Alpinestars Close-outs - How To Save Money and Get Great Gear

Being one of the larger, if not the largest, supplier of motorcycle clothing in the world - I like to call them the NIKE of the motorcycle world when describing the company to newbies - Alpinestars develops a lot of product each year, a lot of new product. And with the new product, comes a lot of old product, a lot of stuff that needs to be let loose, set to sail, off into the sunset, kicked out the door to more happy trails, instead of some dusty old warehouse. Alpinestars Close-Outs.

There's nothing wrong with stuff that's on close-out, or clearance. Even though the stuff that replaces it is supposed to be better- some times it actually isn't! Some times the new stuff comes out and it's cheaper, thinner, less. The old stuff, can be better, more.

Sometimes, the close-out stuff has some "issues", or "tissues" as my son would say. A size run will be off, run small, or big, causing chaos at the warranty and returns desk. Sometimes, a $69 gloves should have been a $55 glove. Sometimes, an item built for a certain riding style will be eclipsed by another brand, or another product of the same brand. Why stuff doesn't sell is often a mystery.

Like any builder of stuff, some times Alpinestars just plain makes too much stuff, other times, they don't make enough stuff. Some times they'll make too much of a specific colored stuff, other times the styling of the stuff will be a little off to the price, or a new item is introduced that puts the old stuff to shame, sending it to the back of the room with its tail between its legs. Other times, people just can't afford to buy the stuff! Other times, there's no sense at all to it.

Whatever the reasoning - Alpinestars produces a lot of close-outs each year and Motostrano has a habit of watching the close-out list like a hawk so we can in turn offer our customers some great deals on last years price-reduced clearance items from one of the best motorcycle apparel companies in the world.

It's a tough game to play. You got some dough and don't want to spend it. But, your moto threads are stinky or ripped or non existent and up comes all this new stuff that you can't afford. Dig a little deeper and you'll see last years stuff on sale for as much as 50% what it sold for just a few weeks ago. Wow. Great.

We've been selling motorcycle stuff and Alpinestars in particular for 9 years. We've seen a lot of product come and go and we've made a lot of it go ourselves. We know a little bit about this game of close-outs.

Motorcycling has two main seasons. The beginning. The end. The beginning is about Spring and Summer. The end is about Fall and Winter. New products from all makers of moto stuff are released around these times, which means old stuff is jettisoned out the door around the same time. Good riddance!

Once a batch of product is put on close-out, it's only a matter of weeks before all the good choice, colors and sizes are gone. So, a main point of advice here is that if you want the good stuff, buy early. Buy when it's raining, not in the middle of summer. In other words, buy motorcycle stuff, when you are probably out skiing, or locked up in your garage with the space heaters purring.

Depending on the product, the economy and last year's buying habits, the quality of what goes on close-out varies radically. One year there might be complete size and color runs of top tier leather suits, jackets and boots. Other years, you're stuck digging through size 4xl pink perforated mens jackets with matching assless chaps. It's all over the board.

Close-outs are close-outs. They are on clearance. They are priced to move and NOT COME BACK. If you're expecting to buy something at 80% off retail, get it and return it because it doesn't match your socks. Think again. Most close-outs are going to be final sale type deal, with the exception of a store credit or exchange option, as with Motostrano. We allow returns on standard close-outs for exchange or store credit. But, I can tell you, we sure don't like to take back close-outs. So, try to keep them if you can, please.

Be flexible on color. If you are like most of the dark, gloomy, colorless, drab and dull American motorcycle men out there, if it isn't BLACK, all black, you won't buy it. Riders in South American and Europe will wear any imaginable color combination of gear. Americans buy black motorcycle gear or none at all. Like our cars, which are nearly all silver or gray or pewter, our moto gear for street has to be black.

But black is not on sale. Almost never. Sorry. What's on sale? Blue is on sale. Red is on sale, White is on Sale and Green, Yellow and Orange are DEFINITELY on sale. Primarily, because you aren't buying those colors at regular prices. Never have, never will. I often wonder why they are even around, except perhaps to round out a catalog. Personally, I would not want to make things, I just new would not sell. So, I don't get that.

