Cool is something which can’t be taught, created, or faked. Neither is cool an inherent attribute of any material object. Cool needs context to exist, and can vanish in an instant. Roland Sands makes his living flirting with these rules of cool, and does a damn good job of it. The Ronin leather jacket is his top-shelf offering, and defies the rules by being exceptionally good, and deftly understated.
It’s become an instant favourite, even to the point that I’ve found myself choosing test bikes which suit the jacket’s ‘look’. But then that’s the best thing about the Ronin’s understated style – it suits just about any bike, and makes whatever you’re riding look better and, dare I say it, cooler.
We liked
In a word, quality. The Ronin is made of a washed, waxed and oiled cowhide which RSD calls Airborne leather. Even when brand new it feels like you’ve been wearing it for 10 years. It’s also got a lived-in patina, so you don’t have to go through that shiny ‘I’ve just bought a new leather jacket’ period of bedding it in. On the inside there’s a silky ‘dirty-gold’ lining, which is classy without being overly showy. There’s enough venting make sure you don’t lose your cool in summer, and the cut is ready-to-ride with pre-bent arms and an extended back.
As far as pockets go, this is the best equipped leather jacket I’ve ever seen. As well as the two front pockets with clever up-side-down zips, and the breast pocket, there is also a multitude of well-designed pockets on the inside, including two very useful ‘cargo net’ type pockets which RSD calls the six-pack pockets. I still haven’t tried the six-pack test, but I’m confident they provide the necessary volume for a half-dozen Coopers Dark Ale.
Removable armour pumps up the protection factor of the Ronin, with the patented Nitrex Evo® elbow, shoulder and back protectors providing a comfortable yet reassuringly substantial barrier between you and the realities of the road.
We didn’t like
Apart from becoming quite heavy with all the armour fitted – mostly due to the back protector, so worth putting up with – the only thing I don’t like about the Ronin is that I have to tell you lot how good it is. The other rule of cool is the rule of diminishing returns – the more of something there is, the less cool it becomes. But so long as you all go out and buy the Tobacco or Oxblood coloured options, and leave the bad ass black for me, I won’t mind.
The verdict
If you are going to spoil yourself with a new piece of ‘cool’ kit, you’d be hard pressed to find something more worthy of your hard-earned fun vouchers than the high quality apparel in Roland Sands’ range. The Ronin represents the cream of his rule-breaking cool.
Pros
Quality build
Understated looks
Intelligent design
Cons
Heavy with armour
You’ll want one too
Colours: Black, Tobacco, Oxblood/Black
Sizes S-2XL
$819.00
