Recommendation on all-season jacket

[MattP]

Looking to buy my first real piece of riding gear and wanted input from you all. I live outside of Austin, Texas, ride about 10k miles a year on an RT. Looking for a good all-around jacket. A little cold-weather riding, but more moderate and some hot. Looking to spend about $200 or less. THANKS!!!!

[EffBee]

Olympia Airglide if you like a shorter sport cut, or Olympia Bushwhacker if you like 3/4-length. Under $250. Yes, that's more than you said you wanted to spend, but they are worth it. The liners are waterproof, warm, and have a nice collar to hold in the warmth on cold days.

 

If you absolutely HAVE to stay under $200, then a Tour Master GX-Air or Flex Jacket will meet your hot weather needs, although they don't have much of a collar to seal in your body's warmth in the cold. Both have waterproof warmth liners.

[90RedRider]

I would suggest British Motorcycle Gear. Being under 6 ft. I prefer a jacket rather than a 3/4 coat style. BMG has a Mercury jacket that is lighter weight outer material so it is very comfortable and moves better with you than a heavier 600 style cordura IMO. Jacket has a very good thermal liner that is removable. Price was over $250. But spend the money and have a good jacket rather than keep buying and trying to find the right one at lesser price. Saves money in the long run. I am 5'8" and 180 lb. the large fits me well with the liner in, and is even better with it out. Jacket has good armor also.

[Crazy_Canuck]

+1 on the Olympia Bushwacker jacket.

[Mike05]

Take a look at this: AST Touring Jacket by Olympia

 

More then you want to spend but imho, well worth every dime. Comes in gray also.

 

Good luck in your search.

[flyingreg]

Matt,

 

I want to share my thoughts on riding gear, even though you didn't ask for it. We riders wear riding gear designed for riding for really only two good reasons, to save our precious hide from the road and to protect us from the elements.

 

I have had many jackets for under $200, or there abouts. I thought they were OK to good enough, due to my perceived need to save money in this area of my riding expenses. I have since learned that I really had the equation backwards. If you purchase high quality gear up front, you will not need to replace it 2-3 years down the road and in the end, you will actually come out ahead in the cost equation.

 

Let's say you spend $400 on a jacket that has a 7 year warranty. Your annual costs for this piece of equipment will be $100 or break it down further to 8.33/month. A $200 jacket that lasts 2-3 years will cost you $500 for 7 years, assuming you replace it after 3 years.

 

A Cycleport Ultra II Mesh Kevlar Jacket will cost you more now but the company will stand behind it in every respect for 7 years. Many riders have been wearing theirs for 10 years and they are still going strong.

 

There are other very good riding gear choices, but I have found this particular jacket to excel in very hot weather and in cold climates too. And the safety aspect of this gear is unmatched.

 

I hope this doesn't muddy the water too much. I'm just trying to offer another perspective.

 

One last thing, DO NOT purchase riding gear where the fabric is coated, especially polyurethane treated. It is extremely hot and in a get off, you risk the heat generated from the fall, melting the coating and fabric and into your hide it goes.

 

Best regards and good luck shopping,

[AZRTRDR]

I have got to go with the Olympia vote.

I used to buy all BMW gear but I am now a fan of the Olympia brand..

Good luck..

[MattP]

Thanks all! As seems always the case, the members of this forum come through with exactly the advice I was looking for. Greg: Thanks for chiming in and your perspective is appreciated. It's kind of puzzling when you step back and look at some of your own personal buying quirks: I won't buy cheap tools, ride a high-end bike, etc., etc., but then I'll fret over not wanting to spend $300 on something that I'll use and could save my @$$. Go figure.

 

Nothing in-hand yet, but from what I've read, looked at and tried on, I'm thinking I'll go over budget and spring for the Airglide 2. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INPUT!!!

[tgiffel]

I agree with Greg, The Cycleport jacket is excellent.

TG

[nidan]

Tourmaster Flex is quite versatile, good quality and fit for the price , there are a number of places to get good prices on them . I have thier Advanced Sport which is good in cold and moderate weather, and thier Intake which is very versatile , although it wouldn't be my first choice for winter.

[hANNAbONE]

bELSTAFF Discovery..awesome...liner equipped, neck wrap and just a great jacket..nice venting too.

