Paligap on introducing protection brand Amplifi to the UK market

At the end of last year Paligap signed a deal to bring Amplifi gear to the UK. BikeBiz catches up with product manager Tessa Jones to see how the protection brand has been received so far…

Amplifi was a relatively unknown brand in the UK, so how has it gone done with dealers?
With a strong brand presence in the boarding sector it has really been a case of familiarising the UK market with Amplifi’s bike specific packs and protection. With quality German engineering at the product’s core combined with well thought out functionality, so far the response from UK dealers has been very encouraging.

Ironically, the UK-developed Armourgel technology utilised within Amplifi’s protection platform (products such as Amplifi’s MKII slip on knees) isn’t in widespread use in the UK market. Originally formulated for aerospace and the military, the protection offered is next level with a density that’s up to motorcycle use. Our challenge has been getting the customer up to speed with the increased level of protection from Amplifi.

What kind of protection standards does Amplifi work to?
Amplifi works to the CE-examination impact test, essentially identifying the amount of impact energy the protector transmits to the body. The lower the residual energy transfer, the safer product. Amplifi’s design provides a high absorption rate at impact followed by an evenly distributed minimum of residual energy. Layman’s terms, the harder the stack, the softer the impact. The snow heritage is clear with Amplifi testing at temperatures from -20 up to +30C.

What have been the most popular products so far?
Our best seller in the protection line is the MKII knee. With a custom fit, slip on design, there’s no need for flapping Velcro adjuster, simply a product that ensures a flexible well vented and low profile lay-out with added abrasion resistance over the Armourgel core. A soft grip silicone hem keeps them comfortably tethered to the flesh, for trail or enduro use. Coming in at a competitive £60, sizes range from small to XL.

On the luggage side, Amplifi’s Orion 12 Backpack is our current best seller. It is a 12L capacity trail pack supplying all the functionality of the Stratos MKII albeit without the S-Cell Armourgel derived protection. Offering TRIPL3 Flow back venting, trademark slim profile and heavily vented chest, there’s a waist and sternum strap alongside stowed rain cover, multiple proofed zipped compartments (including hydration slot) and harness system for lid storage. It’s a cracking £90 for all this, available in stealth black through to vibrant rose, forest sand, lime green and turquoise orange flavours.

www.paligap.cc