DON'T be flexible on fit. Look, this stuff is made and you are spending your hard earned dollars on it to PROTECT you. If it looks good in the process that's good too. It's also made to keep you comfortable. Don't buy, keep or use a close-out item based on price alone. If it isn't the right size, don't keep it. Give it away, throw it to the Ebay dogs. Trash it, wear it for Halloween next year. An unfitting motorcycle garment will do you no amount of good.

(If you're not local to our store and you're buying online, sight unseen, one of the things you can do to avoid buying the wrong size is call us. Talk to us. Email us. Get us on the phone. Ask us how tall we are, how much we weigh, get us to get off our chair and go try on a jacket or suit, then have us come back and tell you how it fit. We're happy to do it. ASK US ANYTHING AT ALL)

At 50% off retail, you start to loosen up your color matching principals and have even been known to .... mismatch colors and for instance, wear a red jacket on a blue Yamaha. I know, I know, blasphemy. But, if it involves saving $200, I've seen it happen, even with most fashion conscious men among us.

So, now you know some of the secrets to buying Alpinestars close-out gear. Doing so, is a great way to get your mitts on some quality motorcycle gear at some tasty prices. We're happy to offer it to you. We're happy to sell it to you.

Still have questions? Call us, email us.

Alpinestars SP-1 Suit, $899.00

The Alpinestars SP-1 Suit is new for 2008 and shipping now. Now, not a glove, but a good looking, simple leather suit that comes in 4 different colors, has sizes ranging from European 46 up to 64 for the big guys.
Plain and simple suit design with the all-powerful ALPS logo front and center. A basic suit suitable for all track and street sport riding. 1.2 to 1.4 leather. This is a PERFORATED suit too! All for just $899.95.

Available at Motostrano.com

Alpinestars Race Replica Suit

Note- the 2008 alpinestars race replica suit is now available.

We had the great opportunity to see this suit 5 months ago before it was out. What a suit. Like we said, it got a complete redesign, as well as a complete price increase thanks to the all weakening dollar and general economic malaise.

Well worth a look, the 2008 Alpinestars Race Replica is the suit to own for 2008.


Every now and then a product is introduced to market that changes the paradigm, goes a little further than the rest, or just plain out paces the competition. The Alpinestars Race Replica Leather Suit is one of those products. Introduced three years ago to the US Market, the Race Rep Suit had been available in Europe for a year before that and before that time Alpinestars Race Development group had built the suits for their pro sponsored racers like Nicky Hayden and others.

To the layman or budget minded rider, the surface of this suit looks like any other. We're often asked what's the difference between the Alpinestars Race Replica and any other suit out there. What makes this item so special?

The Race Rep suit is hand made at one of Alpinestars' more technical manufacturing plants in Romania, unlike other models in the Alpinestars' suit line-up, most of which are manufactured in China. Each suit takes 1-2 days manual labor to construct and the amount of stitching and subtle details put into the suit are what boosts the retail price ($1899.00) of this item to consumers.

The Race Replica Suit is made of higher end and more subtle 1.2-1.4 mm leather than other suits in their range. Along with that, the Race Rep has more accordion stretch leather panels than any other suit we've seen on the market. This leather alone is very expensive to make right, ie. maintain its form with use and keep its thickness. The Race Rep suit is built to fit a rider in the 90 degree riders position, where other suits 75 degree and more vertical. This is a serious performance oriented race and track day suit that doesn't feel all that comfortable when you're off the bike. Legs and Arms are pre-bent.


The Race Replica is available in 4 different colors: Silver, Blue, Red, Green. We have to commend Alpinestars for offering this suit in Kawi green. That's one color you're going to be committed to.

