New Merlin Explorer Collection: For the weekend warriors, urban explorers and city escapers
It’s no secret that bikes are becoming more and more versatile with each new unveiling.
Not so long ago, if you wanted a bike to commute on, a bike to ride for weekend fun and a bike to take on track, you’d have to build a bigger garage. But that’s not the case anymore.
Manufacturers are listening – they’re beginning to build one machine that can do a little bit of everything. With bikes like the Royal Enfield Himalayan and Triumph Scrambler 1200 hitting the market, it’s now possible to spend your hard earned on just one bike – and while taking a Himalayan around Cadwell Park certainly isn’t encouraged, it could be done (and we’d love to see it).
But as manufacturers expand their ranges and make them more versatile in the process, we as gear makers need to apply the same principle.
That’s where our Explorer collection steps in.
We know there’s already gear on the market that claims to do-it-all, but they’re all very similar in one way. Not every rider wants to be polyester-clad, and that doesn’t have to be the only option. We know the need for wanting bike gear that looks good both on and off the bike – that’s where our Leisure Moto collection came from – but Explorer steps things up a notch.
With not a hint of polyester in sight, Explorer takes the durable and practical features from traditional touring, adventure and commuter gear, and really makes it Merlin.
Initially comprising of 13 items in total, nine of them brand-new, they’re all made from materials that are traditionally found within the Merlin Heritage range, making the perfect heritage-adventure blend. Halley Stevensons® waxed cotton, D3O® armour and Reissa® waterproofing all feature, with the addition of Cordura® for those riders after the more typical adventure/touring style.
The headline items: Three brand-new jackets featuring all the quality materials and high-standard finishes you’d expect from Merlin. Their leading points? Each product comes with a full set of seven-piece D3O® armour – that’s shoulders, elbows, back and chest. A quick search on one of our largest retailers websites shows our jackets as the most competitive option in this arena, with jackets equipped to this level typically costing over £700. Built for riders, by riders – the Explorer collection has been designed with the typical rider and average Merlin consumer in the forefront of the mind.
Also sitting behind the concept of the collection – the rise of motorcycling within popular culture.
Motorcycles are now cooler and more popular than ever. You can’t watch an action film without seeing one being ripped around – usually by the headline stealthy character, who’s usually using it to outrun the good guys.
But whether it’s in the latest James Bond film, in a music video, or parked up in the background of the BBC’s latest crime drama, bikes are becoming near-enough impossible to escape in popular culture – and we can’t get enough of it.
Add to that the growing cafe racer and heritage motorcycling scene on Instagram, and the result is a newer, younger generation of people who are beginning to discover just how cool riding a motorcycle really is.
With trips of epic proportions, cafe meetups and off-road excursions all embedded in their plans, they want to dress the part, as well as look it. Explorer is for them, too.
We’ll be bringing you an in-depth look at all the products in our next blog, but for now you can head to the Explorer collection product page to discover the entire range and all their specifications in detail.
Published on 11 February, 2022 by Emily Macbeth