THE ART FOR FUNCTION TEAM We are passionate about extreme tours with a motorbike and as a clothing engineer and designer, we work with precision on our products.
Annette Schoepgens
Graduate clothing engineer. Designer. Traveled for many years as a passenger on a motorcycle in Asia, Australia, Europe and South America. His own motorcycle license followed in 2012. Exchanged Miele for a Honda NC 700X, Beta and Royal Enfield. Swims and runs half marathons.
Achim Schoepgens
Dipl. In Business Administration. Apparel development. At the age of 16 he became addicted to two-wheelers. Since 1987 also a team driver. Always looking for white ice cream and new destinations for the whole family. Always with you: motorbike and tent. Loves cooking and experimenting with the gas stove.
Anette Aßmann
Media designer and photographer. Sales. Takes care of the subtleties and details. Only on two wheels without a motor, but always accompanied by her dog. Loves music at live concerts and trips into nature.
Annette Schoepgens
Graduate clothing engineer. Designer. Traveled for many years as a passenger on a motorcycle in Asia, Australia, Europe and South America. His own motorcycle license followed in 2012. Exchanged Miele for a Honda NC 700X, Beta and Royal Enfield. Swims and runs half marathons.
Achim Schoepgens
Dipl. In Business Administration. Apparel development. At the age of 16 he became addicted to two-wheelers. Since 1987 also a team driver. Always looking for white ice cream and new destinations for the whole family. Always with you: motorbike and tent. Loves cooking and experimenting with the gas stove.
Anette Aßmann
Media designer and photographer. Sales. Takes care of the subtleties and details. Only on two wheels without a motor, but always accompanied by your dog. Loves music at live concerts and trips into nature.
THE A-4 THERMAL SUIT: INSIZE, A-4 POLAR, A-4 NORDKAP, A-4 NORDKAP 3L – A development story of our own motivation
THE FIRST IDEA
2002
No plan, ... but an idea!
Frozen too often! The original Thermoboy is no longer available! What to do? We already develop and design clothing for the motorcycle industry for various brands such as Hein Gericke, Difi, Dane KTM and others. What could be more obvious than to develop and produce an extreme winter suit again. A clothing manufacturer offers us help by promising us the production of small quantities. A sign! But it should take another 2 years until the station wagon is finished.
THE COINCIDENCE
2005
Already designed, developed and tested
The first Polar suit hangs in our small office and has successfully passed the first test tours. A warehouse, a sales department and a website are still missing. Suddenly there was a call from the motorcycle company Götz Motorsport, who urgently wanted to have thermal clothing developed for their INSIZE brand. Our chance. We simply resold our development. This is how our first suit is sold under the INSIZE brand.
A-4 ARISES
2006
A new office, warehouse and website
LeUnfortunately, Götz Motorsport went bankrupt and our Polar suit could no longer be sold. In the meantime we have moved, have a larger office, storage facilities and the possibility of creating a website. So we bought back our Polar combo development without further ado. But time is pressing and we don't have our own brand name yet. Since our design office is already called art-for-function, the brand A-4 functional design is born in a (raspberry) witty moment. A stands for "art" and 4 for "for".
A-4 POLAR
2007
The first A-4 Produktion
The rights were bought back. Now we just have to have it produced. A big investment is coming our way and even more headaches and stomachaches. Will it work? Almost 50 pre-orders from friends and winter drivers help us to gain a little more confidence so that we can then gradually sell the unbelievable number of 200 units. After that, all winter drivers are equipped anyway and we don't need any further production. So we believe.
WE´LL GO TESTING
2008
Chile and Argentinien
So that we don't run out of ideas, we have to do something bigger from time to time. With kith and kin we go to South America for testing and vacationing. We extend the holiday after 6 weeks and stay 2.5 months straight away. An experience and experiences that still help with our developments today.
WORD OF HEART
2009
Other productions
We didn't expect that. As early as next winter it becomes apparent that we need another production. Without advertising, only through word of mouth from the first satisfied customers and through positive reporting in the then Gespannfahrer Zeitung, more and more inquiries are coming in. We have to have it reproduced.
NORWEGEN
2012
Cabin tour in Norway
Every year we are drawn to Norway for a winter tour. This time I have to drive alone. The design department and children stay at home. We have snow again and the temperatures are impressive.
A-4 NORDKAP
2013
After 6 Years Polar, the Nordkap is coming
Unfortunately, like everywhere, there are problems. One production had too many leaks and as a result we had to spend too much free beer on wet pants at winter meetings. We have to change the production site and decide to develop a new model. The cut and fit are now from a patternmaker friend of mine. All ingredients now come from reputable suppliers and through our relationships the production can be shifted to one of the best garment factories. The most expensive brands produce here.
AT THE ARTIC CIRCLE
2013
Test drive and blessing of the prototype
Take a rest. We had to go out again. The kids too! So at Christmas we drive the BMW K-car combination to Finland to the Arctic Circle to Rovaniemi. Ferry, car train and of course a detour to bless the first North Cape prototype with Santa Claus.