 

Pockets everywhere -

 

not expensive either.

 

I would not part with mine -

 

I've owned it since 2000 and it's still like brand new.

[CT_Rider]

I have a FirstGear Kilaminjaro 4. It's around $250 and very comfortable. With the fleece liner on an RT I am totally comfortable as low 35 degrees (I haven't tried lower). Without the liner and the vents open I am plenty cool at 70. I haven't had it yet during the hot months but expect it to be too warm. I'm currently looking for a mesh setup.

[creekstone]

I have got to go with the Olympia vote.

I used to buy all BMW gear but I am now a fan of the Olympia brand..

Good luck..

 

I've been looking at the Olympia gear as well. Nice stuff!

 

But, I've been happy with this for the past year: http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=HG2002-01/02

[flyingreg]

But, I've been happy with this for the past year: http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=HG2002-01/02

Can you tell me what in the world is Ballistic Airflow Mesh? Is it a polyurethane coated polyester or nylon of some sort? Is the word polyurethane found in the fabric label? Just curious.

[NoHeat]

One last thing, DO NOT purchase riding gear where the fabric is coated, especially polyurethane treated. It is extremely hot and in a get off, you risk the heat generated from the fall, melting the coating and fabric and into your hide it goes.

 

I'd guess that's merely a theory, or maybe I should say it's a myth propagated by a gear manufacturer.

 

I've read lots of posts by riders commenting on how their gear performed when they went down. Never have the injuries they reported included skin damage due to melted fabric, for the posts I've read.

[creekstone]

Can you tell me what in the world is Ballistic Airflow Mesh? Is it a polyurethane coated polyester or nylon of some sort? Is the word polyurethane found in the fabric label? Just curious.

I'm guessing you already know the answer.

So did I when I bought it.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Another vote in the "you get what you pay for" category. Yeah, I know, there is no poll in this thread.

 

Gear for any ride over 100 miles.

 

Shoei helmet - $450

Various body gear but averages about $700 for jacket and pants.

Boots - $200 average

Gloves - $120 average (I like Held gloves but do have some others)

 

Close enough to $1500 on a typical day.

 

My custom made Vanson leathers would kick it over $2 grand. A casual ride down to S. Beach for breakfast might have it as low as $1000, no riding pants and only maybe my Joe Rocket mesh jacket, along with helmet, boots and light gloves.

 

Is that an unreasonable expense? Dunno, my $750 one piece Roadcrafter allowed me to escape a 40 mph low side with no more than a little soreness in my shoulder. Had I been wearing inferior gear, who knows?

 

There is, btw, no such thing as an all season jacket. Even with the very moderate temperatures down here in S. Florida, the need to balance temperature against protection has found me with 2 or 3 in the closet and it never got below 40 here all year.

[MattP]

$120 gloves....hmmm, I'm all for the "get what you pay for" concept, but that's a little much. A lot much, actuallly.

 

Well, back to the original thread, I wanted to say a big BMWST THANK YOU!!! to everyone that chimed in on this question. Because of your great advice (and some of my own research) I purchased an Olympia AirGlide2 jacket this weekend for $200. Put about 300 miles under it and all I can say is WOW!!!! The liner looks to be good up to about 60 degrees, a long sleeve shirt and the shell up to about 70, and the shell above 70 is very comfortable. Quality, quality, quality. Like anything else, time will ultimately tell, but this jacket has all the signs of being WELL worth the $200 I plopped down on it. THANKS AGAIN!!!!!

[motoguy128]

My Fiancee and I use mesh Joe Rocket & Fieldsheer with the water/wind proof liners. I've used them in heavy rains and they work great. They are good down to 60F and below that we use heated vestes, which gets us down to 40F with just long sleeve cotton shirts undereneith. We don't ride colder than that. Pull the liner out and they are perfect for 75F+ weather.

 

I've had several textile jackets and they are always too hot in the summer and they alwasy seem a little big. The mesh jackets fit a little tighter, are shorter and almost a cool as not wearing a jacket in the hot summer. I fortunately haven't tested the protection, but some friends have. the padding seems abotu the same, and it's plastic backed, so it should hold up pretty well to abrasion.