New riding gear— what’s best for year round now

[graydude]

Time to replace my 13 year old motoport/cycle port gear.  I want to move away from mesh as I’m tired of stopping and rain suiting up. What’s best now for all season riding rinding?  I live in the desert but ride all over. Not price sensitive as I’m looking for another ten year run. Crash protection and versatility are the two biggest wants. I appreciate any thoughts

[Rinkydink]

I lean towards the Aerostitch Darien Jacket. 

[Scott9999]

I picked up one of these (Tourmaster Horizon Line Ridgecrest Men's Riding Jacket).  3 layers, so you can layer up to "waterproof", or go all the way down to just micro mesh.  There's a newer release that I liked better, but just couldn't find much in stock unless I went up to the $600+ price range (funny, there seemed to be all kinds of those things available, but not the $250 to $400 one's like Tourmasters).  I was also focused on High Vis, and this isn't ideal, but isn't bad either.   I ordered both a 3XL and 3XL Tall, and ended up keeping the tall.  I was kind of between sizes, i.e. the 3XL fit pretty well as far as arm length, but felt tight across the chest.  The 3LX Tall fit well in all regards, but seemed a little "too tall", i.e. the shoulder and body armor seemed slightly too low.  After I got the regular one in, and put them side by side, adjusted retention straps, and such, the 3XL tall was close to the mark.

 

So, not only is protection and versatility your target, but fitment impacts both of those, and no two jacket brands, or even models of the same brand, will fit the same.  That was why Amazon and Revzilla were my "go to" first choice sources.  Easy return.  I was able to buy two, compare fit, and return one.   I may be one of the unlucky one's, but that's the only way I believe you could get a good fit, short of shopping at a store (cyclegear is a good one, but their in-store brand selection seemed limited to the couple that they have promotion deals with).   I'm pretty happy with this one, but I've only had it out on a couple of rides.  Fitment, quality, look, functionality, and price, all hit the mark.   It was about $240 everywhere, but again, size selections were limited.

 

FYI: I did have to buy an after market CE-2 back protector, since all Tourmaster provided was a foam filler.   This one was absolutely excellent for $20!   This was my review.

 

 

[realshelby]

I suspect you have had the best all around gear you will find. If I could only have one suit, it would be my MotoPort kevlar mesh. I have had 3 Aerostich suits, numerous Olympia suits. Each has a place they are perfect for. 

Non mesh is simply uncomfortable in hot weather. Solid gear does not vent well on bikes like RT's. Even on ADV bikes I don't wear it when it is hot. 

How much of your riding time are you actually in rain? I say that because the discomfort of hot gear being worn because you don't want to put on rain gear far outweighs the hassle of putting on rain gear ( my opinion ). 

In my perfect world I have my mesh for hot weather. I have my Aerostich and Olympia for temps under 70. Always have rain gear with me regardless. 

 

If I have to fall off my bike, I hope I am in my MotoPort Kevlar gear. (BTW, the MotoPort rain liners are simply the best performing liners at keeping me dry I have ever used)

[strataj]

It's nice to see all the mentions for MotoPort!  I have a Ultra II stretch Kevlar that I just can't let go.  Plus a Ultra II air mesh Kevlar, outstanding!!!  But like you I didn't like stopping taking the suit off to put on liners.  I got an Aerostitch Darien suit, I'm happy, but still wear the Motoport, I feel it give the best protection.  Besides we all know if you put on the rain liners it won't rain  

[MontanaMark]

Last year I bought an Olympia mesh jacket with the two extra layers, rain and quilted.  The thing I like the best about it is the rain liner.  It's designed to either zip into the jacket or, get this(!), wear OVER the mesh shell.  So, if rain comes a-calling, just slip the liner over the whole thing and your good to go.  It also works as a wind breaker when over the shell.  It will keep a cool wind off you when you really don't need a warm layer.   I also use it as a camp jacket.

 

I had an opportunity to verify that the rain liner really works last year when I rode from Coeur d Alene to Helena in a total, side-ways rainstorm.  The only thing that got wet were my Tourmaster gloves - but then, I wouldn't expect ANY gloves to stand up to the torrent that I rode through.

 

I know you said you didn't want mesh gear, but I just thought I'd offer my take.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[graydude]

Thanks for the input gentlemen.  I sat in on the presentation at last years BMW MOA in Great Falls put on by the guy who manufactures LD riding underwear. His premise is to stay cool you have to keep the wind off you. Consequently mesh gear is a no no according to him.  Made a lot of sense. I have had good success using the Warm and Safe rain proof heated jacket. It works well in mild temps as it’s rather temperature neutral and I simply dial up the heat with the wireless controller. Good system for fall and winter. It’s the summer I’m working on. We all know  the days of riding in 90 degrees towards a thunderhead that is always in front of you. I’m looking for a systems where I can just zip up and go through it. I’m a big guy so putting rain gear over my mesh is not possible as they don’t make high visibility tents. So I have to stop, dis robe, etc….

