Royal Enfield is known for its bikes with almost legendary status. With its entry into riding gear space, too, it didn’t do so bad, especially with the launch of the Darcha riding jacket created in partnership with Rev’it. But then the Darcha was too expensive for the audience that Royal Enfield was really targeting. Now, even with the end of that partnership, we have The Royal Enfield Nirvik, and the motorcycle maker has learned a thing or two, even with a decrease in price.
The Nirvik is, what Royal Enfield is calling, an all-weather touring jacket and for the most part, it holds up its end of the bargain. It comes equipped with high-grade nylon and polyester, high-end armour and big, big vents.
Construction first
The Nirvik is built using tear resistant 500D nylon and the elbows and shoulders get a little extra protection with 610D Cordura. This material is a little stiff, but it’s still soft on the skin, so I have no complaints there. This is all Class A CE certified for abrasion and tear resistance, but the biggest highlight of the Nirvik is the armour it offers. There are CE Level 2 elbow and shoulder protectors from D3O, and a CE Level 1 D3O Viper back panel for your back. The chest too, gets Level 2 protection, but not from D3O. To give you a headsup, D3O is known for their viscoelastic armour and aside from being really strong is also extremely light and flexible. This means much better maneuverability, even when fully armoured.
As for layout
While the fit is really good, there are some issues that could crop up. The sleeves, for example, are just a bit short and tend to ride up when you put your hands forward. Then there is the placement of the cuff zipper, its top position makes it a little odd and slightly uncomfortable under full gauntlet gloves. You have all the pockets you could ask for including a big pouch on the back, all of which are waterproof. On the inside, there is also a phone pocket. Zippers are all YKK, so you know they won’t break on you, not easily at least. The main zipper runs both ways and while that can be convenient sometimes, the lower zipper tends to peek out and can scratch the tank.
As for the different weathers, for most of India’s tropical climate, RE has made sure there are big vents including the absolutely massive exhaust vent on the back of the jacket. Now, the ports shut with two zippers on either side and velcro at the top. It stays open with magnets to hold it in place, but the placement of these magnets mean the flaps stay open in an almost comical way, not flat. But they are pretty strong so they don’t come undone at high speeds because of the wind.
For the cold and the rain, you also get two more liners. Both of these can be worn individually as well. The level of adjustment is pretty good too. You have a waist adjuster, bicep and forearm adjuster and even a collar adjuster which means a more secure fit. The jacket also comes with a conventional zipper attachment at the rear for riding pants, but none of these are available from RE, and you’ll have to look for them. Unfortunately there are no loop fasteners either so a lot of riding denims can also be ruled out.
Conclusion
There are two colour options as well, black and brown. I personally prefer the brown because then there is some visibility, speaking of which, the Nirvik doesn’t get much. Some more reflective panels would be nice.
The Nirvik, overall, is a fairly practical jacket with fairly decent all-weather capabilities as well as premium protection. All of this at a price of just Rs 14,950. If that isn’t a steal, then I would need to remind you of other manufacturers that don’t include back protectors at all with their jackets.
