A newcomer in the motorcycle industry is always welcome. Raven Moto is a brand new Canadian motorcycle gear and apparel company that started in 2021. Their products range from everyday riding gear such as motorcycle jeans and jackets to custom leather suits.
When I was offered a chance to try some of their products, I was pleasantly surprised with the selections they offered. Most of their products are unisex or available in custom sizing. Some items are also available in several different colors to match your bike.
My commute is about 45 minutes, mainly on a freeway, and I want my commuter riding gear to be as protective as race gear but comfortable enough to wear for a prolonged time. So I chose Storm Gloves, which appeared to fit the bill.
I wore these gloves almost daily for about four weeks, equating to about 1200 miles, and here is my review.
The main material used on these gauntlet gloves is cowhide leather. It is soft and supple and feels like good quality premium leather. The impact protection parts are made with TPR (thermal plastic rubber) and carbon fiber, just like typical modern riding gloves from any mainstream motorcycle gear company.
What is unique is that when you peek into the opening between TPR and the carbon fiber shell on the back of the hand, you can see the metal mesh underneath, probably installed for better ventilation. The fabric used for the inside lining is very smooth and soft. Two palm sliders are made with high-performance polyethylene (HPPE) with a beaded surface. Overall, the materials used for the gloves seem to be of good quality.
I like the sporty look of the gloves. The Storm Gloves are two-tone black and white with a black (not blue) logo on a cuff. Their cousin, the Dark Storm Gloves are all black with a Blue or Yellow logo.
The double closure gauntlet and the wrist strap secure the gloves very well, which is vital during a crash. The well-padded cuff is longer on the ulna side of the wrist and measures 3.6 inches (9cm) from the wrist.
The fingers on these gloves are pre-curved. Bending fingers is easy with the accordion stretch and overlapped (but not sewn together) leather pieces on the backs of the fingers. But the overlay leather makes the fingers very bulky overall, almost like winter gloves. I can still operate switches on the bike and open vents on my helmet, but tactile feedback is not very good.
In the Raven Moto website picture, the seams on the fingers are inside. But they are actually outside. This makes the gloves more comfortable, but I’ll discuss the comfort of the gloves later.
My biggest gripe about these gloves is their craftsmanship—or lack of it. There is visible glue residue on the carbon fiber shell, and the TPR piece is not adequately secured on the shell. Stitching is not even or precise.
Out of the box, there are three places where the stitches were already broken; on the neck of the right index finger, the right pinky side of the palm, and the edge of the overlapping leather piece on top of the left middle finger. That’s a big red flag.
The seams of any riding gloves must be solid and secure—otherwise, they can burst open during an accident. I hope Raven Moto addresses this issue.
I also noticed that the accordion stretch leather on the thumbs is sewed at different angles on the left and right. The right side is perpendicular to the side panel. The left is sewed more at an angle. This created a slight distortion on the right thumb and made it a half inch longer than the left thumb. Such differences definitely give the gloves a cheap feel. The design is great, but the construction leaves much more to be desired.
Storm gloves are $99.99 ($79.99 on sale) on Raven Moto’s website. The price is comparable to mid-range gloves such as the Alpinestars SP Air or Sedici Chicane gloves. I’d say that Storm gloves are a good buy if the construction can be improved.
My hand circumference is 7.5 inches, and I usually wear small gloves. According to Raven Moto’s size chart, my size is between Medium and Large. But I decided to gamble and ordered a Small pair. The outcome of this gamble was good.
The Small fits on my hand snugly but not tight. Great—but not so fast. I don’t think my fingers are particularly short, but the Storm gloves’ fingers are too long for me by ½ to 1 full inch, depending on the finger. I can still ride the bike with these gloves, but dexterity is very limited.
My Hand Measurements for Reference
Although the leather is soft, it took a few weeks to break in. The first time I rode wearing them, I couldn’t wait to take them off at the destination because a part of the inner seam sat on the back of the left pinky, creating a very painful pressure point. This pressure point didn’t entirely disappear even after a few weeks, but the gloves eventually became comfortable enough to wear.
They are generously padded, and the inside is almost fully lined with smooth fabric. Raven Moto describes Storm gloves as three season gloves (spring, summer, and fall). The leather is not perforated except for a few punch holes on the bottom side of the fingers, but they don’t feel hot.
They are surprisingly breathable, probably because of the metal mesh on the back of the hand. I wore these in the 90° F degree weather without much discomfort.
Their safety rating is still pending, and I didn’t fall or slide while wearing the gloves, so I cannot provide a first-hand testimonial. But the overall protection the Storm gloves offer seems to be very good. Each hand has a carbon fiber knuckle protector and TPR impact protectors on the back of the hand and the fingers.
The pinky has an extra leather piece for added abrasion protection as well. The two palm sliders are HPPE (high-performance polyethylene) with a beaded surface.
The Raven Moto representative mentioned the use of the fish skin for palm sliders. You read it correctly—fish skin leather. Fish skin is actually stronger than cowhide of similar thickness and very durable. But it is not visible, and I cannot confirm how it is used.
The cuff has two large pads on the ulna side and one on the radius side. As a result, the wrist feels well protected. I have a small, boney wrist, so I appreciate the extra padding and extended cuff.
I wore these gloves every day for about a month, and I really wanted to like them. The protection seems adequate, and the $99.99 price tag is not too expensive. They are well-padded throughout yet breathable and comfortable to wear on hot days.
However, the fit was just wrong for my hands. The palm was fine, but the fingers were too bulky and long and almost felt like wearing men’s gloves.
Also, the construction of the gloves was not satisfactory. Despite the design, which I liked, it gave a cheap feel to them. My complaints are a matter of quality control, and I hope it improves as the company grows.
They could have been this season’s favorite gloves for me if they fit well and were made right. However, I see a lot of potential for them to become excellent gloves and would love to try again next season if they correct the issues.
Direct from Manufacturer: Raven Moto
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