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I'm in the market for a good quality riding jacket and matching pants. I don't ride in the winter so I'm looking for a jacket that will provide decent protection and is waterproof and versatile so I can use it in the summer and temps down to 40's or so . Any suggestions?
Don't own one, but looks like a great deal and great 3 seasons jacket.
[URL="http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/olympia-airglide-3-jacket?utm_source=product&kwd=&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}&gclid=CIny_o7wj7QCFQSf4AodM34AvA"]
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/olympia-airglide-3-jacket?utm_source=product&kwd=&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}&gclid=CIny_o7wj7QCFQSf4AodM34AvA [/URL]
This is a great time of year to get "last years " version of riding gear. Many dealers run that stuff on ebay @ huge discounts.IBMWR is a good place to look. I like my Revit jacket & Olympia pants. They don't have to be the same brand unless you are into fashion statements. Look for good venting for mild weather or buy a mesh if you don't ride in much rain & wear a rain jacket when you do. I had a Hein Gericke before this pone & liked that brand too. I'd also look on ADV flea mkt as they come up there everyday & sell the same day if the real deal! BMW gear can be good but is priced well above many other brands-you decide if you'll pay the premium.
When I'm looking at used bikes on ebay I often look @ "sellers other items" to see if they're cleaning out the closet.
RevIt makes great gear (see revzilla.com for this and other stuff) Not cheap, mind, but top quality. I use an Olympia AST jacket and pants and find this outfit good for everything but temps over 85. Seems Olympia gear is well designed and reasonably priced. Lots of folks swear by BMW's own line of riding kit, especially if you can get it at a discount.
pete
Aerostich. Roadcrafter 2 Piece or Darien.
BMW Airshell, I have the Hiviz model lots of fading, zipper is very poor quality. Now the good part, great protection, comfortable in 30f temps with liner, not to hot when its 100f and the thing is darn near waterproof. Same quality for the Airshell pants, zipper not a issue with pants
Check your PMs. Darien offer...
I have a fairly old olympia. It is what appears to be the older version of the air listed above. It is about 12 years old and has about 75,000 miles on it. It still looks great. Only negative thing i can think of is that liner is the water proof barrier. For summer showers it is much to warm. I just dont use the liner in summer. I use a rain suit instead. The jacket easily keeps me toasty in the low fortys. Rode with it this passed summer up to about 90. Anything over that i dont wear a jacket, and yes, i know i should.
I have been very impressed with the olympia
+1 on the Aerostitch gear. Probably one of the best pieces of protective gear and it works in all weather and temps.
+2 (or +3, or whatever) on the Darien set. Not good in temps >90˚ but great otherwise. Not having to stop and do the rain-suit-dance is a significant benefit.
[QUOTE=PGlaves;842000]Aerostich. Roadcrafter 2 Piece or Darien.[/QUOTE]
AFter all to many others, I'm with Paul on this one! Darien all the way, top and bottom. 3 seasons is easily done. Waterproof and rideable, easily cleaned when, if needed.
I got a Klim Latitude Jacket toward the end of the season and I'm really impressed with the quality and fit. I will absolutely be adding the matching pants. Klim seems a little pricey, but in this case you get what you pay for. I hope with Polaris buying out the company the quality won't deteriorate and the prices will come down. We'll see. Good luck with your decision.
[QUOTE=PGlaves;842000]Aerostich. Roadcrafter 2 Piece or Darien.[/QUOTE]
I have two Roadcrafters, one is a two-piece, the other a one piece recently bought. I have had two others - both one piece Roadcrafters.
For me, the one piece Roadcrafter is the sweet ticket. After a couple years with the two-piece, I've decided it's not for me. I rarely have a need for the jacket only and would never ride with just the jacket. For me, the extra material of the jacket over the pants where it bunches when sitting on the bike is just not comfortable. Could be because I generally sit fairly forward toward the tank and it's "in the way" of how I sit the bike.
The way you ride should be a factor. For many years I used First Gear jackets and pants. They generally lasted me 3-4 years, and did a great job.
As my riding increased so did my desire for better gear, especially when I sold my cage and became a dedicated daily rider (it's 16 degrees this morning). I use multiple jackets and gear combinations, but most often wear one of the two Aerostitch Darien suits that I own. My first stitch was a one piece, but as a daily commuter I like the two piece suits.... allow for more combinations and functionality.
If cost isn't an issue, or if you ride all the time, look at BMW, Klim and Aerostitch.
If you mainly ride on weekends, and avoid the nasty weather, look at First Gear and Cortech. I think you may get more for the buck (liners, pockets, extras) with those, and they may serve you well.
Look also at [url]www.newenough.com[/url] Great customer service, great people there.
Thanks to everyone for your replies. There's nothing better than getting real life experience to help make a good decision.