One of the more unique features of the Race Replica is the schema of the race speed hump. Unlike any other leather race suit we know of, all of which use simple foam to keep the hump's structure, the speed hump on the Race Rep has air ducts that at speed will channel air down the riders back and legs - a huge plus if you happen to be a professional MOTO GP racer racing some where in the desert - and just as useful if you're a budding track day enthusiast on a hot humid day at Thunderhill. If you have watched recent MotoGP footage from the paddock, you may have seen the specially designed cooling system that mounts to the top of this speed hump that is designed to keep the rider cool when not on the bike waiting for the next race. Additionally, Alpinestars has designed an internal cooling unit for their pro riders that mounts in the hump as an internal fan. This same hump is being used by Alpinestars Safety Development team for their new AST Project which reads impact levels, acceleration and other data.

The suit comes with it's own Level 2 back protector. The Alpinstars Tech Race Back Protector is Alpinestars full race spine protector.

The Alpinestars Race Replica leather suit is also fully perforated, all along the torso and then down on to the legs, providing even more cooling features over other suits in the Alpinestars line-up.

On my recent trip that involved a stop at the Alpinestars Factory, I was able to get a glimpse of the 2008 version of the Race Replica suit. As with all things Alpinestars, their stuff is made so well, it's always hard to decide what's better the original product or the new and improved. The 2008 Race Replica suit looks to me to be paying homage to the expected domination of Alpinestars/Ducati MOTOGP Rider Casey Stoner. Great looking suit, smoother design to it. Same if not better features as the original Race Replica suit. This suit should be available in the USA in the Spring of 2008 if not late fall 2007.

When it comes right down to it, if you can afford it, or even if you can't, why not go with the best?

Hardware: Supermoto Gear of the Pros

We put a lot into our pro-Supermoto racing efforts. Over the past 4 years, Motostrano has been involved with Supermoto racers ranging from #1 World S1 Supermoto pros like Max Manzo, Gerald Delepine and Max Gazzarrata, to young budding amateurs like Chad Cose, George Deguzeman, Chuck Patterson and others. All of the champions in their own right.

This year Motostrano has partnered as Sponsor for the Rockstar, Hart & Huntington AMA pro team, while also helping pro riders like Micky Dymond. The Stateline Supermoto event last month was our first true race test session. It was a hoot. Cary Hart, Tyler Evans, Travis Marks and Donny Wanat will pilot their machines to the podium and all the while bang bars with the top US and World Supermoto riders, all of them using product out of the Motostrano workshops.

The bikes of the Rockstar/ H&H team are a mix of Honda, Suzuki and KTM. This team will more than likely be the top privateer team for 2007. The bikes are equiped with parts sold by Motostrano to the general public. "We race what we sell" - is our Moto. Team bikes are equipped with Motomaster Race Brake kits or Magura full race set-ups on the KTMs. Team bikes are going to run the Alpina Tubeless System Supermoto Wheels with Dunlop Tires all season. Leo Vince powers the exhaust systems and Galfersteel brake lines are used. Most of the Hondas are equipped with Tag metals triple clamps and Handlebars. All bikes are equipped with STM Slipper clutches and Acerbis Plastic - including the new supermoto specific Acerbis Handguardsand front fenders. Most of the riders will be wearing FOX MX gear for all Supermoto events.

We race what we sell. We get constant feedback from our riders when they race the stuff we sell. We also do a lot of post-race analysis on the parts used to guage wear. We find this the best way to know what's going on with these parts and this info is translated both directly to our web catalog and also to our sales staff where it gets out to our customers like white lightening.

Ok- enough of the blogomercial- show me how this really happens?

At Stateline, Micky Dymond's mechanic came over to our tent looking for a catch can to use in the race. We had two kinds to offer him. He took both and played with each of them before sending one of them back and using the other. This info goes to our sales staff. Or, last year, one of our riders was using a product that provided some special tape to tape up spoked rims to create a pseudo tube-less rim. The tubeless system failed, albeit on some pretty heavy jumps during one of the events and this product was dropped from our catalog completely the day after the race. We may also hear direct feedback about which exhaust is pumping out the most power on what bike, which is the lightest, etc. All this info comes to us direct from the rider, from the pits and to our sales department and out to you.