Rukka R-Viss gloves in black

In recent years, we haven't always been that excited by Rukka's gloves;  they just haven't been all that nice to wear. They were somewhat stiff. Perhaps, over time, they bedded in, but if you didn't do big miles that couldn't be guaranteed. We thought the knuckles were overly aggressive. And we just didn't like the overly-prominent, plastic slider on the palm that made them uncomfortable on the bars.

 

And so, for the last three or four years, we've not pushed them hard. We viewed them with a certain ambivalence. But with Rukka's new R-Viss glove it is clear to us that there's a new kid in town. There's clearly a new designer, and he, or she, has a different take on things. And we approve, because we think this new glove is fantastic.

 

Anyway, let me talk about the R-Viss and all its features. I will explain what kind of glove it is, and who it's intended for. And talk about what the nearest glove to it is in the Rukka range; and in other peoples' ranges too.

 

The starting point is that this is a summer-waterproof glove. That is to say that it has a waterproof membrane, but contains no thermal component. This is the most common glove construction. It's the kind of glove that most of us would wear from, say, April through to November, although if you had good heated grips or Special Forces training you might be able to extend this period a little.

 

For those who think of themselves as 'fair-weather' riders, this might be a glove that covers all your riding. This having been said, you might still want a pure, summer glove for the very warmest days.

 

The membrane in the R-Viss is a Gore-Tex one. What's more it's a Gore-grip glove, meaning that it's laminated to the outer chassis of the glove. This improves feel on the bars. It can make the fingers a bit colder, but it will also reduce the possibility of wetting out. This having been said, an all-leather glove is always going to soak up a bit more of the wet stuff than an all-textile one.

 

But this aside, you can be pretty confident that you are not going to get wet hands in these gloves. And that's a claim that will be backed up by Gore, who guarantee their membranes for life. If ever these gloves do fail, you send them to Gore. If they agree, they'll send you a new pair or a cheque. It really is that simple.

 

For us, the outstanding feature of this glove is its comfort. We haven't come across a Rukka waterproof glove this comfortable in years. They are really lovely to wear. The goat's leather is super soft. Really super soft. There's a stretch fabric in the fingers. And also in the area between the knuckle protector and the cuff.

 

I mentioned before the rather aggressive knuckles that have been a feature of Rukka gloves in recent times. Well these gloves have a really nice, rubberised knuckle protector that is backed with foam for added comfort. Some people have convinced themselves that there's a benefit in a hard knuckle protector. The truth is that, unless you are going to drag your knuckles 100 yards down a race track, there isn't. You also get a rubber pad on the palm, although you wouldn't call it a slider as such. There's a second layer of leather on the outside of the hand for added abrasion resistance.

 

Interestingly, the R-Viss has some venting, although this won't compromise the waterproofing. On two of the fingers, the protective, rubber bumpers have mesh grills. There's another one behind the knuckle protector. On all four fingers, mesh is exposed at the front of the knuckle when you wrap your hands around the gloves.

 

At the cuff you get two adjustment mechanisms. There's a strap at the wrist itself to ensure the glove doesn't come off in an accident. You also get a textile strap to cinch down the cuff. And this works well. You will get this glove inside the sleeve of just about any motorcycle jacket.

 

So, what else do you get? Well on the left hand you get a visor wipe. Whilst, on both hands, you get touchscreen-sensitive fingers and thumbs.

 

Truth be told, this is just about the perfect, summer-waterproof glove. It's got everything you could ever want. And will do everything you need such a glove to do. 

 

You may have got the impression that we like this glove. And we do. It really is one of the nicest, waterproof gloves we have come across.

 

But it's not cheap. Not that you would expect it to be.

 

It's more expensive than Klim's outstanding Adventure glove. The technical spec. of the Klim is similar to the R-Viss. In truth the Adventure is way more rugged, but it's way less comfortable. Well, at least for the first year or two until the Klim has worn in.

 

Another somewhat similar glove in terms of spec. and price is the Five TFX1 GTX. That's a very trick glove. It's comfortable, and will do pretty much everything the Rukka glove does. But it's much more sporty, and there has to be a question mark over its robustness when compared to the Rukka.

 

In terms of what Rukka glove it can be compared to, the nearest model in the Rukka range is probably the Virium. The Virium might resist wetting out for longer, but it's nowhere near as nice to wear. The Virium is a little less expensive, although not by much.

 

The Richa Atlantic is a similar glove, although it has a much shorter cuff. It's nowhere near as comfortable as the new Rukka glove, although it is quite a bit cheaper.

 

There's also the Held Score 4 glove. Again similar spec., and again less expensive.

 

The bottom line here is that it's going to be difficult to make a case for how good value the Viss-R is, although value for money is often not quite as important to Rukka aficionados as outright performance. 

 

You are going to have to try it on for yourself. And if you have really big hands there's one other piece of good news. The R-Viss comes in a size 14 and, by our reckoning, it's one of the few Rukka gloves to do so! Of course, they're here in the shop; and available online.