Warm weather gear

[J.P.]

First off, I apologize if this is a common question, but if it's any consolation, I did search, and if you know of a thread, please feel free to point me in that direction...

So, with that said, I was considering getting a warm weather jacket, but there's so much out there, I don't know what to get. For the most part, as long as the temp is around 80-85ish and I'm moving, I have no problems wearing my leather and keeping the vents open. But, here in MN, July and August aren't that cool all the time.

So, I'm looking for reviews on mesh type jackets (like the Joe Rocket Phoenix or similar) and convertible type jackets (like the Joe Rocket Alter Ego or similar). Oh, and for those that would recommend Aerostich or similar gear, I am happy with my leather for all other times except for when it's really hot, so they are a little too expensive for a lesser used jacket. The questions I have are:

1. Which jacket do you own?

2. Does it seem well built?

3. How is riding in it in REALLY hot weather (90ish+ with/without humidity)

4. Have you ever crashed with the warm weather jacket on? If so, what were the details of your crash (high/lowside, approximate speed, etc... ), and did anything happen to you after the crash (roadrash or anything?) and how did the jacket hold up?

5. For those with a convertible jacket, have you ever ridden in the rain with it, and if so, how does it perform? Truly waterproof?

6. Worn any other jackets of these types? If so, what was your opinion of those?

7. Is there anything else you can add that I might not have asked?

Thanks in advance!

J.P.

 

[juniorfjr]

The only jacket I use is a Joe Rocket Alter Ego. My wife and I both use them, they work well for us. By packing the liner, outside layer and a hydration vest, I am pretty much covered from cold rain to scorching heat. Pretty well built, no problems after 3 years of use. Except maybe mine has shrunk a little in the closet every winter.

 

[Mike-H]

Just make sure that whatever jacket you buy does not have any polypropylene in it.... I only mention this because a lot of mesh jackets seem to & this being a form of plastic will melt under heat (friction) (the big slide for life if you will).....& we all know that can turn ugly really quickly..... uke: .....

 

[FuzzyRider]

1. Which jacket do you own?

Fieldsheer Mach II

2. Does it seem well built?

Extremely well built - mesh in most areas but light weight perfed leather covering armor on the forearms, elbows, and spine. Also there is shoulder armor but it's under mesh. The zippers are easy to operate even with gloves. The jacket looks and feels great for me.

3. How is riding in it in REALLY hot weather (90ish+ with/without humidity)

In the Dallas area I do plenty of riding in hot weather. The jacket is fine and flows a lot of air but at 100 degrees it still feels like a blast furnace because the air is so hot. That's why I don't do much riding in the summer. Still, between 90 and 100 it's manageable to me - but I have good heat tolerance.

4. Have you ever crashed with the warm weather jacket on? If so, what were the details of your crash (high/lowside, approximate speed, etc... ), and did anything happen to you after the crash (roadrash or anything?) and how did the jacket hold up?

Yep, lowside after washing out the front due to a gravel patch in an intersection. I was making a right hand turn at 20 MPH. My jeans tore and I had a real good (and bloody) scrape on my knee. My right side protected from the jacket was unscathed and apart from a little tearing of a patch on the right sleave the jacket came through unscathed.

5. For those with a convertible jacket, have you ever ridden in the rain with it, and if so, how does it perform? Truly waterproof?

My jacket's not convertible so I can't answer that.

6. Worn any other jackets of these types? If so, what was your opinion of those?

I haven't ridden with any other mesh jackets but I did try on an Olympia Airglide -

https://www.olympiamotosports.com/airglide/airglide.htm

It seemed well made and cofortable so I wouldn't hesitate to get one if I was looking for one right now.

7. Is there anything else you can add that I might not have asked?


Thanks in advance!

J.P.

Comfort comfort comfort. To me that's as important as the protection a jacket offers. I never feel like I'm having to choose between comfort and safety with my jacket and I want to keep it that way. I ALWAYS wear a jacket, boots, gloves, and a helmet when I ride - even if I'm just around around to the back of the house to park the bike in the garage.

Oh, and cool initials - I'm a J.P too...although I'm really J.P.E.

 

[IAGeezer]

I bought a Cortech GX sport, and was very pleased with it. Still am.

