Adventure bike clothing has one of the toughest jobs in motorcycling. One minute you could be standing on the pegs and working hard on a dusty trail, a few hours later you’re cruising along a motorway in driving rain.
Throw in cold mountain mornings, hot summer afternoons, and the possibility of a crash on either tarmac or dirt, and suddenly asking one riding suit to cope with everything seems rather ambitious.
That’s the problem Held has set out to tackle with its Carese 3 adventure jacket and trousers. Rather than building the jacket around one particular type of riding or weather condition, Held has focused on adaptability.
At its heart is a Cordura RipStop 500D outer shell, reinforced in key impact areas and certified to AA under EN 17092. Level 2 D3O armour comes fitted at the shoulders and elbows. But it’s the way the Carese 3 deals with changing weather that makes things really interesting.
One jacket, four colour options
The waterproof element is a removable three-layer Gore-Tex liner, but unlike a conventional drop liner, it can be worn inside the Carese 3, over the top of it, or independently as a rain jacket.
That versatility matters on an adventure bike. If the heavens open during a long road ride, you can pull the waterproof layer over the jacket without waiting for the outer shell to become saturated. When temperatures rise or the riding becomes more physical off road, remove it altogether and make use of the main jacket’s ventilation.
There are vents on the front, arms, and back, including a large rear ventilation panel, while breathable air mesh inside which is designed to encourage airflow. In other words, rather than expecting one fixed construction to somehow work everywhere, the Carese 3 allows the rider to adapt the jacket as the journey changes.
If you like the approach, the Carese 3 jacket costs £783.95 and the trousers £634.95.
Adding an airbag
There’s another piece to the puzzle. The Carese 3 has been designed to work with Held’s eVest 2 electronic airbag vest, allowing riders to add another layer of protection without abandoning the jacket’s adventure focus.
The eVest 2 uses Held’s electronic airbag system developed with industry leaders In&motion. In the event of a detected crash, the airbag is designed to protect the abdomen, chest, back, and neck. There’s also a Level 2 D3O back protector built into the vest, so protection doesn’t rely on the airbag alone.
Importantly for adventure riding, Held hasn’t simply put an airbag inside a hot and heavy vest. Air mesh panels front and rear, along with 3D mesh at the back, are intended to maintain airflow, while Held’s Clip-in system allows the vest to integrate with compatible clothing.
The eVest 2, which costs £436.95, does require an In&box control module, available separately through In&motion on a purchase or subscription basis, so that additional cost needs to be factored in.
Built around real adventure riding
Held also offers matching Carese 3 trousers, using the same 500D Cordura RipStop approach and a removable three-layer Gore-Tex liner that can again be worn inside, outside, or independently. Level 2 D3O protection is fitted at the knees and hips.
And that gets to the heart of what makes this combination so appealing. As adventure bikers, we don’t need clothing optimised for one perfect set of circumstances. We need kit capable of changing with the road, trail, weather, and journey. The Carese 3 and eVest 2 have been designed around precisely that problem.
The Carese 3 jacket and trousers are available in men’s sizes small to 5XL and women’s small to 3XL, while the eVest2 is available in men’s sizes XS to 3XL and women’s small to 3XL.
You can find out more about them on Held’s website HERE.