ANOTHER TEST
2017
Iceland im summer und winter
Finally doing something extreme again. The destination takes us to Iceland. On small machines over the motorway, ferry and back. We leave the machines in Reykjavik after 6 weeks of summer vacation and return in October to experience the Icelandic winter. It awaits us with less rain and storms than in summer. All weather conditions are still offered and it is colder. We can already smell the first snow there.
A-4 NORDKAP 3L
2022
After 9 years the North Cape 3L is coming
The world is changing and so is the EU. There is EU Regulation 425: 2016, which states that motorcycle clothing is protective equipment and must therefore be certified according to EN 17092. 9 years have passed and we decide to redevelop the station wagon and have it certified. The new suit will now be made of a high-quality three-layer construction, have new SAS-TEC protectors and we will also be more environmentally friendly and contribute to this with recycled plastic packaging and now PFC-free impregnation.
THE A-4 THERMAL SUIT: INSIZE, A-4 POLAR, A-4 NORDKAP, A-4 NORDKAP 3L – A development story of our own motivation
THE FIRST IDEA
2002
No plan, ... but an idea!
Frozen too often! The original Thermoboy is no longer available! What to do? We already develop and design clothing for the motorcycle industry for various brands such as Hein Gericke, Difi, Dane KTM and others. What could be more obvious than to develop and produce an extreme winter suit again. A clothing manufacturer offers us help by promising us the production of small quantities. A sign! But it should take another 2 years until the station wagon is finished.
THE COINCIDENCE
2005
Already designed, developed and tested
The first Polar suit hangs in our small office and has successfully passed the first test tours. A warehouse, a sales department and a website are still missing. Suddenly there was a call from the motorcycle company Götz Motorsport, who urgently wanted to have thermal clothing developed for their INSIZE brand. Our chance. We simply resold our development. This is how our first suit is sold under the INSIZE brand.
A-4 ARISES
2006
A new office, warehouse and website
LeUnfortunately, Götz Motorsport went bankrupt and our Polar suit could no longer be sold. In the meantime we have moved, have a larger office, storage facilities and the possibility of creating a website. So we bought back our Polar combo development without further ado. But time is pressing and we don't have our own brand name yet. Since our design office is already called art-for-function, the brand A-4 functional design is born in a (raspberry) witty moment. A stands for "art" and 4 for "for".
A-4 POLAR
2007
The first A-4 Produktion
The rights were bought back. Now we just have to have it produced. A big investment is coming our way and even more headaches and stomachaches. Will it work? Almost 50 pre-orders from friends and winter drivers help us to gain a little more confidence so that we can then gradually sell the unbelievable number of 200 units. After that, all winter drivers are equipped anyway and we don't need any further production. So we believe.
WE´LL GO TESTING
2008
Chile and Argentinien
So that we don't run out of ideas, we have to do something bigger from time to time. With kith and kin we go to South America for testing and vacationing. We extend the holiday after 6 weeks and stay 2.5 months straight away. An experience and experiences that still help with our developments today.
WORD OF HEART
2009
Other productions
We didn't expect that. As early as next winter it becomes apparent that we need another production. Without advertising, only through word of mouth from the first satisfied customers and through positive reporting in the then Gespannfahrer Zeitung, more and more inquiries are coming in. We have to have it reproduced.
NORWEGEN
2012
Cabin tour in Norway
Every year we are drawn to Norway for a winter tour. This time I have to drive alone. The design department and children stay at home. We have snow again and the temperatures are impressive.
A-4 NORDKAP
2013
After 6 Years Polar, the Nordkap is coming
Unfortunately, like everywhere, there are problems. One production had too many leaks and as a result we had to spend too much free beer on wet pants at winter meetings. We have to change the production site and decide to develop a new model. The cut and fit are now from a patternmaker friend of mine. All ingredients now come from reputable suppliers and through our relationships the production can be shifted to one of the best garment factories. The most expensive brands produce here.
AT THE ARTIC CIRCLE
2013
Test drive and blessing of the prototype
Take a rest. We had to go out again. The kids too! So at Christmas we drive the BMW K-car combination to Finland to the Arctic Circle to Rovaniemi. Ferry, car train and of course a detour to bless the first North Cape prototype with Santa Claus.
ANOTHER TEST
2017
Iceland im summer und winter
Finally doing something extreme again. The destination takes us to Iceland. On small machines over the motorway, ferry and back. We leave the machines in Reykjavik after 6 weeks of summer vacation and return in October to experience the Icelandic winter. It awaits us with less rain and storms than in summer. All weather conditions are still offered and it is colder. We can already smell the first snow there.
A-4 NORDKAP 3L
2022
After 9 years the North Cape 3L is coming
The world is changing and so is the EU. There is EU Regulation 425: 2016, which states that motorcycle clothing is protective equipment and must therefore be certified according to EN 17092. 9 years have passed and we decide to redevelop the station wagon and have it certified. The new suit will now be made of a high-quality three-layer construction, have new SAS-TEC protectors and we will also be more environmentally friendly and contribute to this with recycled plastic packaging and now PFC-free impregnation.