KLIM Updated Women’s Artemis ADV Suit Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

For its latest updates, KLIM has put great effort and attention into upgrading its industry-leading women’s motorcycling suit—the Artemis. There are other reviews out there describing the suit’s overall utility, so I will narrow in and focus on the differences and updates to the new version.

I’m a 5-foot-7-inch dual-sport rider with an athletic build. I generally wear Pods knee braces and Gaerne SG-12 boots, so I’m ready for anything on my Africa Twin. With that in mind, for me, the fitment of the new Artemis is slightly different from the first generation—in some ways better, others worse.

• The Artemis Pants

Let’s start with the pants. The first-generation Artemis felt big in the waist but fitted through the hip and thigh. In fact, it was hard to get my leg over a tall saddle unless I pulled the pants way up and cinched the waist’s Velcro. The new pants have a redesigned gusseted crotch, and although they’re still not stretchy (to remain waterproof and abrasion resistant), they are somehow easier to maneuver over a tall motorcycle seat. They do not sit as high on my waist, and I don’t need to tighten them down to keep them up forcibly. KLIM kept the durable leather inner calf panel and upgraded the Cordura to a Super Fabric knee.

I had a problem with the new fitment at the lower leg. The area just below the knee adjustment strap is roughly one inch smaller in diameter. The opening at the bottom of the pant leg is also about an inch smaller—this means I cannot fit a hardcore off-road boot in the pant leg. The gusset at the opening doesn’t unzip—it’s only about two inches of fabric, and there are snaps along the bottom hem. So, pulling the pant leg above your knee to buckle a tall boot results in a wrestling match to force the pant leg to fit over the boot in the calf area. I eventually gave up and tested it wearing knee braces and Alpinestar Toucan boots—a lower, softer, less-protective, two-buckle adventure boot. With that combo, the pants were a great fit.

Even though I’m not tall, I’m irritated by too-short moto pants that ride up like capris when I’m seated on the bike, so I like that these come in long lengths—at least up to a size 12. Why they come in sizes up to 16 as well but not in Tall for those sizes baffles me. But I trust KLIM must have their finger on the pulse, as there aren’t that many super tall women bigger than a size 12 who ride.

• The Artemis Jacket

Onto the jacket—it’s a work of art! The thoughtfulness of the changes and the resulting improvements are superb. Similar to the first-gen Artemis jacket, the cut, and adjustability lead to a really flattering silhouette on every woman I’ve ever seen in this jacket. The newer version is quite streamlined, with less bulky pockets on the front and without flaps. KLIM designers also modified the “belt” area so that it’s a continuous strap running through a channel on the back to give contour and adjustability all the way around.

The first gen was only adjustable on the sides and didn’t pull in the back panel at all. The newer “belt” is also easier to adjust. Another wonderful upgrade, thanks to rider feedback, is the cuff. The edge of the sleeve cuffs now has a leather edge, improving the jacket’s durability. The wrist opening was formerly somewhat restrictive and only had Velcro to make it tighter, nothing to make it looser. The new jacket has a brilliant two-way zipper that allows a rider to fit an armored glove through the sleeve opening, zip it snugly around a low gauntlet, but then lower another zipper on the same track to open a forearm vent. The zippers are all waterproof, and overall, this is a much more functional arrangement than the first version.

And let’s hear it for what KLIM calls the “cross core vents.” These are brilliant under-the-boob vents (UBVs). The biceps and back panel also have large, zippered vents that provide good airflow—especially when standing and not blocked by the windscreen. However, having ridden pillion, I can say the venting is insufficient if you’re behind a pilot. The UBVs on the new jacket are roughly one inch smaller than the predecessor, unfortunately. And given the full Gore-Tex nature of this suit, I would still call it a three-season kit, but I’m thinking fall, winter, and spring—at least in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. It’s incredibly hot for summer riding if you’re doing any amount of physical work—especially noticeable off-roading at slow speeds. The vents just can’t keep up without road-speed airflow. Overall, the fabric is too thick, with too many linings and layers to be comfortable while sweating. But for mostly road speeds, with lots of different climates/weather, and occasional off-road sojourns, then this is an incredible all-in-one suit.

MOLLE-style attachments on both the right upper chest and pant legs are a major improvement. This tells me KLIM really does have safety in mind, as it’s a great location for a rider’s Spot tracker, two-way radio, etc. With a chest-strapped hydration pack on, a rider could wear both without much interference. It also adds a visual element of toughness to an otherwise elegant-looking motorcycle garment. KLIM also improved safety by the addition of Superfabric ceramic overlays on shoulders, elbows, and knees.

The fitment appears to have changed slightly. As with the pants, some changes worked better for my body type, some worse. Measuring two generations of jackets side by side, I noticed that the hem at the back is about 1.5 inches shorter and roughly .25 inch shorter in the front on the new version. I noticed (not in a good way) that the collar opening is roughly 1.25 inches smaller making it uncomfortably tight with a lightweight neck buff on and the collar closed. One jacket fitment improvement for me was a longer gusseted section on the back panels. Located roughly alongside each shoulder blade, for such a beautifully form-fitting jacket, I could still stretch my arms fully forward and felt no binding or restriction of movement. From the way the back, shoulders, and armpits are constructed, a broad-shouldered rider doesn’t have to give up the beautiful hugging lines of this jacket to go to a bigger size just to make it fully functional.

Well done KLIM! Please keep innovating and considering all shapes and sizes of women when making your technical riding gear.

KLIM.com

MSRP: Jacket: $769 | Pants: $599

PROS:

• Durable
• Form-fitting but moves with your body
• Tons of useful/thoughtful features

CONS:

• Too warm for slow speed off-road
• Calf and ankle openings too tight for enduro boots

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