RST Rift Two Piece Review
The RST Rift two piece suit is the predecessor to the Fusion suit released in 2009, which means only good things for those looking for a lower budget race suit that still cuts the mustard in the quality department.
Made with premium grade 1.3mm full grained and drum dyed cowhide the RST Rift suit is up to the standards of most of the RST range, so there's no worry of cheapo skin being used.
See Prices for RST Rift Two Piece leathers here
The armour is up to scratch too and comes in the form of CE approved Knox manufactured armour, which can be found in the shoulders, elbows and knees. As the Rift doesn't come with a built in back protector I would suggest going out and buying one as it is THE most important part of your body that you obviously do not want to break.
Stretchy panels are in place across the forearms and calves to allow greater ease of movement when bending arms and legs. The panels are made from DuPont Kevlar which gives the added comfort that they will be road rash resistant for a fair amount of time in the event of an off.
Around the waist of the suit comes a 360 degree zip to fasten the jacket and trousers together. This will come in handy if you ever decide to do track days as it is becoming increasingly mandatory that two piece suits are zipped together.
See Prices for RST Rift Two Piece leathers here
Main seams are triple stitched, with the smaller stitched areas being double stitched. Also, the thread used for the stitching is 40 grade Oxley bonded nylon giving maximum burst strength.
For the colder days the jacket is supplied with a detachable quilted liner, but if I'm honest this barely makes any difference when the cold weather comes because the cold air just rushed up the stretchy panels on arms. If you're serious about wearing these leathers in winter I'd suggest some windproof thermal layers to go under the suit.
What's great about this suit is because it's older stock, prices tend to be cheaper than the newer Fusion suits, but on the face of it they aren't really any different. So if you're not one for the latest bit of kit, the RST Rift is more than enough for the money you pay.