| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
 Today, the weather sucks, and I've got cabin fever; so I think I want to talk about Textile riding gear. Now, these are my experiences with various riding jackets and pants. Somebody else may have different experiences, but these are mine. Incidentally, all the jackets mentioned are 3/4 length jackets. I used to be strictly a leather kind of guy. However, back in '98 I finally decided to check out a textile jacket. My first jacket was a red Motoport jacket. It was their low end offering. It was durable, but it wasn't waterproof. I wore that for a bit over a year, then I bought a Buell Adventurer suit. It was durable, waterproof and generally worked really well. The biggest problem was that the pants were for somebody with about a 36 inch inseam, and I have a 29 inch inseam. However, I wore that suit for a few years until it was pretty much worn out. I bought a Fieldsheer jacket that was on sale for a winter jacket. I bought it one size larger than I take, so I could layer up in the winter months. It was O.K. but it was a $100 jacket, and had the features and quality one should expect from a $100 jacket. It lasted through a couple of winters, though. I also bought a pair of Joe Rocket Ballistic 5.0 pants. I got them in a Short size, and they fit well, and lasted a few years. They were water resistant, but they would let water through, eventually. I got a Tour Master Transition jacket, next. The websites I was frequenting at the time had a lot of folks who were raving about them, and how good they were. It was the worst piece of crap I've ever bought for riding gear. The first time I got caught in the rain, I got soaked in minutes. (I only had a 15 minute commute) Then, the fabric on the arms began to "pill". Who ever heard of nylon doing that? Within a year, it was totally shot. My wife also had a Transition jacket, and while hers remained waterproof, it literally shredded apart at the seams. I have nothing good to say about that jacket, and will not buy another article of clothing from Tour Master. I next got an Olympia AST jacket and Ranger pants. I liked a lot of things about the jacket, but it wasn't waterproof. The pants only came in one length, but they were supposedly "Easy Hem". The tailor that I took them to to have the legs shortened had a couple of choice words about that. I nevertheless wore that jacket until the zipper went south. I wore the pants until a few weeks ago. Two years ago, New Enough (now Motorcycle Gear.com) had a First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket on sale, so I got one. It remains waterproof and durable, and it's a Quality item. It really impressed me, especially for the price. However, I've finally decided to bite the bullet. I just bought a pair of Aerostich Darien pants. I took all the measurements while I was on the phone with the sales guy and they fit like they should. I've ridden in some heavy rain, and they were waterproof. everything about them screams Quality, and I'm very pleased with them. I know several people who have had their Aerostich suits for many years, and they still swear by them. Now that I bought the pants, I can understand why. I'm saving now to get a Darien Jacket. It might take a little while, but I'll eventually have one. If I had just bought an Aerostich suit back around 2000, I would have had durable gear that would have been cheaper in the long run than all the "Bargain" gear that didn't last. Then again, I wouldn't have known that many manufacturers use the label Waterproof as strictly a sales aid, and their gear is far from what it was claimed to be. I'm very thankful that I never had to test the crashworthyness of any of the gear. I firmly believe that a couple of the previously mentioned jackets probably had the protective qualities of wet Scott Toilet Tissue. Just thought I'd share that. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
I got a used Alpinestars textile jacket with some mesh in the chest area, and removeable liner Its fantastic in the summer! It doesn't matter what youre wearing, or not wearing, when youre on blacktop, sitting atop a motor at a stoplight in the summer - its HOT! But whats nice is that as soon as I start moving the air starts to rush in Only cons about this jacket - the guy I got it from was bigger than me. It was a friend of mine, I didn't pay much for it, so I went with it. Well now I've actually lost about 20lbs, so I really need to splurge on myself and get a smaller size. I'll probably stick with A* Something low key, nothing flashy. We'll see though | ||
| Pwnzor |
I've had nothing but great results from Tour Master gear. I still have my original tank bag and saddle bags that are 20+ years old, and they are like new after many rain and snow storms. My Tourmaster jacket is still like new, and while it's never been waterPROOF, it has been very water RESISTANT, and has held up very well. Sorry to hear your experience was different. From what I've read and heard from people first-hand, Aerostich is the best stuff around. One day, I'll drop some coin on a new set, but my Tourmaster stuff is still in great shape so it will be a while. | ||
| Sifo |
I've had various mesh textile jackets. The best without a doubt has been my current Dainese. My first textile touring jacket was Harley branded bought as a close out. Best jacket I ever had IMO. Waterproof zippers that also keep the wind out. One of the nicest things that I haven't found on any other jackets is a small bungee that cinches the collar tight on your neck. That really keeps wind an water out while keeping the warm in. It's a small detail that makes a huge difference. I still have it, but the water proofing has become more water resistant as it will eventually soak water through now. It held up well on a low side going around a really tight switch back on Wolf Pen Gap in GA too. Last year I picked up a one piece Aerostich Roadcrafter. It's a very well thought out and made suit. Still, it's hard to stay DRY with a long day of riding in the rain, but it does a pretty darned good job. The standard armor could be better, but it's better than nothing and can be upgraded. I got a good deal at the factory on a returned suit. It's bright yellow which wouldn't have been my first choice, but it is visible. I was at a lunch stop one day when I was asked if I was Air-Sea rescue. I can see where they came to that idea. The yellow gets dirty in a hurry too. Overall, I'm very happy with it. |
