The new Dainese Rapida72 is a leather motorcycle jacket designed in the style of the two-piece leathers worn by moto racers in the 1970s. The “72” in the name is a reference to 1972 – the year the Italian company was founded by the then 20 year old Lino Dainese in Molvena.
Dainese have introduced a range of safety innovations over the years including the first back protector (1978), the first knee sliders (1981), the aerodynamic hump on racing suits (1988), and foot protection sliders on motorcycle boots (1991).
Stylistically the Rapida72 is a throwback to the early days of the company, with a soft cow leather outer, red and white racing stripes on both sleeves, a double snap collar, and pre-curved sleeves.
There are twin waist pockets on the front with a left chest pocket, and an internal security pocket for things like phones and wallets. Each jacket ships with removable soft Pro-Armor protectors certified to the EN 1621.1 standard in the shoulders and elbows, as well as a pocket for a back protector – designed to take either the Dainese G1 or G2 armor.
Importantly, the Rapida72 also has a jacket-trouser connection loop. These are used to attach the lower part of your jacket with the waist of your trousers to stop the jacket riding up to your arm pits should you happen to find yourself sliding feet-first along the asphalt.
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