Bought me some goodies

[jekirby]

Not bragging, just excited and relieved now that I have a decision out of the way. After tons of OCD research, input from you all, several calls to Cycleport and most importantly.......the go ahead from the wife I called in measurements to Wayne and (glup) put down a deposit.

I ended up getting the Mesh kevlar jacket over the GP2 even tough I felt I would like that fit better. He indicated that he could give the jacket more of a sport fit for me. I took his recommendation on pants and ordered the Police Air Mesh Kevlar pant. This is the same pant on their web site but the front is mesh and the back is stretch. I had a good color combination picked out with color combinations that I felt would be cooler(less hot), but he actualy talked me into all black. This had nothing to do with stock as he is having to make my jacket anyway, but he explained that the black has no significant effect on tht temp of the garment. He told me they actually put sensors in the garment to test and there was not a significant difference of transfered heat between the black and gray......or I just got sold. :huh:

I understand how someone could think he was hard to deal with as he was not a talker. If I did not ask a diect question, he did not have much to say. I would ask him to give me his impressions of______ and the answer would be fairly short. He is kind of dead-pan, but was very helpful and genuinely appreciative of my order. Their turn around time now is about 11-12 days even on custom orders. He told me that this was due to not having any police orders at the moment.

Monday I send him some pants for size and the order should ship back in less than two weeks. :clapping:

One thing I would point out is that a deposit puts you in the production schedule even though there may be question still unanswered. This buys your place in line. This is why he was able to gaurantee such a turn around time even though he does not have my pants yet.

 

[madmike2]

Congratulations!!! I love mine....and don't leave home without them.

Here's hoping you NEVER have to use them and you get many great years of service from the outfit.

 

[painman]

Jekirby, I have the AirMesh Kevlar jacket waist cut in black. As well as matching pants. This gear is undoubtably unsurpassed by any IMO. I would "love" to have the streach Kevlar as this is some of the softest material I've seen and to be protective is unbelievable. The AirMesh jacket has this material on the collar and later on I would love to have the police setup for the cooler time of year. Haven't had the opportunity yet to wear my gear in the "hot" temps experienced in NorCal but I have no doubts the black material I have will be fine. It is somewhat heavier than any other I've worn in black but it does flow air fine. I would even be comfortable wearing a tank top and boxers under this in the heat of the day with no worries. Congratulations on a wise choice. PM. <><

 

[vabrzn]

Congradulations on the new gear! I'm close to replacing my 10+ year old Tourmaster stuff, which has served me well, and never heard of Cycleport. I'll check thier stuff out. I'm seriously considering something Hiviz, although I don't really want to look like a mutant lemon coming down the road.

 

[jekirby]

Congradulations on the new gear! I'm close to replacing my 10+ year old Tourmaster stuff, which has served me well, and never heard of Cycleport. I'll check thier stuff out. I'm seriously considering something Hiviz, although I don't really want to look like a mutant lemon coming down the road.

FWIW, the hiviz in the mesh is not really bright yellow. Because it is mesh and the mesh lining is black, it looks anything between butterscotch pudding to green although it is mostly the cameras used make it look green. It is brighter than black. The stretch kevlar material is bright yellow. That's why I considered hiviz stretch panels on the mesh garmet, but one reviewer on advrider.com/org conplained that it faded quite quickly. I had worked in the outdoor adventure sports industry for many years and that is an issue for most these bright colors. I can imagine the kevalr material not being too color fast. But I am going from the experiences with 10 year old technology. The website recommends 303 protectant. This stuff really works, we sold it by the gallons--same concept as armorall, but with many more or better uv stabilizers. I hate to admit it, but some of teh environments I would be in off the bike won't allow me to use some of the brighter colors in either the jacket or pant. I am compensating with reflective bits on the bike. Alex and his cool luggage reflectors , hyper lights and the like. I have been wearing nothing but black leather for years, so it was not like I was giving up something I was used to-in terms of the bright color. I mentioned to him that I need a conservative garment and I was considering a black mesh with gray stretch panels for temp reasons but after his take on that I stuck with all black, but with the reflective stripes.

I found out that you really have to call. I read about the short comings of the website and thought it was ok, but found out that a lot of the photos are not the right garmet or prototypes or have features that he will no longer offer for some reason or another. Wayne said he tends to be out of the office on Thursdays but my second follow up call was this Thursday and his staff answered with an affimirmative on one option I wanted based on a photo. On Friday when I placed the order he corrected the info I had gotten previously. I am not criticizing them at all, but you do need to call and talk to him.

 

[Toecutter]

In the super-hot, especially when moving, I find the mesh to be cooler than bare skin exposed to sunshine and engine heat.

Wish they made a mesh helmet....

 

[jekirby]

In the super-hot, especially when moving, I find the mesh to be cooler than bare skin exposed to sunshine and engine heat.
Wish they made a mesh helmet....

Probably because the kevlar shields you from the uv while not conducting heat to your skin whereas bare skin absorbs the radiated energy directly. By the way Mr. Cutter....have you ever noticed taning or burning under the mesh with just a tee shirt on? I have had several bouts/close calls with melanoma and did not even consider that uv would not be blocked all that much. That ain't my olive skin in my avitar. B)

 

[dcarver]

I'm a whisker away from ordering CP too. Let us know how it fits?

 

[mfletch69]

Ordered the Air Mesh Kevlar pants and jacket today...MAN, THAT STUFF AIN'T CHEAP!!! :dribble:

 

[jekirby]

Rumor has it that there is going to be a pretty significant price increase around about now.