But it is now my middlin' temperature jacket. I spent the extra money and bought a RevIt jacket. Airvent(??) I believe. Their sizing leans towards the smaller side, I have a 40" chest and longish arms, 5'9" @ 180 lbs, and this thing fits me like a glove. Close but not tight. They are sized for fit European types, I guess, but my 50 year old Iowa self fits fine. The liner is waterproof, and comes out in a second. The jacket is cool as a jacket can be on an FJR in the 90 degree range, but you can just feel the quality of the build on this thing. The armor doesn't shift around, and that is very reassuring, because you know it will work as advertised. Check out some of the product reviews on the WebBikeWorld site.

I really recommend the RevIt jacket. Cool and safe, quality product. Quality is always worth the extra expense going in. Check ebay for deals, too.

Scott

 

[squeezer]

Tour Master Intake and Cortech GX Air Mesh both give great bang for the buck. They're both mesh jackets that use the same removable two-stage inner liner -- a thin waterproof/windproof nylon liner and a quilted insulated liner. You can use the thin liner without the quilted one, which is nice if you're touring and run into rain.

The difference between the two: The Cortech's styling is slightly sportier (though that's subjective) and uses leather on the elbows, shoulders and back. The Intake uses Cordura on the elbows, shoulders and back. Both have CE armor on shoulders, elbows and forearms.

I have the Intake and think it's a great jacket. No quality issues that I can see. Nothing matches it in the price range though you can spend more to get more. I've been very comfy in the 80's, was too cold in the mid-50's this morning until I stuck in the thin liner -- it flows a lot of air. Was fine in the upper 40's with the quilted liner. I haven't done enough miles with it in the 90's or upper 30's to make a valid judgement but I think it will be fine. I'll be wearing it across the Midwest in late July/early August.

EDIT: Stuff you asked about that I forgot to answer: I haven't crash tested it, but talked to someone who did and took a pretty long slide. Jacket was trashed but he wasn't. No road rash and the armor did its job.

I haven't worn it yet in one of those dump-tons-o-water-per-second summer storms, but I stayed dry in a 45 minute light-to-middling rain.

 

[J.P.]

Thanks guys, this is just the type of stuff I'm looking for. The most important part to me is being cool, but still feeling close to as safe as I feel wearing my Speedmaster jacket with GP armor in it, in case I have to go riding on that ever so uncomfortable slip and bleed...

IAGeezer, does the GX have hard armor in it, including the back protector?

Keep the reviews coming!

 

[squeezer]

IAGeezer, does the GX have hard armor in it, including the back protector?

The quote on armor from the write-up at newenough.com:

"The armor supplied is a hard-plastic-over-foam GP type armor that is CE rated. No upgrades necessary here!"

The back protector is triple density foam.

Check the whole newenough.com write-up here.

 

[Tim'sonDFJR]

I've got the Joe Rocket Santa Fe. I don't believe they make this style anymore. It's a poly steel (?) mesh with leather shoulders, partial leather arms, and has pads. It rides cool in the 90's, but does warm up quickly when stopped due to the leather shoulders. I liked it enough to buy 2. I was hoping the black/gray had more gray in it but it's not much different than my older black/black. If you are interested in the black/gray and wear a medium I'll let it go for $76.00 plus $12 shipping (+3.3% if pd w/Paypal). It's new never been worn and still has the tags. I think there are a few on Ebay as well.

Tim

 

[Silver Penguin]

I recently bought an Olympia Airglide II mesh jacket, available at selected BMW dealers on online. It's probably the best jacket I've ever owned. The workmanship is first class, with a lot of attention to detail. The armor is substantial for a mesh jacket but unobtrusive while wearing the jacket.

The wind/waterproof liner is styled to be worn as a casual jacket, when off the bike. I haven't worn the jacket in heavy rain, but the liner certainly keeps the chill out on cold mornings. Separating the two parts of the jacket and reassembling is easier than any other two-piece jacket I've owned.

So far, this jacket has not had any close contact with the ground, but it feels more substantial from a protection point of view than other mesh jackets.

Jill

 

[Aviator]

I wear the Olympias Airglide II. Website Clicky. I really like this coat and like you. I wanted something to keep me cool in the summer yet safe. We all have gone out in the T-Shirts but that is not the smartest thing to do.

