eurofjr
Member
I use my full leather jacket (vented) with an evaporative cooling vest (Silver Eagle outfitters) up until about 105 degrees (sustained). Above that I switch to my mesh/armored jacket, with the vest, in order to benefit from more airflow.
Yesterday, driving through the Mojave desert (hwy 395 to Adelanto, CA) it hit 104 degrees and I was pretty comfortable wearing my Cortech Coaster (full leather), leather pants, mesh/armored Cortech summer gloves, leather boots, and the cooling vest. Of course, all the vents were open on the jacket. I was fine while riding although I started getting warm when traffic stopped for a few minutes or more. Again, I figured 105 is a nice number to make the switch to the mesh jacket (Joe Rocket Phoenix).
Also, I have a Shoei X-11, which has great airflow. I have considered one of those evaporative cooling head wraps, but have yet to go there. I prefer to keep the moisture off the skin as that tends to suck water from the body. That is one reason I went with the vest, as opposed to the wet shirt (which I used to do). After getting the vest fully doused with water, I gently squeeze it to get the excess water out and then wipe the inside (gently) with a towel or something to remove the standing moisture inside the vest. After all that, the inside of the vest will actually feel fairly dry to the touch - not at all like the wet-shirt feeling.
With the improved airflow of the mesh jacket, I should be even cooler, although I expect that the vest will need increased maintenance (water) in order to retain the cooling effect. Also, about the cooling vests, it is better to stop and replenish more often, than not, in order to prevent the possibility of drying it out and having it perform as warm air insulation -- keeping in warm air instead of cool air. As you can probably tell, the vest is a relatively new thing for me and I have yet to use it with my mesh jacket. Yesterday, I re-wet my vest after about two hours, although I'm not sure it really needed it at that point.
As strange as some find it, I actually prefer riding in my leather pants (black, of course), as opposed to jeans or the sort, during the hot summer. To me, the leather does wonders in keeping me from feeling the heat from the engine... which is why I really haven't ever experienced "FJR engine heat." This is from riding in Texas during the summer and my daily 124-mile, round-trip commute across the Mojave desert (Helendale, CA to Ft. Irwin and back). I suppose good riding pants (Stich or something like that) would work just as well.
Jim.
Yesterday, driving through the Mojave desert (hwy 395 to Adelanto, CA) it hit 104 degrees and I was pretty comfortable wearing my Cortech Coaster (full leather), leather pants, mesh/armored Cortech summer gloves, leather boots, and the cooling vest. Of course, all the vents were open on the jacket. I was fine while riding although I started getting warm when traffic stopped for a few minutes or more. Again, I figured 105 is a nice number to make the switch to the mesh jacket (Joe Rocket Phoenix).
Also, I have a Shoei X-11, which has great airflow. I have considered one of those evaporative cooling head wraps, but have yet to go there. I prefer to keep the moisture off the skin as that tends to suck water from the body. That is one reason I went with the vest, as opposed to the wet shirt (which I used to do). After getting the vest fully doused with water, I gently squeeze it to get the excess water out and then wipe the inside (gently) with a towel or something to remove the standing moisture inside the vest. After all that, the inside of the vest will actually feel fairly dry to the touch - not at all like the wet-shirt feeling.
With the improved airflow of the mesh jacket, I should be even cooler, although I expect that the vest will need increased maintenance (water) in order to retain the cooling effect. Also, about the cooling vests, it is better to stop and replenish more often, than not, in order to prevent the possibility of drying it out and having it perform as warm air insulation -- keeping in warm air instead of cool air. As you can probably tell, the vest is a relatively new thing for me and I have yet to use it with my mesh jacket. Yesterday, I re-wet my vest after about two hours, although I'm not sure it really needed it at that point.
As strange as some find it, I actually prefer riding in my leather pants (black, of course), as opposed to jeans or the sort, during the hot summer. To me, the leather does wonders in keeping me from feeling the heat from the engine... which is why I really haven't ever experienced "FJR engine heat." This is from riding in Texas during the summer and my daily 124-mile, round-trip commute across the Mojave desert (Helendale, CA to Ft. Irwin and back). I suppose good riding pants (Stich or something like that) would work just as well.
Jim.
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