- Tested in Iceland’s rain, cold and mountain conditions during the Norton Atlas launch.
- Clever removable outer and thermal liner make it a true four-season adventure jacket.
- Premium protection, comfort and waterproofing earn the MultiTour a BRM score of 9.5/10.
Getting a new jacket immediately before jumping on a plane to ride in the often-inhospitable climate of Iceland had Paul concerned about his choice. Thankfully, the technical expertise of Leatt meant the new MultiTour exceeded his expectations.
Quick Facts: Leatt HydraDri Jacket
Fully laminated HydraDri DRI+ waterproof construction.
Removable ventilated outer for hot-weather riding.
Standalone thermal jacket included.
CE AA-certified jacket with Level 2 armour.
Designed for genuine four-season adventure riding.
The best motorcycle gear is the gear you stop thinking about. Whether you’re climbing mountain passes, riding through relentless rain or spending all day in the saddle, your riding kit should simply get on with the job. That’s exactly what I was hoping for when I packed Leatt’s new 8.5 ADV MultiTour jacket and matching HydraDri gloves for the launch of the Norton Atlas in Iceland. With weather capable of throwing all four seasons at you in a single day, there are few better places to test adventure riding gear.
If you’re not into adventure riding, then you’d be forgiven for not knowing who Leatt is. Founded in South Africa by medical doctor and motorcycle enthusiast Dr Chris Leatt, the company first made its name with revolutionary neck braces before expanding into body armour, riding apparel and adventure gear.
And the company has taken their philosophy of making technical products and transferred it to their garments, something I was extremely pleased about as I headed up a mountain in Iceland.
Seriously Versatile
When I visited Whites Powersports, the distributor of Leatt in NZ and Australia, looking for a new jacket, knowing I was heading to Iceland made them instantly reach for the new MultiTour, which surprised me. You see, looking at the specs and then the jacket, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s more designed for summer months riding adventure bikes on dusty trails, with the removable outer transforming the jacket to full-ventilated. Surely it couldn’t also keep me warm…? Thankfully, they know better than me!
Being a Leatt, the MultiTour is very clever and full of technical touches to not only make it versatile but also really easy to wear. Yep, the top half zips off for riding when it’s warm so you get full access to airflow. But with the outer fixed in place, the jacket is seriously waterproof, something I can personally vouch for after a very wet ride in Iceland (more on that later).
On paper, Leatt’s HydraDri DRI+ laminated membrane is seriously impressive, boasting a 35,000mm waterproof rating while remaining breathable. Those numbers don’t mean much until you’re several hours into a cold, wet ride wondering whether your base layers are still dry. Thankfully, the MultiTour passed that test with flying colours.
on a summer adventure.
A ‘SuperFabric’ makes sure the jacket is strong in impact areas, with the garment tested to Class AA and certified to EN 17092-3:2020. Then there are Level 2 protectors from 3DF in the back, elbows, shoulders and chest, which are made of a rubber/plastic mesh rather than a solid block, meaning heat can escape and air can get in even in the area of protection.
Initially I was surprised by the weight of the jacket. Compared with some adventure jackets it feels substantial when you first pick it up, but that’s largely down to the comprehensive Level 2 armour throughout. Once you’re riding, the weight disappears, and I’d happily accept the slight increase in heft in return for that level of protection.
The neck is seriously comfortable, something that’s often hard to find with motorcycle jackets (well, I find it hard anyway…) and there’s loads of little aspects of the jacket that make you appreciate the thought that has gone into it. Things like two zippered hand-warmer pockets, easy waterproof drop-in pockets at the front, a large pouch at the back for storing stuff and a decent pocket for stashing your phone.
Two Jackets In One
But then there’s the best bit, with the jacket coming complete with a thermal liner that acts as a standalone jacket, which was perfect for travelling as I didn’t need to pack another jacket. The black, puffer-style inner zips into place to make it easy to get the MultiTour on and off, but then transforms into a regular jacket when you pull it out. And it was warm once in place, making this a serious all-season jacket.
The removable thermal liner quickly became one of my favourite features. Not only did it keep me warm on the bike, but once we stopped riding it doubled as my evening jacket. Whether walking around Reykjavík or heading out for dinner with the launch group, I didn’t need to pack another casual jacket in my luggage. For anyone travelling overseas to ride, that’s a genuinely useful feature.
