Date reviewed: April 2022 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £74.99 | goldtop.co.uk
The Goldtop Predator gloves on review here are silk-lined, 1mm-thick soft Aniline cowhide in a truly classic retro style.
You might remember the Goldtop name – the brand made horse-riding kit in 1951 for the Household Cavalry, but it was the boots of that era that made it most famous among bikers when the company started supplying motorcycle footwear to various police forces.
Joe Cullen and his dad bought the rights to the name in 2012, and now have a huge range of stunning classic-style (but fully CE-certified) riding kit on offer from their website, or at their great store (which has its own small café) in Bishop’s Stortford.
I’ve been wearing the Goldtop Predators on the 2022 Yamaha MT-10, Tracer 9 GT, 2001 Honda VFR800 and 2019 BMW S1000XR to find out if they’re any good…
For and against
- Very comfortable
- Great styling
- Excellent in summer
- Semi-perforation limits cold use a little
- Not touch-screen compatible
Fit and feel
Fit is obviously very subjective, so when buying any gloves always be sure that they wrap around your hand snugly (but aren’t too tight), that the fingers aren’t too baggy (but that they don’t pull tight when making a fist), and that you have enough feel through them to comfortably use the bike’s controls.
The Goldtop Predators fit my hands perfectly; I usually take a large, and these were sized as I’d expect.
The palms are unlined, giving great feel at the grips and levers, while the upper is silk-lined all the way to the fingertips, which feels lovely.
Touchscreen compatibility
The Goldtop Predators aren’t touchscreen compatible. They do of course work fine with motorcycle sat-navs, but they won’t work with your phone.
Warm and cold weather use
The tops of the Goldtop Predators are heavily perforated, but that silk lining really does stop them feeling too drafty.
I wouldn’t recommend these for very cold use, but they’re fine for most of what the UK’s late spring, summer and early autumn tend to offer.
Protection and certification
The Goldtop Predator gloves are CE-certified as Personal Protective Equipment to Level 1, EN 13594:2015, and include knuckle protection. There are very few gloves that meet the higher Level 2, and while Level 1 is a minimum legal requirement, the inclusion of knuckle protection (which is very cleverly built in here), is not. It’s also good to see such classically-styled gloves being properly certified, as there are stile some out there that aren’t.
Being short-cuff gloves there’s of course not the protection a gauntlet-style can offer, which could leave a gap between the back of the glove and jacket sleeve, but the most likely scenario is the hands hitting the ground and sliding.
Armour is built in not only at the knuckles, but also the palm. There’s no slider (which can help reduce the chances of a scaphoid injury), but that’s to be expected in this style.
For everything you need to know about the safety labels in your motorcycle kit, click here.
Fastening
The Goldtop Predators use a single Velcro strap across the underside of the wrist to secure them, which offers a good degree of flexibility in sizing, and also prevents the gloves pulling off.
Having the ribbed strap here does add some bulk, and it seems more vulnerable than on the top in the event of a crash, but it’s in keeping with the style and certainly more effective than many other retro-style gloves I’ve tried.
Wet weather use
These aren’t designed for the rain, but Goldtop does offer a water repellent balm. This will do more to keep them looking great though, as the gloves are perforated so you’re still going to get wet hands if you get caught out.
Lining
The silk lining does make for an extremely comfortable glove; too often manufacturers will add a lining to summer gloves that can make them feel too warm.
The palm isn’t lined, and for the first two or three times I wore these Goldtops, they did leach a little dye onto my palms. This isn’t unusual, and it washed away fairly easily, but maybe don’t wear them on the way to an important business meeting when they’re brand new!
Three alternatives to the Goldtop Predator gloves
This classic style is hugely popular now, thanks to so many brilliant classic and street bikes being available. Here are just a few to consider…
- The Furygan James gloves aren’t as distinctive as the Goldtops, but they’re a similar price and they do have touchscreen compatibility. The fit isn’t quite as good on me, but that’s subjective.
- The AlpineStars Rayburn V2s are in the same price range, and look great, but check the fit as I had to go up to an XL and still find them rather tight. Wrist fastening isn’t as secure as the Goldtops and while meeting the same safety certification, they don’t feel quite as substantial.
- The RST Roadster 3 gloves cost just £49.99. We’ve not tried them yet, but they appear to improve on the Roadster 2s that we reviewed a while back.
These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the gloves we’ve tested here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.
Goldtop Predator motorcycle gloves review: Verdict
The Goldtop Predators are another great example of what can be achieved; I was very impressed with the Goldtop ’72 Easy Rider jacket, and these Predators are no exception. Exquisite styling and real quality for a pretty reasonable price.
If you’re interested in retro-styled gear, I thoroughly recommend having a look at Goldtop. Or better still, ride over there – there’s no pressure-selling at the shop, good coffee, plenty of room to relax, and there are some great roads on the doorstep.
Do you have a pair of these gloves? Email us at enquiries@bikesocial.co.uk to tell everyone what you think of them…
