Fuel Bunker wax cotton jacket in green

On one level, the Bunker is just another take on a Belstaff wax cotton jacket. Indeed, it sits somewhere between the Trialmaster and the Crosby. And, as you might expect, it is cheaper than both. Two hundred pounds in the case of the Trialmaster. One hundred pounds in the case of the Crosby. The outer material is a canvas of some description that has been ‘wet waxed’, whatever that means.

 

Now some brands, and we know that Fuel is one of them, think that a jacket that is rated AAA under EN17092 is better. But as everyone in the motorcycle clothing business knows, achieving AAA is not difficult. Just add thickness, weight and extra layers until the fabric is strong enough to pass the abrasion test. Which explains why, in recent years , the highest rating under EN17092 has become the calling card of the budget brands. You’re not going to wear the Bunker on the track; and so we would take comfort and breathability over a higher EN17092 abrasion rating any day of the week.

 

To achieve its AAA rating fuel has added panels of a Cordura-like material on the shoulders and elbows, because these are the areas where EN17092 demands the highest levels of abrasion resistance. The armour throughout is Level 1, D3O, including the back. The D3O in the Bunker is all Ghost, by the way. 

 

For protection from the wet stuff, the Bunker is equipped with a drop-liner membrane. Now some people shy away from drop-liner membranes because they are concerned about ‘wetting out’, but what has to be understood with a waxed garment is that wetting out is unlikely because the rain cannot easily pass through the outer material.

 

Most of the design cues on the Bunker are, of course, pure Belstaff. So we are talking about a soft, brown lining in the collar for comfort. Large flap pockets. And a chunky brass, two-way zip. But, unhindered by concerns about messing with tradition, Fuel has taken the opportunity to improve upon Belstaff’s offering in some areas. The Bunker has vents on the forearms. The elasticated neck collar strap arrangement is easier to use and, dare we say it, less dangerous than the belt and buckle at the neck of most Belstaff motorcycle jackets. 

 

Interestingly, there’s a zipped gusset at the hem to allow the jacket to splay a little on the bike. Now we always find this helpful on a longer jacket, but unfortunately the gusset on the Bunker is so small that it achieves almost nothing. A nice idea, therefore, but perhaps not so well executed.

 

What is particularly pleasant about the Bunker is its softness. The jacket is no lightweight, but the outer fabric is very pliable. It has a really nice ‘handle’ to it. Even out of the box it doesn’t look brand new; and you can tell that, with use, it’s going to develop a lovely patina.

 

We were kind of surprised that Fuel did not go for a tartan lining; it’s what most brands would have chosen. Instead, the jacket is lined with a heavy-duty, brown twill material, reminiscent of what one would have found on a classic WW2 leather, flying jacket. We like it.

 

There’s not much more on the jacket that merits discussion. You get a zip at the ends of the cuffs to help getting gloves inside the sleeve, but the poppered strap has just the one position, so you can’t cinch the sleeve tight around the glove. A bit like the gusset at the hem of the jacket, it feels as though Fuel has copied this strap from other jackets without realising why it’s there.

 

Lastly, the Bunker comes with a padded inner jacket. This will undoubtedly add thermal insulation to what is already going to be a warm jacket. This inner jacket will serve perfectly well as a destination jacket. But even though it looks like a down jacket, it’s technically not one. The jacket’s baffles are filled with an unspecified hollow-form fibre of some description. It’s no Klim Maverick, but it’s a perfectly nice jacket. You get two external, zip pockets, and a drawstring at the hem. Technically, you could popper the sleeve ends into the main jacket, but we cannot see that one ever would. It will work best worn separately. Wear it, or don’t wear it, dependent upon the temperature.