 

[madmike2]

Ordered the Air Mesh Kevlar pants and jacket today...MAN, THAT STUFF AIN'T CHEAP!!! :dribble:

Have you priced skin grafts lately?

My Cycleport Gear was crash-tested...just for the good of the FJR community...

...and it really works!

 

[ian]

I bought the Ulta II mesh jacket and pants a month ago but haven't worn it much. I'm heading south (from Iowa) to Arkansas tomorrow. The weather is going to be in the 30's to 60's. I think I'll wear my old two piece Stitch as I'm not sure how warm the MotoPort suit is. So far, I HATE the liner and am going to try a FrogTog rain suit underneath. Ian, Iowa

 

[mfletch69]

Have you priced skin grafts lately?

No...and I am hoping I won't have too. Thus the purchase.

 

[Toecutter]

So far, I HATE the liner and am going to try a FrogTog rain suit underneath.

I don't wear the liner as a liner, but as a layer, especially the pants. I've even removed the snap loops from the sleeves and pant legs. I put the thing on over my insulating (usually fleece) layer, then hop into the mesh. Warm as toast!

I currently have the upper zipped into the coat, but only when I don't expect to remove it during the day....

Have you priced skin grafts lately?

No...and I am hoping I won't have too. Thus the purchase.

I was boasting about some excessive velocity I experienced on the way to work today, and my co-worker commented that "If you fell down at that speed, you would just turn to powder." I corrected him. I didn't argue any when he said "You're crazy!"

Of course I'm crazy. You say that like it's a bad thing....

 

[jekirby]

I bought the Ulta II mesh jacket and pants a month ago but haven't worn it much. I'm heading south (from Iowa) to Arkansas tomorrow. The weather is going to be in the 30's to 60's. I think I'll wear my old two piece Stitch as I'm not sure how warm the MotoPort suit is. So far, I HATE the liner and am going to try a FrogTog rain suit underneath. Ian, Iowa

I bought the liners with my jacket and pant set.

Here lately we have had anything from 20's to 70's so I got to really see what worked and what did not. I bought the jacket wind/rain liner to use 1-as a rain jacket- I figure that it is easy enough to put liner on and qickly slip jacket over top; and 2-as wind blocking in temps <55. Fall and winter, I will leave liner in jacket all the time.

The pant liner will never get used as a rain pant but as, once again a windproof layer when temps are say <35. Other than that I won't use it, unless oh I don't know I start out in the rain and expect hours of such-probibly won't happen. I've found i don't need it except for the extreme and it cost about the same or less than gore, or other equivalent, windstopper fleece pants.

On the go, I will either use nothing if it looks like I will ride through it quickly or a rain pant quickly pulled over my riding pants.

I've said it before, no matter how highly Wayne thinks of Thermoloft, I have much more efficient, in terms of insulation vs bulk, insluating garments.

 

[painman]

I'm using the MotoPort Air-Mesh waist cut jacket and pants in black with the reflective stripe, which it comes with and I love the liners. They are soft, breathable as advertized and suppose to keep the water and wind out. And the "big" point here is the rain liners "breathe" where as rain gear does not and Gortex is not easy to wear either IMO. The lowest temps I've worn the gear in was 29 degrees and that was with the Thermoloft and rain liners with longjohns. Now I did feel like the Michelin Man but was comfortable. I would reccomend electric vests, gloves, etc for anything under 30 degrees though mainly so your not all bulky. And I agree with jekirby Thermoloft is not a big deal and doesn't seem to offer up that much insulation.

I have not tested this gear in a real rain yet but feel there should be no problems. And on cool mornings I usually just wear a long sleeve shirt under the rain liner in the jacket with no liners in the pants and stay comfy. Only on cold mornings do I wear the liners in the pants. They are real easy to take out and fold up nicely and compactly to put away on the bike. So, really I don't see what there's not to like about the liner? And like Toe said using it as a layer works great as well.

I've got a closet full of riding gear and each has its own purpose but have found the MotoPort gear to be the best yet and best also because I now carry only "one" set of riding gear. Only small complaint is the cuffs on the jacket are somewhat bulky but not an issue.

I use to wear the Joe Rocket Ballistic 6.0 jacket and 5.0 pants and I bought them to use in the rain and it stated in the ads they were "100% rain proof". But found out they were only rain "resistant", and that was in the middle of the Nevada desert at sundown on the way to Park City in a major thunder cell with nowhere to pull off the road, and what could you do if you did, gulp.

So if anyone has a better idea for a liner that is not bulky and is not a second set of gear, I'm open....

PM. <>< :aarambo:

 

[Toecutter]

Only small complaint is the cuffs on the jacket are somewhat bulky but not an issue.

Did you get the latest version of impact padding, with the impact-activated mesh exo-skin on it? Wayne told me some of the cuffs have to be let out to fit the extra thickness of the padding.

 

[ian]

Thanks guys, I never thought of putting on the liners as a seperate layer. I'll have to give that a try. What's a good brand of fleece to wear under the jacket? Ian, Iowa

Wetter than hell in MO today, too wet for the twisties!

 

[Toecutter]

What's a good brand of fleece to wear under the jacket?

I wear fleece top and bottom and in different weights, but brand is a low priority. I have a very light North Face jacket, all the way up to a 300 weight, and my favorite winter pants are some Scott snowmobile pants, but I also have some 300 weight pants for really cold work, along with a base layer and some fleece socks.

In summer, I run microfiber full-length garments under the mesh (Dockers pants and an FJR Forum fund-raiser shirt), to keep the blow-dryer effect from taking away the cooling perspiration too quickly, which is a sure-fire path to heat stroke.

If you select shirt photo #6, I'll even autograph it free at NAFO!