Rukka Hybrid-R jacket review

The Rukka Hybrid-R jacket is the top half of a suit that has been created by the Finnish company in an attempt to deliver the comfort of the Rukka Nivala suit with the AA abrasion-resistance rating of their Kingsley outfit. And indeed, the Hybrid-R does meet the AA standard under EN 17092.

First off, let's go through all of the basic stuff that you would expect to find on most Rukka jackets.

You get a 3-layer, Gore-Tex Pro membrane. So you are going to enjoy the motorcycle industry's highest levels of waterproofing and breathability. Being laminated, you won't suffer from 'wetting out'. And as the membrane is supplied by Gore, it will be guaranteed for life.

You get a five-year warranty on the jacket, as you do on all Rukka motorcycle clothing, extendable to six years, provided you register before the ink on your till receipt has had time to dry!

You get Neoprene in the collar, and a storm collar sewn into the neck. Gore-Tex cuffs. Zips at the ends of the sleeves with Velcro flaps. A Velcro adjuster at the waist. Lots of reflective material. And loads of vents. In fact, you get ten of them.

You get two, external, water-resistant pockets on the front. And two on the inside. The Hybrid does not have a pocket on the back. You have a connecting zip, and a crotch strap for when you're not wearing a Rukka pant.

The Hybrid-R comes with huge, highly-vented, Level 2 D3O armour in the elbows, shoulders and back. And the important word here is 'huge'. Made exclusively for Rukka by D3O, it is larger than the armour you'll find in any other brand, with the exception of Stadler perhaps.

Now the reason the size of the armour is so important is threefold. First, the larger the area, the greater the chance that, if you do hit something, that something will impact upon the armour. The second is that the larger the armour the greater the area over which the energy of an impact will be dissipated, lessening its direct force. And thirdly because armour is more abrasion resistant than any fabric from which a garment is constructed, the larger the armour, the greater will be a garment's level of abrasion resistance.

The Hybrid comes with a Level 1 chest protector. The way it attaches to the Hybrid is easier than with other Rukka jackets, by the way.

The Hybrid comes with the Lahti as a removable, thermal liner. The Nivala and Kingsley come with Rukka's Down-X 2 jacket. Being filled with real down, the Down-X will be warmer both on and off the bike. At retail, it costs £90 more than the Lahti, however.

The Hybrid-R comes with a fixed Outlast lining, but we are never massively keen on a fixed Outlast lining in a laminated jacket, because it will impede the direct-to-body airflow when the vents are open.

So let's now talk about comfort, because that's one of the key issues here.

On the Hybrid-R jacket you get stretch fabric across the chest and down the insides of the arms. These are the Zone 3 areas that are considered to be less at risk, under EN17092 when it comes to abrasion. You also get the concertina banding behind the shoulders that makes it easier for you to bring your arms forward to the bars. And it is these areas of stretch that make the Hybrid-R more comfortable than the similarly AA-rated Kingsley, but almost certainly less comfortable than the single-A rated Nivala.

[bantononabike]

Hi My brother came to you a couple of years ago. He had terminal cancer and you very kindly gave him a discounts to support his charity raising. He sadly passed a few weeks ago. But never forgot your kindness. He had many fun miles in the gear you sold him. And raised a lot of money for children with cancer. Thank You!

[RobertoChibbaro]

Amazing as always Chris: the only review where i finally discovered the difference between the various top line of Rukka!

[RideWith_Mee]

Recently purchased a Nivala 2 and got to say you really do get what you pay for. So happy went with it as it's so comfy and best suit I have bought by miles. Yes they are a large outlay but very much worth every penny so far.

[T_C_R_M]

Thoroughly enjoy the way you explain details compared to others.

[stoatsngroatsuk]

Thanks Chris, an interesting and comprehensive view of Rukka.
I’m looking forward to another visit to you very soon!
👍🙏

[NetMillionaire]

Brilliant review ❤ the best online by far. Bought the Nivala suit and yes it’s expensive but I’m warm and comfortable on all my rides 😊 worth every penny the quality is simply outstanding

[simonrichardson]

Thank you Christopher 👍

Team Motolegends always wins for me 🎉

[danie]

Brilliant video once again. Thank you for your transparency in all your reviews.

[Vjekoslav-vfhr]

Hybrid perfectly fils the gap. If I have that money it is the one I'd go for

[expatbiker]

I love the ethos behind the gear selection from motolegends. You want a suit that encourages you to ride. Not a suit you have to think twice before wearing it.

[StreetHawk]

I have the Comfo-R, which I purchased from yourselves, and for me, it's the perfect jacket. I only ride for leisure, so I didn't need a laminate suit

[stefanofassone]

best reviewer (by far...) of bike gear, keep up the good job Chris ! Cheers

[carryonsailing]

I wore this kit when an old bird nailed me. I wrote off her car and ended up flying through her front window. All of this happened in front of two cops who said "what are you? superman?" I only had a small graze on my knee, my KTM 1290 had only broken forks and her car was totally wrecked. Says a lot for this armour. Defo tested and its the mutz nutz.

[Antonio-ojih]

Great Chris, great review as always. I agree with every word you said and unfortunately half measures never achieve the purpose for which they were produced if not to please the marketing. As for me, I followed your advice and I am very happy to have purchased a Nivala 2. It is without a doubt the most comfortable and protective jacket I have ever had and at the moment it has no rivals even in the Rukka house.

[Andre-yuqs]

Is the Rukka Hybrid-R the best to use all year round in Portugal?
Thanks in advance.

[phillstubbs]

Great video very informative
If the hybrid r came with the down x it would be the jacket for me and many others I think.
If there was a way to swap inner jackets it would probably sell better.
My other option is voyage r and buy the down x for less than 1k minus chest protection and outlast.
Nivala looks cheap and I’ve seen a number of peoples with the Velcro tearing off from the main zip at 6 month stage.

[fuglbird]

There is no Nivala jacket on the Rukka website. Is it made especially for the UK market?

[SOOCMAG]

Want a Nivala but cant pay the price- what is a good rukka suit to start? Thanks

[andrewwhitehead]

What i don't understand is weise, oxford, Halverson's can all turn out AA rated kit at less money.At this pice it really ought to be AAA

[ttalontr]

Thanks for these videos, I always enjoy your channel. Is Nivala discontinued, why is it not on Rukka official website, nor is Hybrid?