This has a waterproof liner which works great. And trust me you have to have it in to work. Now the down fall, the waterproof liner is also the liner that keeps you warm in the winter and that works really well too. So if it is going to rain. You need to stop and think about it you want to also get warm with the liner. What I tend to do it not zip the liner up on the inside so that air still flows into on my chest.

It doesn't rain all that much here and if it does I am not usually riding or I can see the storm coming and buggy to shelter. So you can read all about it and see all the CE Armour. To answer your question about crashing in it.. . . no and I don't plan too either. Everything else with the coat is great, keeps you cool, well built and it looks cool with the blue strip to match my fast blue FJR.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Stay cool in Mesh with an evaporative vest. Works tremendously well IMO.

https://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/joe-rocket/sahara-vest/

My year round jacket is a First Gear Kilamanjaro Air.

It has taken me 40k miles without a problem, but the end of the zipper is trickier than when it was new. (seems very well built to me)

Lowsided off my DRZ at 25mph on tar (darn sand) and rolled across the road, then slid on my back into a ditch. You really can't tell by looking at the jacket that anything happened and my only injury was caused by the handlebar on my wrist. (very impressed with my crash test, but would prefer Kevlar if I was going 50 or over, but that's just a thought)

I have ridden through rain, a lot of it, and snow with the liner in. I stayed dry.

I have ridden for long distances at sub 30F and over 100F temperatures. The evaporative vest makes 95+ riding pretty pleasant for the most part.

In other words, by First Gear Kilamanjaro has proven long life, crashability and comfort in cold and hot. I love it and recommend it. A few other riders wear it too...such as Skyway and MadMike2. I'll either buy another one, or replace it with Cycleport Kevlar.

 

[kulwen]

I do not want to hijack the thread and talk about pants here. However, I just wanted to add some info.

I decided this week it was time to change my pants out for summer pants. After looking at everything local, I was discouraged by the selection in Reno, NV. I guess it is un-cool to wear pants in the Reno area. One shop had 8 pants, and over 200 jackets. The shop with the biggest selection only 12 pants, only 3 styles. So, I did my research and decided to give FirstGear mesh over pants a shot. They retail for $199, however Umotors hooked me up for $132. Umotors might be a good place to order from.

I currently use a mesh Joe Rocket jacket I purchased 4 years or so back. There is not a model anywhere on the label, but it has held up well.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Living in a predominantly HOT and HUUUUUUMID climate, I feel a special bond with mesh gear.

Whatever you purchase, helmet included, consider the difference in comfort between black-and-kewl, and silver-and-cool. I am amazed at how much black colored mesh gear is offered. Silver makes a difference, especially if you have to hang it on the bike for an hour while you go inside McDonald's for the full course cuisine.

I wear a GX-Air jacket and Fieldsheer Air Mesh pants. GF has a Fieldsheer Josie Mesh and Fieldsheer Air Mesh pants. See avatar.

My 20-something motocross friends all remarked about how sharp the GX-Air jacket looks. They don't understand pants without wearing knee braces underneath. I have to remind them that my intention is NOT to catch air anymore.

 

[Wolfhound]

If you see a few pics of an '06 FJR (Fast Blue) with Silver Shoei Helmet on it in the Olympia MotoSports catalouge advertising, it is mine ! I was invited up to Sedona, AZ to use my bike in their photo shoot. Beautiful Blonde with it some pics (Yes Women)... In return I recieved one of their Flat Tracker leather Jackets (Already owned the Airglide.

 

[dean]

aerostich, from 20 F to 100+ F. if you wear a light cotton shirt, even a long sleeve, that makes a big difference, keeping your skin separated from the nylon lining. if you are riding long distances, getting the shirt wet makes a big difference, too.

 

[HYCLE]

I have a Cortech GX Air and love it. Works for me without the liner from 60 to 105 degrees. I put the wind breaker like liner in when it got below 50 early one morning and haven't used the padded liner yet. It is silver in color with black leather armored sections.

 

[tinpusher]

I use this, Shift Racing Airborne Jacket. Works well so far. Not sure about the durability yet.

J

 

[J.P.]

Thanks for all the input guys!

I did forget to ask, even though some of you included it anyway, where did you get your gear, and how much did you pay?

I'm leaning toward the Cortech and have been reading up on evap vests in another thread, and that seems like a good combo for really hot weather...

I'm thinking probably newenough.com unless someone found a better deal elsewhere...