Aerostitch Darien Jacket

Mogan · Feb 18, 2006

I just received a custom Darien jacket with the blowup electric liner. This product is FANTASTIC! It's the best designed and best made winter moto jacket out there.

I think the company is a good case study in American Excellence in an era where many of our home grown goods are inferior.

radman · Feb 18, 2006

I just received a custom Darien jacket with the blowup electric liner. This product is FANTASTIC! It's the best designed and best made winter moto jacket out there.
I think the company is a good case study in American Excellence in an era where many of our home grown goods are inferior.

Wrong. Where many poltically motivated groups would have you believe we make inferior products.

HondaCBX6 · Feb 18, 2006

As a mental image.... Remember RADMAN rides NAKED under his gear! OMG!

)

kaitsdad · Feb 18, 2006

As a mental image.... Remember RADMAN rides NAKED under his gear! OMG! )

Ya Know -

I just got up. Stumbled out to the kitchen, made my cup o joe - sat down, booted up my machine -

launched the forum, started reading new posts -

and .... now I .... ah.... have this ......... well..... visual that's ... well ... gonna be with me .. for like the rest of the day.

Think I'll go back to bed. can't do much else. :blink:

And that hijack only took about 2 hours -

Mogan · Feb 18, 2006

Hey Radman:

For those that think traditional American industries are great, visit Detroit. Which would you rather drive for reliability--A GM product or a Japanese one. Ours are often designed well, but are manufactured to poorer tolerances due to inferior work processes. If you know anything about manufacturing this is a widely known fact. Has nothing to do with politics.

The American genious behind modern quality management (Deming) couldn't find an audience among arrogant American businessmen so he went to the far east. They listened in Japan and they reaped the benefits. End of story.

I love to buy American, but only when the product is the best.

Time to trade-in your FJR for a Harley dude!

shep · Feb 18, 2006

I've worked in manufacturing for over 20 years and I have come to believe these things about my facility:

1. We make a good product, but not a great one.

2. We have the knowledge and potentail to make a great product.

3. The employees, that is, the blue collar labor, want to make a great product and could if they were allowed to.

4. Cost has become the bottom line. Process engineers do not look for improvements anymore; they look for cost-cutting measures.

Now back to the original thought. I started to purchase a Darien jacket several years ago. I called the company ready to order and was told that the jacket was no longer being made in America. The work had been sent to India or somewhere. Just a few days prior, my facility lost 1,200 jobs to Mexico. I said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Since then the Darien jacket manufacturing process has been returned to the US. I bought a used one this winter and am looking forward to using it. The Roadcrafter is my favorite piece of riding gear. There still are some great products manufactered here and I appreciate the effort that goes into making them.

Blue Collar Shep

Mogan · Feb 18, 2006

Go Shep!!! :clap:

kindofblue · Feb 18, 2006

I just received a custom Darien jacket with the blowup electric liner. This product is FANTASTIC! It's the best designed and best made winter moto jacket out there.

Mogan, a blowup electric liner?? Is it like an airbag? :jester:

Mogan · Feb 18, 2006

Sounds silly, but it's quite effective. The idea with electric clothing is to get it as close to you as possible so it heats you, not your outer jacket. The traditional way to do this is by buying something that fits snugly. The air fill design from Aerostitch is like a mattress that inflates around your chest. It ensures the heating elements are maximizing transfer efficiency.

Check it out!

https://www.aerostich.com/product.php?produ...&cat=284&page=1

shep · Feb 19, 2006

That liner sounds much better than the fleece one. My only disappointment with the Darien was the fleece liner. My complaint mostly has to do with sizing. I am probably between a medium and a small. The jacket is a medium and fits fine, but the liner seems much too big. I have been using my North Face fleece as a liner or my Gerbing instead.

The only drawback to buying used is that while I thought i was purchasing a regular Darien, it looks like what I got was a "light." The original owner insisted he never even heard of a Darien Light and it became more of a hassle than it was worth to try to return it. The jacket feels great and is very supple...which was one key that made me think it was a light instead of the notoriously stiff regular. Most of my used purchases have turned out great. I guess you can't win them all.

Shep

kindofblue · Feb 20, 2006

Mogan,

Did you get the vest with the zippered sleeves? If so, are the sleeves heated too? I looked at the product and am thinking of getting one. Thanks.

Mogan · Feb 21, 2006

I did get the sleeves option, but they are not electrified. If riding in weather cold enough to warrant the heater, the sleeves are a must because the jacket outer has no insulation. Arms will be cold or you'll be wearing too much to take full advantage of the vest's heat.

Aerostitch Darien Jacket

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