Dainese buys AGV from the Belgian group Imag

As reported by Il Sole 24 Ore on 7/28/2007, Dainese has concluded the acquisition of AGV from the Belgian Imag, bringing back to Italy the ownership of the company specialized in motorcycle helmet. Indeed Dainese has had for a long time its line of helmets but they has never reached volume of sales similar to those attained by the apparel line. Dainese and AGV has been Valentino Rossi’s brands for as long as I remember, so, from a marketing perspective, it was the most logic move to make for Dainese to improve the return of image from its own investments. Other major brands are ARAI used by Hayden and probably the most fashionable; Nolan used by Stoner and then Suomy, Shark, Z-Lite. The helmet, more then the leather suit is linked to the rider’s personality, as matter of fact often we have to pay almost twice the price to buy a specific graphic used by our heros.
Dainese now can count on 2300 stores world wide, a number that it’s going to increase in the future: in NYC, a new store will be open in 2008. As of now, in the west coast we can order Dainese suits from any supplier that carry the Italian brand, but only a few people are so lucky to enjoy a perfect fit right out of the box. This is most likely the reason why the custom-made Vanson leather suits have been the choice of most American riders. In Vanson they use a very thick cow leather that is definitely sturdy but, at the same time, a bit too heavy. I have never weighted mine, even thought I am positive that it’s not even close to the Rossi’s 7.7-pound Dainese leather suit or the Pedrosa’s 6.6-pound made by Alpinestar: both of them are in kangaroo skin leather, a much lighter material that also offers more resistance and flexibility than cowhide.
Together, Dainese and AGC have almost 100 years of experience in creating and manufacturing products aimed to reduce the risks involved in motorcycle racing, a tremendous amount of knowledge now available under the same umbrella.

Are you in the market for a new leather suit? Part II

Yesterday Frank and I headed North to Massachusetts to visit Vanson Leathers. They are located in Fall River, a small industrial city located on the Rhode Island border. Supposedly it was once the foremost cotton textile center in the United States and it was not surprise to discover that the Vanson’s factory is located in a former mill built almost two centuries ago. Sadly the gorgeous building, with gray thick walls made of stone, it seems totally abandoned from outside to the point that initially I was wondering if I had wrote down correctly the address of the factory. And even when we saw the sign and the main entrance we could not imagine we were in front of the famous Vanson’s factory, the largest manufacturer of leather motorcycle apparel in USA.
Well, once we open the small, aged yellow door, our original expectations were finally matched by the large amount of leather suits, jackets, pants, leather accessories displayed all around this big warehouse. Dozen of custom made leather suits were hanging from the ceiling: they belonged to famous road and drag racers. The most famous name was definitely Freddie Spencer: it seems that Vanson has created a blue-red-white Honda leather suit that the former World Champion uses when riding for his well known school.
Frank and I spent more than two hours in the store, with Mike, Jessica and her mother (I've forgot her name) offering a unique, warm and professional service to both of us. Frank ended up ordering a custom made suit similar to that one used by Colin Edward when he won the WSB with the Castro-Honda. Instead I had them to re-size my beloved blue-yellow-white leather suit: after loosing more than 35 pounds it became so big on me that when I fell in Summit main, my right sleeve flipped around my elbow exposing the Kevlar fabric to the ground, for which, after almost three months, I still carry the “pink memory” of the deep abrasion suffered by my forearm.
The trip was a bit long but definitely worth the effort. The surrounding area is beautiful, only an hour away from CapeCod with its remarkable coastal towns and villages. Vanson store is conveniently opened 7 days a week, so I would definitely suggest to buy or repair your leather motorbike suit in the contest of a memorable weekend in Massachuset