[Scott9999]

7 hours ago, realshelby said:

I suspect you have had the best all around gear you will find. If I could only have one suit, it would be my MotoPort kevlar mesh. I have had 3 Aerostich suits, numerous Olympia suits. Each has a place they are perfect for. 

Non mesh is simply uncomfortable in hot weather. Solid gear does not vent well on bikes like RT's. Even on ADV bikes I don't wear it when it is hot. 

How much of your riding time are you actually in rain? I say that because the discomfort of hot gear being worn because you don't want to put on rain gear far outweighs the hassle of putting on rain gear ( my opinion ). 

In my perfect world I have my mesh for hot weather. I have my Aerostich and Olympia for temps under 70. Always have rain gear with me regardless. 

 

If I have to fall off my bike, I hope I am in my MotoPort Kevlar gear. (BTW, the MotoPort rain liners are simply the best performing liners at keeping me dry I have ever used)

Yeah, my mind didn't mentally process "Motoport", i.e. that (formerly) San Marcos based company.  That IS the very best stuff.  I lived a few miles way, but never could afford it (kids, college, single income, all the normal excuses 😒).   What I suggested doesn't hold a candle to either the protection or quality of a custom made suit from Motoport.  Why not go back to them?  At least, give 'em a call as a former customer, explain what you're looking for (i.e. all season suit), and see what they recommend?

 

I've seen some neat, highly recommended (and also expensive, of course) all season touring suits, but I doubt they can match what you could get from Motoport.   Maybe something like this:

https://www.motoport.com/product/ultra-trek-cordura-suit/

 

 

You could always add layers underneath for colder weather, i.e. some of the better cold season ski/snow underware.

 

Edit:  On second thought, when I can look like guy modeling that suit while wearing it, damik, I'm buying it no matter what the cost!  He's gotta have a 34 in waist, something I ain't had since I was 30 years old.   🤣🤣🤣

[Twisties]

On 4/26/2022 at 10:34 AM, graydude said:

His premise is to stay cool you have to keep the wind off you. Consequently mesh gear is a no no according to him.  Made a lot of sense.

Makes absolutely no sense at all to me.  Just saying.  

 

Yes, I've heard this advocated many times before, and comparisons to Saudis, and all.  Still makes absolutely no sense at all.  In fact, it's contrary to everything we know of physics and physiology.  

[Sailorlite]

These days I too am inclined to forego the mesh gear, and if it's going to rain I'll put on any needed rain gear.  I don't see how 95F air flowing through mesh can actually cool me (well, maybe a little air though open zips).   To me the answer is either BMW Rallye plus rain gear or simply Darien. 

My riding is generally in low humidity weather - does high humidity make mesh more attractive?  

[Jake]

1 hour ago, Twisties said:

Makes absolutely no sense at all to me.  Just saying.  

 

Yes, I've heard this advocated many times before, and comparisons to Saudis, and all.  Still makes absolutely no sense at all.  In fact, it's contrary to everything we know of physics and physiology.  

 

And psychrometrics.

 

37 minutes ago, Sailorlite said:

These days I too am inclined to forego the mesh gear, and if it's going to rain I'll put on any needed rain gear.  I don't see how 95F air flowing through mesh can actually cool me (well, maybe a little air though open zips).   To me the answer is either BMW Rallye plus rain gear or simply Darien. 

My riding is generally in low humidity weather - does high humidity make mesh more attractive?  

 

We are all seeking evaporative cooling on hot days.  That works better in a low humidity environment.  There is truth to the adage "It's a dry heat."   In a high humidity environment the air is saturated with water vapor, therefore water (sweat) is less able to pull heat from its surface in order to evaporate.  More water vapor = less air.  One can read up on "latent heat" to learn more about this.  Keeping wind off your skin to stay cooler seems like bad advice if that means one has impeded the process of evaporation.  Fortunately, most of us are clothed in Gore-Tex or a functioning substitute, so likely not an issue.

 

Just don't get dehydrated, or you're cooked.

