Tech reviews

Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie Review [Motorcycle Jacket]


As a hoodie fan, I am naturally going to stop and look twice at a hooded jacket. When it has an Alpinestars label, I know it will be stylish, well-made, and purpose-built for motorcycle riding. The Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie is all these, as well as comfortable and protective.

Although the Sektor V2 is a hoodie, it has a sleek look and a crisp fit. Both the outer shell and inner lining are polyester with a smooth touch, and there is a satisfying feeling when sliding into the jacket. The hip-length fit is flattering, and there is a substantial feel to the lightweight jacket.

Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie Review: MSRP

Straightaway, you can feel the Sektor V2’s protective technology—the CE Level 1-rated shoulder and elbow armor are perfectly integrated into the jacket, settling naturally and non-intrusively on my body. With Alpinestars’ accessory CE Level 1-rated Nucleon KR-Cell back protector insert ($50) also installed, I feel nicely secure, and the fit and lines of the jacket are not compromised. The jacket alone is CE Classification A (rated for urban riding).

In addition to the impact protection, the shoulders and elbows are reinforced with aramid fibers (Kevlar is a name brand aramid fiber), providing important abrasion protection I hope to never use. If you’re riding after the sun goes down, you will appreciate the reflective A’stars logos on the shoulder and chest, as well as the vertical branding on the right side of the lower back. These details are understated graphics by day, yet illuminate crisply at night in a vehicle’s headlights.

What’s really appealing about the Sektor V2 is its windbreaker-like qualities. It is wind resistant and retains body temperature. It’s versatile for everyday casual rides in a wide range of temperatures, though it lacks the venting you’d want for the hottest summer days.

The sleeves have a partial knit cuff to keep the fit tidy and a breeze from racing up your arms. The same stretch ribbing runs along all but the front quarter panels of the bottom of the jacket—a nice visual choice to skip the ribbing in the front, maintaining the Sektor V2’s spare look.

While Alpinestars does not claim water resistance for the V2, the jacket has light water-shedding capabilities. A light sprinkle won’t soak you, but you won’t want to spend any extended time in wet conditions.

Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie Review: Women's Motorcycle Jacket

The jacket’s YKK zipper has a pleasingly smooth action and can quickly be adjusted with gloved hands thanks to the 1.5-inch fabric pull that’s easily grasped with gloved fingers, and there’s a scratch saver tab at the bottom hem to protect your tank. However, I think Alpinestars missed a beat by not utilizing a two-way zipper in the hip-length jacket. It’s nearly impossible for the Sektor V2 not to ride up a little and pooch out in front when straddling a motorcycle.

There’s enough storage in the Sektor V2 hoodie for casual around-town rides. The requisite hand pockets in front have the same good-looking, tactile-pleasing zipper pulls. Inside are two practical rectangular pockets—one is a six-inch square zippered water-proof affair, the other a six-by-five-inch hook-and-loop closing patch pocket. Your wallet, cell phone, and keys are covered.

The Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech hoodie has elasticized loops in the sleeves to slip your thumb through to keep the sleeves securely in place in case of a fall—something required for its CE rating. When reaching forward to the handlebar, I find the loops uncomfortable, so I take a calculated risk and skip them.

While I love the casual element of the hoodie style, you can easily remove the hood for a more polished look. It takes less than a minute to unsnap the five snaps connecting the hood and detach the hook-and-loop tabs at the Mandarin collar. It’s almost as quick to resecure the collar, though you have to take some time to tuck the tabs back neatly so that the collar lays nicely. This is the one spot on the jacket that isn’t as perfectly engineered as I would expect.

Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie Review: Price

The hoodie has adjustments on each side near your jawline, so you can snug it to fit. To keep the hood from flapping behind your helmet as you ride, there’s a small snap below the back collar to tack it down.

For urban excursions and adventures, the versatile Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie is a great choice. The convertible element gives the jacket two personalities, and the three-layer soft-shell construction provides excellent functionality in a light presence. I feel super-cool spinning down the boulevard in this riding jacket.

Action photography by Drew Ruiz

Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie Fast Facts

  • Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL
  • Colors: Black; Black/Coral
  • CE rating: Class A

Alpinestars Stella Sektor V2 Tech Hoodie: $260 MSRP





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