Wearing leathers inevitably tends to spark 'stormtrooper' remarks from your non-riding mates (among other things) so it's incredible it's taken this long for someone to capitalise on the similarity.
Now UD Replicas is offering a full set of officially-approved Stormtrooper leathers, complete with CE armour in the shoulders, elbows, hips, back and knees, either in traditional Star Wars white or a more subtle black. Cos you'd buy this to be subtle, right? Apparently the black one is a Shadowtrooper, but we're not (quite) geeky enough to confirm or deny that.
Coming in at Canadian $1165 (£730) the price isn't that steep, either – that's for everything apart from the helmet (but including gloves and boots).
In case you haven't come across UD Replicas before, it's well worth checking out the rest of their leathers. Batman suits, Tron suits, Iron Man suits – they're all there for the comic-loving rider or wannabe superhero. Not really suited to the shy, retiring type, though. See www.udreplicas.com
Oh, and in case you're wondering, there are some biking links to the real Star Wars movies: Darth Maul in the awful prequel wore Frank Thomas boots. Bet you didn't know they were available a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
Here's what the company says about the Stormtrooper leathers:
As the backbone of the imperial army, the Stormtroopers are the empire’s legions, a mass of menacing power in their awe-inspiring armor.
Now, one of the most iconic uniforms in the STAR WARS™ universe has been exquisitely rendered in leather by the UD Replicas’ team, setting a new standard in leather garment manufacturing.
Inspired by the classic STAR WARS™ imperial armor, UD Replica’s designers have raised the bar on what can be accomplished working with form-molded leather. Each rounded segment, every chiselled and bevelled edge perfectly replicates the look of the on-screen armor.
Available in both Shadow Trooper black or the classic Stormtrooper imperial white, each suit comes complete with built-in CE-approved body armor to fully protect the motorcycle rider. If you want to ride in true STAR WARS™ style, have no doubts...this IS the suit you’re looking for!
Details Include:
Incredible attention to detail, featuring form molded details like never before.
Raised rib detailing on the sleeves, shoulders, legs, torso and midsection perfectly replicating the look of rigid armor.
Adjustable forearms, biceps, thighs and shin leather armor allow for a personalized ‘custom’ body fit.
Waist belt is part of the jacket and not removable. Cleverly hidden is the main front zipper which has 3 main access points providing function, while allowing the main torso armor to be uncompromised and true to what was seen on screen.
Snap buttons on the cuffs and wrist zippers.
Jacket and Pants zip together at the waist essentially converting this to a one-piece body suit.
Removable quilted cotton lining.
CE-approved body armor in the shoulders, forearms/elbow, back spine protector, thighs and knee/shin armor is standard for riders but is easily removed for day-to-day wear.
Made from grade-A cowhide.