 

I find that my old-ass black perforated leather Vanson jacket is the most comfortable/cooling jacket I own on the real hot Florida summer days.  It's cooler than my BMW Airflow, BMW Savannah, Aerostich Darien, and Rukka Airpower.  I've never packed it on longer trips because I have no matching pants and endeavor to be fashionable above all else.  :-)

 

[Skywagon]

On 4/26/2022 at 11:34 AM, graydude said:

His premise is to stay cool you have to keep the wind off you.

 

Wrong.... you go airtight in Texas heat of 100+ and humidity of 95+ with no wind...you'll keel over.  Ask yourself when you are working outside if a fan helps or hurts.  Yes there are times when the air is like a furnace, but no wind is worse.  He probably lives on the west coast...  Come to Houston in July-August.  Ride for a couple of hours with no wind and then with wind.  Tell me how you feel afterwards.  Jake is right about water.  Drink a lot.  Pour it over your head and clothes for cooling.

[Mellow]

1 hour ago, Skywagon said:

 

Wrong.... you go airtight in Texas heat of 100+ and humidity of 95+ with no wind...you'll keel over.  Ask yourself when you are working outside if a fan helps or hurts.  Yes there are times when the air is like a furnace, but no wind is worse.  He probably lives on the west coast...  Come to Houston in July-August.  Ride for a couple of hours with no wind and then with wind.  Tell me how you feel afterwards.  Jake is right about water.  Drink a lot.  Pour it over your head and clothes for cooling.

Not to mention you're behind a big fairing so you don't get as much air flow as you'd think... I'm all mesh except for winter.

[Hosstage]

It seems a tank top, gym shorts and flip flops work just fine for me in the heat.....

Just kidding. I wear boots. Safety first!

[KDeline]

On 5/13/2022 at 11:17 AM, Twisties said:

Makes absolutely no sense at all to me.  Just saying.  

 

Yes, I've heard this advocated many times before, and comparisons to Saudis, and all.  Still makes absolutely no sense at all.  In fact, it's contrary to everything we know of physics and physiology.  

It makes sense only if the air temperature is higher then body temperature. Like wind chill factor there is what I call wind heat factor. You are cooler behind a fairing and windproof gear going high speeds in 100 plus air. In death valley I ducked behind the fairing, zipped up my gear, then pulled off a glove and stuck it in the airstream. Hand got a blast of heat. I was hot behind the shield but not blasted.

[realshelby]

I have ridden in high temps a lot. I consider the advice to not wear mesh in high temps to be absolutely wrong. I have the gear that is claimed to work and have tried several times to make that work. Mesh keeps me more alert and more comfortable. 

 

What most people fail to do is hydrate. And that may be what the cult that would ban mesh gear isn't doing enough of. 

[Sailorlite]

I find that I'm more comfortable wearing the conventional non-mesh gear when temps are over around 95F.  The "avoid the hot air blast" theory appeals to me.

[Mellow]

4 hours ago, realshelby said:

I have ridden in high temps a lot. I consider the advice to not wear mesh in high temps to be absolutely wrong. I have the gear that is claimed to work and have tried several times to make that work. Mesh keeps me more alert and more comfortable. 

 

What most people fail to do is hydrate. And that may be what the cult that would ban mesh gear isn't doing enough of. 

Yup, we're behind good sized fairings/dashes/WINDshields.. so you aren't really getting a direct blast of hot air.  In fact, it can be very calm and quiet on the RT..   I have mesh and full textile and Mesh is my go-to unless it's going to be a cold ride or wet ride.  I also have a camelbak and is definitely the most important part of the equation - in my opinion.  Your body knows how to cool itself and it needs fuel to do that... water but also some hydration drinks are ok.. but water is the number 1 priority... even in the cold..  AFTER that, you look at your region, specific bike wind protection and your acceptable comfort level.  There's no one answer works for everyone, I prefer to have options.

[KDeline]

5 hours ago, realshelby said:

And that may be what the cult that would ban mesh gear isn't doing enough of. 

Cult? Ban mesh gear? 

[Scott9999]

Re-reading this thread, I have to chuckle, and tell the story (that I've told and written before; sorry if this is a repeat for anyone).

 

My wife finally moved from "dead set against anything motorcycle" to deciding that she wanted to do 2-up riding, after she found out two friends at church regularly went on rides with their husband, and wanted to join in.  So, we invested in helmets and some upper body armor (I waited on lowers until she was more committed), and went on a couple of rides.  Now, both of these men road Honda wings, which was fine.  They led these rides, and that was OK, too.  They were former Navy senior enlisted guys, still working as civilians on a local San Diego area military base, but I was a former officer.  Well, that was fine by me, but not particularly fine with them, so we kind of got along like oil and water.

