A very nicely made pair of gloves for warm weather, good fit and confortable.
Great gloves, comfortable immediately and work well with my new Bobber jacket, superb products and service. Thanks.
Superb gloves, im normally a size 9 but felt the 9s in the other gold-top model predator gloves were a little big so ordered these just to try on. Perfect and fit under cuffs really well. Quality is fantastic same as the Goldtop jacket i bought
The "Silk Lined Raptor Gloves" already is the second pair I bought (in Black this time) because I was tremendously satisfied with the first pair which I weared at least every second day the past three years. They simply look awesome and are quite comfortable as well. The only caveat with those is that you cannot operate a smartphone... I'd wish that at least the tip of the index finger would have such a pad which would make that possible... Delivery to Switzerland took a while but that's not up to Goldtip, it was worth it nontheless anyway! Will definitely by these again once the current pair is worn out...
I took a chance on these since I often commute to work on the bike, and wanted the quickest on/off glove I could find (with acceptable protection). They have been fantastic in that respect!
It's hard to list pros and cons since this glove is a trade-off between protection and convenience.
Protection:
There is no-hard armor, but there are two semi-soft pads - one over the knuckles and one on the palm - which should offer adequate protection in the event of a slide. I was pleased to see that there is triple stitching on all the palm areas. The leather itself is decently thick, but still offers good dexterity and controls-feel. The cuff is halfway between a short-cuff and gauntlet glove, so your wrists gain a bit of protection there. The gloves stay on with a combo of zipper and elastic; I can pull them off (while zipped) if I put some effort into it, but they don't feel too loose or like they would come off in a slide.
Convenience:
This is where these gloves truly shine! Commuting to work every day, 3 velcro closures (on my other gloves) becomes a hassle. With these, I simply pull them on, zip zip, and go! Since I usually take back roads (with less traffic), and generally don't go over 65 mph, I find the improved convenience is worth sacrificing some protection. Fuel stops, (or any time I need to get something out of my jacket pockets, pull over and check my phone, etc), are much less of a pain with these gloves.
Fit and Comfort:
My hand size is between medium and small (I ordered small since leather will stretch as it breaks in). The fit seems true to size, maybe a little wide in the ring and small fingers, but I'm chalking that up to just my personal hand shape. The gloves don't feel overly loose anywhere, and I don't have any complaints on comfort while operating controls. I haven't worn them in excessively hot or cold conditions yet, so I can't speak to how well they insulate/breathe yet. I noticed there's some silvery/black residue on my hands after riding - I'm guessing from the silk liners - but it's not a big issue. I expect it will stop as these gloves break in farther.
Would I recommend them? Depends on your riding style. If one is doing a lot of fast riding or track days, I'd probably look for something with better protection and a more snug fit. For casual riding or commuting where less protection is needed, I would definitely recommend these! The quality is good, and the easy on/off makes gearing up effortless (depending on what else you're wearing, of course).
Well done Goldtop!