KTM 390 Duke Gen 3

As far as I can tell, Viaterra is the only established gear brand that offers custom-
fit riding apparel. The process begins with a visit to Viaterra’s website, where you pick the pants or jacket you want and then go through a few customisation steps on the website itself. The overall look can’t be changed much, but you do have the choice of colours in certain areas. The pants come with SAS-tec Level 2 armour as standard in the hips and knees, and you can also opt for tailbone armour as an extra. Finally, you can also select whether you’d like an external rain paint to be
supplied as well.

 

Once the order is placed, the company will reach out to you to hold a video call at your convenience. In this call, you’ll be asked to take a range of measurements, where the Viaterra employee will explain how each measurement is taken. Once all the sizing data is collected, the company will put it all together and reach out to you if something doesn’t look right. A couple of weeks later, you’ll receive a parcel with your brand-new riding pants.

I’ve seen a couple of my colleagues order custom-made gear from Viaterra and end up with perfectly snug-fitting gear that is just what you need—both in terms of looks and safety. Unfortunately, my pants ended up being a little more baggy than I’d have liked, and I suppose I’m partly to blame there because I complicated the process by asking that these pants should be able to fit over my off-road knee braces as well as my Enduro boots.

The good news is that the Munro is quite tunable for fit with two straps at the rear of the pants—above and below the knee—that help you cinch up the fit. There’s also a wide velcro opening at the base of the pants that lets you easily put on or remove your boots.

There’s quite a lot I like about these pants, from the tough cordura shell to the generous ventilation all over and the snug yet completely unobtrusive fit of the armour. A stretch panel at the crotch also keeps the pants comfy on the bike and there are some reflective patches to improve safety at night.

There are a few things I’d like to be different. My main gripe is the pocket on the thighs just above the knees. It not only feels strange, but I also occasionally find my phone slipping to the side of the pocket where it lodges itself between the fuel tank and my inner thigh. Then there’s the long zipper on the inside of the pants that allow you to open the leg all the way from the hem to the knee. This makes it very easy to wear and remove the pants, but I find that the zipper slowly works itself open over the day.

Viaterra says this shouldn’t be happening, so they will take the pants back to look into the issue. The company does offer minor correction services for customers in case of fit issues and we’ll update the web version of this story with the final result. To sum up, these are very thoughtfully made pants that work well in our environment and are worth the asking price given the unique option of having them tailor-fit. Just don’t complicate the measurement process.

Where: viaterragear.com
Price: Rs 14,000

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