The Triumph McQueen Desert Racer jacket is amazing. Taking its styling cues from the classic movie star, car and motorbike racer Steve McQueen, it hits on all cylinders. Priced at under $500, this jacket is an everyday commuter cooler weather workhorse.
Visually the jacket is stunning; the details on this jacket are pretty much impeccable. The 1.4mm waxed leather is outstanding. The stitching on the quilting and the sleeve cuffs is done with brown which seems to antique the overall look of the jacket. All of the zippers are YKK antiqued metal adding to the nostalgic feel. Above the left chest pocket is a pressed classic Triumph logo. The only other external branding is an antiqued metal Triumph logo with a British flag neatly stitched on to the left upper arm. It also has a nylon lining and a very large print of Mr. McQueen on the back interior portion, while the tag area has its country of origins flag displayed.
The normal moto jacket zippered side pockets are easy to reach and work well for odds and ends and hand warming duties. There are zippered bellows on each side that allow the jacket to expand at the waist to settle over your hips when seated on the bike. It is a brilliant little detail and keeps your lower back covered in cooler weather.
The slash pocket on the right side is actually a vent, and not meant for stowing sunglasses or phones. It has the perforated leather vent mesh like many other Triumph jackets. The rear vent has the same perforated leather mesh. The left chest pocket can easily stow a 4.7" phone, and it has leather perforations in the top of the pocket to serve as another "vent."
The real eye catcher of this jacket though, is the front flap and Mandarin collar. The collar is sharp looking but really doesn’t help with warmth. A neck gaiter or scarf of some sort is needed in cold weather. Then there is the flap. Oh, the flap! The flap naturally hangs when not fully buttoned up to give it a vintage racer look, and looks equally as good when it is fully battened down for warmth. If you choose you could leave the zipper undone and button up the flap and be rewarded with a HUGE front chest vent. (Obviously, this significantly detracts from the safety aspects of the jacket.)
On the topic of safety, under each quilted pad isa removable CE rated Knox rubber armor for the shoulders and elbows. There is a zipper in the bottom of the rear of the jacket to allow placement of back protection, but unfortunately it is not included. The jacket is very heavy leather, and it would be expectedto protect very well in the event of an unfortunate meeting with pavement.
As for sizing, I am an athletic 6'2", 215 lbs, with 35" sleeves and 35" waist; I ordered the XL. The sleeve length is spot on. The length of the jacket is perfect. The arms are slightly narrow. That being said, the leather will stretch a bit over time, making it a perfect fit. I found the chest to be slightly tight off the bike, but it isn't noticeable when I am riding. When off the bike, I've noticed that the waist israther generous as well, with easily 3-6 inches of extra girth. That is truly my only gripe with the jacket,but it may be more appreciated as I "grow" older. I fully expect this jacket to wear in and look better after 6 months, one year, or even ten years of use.
As I ride a different brand of motorcycle, I would prefer less visual branding, but Triumph seems to really have an edge up on the competition in the "vintage/cafe racer/urban commuter" styles. They make a variety of great looking and great performing jackets.