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RALLYE 2 SUIT – ARMOUR BY CHOICE These days a motorcyclist in EU-approved armour and protective clothing may aim to conquer the rigors of the Dakar Rally or defeat Mongolia’s impossible terrain. With an extreme mission to accomplish, the rider’s preferred bike is inevitably a BMW while his or her protective clothing will be drawn from BMW Motorrad’s Rider Equipment collection. When Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman travelled the Long Way Round from London to New York they rode BMW R1150 GS Adventures and were equipped with Rallye 2 suits. A few months later Simon Pavey completed the 2005 Dakar rally on the feisty little F650 GS and wore a Rallye 2 combination to protect him from sandstorms, high winds and the inevitable tumbles. But Simon wasn’t the only one. Over half the Dakar’s privateer competitors – irrespective of what bike they were riding – wore Rallye 2 suits. The Rallye 2 is an uncompromising item of equipment for serious riding and is designed to resist and beat climatic adversity, physical abuse and extreme terrain. There is no particular secret, just a combination of features and high technology materials that work well together to define one of the best motorcycle garments ever designed. The outer shell of the Rallye 2 is made from BMW C.A.R.E.-quality Cordura 500, which is one of the toughest modern textiles known to man and is reinforced in all ‘fall zones’. An inner membrane of GORE-TEX® gives the suit its definitive water and weatherproofing capabilities and – in conjunction with a scientifically designed venting system – ensures perfect body comfort irrespective of climatic or riding conditions. A number of the shell’s strategic design features are major contributory factors to the Rallye 2’s durability and effectiveness. For instance, the outside of the upper thighs of the trousers and seat are made from exceptionally tear-resistant Dyna-Stretch material; Cordura Stretch is used in the calf area for freedom of movement; and the innovative ventilation system provides air flow to chest, arms, back and upper thighs. As well as its purpose-designed efficiency, the Rallye 2 has a number of thoughtful and practical features. These include a removable hip bag; a retrofittable drink facility; strategically-sited reflective material; leather grip-patches at the knees; removable protective padding and back protector; optional chest protector; a plethora of pockets; a start number pocket (also for map storage); a windowed sleeve pocket; and removable sleeves so that the jacket can be worn as a waistcoat. Simon Pavey, who completed the 2005 Dakar, was in no doubt about the suit’s functionality: “You need a suit [in the Dakar] that can face the cold and hot conditions. It will be zero degrees in the morning and you will ride for 200-300 kilometers in low temperatures and then by lunchtime it will be 40 degrees. It’s the only jacket that does everything,” said Pavey. “The suit I wore wasn’t new. I had actually worn it for all the BMW Off-Road Skills courses last year, raced in six enduros, took part in the Australian Safari and then rode in the Dakar. The only thing that broke was the little tag on the zip… I guess it’s time to wash it now.” Actor Charley Boorman completed the Long Way Round in a Rallye 2 suit that took more abuse in three months than the average rider could inflict in a lifetime. “We looked at lots of different clothing and suits but truthfully we couldn’t find anything as versatile,” said Boorman. “It took us through everything – every climate, every type of road. It needed to keep us warm because we knew that it would be really cold in a lot of the places. It also needed to keep us dry and then cool in the really hot weather as well. When the suit did get wet it dried out really quickly and if you take out the lining the ventilation system really works. The BMW suit caters for everything.” Although designed as a professional enduro suit, the Rallye 2 is becoming increasingly popular with long distance road riders and off-road weekenders. It is a cult garment that is fast attaining a mainstream reputation. The Rallye 2 suit is available from all BMW Motorrad dealerships in red/black or grey/black in sizes 46 to 118 and has a RRP of £380 for the jacket and £270 for the trousers.
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