As motorcyclists, we live and die by the gear we wear. Literally. Without armored jackets, pants, gloves, and boots, we're basically the squids we make fun of on Reddit who wear tank tops, shorts, and sandals while doing Mach Jesus on a Gixxer. Armor is everything in terms of keeping your ass out of the ER, looking for a skin graft or titanium plates in your femur.
It isn't the end-all, be-all by any stretch of the imagination, but it goes a long way toward you sticking around to see your kids, future kids, or dogs grow up. Armor is everything.
Which is why, when developing its new Rogue armor, Klim not only went back to the drawing board in the construction and insertion department, but the company created two whole new departments within the company, including a Rapid Prototyping Lab, and a Hard Parts Department, showing that it was aiming for something revolutionary. And best yet, Klim did just that, and made the whole thing backwards compatible with your older gear.
The company states, "When this project began, our main goal was to find armor that was thinner, lighter and more breathable than before, while maintaining or exceeding the previous impact safety levels. We scoured the market for armor options but couldn’t find anything suitable in our extensive research and testing, so we built it ourselves – literally. We built out our own Rapid Prototyping Lab, grew a complete Hard Parts Department, and ran hundreds of impact tests across a multitude of different compounds and pad structures, all as part of the long pursuit of a better armor system."
The Rogue system includes a total of 14 new armor pads, and put them into two categories: Rogue Level 1 and Level 2, and Rogue Level 2 EXP. The basis is that when Klim went looking for some new armor, it didn't like what it saw on the market, as while impact absorption tests in both Ambient and Wet are required for CE-level certification, two optional test (Hot and Cold) aren't. The company aimed to fulfill all four with its new Rogue systems, which supposedly meet or exceed both CE Lv 1 and Lv 2 standards.
Both Rogue Level 1 and Level 2 armor pass each of those CE standards, but do so by being lighter and thinner than the brand's prior armor, which means you have increased mobility. There's also better breathability, so if you do get wet in your adventure gear, you'll dry and stay cool faster. And all of the brand's gear will come complete with the new Rogue armor starting next year. But it's the Rogue Level 2 EXP where things get interesting.
Rogue Level 2 not only increases the surface area of the armor to include more of previously underarmored areas, but the armor was "asymmetrically designed and molded in a specific pattern to optimize impact force absorption, coverage, flexibility and breathability," making it the perfect addition to those motorcycle riders who want the most from their armor. Or, if they're like me, folks who need more from their armor when they're off in the wilds of the forest and throw themselves off their bikes on occasion...
According to the company, "A total of 14 new pads will be coming to market in 2026, built into every new and redesigned piece of KLIM outerwear starting in that season – plus the armor will be available separately and will be backwards compatible with prior generations of KLIM gear." So yeah, get hyped, as the new armor looks ready for all the forest-based, and regular-old, adventures you have planned for next year's riding season.
I definitely am.
