Tested: 100% Brisker Gloves review

Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of winter. So much so that I usually try to save up the majority of my annual leave throughout the year and escape to the sun for as long as I can.  Maybe that makes it all the harder to get back into riding in the cold once I get home.  The thing I hate the most about winter riding is cold hands, you can always add a body warmer or another pair of socks but your hands are a different matter all together.

I have seen boys wearing latex gloves under their motocross gloves and guys trying to wear woolly gloves over the top. I don’t recommend either.   To me there is nothing worse than heading down to the starting line on a Baltic day and trying for about 10 minutes to warm your hands up with the exhaust fumes. Once the gate drops you get about 2 laps and the blood is now gone from your hands, its harder to pull the brake and clutch, and by lap 3 I’m getting arm pump and can no longer feel my hands. Then once you get off the bike you have the hassle of your hands swelling up.

But, all is not lost!  Lately I picked up a pair of 100% Briskergloves from my local dealer (£25) and got the perfect opportunity to try them out a few days after Christmas.  On the palm side of the gloves they feel just the same thickness as regular mx gloves, so you still have perfect feeling of your throttle and controls.  However, on the top side of gloves they are quite thick with good insulation.

The first day I rode it was 3 degrees with no wind.  My hands were toasty, and actually sweating a good bit with the heat.  They were really comfortable to ride with and my only complaint was that when I would put them back on before a moto they were still damp with sweat from the moto before.  I then started to pull them inside out and leave them inside the van between motos to dry out, which worked perfect.

My next test was at Desertmartin. It was about 6 degrees with a 15 mph wind that was so cold it felt like it would cut you in two.  The first moto I made the mistake of putting on the gloves while my hands were still cold and I went straight out onto the track. My hands never warmed up but I didn’t lose the blood to them and whilst a little annoying having cold hands it didn’t affect my riding too much.  For the next moto I made sure I got the gloves on a bit earlier to get some heat into my hands before I went out.  This time they were perfect. Yes my hands got a little cold but again it did not affect my ability to ride the bike.  They’re so good I actually found myself feeling sorry for all the guys trying to warm their hands on their exhausts before they went out.

I have since tested these gloves on other cold and windy conditions and I have to say that whilst not perfect they are a really good piece of kit and they are now part of my essential winter riding gear.  I should also add that I have been running solid plastic hand guards which also help to keep the cold air off your hands. All in all these are a lot better than a standard set of mx gloves are that are designed for someone riding in California in the summer.

Test rider: Stephen Megarry

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