Touratech Companero World2 Riding Suit

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

Adventure riders are known for their endless searches for the best of everything. To answer that call, the folks at Touratech developed the Companero World2 riding suit, in both men’s and women’s sizes, with input from of a bevy of round-the-world travelers who literally live on their bikes in their suits.

The big distinguishing difference between the Companero and the bulk of the other suits on the market is that this suit is neither just a suit with a liner, nor a waterproof GORE-TEX suit. Rather, it is a combination of the two. The suit consists of two layers: a mesh suit of Cordura Air, a fabric that ventilates well, and includes CE Level 2 body armor, plus an integrated outer shell of GORE-TEX, which zips into place to provide waterproofing, warmth and wind blocking when needed. The inner jacket and pants are sewn of heavy-duty abrasion-resistant materials including Cordura 500 and 2000. Comparing this to a riding suit that is waterproof without any liners, the suit will be much cooler when the waterproofing is not needed. Comparing to a suit that uses an inner liner for waterproofing, those suits will get soaked with rain on the outers, which then become a heat sink and make the rider cold when riding in the rain—elevating the risk of hypothermia. The Companero keeps the moisture on the outside and the inner jacket keeps its insulating properties. The GORE-TEX outer jacket, made from three-layer GORE-TEX Pro Shell, can also be worn alone, so you have a casual jacket when off the bike.

The attention to details for the adventure traveler makes this suit a marvel of textile design. There are a wealth of pockets; zippered flaps for ventilation on the inner jacket; full-length zippers for the pant outer shell for ease of use; reflective panels;Velcro adjusters and a well-engineered zipper system that will allow the outer shells to zip to the inners and to each other whether the outers are in place or not. There is even a built-in backpack that can be used to hold a hydration pack while riding, or detached and used independent of the jacket. A coccyx protector is a welcome bonus in addition to the rest of the armor.

We’ve tested this suit over the course of four seasons and thousands of miles, and it met all expectations with flying colors. It is truly two suits in one and lives up to the claims by Touratech. As for being perfect, well, nothing is. The suit fitting can be problematic, and it is recommended you call their offices in Seattle to get your correct size as the Euro sizing seems to be biased toward tall and thin folks.

There are few stocking dealers, so you might need to mail order the suit, but they will gladly exchange for a different size if it doesn’t fit.

You may have heard that the company went through some tough financial times, but they seemingly have come through and are ready to fit you with one of the best adventure suits made.

MSRP: Jacket—$1,495 | Pants—$1,095 | Gloves—$139.95

Touratech-USA.com

PROS:

• Superior quality fabrics
• CE Level 2 body armor
• Plenty of pockets and adjusting Velcro
• Comfortable all day

CONS:

• Expensive
• Not many stocking dealers
• Sizing does not correspond to other Euro sizes

View the full article