Jun202014June 20, 2014June 24, 2014120Commentsby Adam Wheeler

Jack Miller´s wardrobe: Three essential pieces of race kit

Posted in Racing, Riding

We chatted to the Moto3 championship leader to ask what’s in his race wardrobe …

If you have watched any of the seven Moto3 ‘showdowns’ so far this season then you will know that every millisecond counts. There is barely a shadow between the protagonists of the class often until the last and very crucial stages of the race. It makes for fantastic entertainment but it is also an endless struggle for riders to find the vital tenths and fractions of horsepower/aerodynamics to make the difference. Unsurprisingly Red Bull KTM ace Jack Miller is highly conscious of this fact when it comes to his race kit.
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“I want things as tight and light as possible. I cannot afford to give anything away on the track so every little bit helps”, Miller said. For a more detailed breakdown as to how a Grand Prix winner and title contender gets dressed to go to work we asked the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider to chat about his kit.

Leathers
“This is my first year with Alpinestars and it is the best suit going. It is custom built, so it is measured for me and built for my body size. They can do anything with it. The suit can be loose in parts and tight in others. It is literally built to specification. I want mine as tight as possible in every respect. This means it can be tricky to get in and out of! Weight is also important so I ask them to cut everything out of it that I don’t need; all the other linings and padding. I run a fully vented suit – that normally we have for hot races – for this reason also.”

“It is made from Kangaroo leather so it is flexible and soft and resistant. The livery is also printed on it. How many sets? It depends really. The guys at Alpinestars maintain it well, so when the butt logo or other parts get a bit worn then they will fix it up, as well as other bits and bobs here and there. All the gear is carried in the race truck, so I don’t have to worry about it. I can just turn up and the circuit and get it sorted out.”

“For the rest I take standard Alpinestars gloves and boots (size M and 39). No special additions or adjustments, and this is part of the reason why I am so happy to use their stuff. They also give me a lot of casual clothes and kit me out fully for motocross; so it is the best deal all round.”
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Helmet
“My second year using a Scorpion. I know it is a bit unusual to have this helmet as it is not a big name brand in the sport but it does the job and the company are still new. There is not much chance of customising it as I’m running a full Red Bull ‘can’ this year! The helmet is customised inside. I pick liners that shape my large (!) head and I like the pads to be tight on my cheeks so it feels secure.”

“I go through quite a few helmets in the season and there seems to be a new one painted for me quite often! I tend to find that the paint gets hammered through always tucking into the bike and touching the screen and tank. Obviously when you crash then you take a new one.”
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One other
“I never used a back protector before and it is probably quite stupid that I didn’t but the team insisted this season. It was a case of “wear one or no bike”! I didn’t really want one last year because it didn’t fit well with the suit I had, but I can see the obvious advantages. It’s no stress now; just part of the kit.”

“I don’t really have any lucky stuff or superstitions. Like I said, the most important thing for me is getting ‘into’ the bike and giving us the best chance to do the job. It means not worrying about stuff that isn’t really essential.”

Photos: ktmimages.com

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