As Winter released its grip on the south-eastern states, my Five HG-1 winter gloves quickly became too hot for daily commuting and with a couple of full-day tests on my to-do list, I required a glove that sat between Five’s HG-1 and its Stunt Evo summer glove. Enter the GT2 touring glove, and I soon discovered that while GT stands for Grand Touring, these are the most versatile gloves I own.
I’ve been wearing the GT2 gloves daily for the past three months, including at our MoTY extravaganza, and I give them top marks for comfort. The Cordura stretch top allows them to slip straight on and off. Protection is via a leather palm, polyurethane (PU) palm pad and built-in PU protection on the back of the hand and knuckles.
However, only the little finger and the ring finger are leather-backed with integrated second knuckle armour. The index and middle finger have a Cordura backing with armour only for the middle knuckle of these fingers.
A double closure system has a Velcro strap through a metal ring closest to the palm, and an elastic strap on the cuff. This is the first glove I’ve worn with a stretchy elastic strap, and I like the idea. Twice around the wrist with the elastic strap allows a firm tightening of the cuff for under-sleeve wear, or slip it over the jacket sleeve with a loose strap position.
On the downside, the soft Cordura cuff means it can become gathered and tucked under by the wrist of a jacket, requiring a little extra fiddling when putting them on. The metal ring for the Velcro strap pulled out on one of my gloves, but it was quickly fixed with pliers.
The gloves are promoted as waterproof and I’ve worn mine in light and medium rain, and my fingers remained dry and warm.
An impressive feature of the GT2 is how light and thin they are for a glove that has kept my hands much warmer than I expected. Feel on the controls is as good as any of my summer gloves, and I’ve continued wearing them as the mercury begins to climb through a hot Aussie summer.
The only concern I have is with protection offered at the top of the thumb and back of the index and middle finger. Lots of weird stuff can happen during an accident due to the extreme forces at play, so it’s not impossible to imagine these areas sliding along the road surface with just a layer of Cordura between skin and road.
PROS
- Comfort and feel
- Retainer straps
- Waterproof
CONS
- Finger protection
- Cordura cuff
- Stray strap
Colours: Black
Sizes: XS-XL
RRP: $199.99
Available – Moto National
Motonational.com.au
1300 885 355
By Chris Dobie