, and that's something I like. Underneath, there's a thermal liner, which proved quite effective in the north Indian winter, and yeah, after a long day's ride, you can just zip up the thermal liner, and wear it as a casual jacket, on those cool evenings. And it also gets a couple of pockets to store your wallet, or cellphone. Overall fit is good, and snug, without the jacket feeling loose or ill-fitting. So, full marks to overall fit, and I like the understated design without very bright colours. If you're finicky about visibility to others, you can always wear a high-vis vest over the jacket. It's got a cut fit for touring, so the Nirvik is good for motorcycles meant for touring, and adventure bikes, but may not be so comfortable for sportier models.
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Shoulder and elbow protection is D3O CE Level 2 certified armour; the jacket overall is CE Level 1 certified, and that says a lot about safety, protection and ergonomics
The Nirvik boasts of top quality material and protection. The material used is high-density, tear-resistant 500D nylon, and 610D polyester Cordura at impact zones. The jacket comes with a CE Level Class A certification, which tells a lot about its design and construction. CE (Conformite Europeene, or French for European Conformity) is a declaration of compliance with the relevant safety and environmental protection. CE Certification takes into account several factors such as impact abrasion resistance, tear strength, seam strength, weather protection, breathability, and more. Considering the fact that the Nirvik comes with CE Certification, that means, it's high quality, and is built with safety and practicality in mind.
The material used is abrasion-resistant nylon and cordura at high-impact zones; overall build quality and finish is quite good
Where the Nirvik totally trumps its value-for-money proposition is in the number and quality of protectors used. The shoulders and elbows come with CE Level 2 D3O T5 Evo X armour, at the back is a CE Level 1 D3O Viper panel (and very few riding jackets come with a built-in back protector), and there are CE Level 2 chest protectors too (although these aren't D3O, but the fact is that the Nirvik offers chest protectors; most jackets will only come with shoulder and elbow protectors). D3O are light and soft to the touch, and while they offer superb protection, they offer flexibility and comfort as well.
The Royal Enfield Nirvik all-weather touring jacket comes with a thermal and rain liner
Royal Enfield's riding gear range is easily one of the most comprehensive from any Indian OEM (original equipment manufacturer) available on sale right now. With a wide range of riding jackets, pants, boots, helmets and riding sneakers, the Royal Enfield apparel range, in my book, offers everything for every rider, and at reasonable prices. The Nirvik is priced at Rs. 14,950, and it's the top-of-the-line riding jacket from RE. Considering the protection and high-quality material it comes with, we have to say, it's very good value for money, and totally worth its price tag.
The thermal liner comes with pockets and can be used as a casual jacket at the end of a hard day's ride
The Nirvik is a fairly practical jacket and should live up to its claim of being an all-weather jacket with the thermal and rain liner which are included with the jacket, for riding in the wet, and in extreme cold weather. In northern India, I used the Nirvik over the entire winter, and it held up perfectly well in temperatures ranging from single digit temperatures to the high 20s (in Celsius).
The RE Nirvik touring jacket offers a superb option as a versatile, practical and high-quality riding jacket
But as the temperature starts rising, particularly in the north, I have to say, a full-mesh jacket is more suitable for the Indian summer. You wouldn't catch me wearing the Nirvik on a 45-degree afternoon, but for over half of the year, including winter, spring and autumn, (at least where the seasons change in India), the Nirvik offers a superb choice, and at a relatively accessible price point!
(Photography: Prashant Chaudhary)