There aren’t many jackets that will have you covered from the peak of summer to the lows of winter, but the MultiTour definitely has the ability to work well in any climate.
elbows and chest.
Ice Testing
The recent Norton Atlas adventure bike launch took place in Iceland and, well, if you get an invite to Iceland you’d be pretty foolish to turn it down, even when the weather can be pretty dodgy. The day we arrived, I watched a group go out, and the weather just felt like a decent riding day slightly off-season in NZ – temps were late teens, the sky was overcast, but it didn’t look like anything dramatic. Yet, the ride leaders were telling us to prepare for the worst and wear more than we anticipated.
The morning of our ride dawned fine, but it didn’t take long after leaving the hub of Reykjavik for the cloud to arrive, the temperature to drop and the rain to set in. Oh, and let’s not forget the icy crosswinds that meant riding in a straight line meant keeping the bike leant at 45 degrees. It was extreme, and I wasn’t confident a textile jacket that’s designed to offer maximum ventilation would be up to the task of handling this hostile environment. Thankfully, it proved me wrong.
Despite continuous rain throughout the entire ride, not a drop got through the jacket. More impressively, the jacket never became clammy or sweaty inside either, something that’s often the downside of highly waterproof adventure gear. No water worked its way down the neck, and none came up from underneath. I felt a bit like James Bond emerging from the sea in Casino Royale, stripping off an outer layer to reveal perfectly dry clothes underneath. Okay, I wasn’t wearing a tuxedo, but you get the idea.
Stopping for lunch in a purpose-built Perspex igloo at lunchtime, I was perfectly dry once I took the jacket off.
The handwarmers are worth their weight in gold as we tend to do plenty of waiting around on bike launches (yes, in the rain), so being able to keep my hands warm and dry was a blessing. And when I got back to the hotel, I simply shed the outer jacket and the inner was still dry, so I was able to wear it out that night.
Okay, I’ve not tried it in summer yet (cos it’s still winter…), but if they’ve managed to make the jacket this good at one extreme, I’ve got no reason to doubt it’ll be just as good in the other. But I will find out and report back as soon as the temps get above zero!
Adventure jackets have become increasingly technical over the last few years, but genuinely versatile ones remain surprisingly rare. Leatt has managed to build a jacket that feels equally at home crossing Iceland in driving rain as it does tackling dusty gravel roads in the middle of summer. That’s no small achievement.
Leatt 8.5 ADV MultiTour Jacket
Price: $1,549.99
Sizes: M – 3XL
Find it: Bits4Bikes
Honourable Mention
Leatt 7.5 ADV HydraDri Glove
I was also sporting a set of Leatt’s HydraDri gloves for the launch, which also managed to keep the water out for the entire day. While not the thickest winter gloves (I hate riding in what feels like boxing gloves), the HydraDri gloves were perfect for the job and certainly up to the task of running you through winter and late autumn/early spring here in NZ. As the Norton is fitted standard with heated grips, I knew I’d have a bit of warmth there so didn’t need to go quite so heavy with the insulation.
They fit well, feature a wrist strap to hold them on in the event of a spill, and the short cuff worked well with the wrist closure of the jacket. They’ve thought about how these work together, and the outer shell opens wide, while the inner liner fits tight. The glove then goes between the two, and you seal the join shut by cinching the bottom of the sleeve tight. It obviously works as I had no issues with water seeping or wicking up my arm, a regular issue when riding in the rain with gear that doesn’t fit properly.
Leatt 7.5 ADV HydraDri Glove
Price: $269.99
Sizes: S – 3XL
Find them: Bits4Bikes
Mega Multi
Leatt has produced an adventure jacket that genuinely lives up to its “MultiTour” name. It’s packed with clever features, offers excellent protection and proved itself in some of the harshest riding conditions you’re likely to encounter. The waterproofing works, the thermal liner is one of the best I’ve used and the ventilation means it’s just as comfortable when temperatures climb. No, it isn’t the lightest jacket on the market, and it certainly isn’t the cheapest. But if you’re looking for one jacket that can handle everything from a summer gravel ride to an Icelandic mountain pass, the MultiTour is difficult to fault. And I don't think you need to be an adventure rider to wear one, with the MultiTour likely to be useable on any sit-up motorcycle.
