With a New 'G-Spot' on the Web, G-Line Throws Fashion a Curve; Fairchild Sports Launches the G-Line-Store Online, www.g-line-store.com

TUSTIN, Calif.--Oct. 1, 20057, 2005--Now more than ever, women worldwide are choosing motorcycles as a form of transportation and recreation. This new interest in two-wheeled machines has fueled the demand for protective motorcycle apparel that is both fashionable and fits well. Fairchild Sports announced today that it has launched www.g-line-store.com as the exclusive Web venue for its G-Line motorcycle gear created for women, by women. The interest in G-Line apparel is extending beyond women riders, now including passengers and even women who just enjoy the fashionable styling.

"My La Jolla jacket is one of the coolest things I have found to wear this fall," said Ashley Snyder, vice president of a real estate company in Newport Beach, Calif. "I don't know how often I'll get on a bike this year, but this jacket is just incredible."

Debuted in conjunction with MTV's Style Lounge earlier this year to great reviews from Hollywood stars and others, the line of women's jackets, pants and accessories will soon be available at select retailers worldwide. With women accounting for a rising 10 percent of motorcycle sales in the United States alone, the time has come. Online, women can choose between a variety of jackets and pants designed to be both highly fashionable and protective, with each item offering CE-approved armor. The firm eventually expects up to 50 percent of sales of the G-Line to come through its Web site.

"The G-Line is the product of a lot of listening to women riders and women in general," said Elizabeth Rakestraw, vice president and general manager of Fairchild Sports. "And we haven't stopped listening. We will continue to make improvements and subtle changes as needed with a goal to make the road a more comfortable and safer place for women to be ... and to make wearing G-Line a strong, liberating fashion statement," she said.

The new line features designs for "hard women," "soft women," and every woman in between, made of various materials including oiled goatskin, perforated leather, waterproof nylon and stretchy, abrasion-resistant cordura. The line is made to fit women's bodies, "taking the curves into account." It is not just men's gear in pretty colors.

"It is rare to see a product that women riders love but could also be worn when you want to dress up and go out," said Bonnie Strawser, founder of Femmoto, a leading "Women's Only" track day organization. "Femmoto is a platform for getting the special wants and needs to the ears of the manufacturers so their products can be more effective, appealing, and useful to us, the women riders. The G-Line shows that Fairchild Sports listened," said Strawser. This month, hundreds of women riders experienced the G-Line firsthand after a Femmoto track day, with a fashion show featuring world-class riders, media, and Fox 11 News Anchor Christine Devine.

The G-Line's genesis comes from Hein Gericke, a world leader in motorcycle apparel founded nearly 40 years ago in Germany, with more than 150 branded stores throughout Europe. Owner Fairchild Sports is contemplating a retail store launch in the United States next year. The G-Line was designed by women for women leveraging off Hein Gericke's three decades of success in motorcycle apparel.

Along with Fairchild Sports, The Fairchild Corp. also owns Hein Gericke and PoloExpress. These businesses design, manufacture and sell protective clothing, helmets and technical accessories for motorcyclists. Hein Gericke operates retail shops in Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. PoloExpress operates retail shops in Germany and Switzerland. Fairchild Sports, located in Tustin, Calif., is a designer and distributor of motorcycle apparel, boots and helmets under several labels, including Hein Gericke. In addition, Fairchild Sports designs and produces apparel under private labels for third parties, including Honda and Yamaha. The company is owned by The Fairchild Corp.