 

So, to the crux of the matter:  We all took some local trips, in the California summer, that inevitably means desert rides, or even if riding along the coast, high humidity with SoCal heat.   They took a rather "sedate" pace.  Well, I don't want to push anyone faster than they want to ride.   But hey, do we REALLY need to stop at every stop sign for two minutes, and travel at 25 MPH on the flats?  My wife and I road ATGATT (well, as I just said earlier, jeans for her).   They liked light pants, even shorts, T-shirts, and open face helmets.  Their wives were similarly dressed.  Everyone was having a grand old, parading time, except my wife and me, who were sweltering in the sauna of our full face masks, and body armor.  So, after the second riding trip, I had to tell my wife "No mas, No mas!!"   I needed a little bit of speed, a bit of fun in the twisties, and I needed to ride with riders who gave a damn about everyone else in the group.

 

So, "mesh" or "no  mesh" ain't as important as the style, of how one rides, and in particular, how the group rides.  🙄😏  The layered approach seems to be the best touring option, since you can ride with the bare, protective, mesh exterior, or add rain protection or warmth depending on the conditions encountered.   +1 to hydration, which is probably the real key to staying cool.  Your body can't sweat if it's devoid of excess moisture, and it can't sweat if your attire can't breath.   Those are pretty much universal facts.

[realshelby]

6 hours ago, KDeline said:

Cult? Ban mesh gear? 

If you had seen some of the replies I have gotten over the years because I dare dispute what a few self proclaimed experts preach.........

You would easily understand my Cult statement!

 

I don't have the particular college degree to give fancy details. But 105 degree air will in fact cool your body. Study up on evaporative cooling. If you have sweat dripping off you ( good for you as you are still hydrated) then you are not getting the full cooling your body is trying to get. But if you can get air to that sweat, and cause it to evaporate, the cooling effect even with air temperature well above our body temps is quite substantial. Moving air over water can drop temperatures a sizeable amount. Same effect as evaporative vests, large evaporative coolers. 

[konacyclist]

I ride in an Aerostitch Roadcrafter Classic two piece with LD Comfort base layer top and bottom. When it gets below 50F, I add an AeroStitch Wind Blocker fleece top and pants too when it gets below 40F. I live in Sacramento, CA and it can get really hot in the summer (triple digits). I have a BMW Airflow outfit (jacket, pants, boots & gloves) that works well in a narrow temperature range, say 70F - 90F. Below 70F it gets too cold, above 90F it allows too much hot air in. My Roadcrafter two piece worn with thoroughly dampened LD Comfort top sleeves and jacket arm cuffs loose to allow air to flow up your jacket sleeves is actually more comfortable in really hot conditions than my Airflow mesh gear. Watch this presentation: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi6pa7Am-73AhUJDkQIHQbCDUYQtwJ6BAgIEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fne-np.facebook.com%2F100065598125346%2Fvideos%2Fmario-winkelman-presents-at-the-bmw-moa-international-rally-how-to-ride-in-the-h%2F202897231836961%2F&usg=AOvVaw3QXRdyrETiOQYiGm6itWLT

It actually works like Mario says.

[KDeline]

4 hours ago, konacyclist said:

I ride in an Aerostitch Roadcrafter Classic two piece with LD Comfort base layer top and bottom. When it gets below 50F, I add an AeroStitch Wind Blocker fleece top and pants too when it gets below 40F. I live in Sacramento, CA and it can get really hot in the summer (triple digits). I have a BMW Airflow outfit (jacket, pants, boots & gloves) that works well in a narrow temperature range, say 70F - 90F. Below 70F it gets too cold, above 90F it allows too much hot air in. My Roadcrafter two piece worn with thoroughly dampened LD Comfort top sleeves and jacket arm cuffs loose to allow air to flow up your jacket sleeves is actually more comfortable in really hot conditions than my Airflow mesh gear. Watch this presentation: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi6pa7Am-73AhUJDkQIHQbCDUYQtwJ6BAgIEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fne-np.facebook.com%2F100065598125346%2Fvideos%2Fmario-winkelman-presents-at-the-bmw-moa-international-rally-how-to-ride-in-the-h%2F202897231836961%2F&usg=AOvVaw3QXRdyrETiOQYiGm6itWLT

It actually works like Mario says.

That’s exactly what we were wearing when we went through Death Valley, the 90s version of the heavy one piece roadcrafter. Zipped up completely other than the under arm vents slightly cracked open and the sleeves to allow for controlled air and flow. Too slow to blast but enough for evaporative cooling. I have the same problem with my BMW airflow suit, above 95 and all I get is too much hot wind blast through the mesh.