What temperature do you ride with a mesh-jacket

[Jackstraw]

I've recently bought a 2017 RT and loving it so far. 

Riding in the UK mostly it is somewhere between 10 and 20 degrees C but is higher in the summer and lower in the winter 

I am looking to replace my jacket and for personal reasons will only ride with high end textile gear with D30 armour (Rukka and Klim)

The downside is cost so I can only afford one jacket right now and then plan to get a second this time next year

 

Having come from a naked bike I have found that the fairing on the RT takes all the wind which I am sure is great in the cold and wet, not so much today when it is 30 degrees out there

 

The jacket I have borrowed at the moment has a number of vents which would have created an airflow on my naked but nothing on the RT

 

My compromise is either get a winter jacket and swelter now or a summer jacket and put up with the cold. On my naked it was a no brainer, it had to be a winter jacket but the big fairing on the RT is a game changer

 

I have seen a review of the Klim Marrakesh by Motolegends in which they suggest you could use this mesh jacket in the summer and layer up with a waterproof in the wet and a thermal layer in the cold.

 

 

So my question is - for those who are using mesh jackets on the RT - roughly what is the lowest temperature is it comfortable to ride with in the dry whilst having just a t-shirt on underneath?

 

[dirtrider]

6 hours ago, Jackstraw said:

I've recently bought a 2017 RT and loving it so far. 

Riding in the UK mostly it is somewhere between 10 and 20 degrees C but is higher in the summer and lower in the winter 

I am looking to replace my jacket and for personal reasons will only ride with high end textile gear with D30 armour (Rukka and Klim)

The downside is cost so I can only afford one jacket right now and then plan to get a second this time next year

 

Having come from a naked bike I have found that the fairing on the RT takes all the wind which I am sure is great in the cold and wet, not so much today when it is 30 degrees out there

 

The jacket I have borrowed at the moment has a number of vents which would have created an airflow on my naked but nothing on the RT

 

My compromise is either get a winter jacket and swelter now or a summer jacket and put up with the cold. On my naked it was a no brainer, it had to be a winter jacket but the big fairing on the RT is a game changer

 

I have seen a review of the Klim Marrakesh by Motolegends in which they suggest you could use this mesh jacket in the summer and layer up with a waterproof in the wet and a thermal layer in the cold.

 

 

So my question is - for those who are using mesh jackets on the RT - roughly what is the lowest temperature is it comfortable to ride with in the dry whilst having just a t-shirt on underneath?

 

Morning Jackstraw

 

That is a darn good question. I have a full mesh jacket with no liner that is basically good for me down to about 65f with a long sleeve Tee shirt or a sweat shirt under it. 

 

I also have a mesh with a decent inner liner that is good for me down to about 50°f with a long sleeve Tee shirt or a sweat shirt under it. 

 

But, if I'm running a difficult off-road ride I can ride a mesh to much colder temps as it can be a lot of work riding difficult off-road.

 

I usually run a (mesh) jacket for the hot part of a ride then layer up under it for the cold morning ride-off.

 

To me it isn't so much about temperature  (within reason) it is more about humidity) if it is cool, damp,  & humid that stuff goes right through you & it can get mighty cold riding even at reasonable  temperatures.  In my riding life, on number of occasions, I have pushed off more than once wearing a light mesh jacket on a nice morning  only to run into high humidity, damp cool weather,  & winds that cut like a knife. If I was thoughtful I also took a heavy sweat shirt to go under my mesh. I have also had to cut open a plastic garbage bag & worn that under my mesh to keep the cold damp air out. 

 

One thing that helps is IF you also have a good medium duty rain gear as a good rain coat over a mesh allows riding in very cold temps. (glove liners also help here)

 

Or, if in doubt I just take along an easy to pack heated jacket liner, with a good heated jacket liner I have used my mesh down into the 30°f temperature range without issue.  (again good gloves are big help) 

 

 

[Skywagon]

Jack straw. I live in Texas. It doesn’t get real cold here but it does get real hot about 5 months of the year. We will see a few days at 0 and some as low as -5C but it doesn’t last long. Summer heat is tough where we get up to 43C with high humidity for months. I have multiple jackets but I honestly only wear my mesh jacket year round. It has full pads including back protector. When it is cold I wear the windproof lining that came with it. When hot I don’t. If real cold I will add electric vest with sleeves. If only one jacket I would recommend mesh with removable lining. If too cold look at electrics to add like Gerbing. Others here who live in much colder parts of US may give a different view for their conditions

[RogerC60]

I ride an '03 R1150RT, and I wear my Joe Rocket Phoenix mesh jacket with a short sleeve shirt down to about 65 degrees F. I raise and lower the windshield as needed for comfort.

 

Now I know you asked about mesh, but don't completely abandon textile jackets. I recently got an Olympia Ranger jacket that (I believe) will accept the D30 armor. It has very good vents and I've been pretty comfortable riding in 90 degree F temperature with it (with my RT's windshield all the way down).

 

I don't have any way of comparing the wind protection of the 2017 RT vs the 2003. It could be that I get more air cooling on my '03 than you could ever get on your '17.

 

[dba]

First, congrats on the RT.  I loved the two that I had.  I ride exclusively wearing an Olympia Motosports mesh jacket and pants with all the armor.  Both also come with a waterproof, slightly insulated liners.  I live at the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and sometimes get the polar effects from that during the colder months of the year. 

 

Once it gets down to about 60F, I'm looking for at least a long sleeve t-shirt or a thinner type of thermal shirt that I can take off when the temp warms up.  I also carry a waterproof jacket, pants and Aerostich rain covers for my gloves when it really starts dumping.  For me, it's always easier to put on more clothes to get warm.  There's only so much I'm willing to take off to try to get cool.  Even at 116F, I kept my  mesh jacket on.  Was it uncomfortable?  Yes, but not as uncomfortable as skin grafts.   

 

I plan on touring England, Scotland and Wales next August and the mesh gear and waterproof covers will be my riding kit.   

[Rougarou]

I got a bunch of jackets and a suit and while the temps do play a part, no one can tell you what temp you are comfortable with.

 

I've ridden down to 7*F for a bit, no heated gear, Jacket and sweater for the top, snow pants for the bottom and it was bearable, maybe not for extended amount of time, but for daily commutes, ya, good enough.  I now have a heated jacket that I plug when we get below 40*ishF.   Mesh jacket for me is low-60's-tshirt, upper 50's long sleeve/sweater......humidity plays a factor in it as well.

 

It's your comfort level, what works for me may not work for you.  I seem to be able to tolerate cold pretty good and can tolerate triple digits even better.

 

Buy used and get a bunch that way, no matter what the weather, you can dress for the occasion.

[RogerC60]

13 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

Buy used and get a bunch that way, no matter what the weather, you can dress for the occasion.

 

This ^^^^^^^^.