Alpinestars Crazy Eight Jacket

This jacket is fitting a bit differently than most Alpinestars jackets. It is more of a vintage/cruiser fit, so the drop from chest to waist is only about 2” which is typical of non-sport style jackets. But the fit of the chest and shoulders is noticeably snug as compared to other jackets in Alpinestars lineup. In the smaller sizes it’s not too noticable, but it progressively becomes more of an issue in the larger sizes.

Firstly, I’d advise that if you have a wide shoulder build and a thin waist, this is probably not the jacket for you. But if you have an average build or if you have slim shoulders and somewhat of a gut, this may be the jacket cut you’ve been looking for. To help you choose a size, I’ve put together a chart below that shows you Alpinestars chest size estimate for each jacket size, and also our estimate of the actual max chest of this jacket. In the very small sizes, the jackets are close to what you might expect… maybe a half size small, but in the larger sizes, they are one full size smaller (maybe even a bit more in the multi-X sizes).

The best thing to do to choose a size is to measure your chest and belly and choose a jacket size that will be big enough to accommodate both, and for most, that will put you in a jacket that is about one size bigger than you normally wear.

As you can see from the chart, the belly is consistently about 2” smaller than the chest which is more relaxed than most riding jacket styles (most are 4” “drop” and more sport cuts are 6”-8” drop). If your belly is smaller than the max size listed, you can use the side waist tabs to snug up the waist of the jacket to fit. Max adjustability is about 2”-4.5”.

Note: If you plan to add a back protector, add 1” to your chest and belly measurements before choosing a size.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

The Alpinestars Crazy Eight jacket is a new “retro” inspired jacket for 2019. It offers heavy leather construction with classic stitching. Armor is included for the shoulders and elbows and a removable thermal liner is included too.

The leather and styling of this jacket reminds me of premium jackets we sold a couple of decades ago. The leather is thicker, but not as dense as you see with most sport and race jackets, so it is softer. The finish is “softer” and not as shiny either. After some break-in, this jacket ought to be very comfortable.

Considering the thicker leather and with no provisions for venting, this jacket won’t be your friend in hot summer weather. But for mild to cold weather use, it should be great. And to make it even better in cold weather, the jacket comes with an insulated fleece removable liner to add a layer of insulation. Wet weather? No way. The softer finish of this leather will likely soak up water and the results won’t be pretty, so don’t take this one out if you expect rain (not without a rain jacket on board anyway).

The overall tailoring in this jacket is pretty impressive. The quilting on the shoulders and elbows looks great because it is done over a layer of light padding. All the hardware is heavy duty and should last for years.

The armor included with the jacket is standard molded rubber CE 1 removable type. And there is a pocket to add a back protector. I’ve listed a few options at the bottom of this page to add a back protector. There is a discussion on each of the back protector pages to help you choose the one for you. I’d recommend the lightest of the three, the KR-Celli unit. This jacket is pretty heavy already and you’ll want to minimize added weight. But if you want more protection you can choose one of the other two. Please spend some time with the sizing advice before choosing a size in this jacket. :: Paul, 05-06-19

Alpinestars says: The tailored Crazy Eight is a stylish CE-certified full leather jacket that incorporates a flannel removable liner, making it ideal for riding in a variety of climates. Other neat touches include vertical quilted panel detailing for enhanced comfort and pre-curved sleeves for reduced rider fatigue.