Hey Joe Rocket Phoenix wearers

[99007]

Anybody out there using a Joe Rocket Phoenix mesh jacket? How do you like it? How is the rain liner do for you?The local Honda dealer has them on sale for a mere $70 bucks (half price).
Would it be $70 well spent on my part?

[SCDorman]

I bought one about six weeks ago on sale and have been happy. Works great in hot weather. The liner makes it comfortable wearing (for me) down into the low 60s if I'm on a short trip. I haven't had it out in any real rain as I tend to turn to my Kilimanjaro if it looks wet. Haven't been down (knock wood), so can't speak to the real-world ability of the padding & abrasion resistance, but they seem good. I'd say it's a good deal for $70.

Steve

[jgr451]

I am very happy with mine,though I don't have and have never seen the rain liner(?).Only thing is,it doesn't squash down small,so it is for day rides only as far as I can tell.
I haven't tested its road rash resistance either;but the padding systems seem well thought out:elbows,shoulders,back.

[mika]

I have used one for two years and have been very happy with it. Mine did not come with a liner, but I have worn a liner from another jacket under it on cold mornings when it was going to be warm latter.

Road rash - No first hand experience. Motor Cycle Consumer News has rated it high in the past.

[fetishbear]

I got a great deal on a Phoenix on ebay but it came without the liner (hence the great deal) a XXXL liner is $47.00 by itself so consider $70.00 a good deal if it includes the liner. Two of my riding friends have the liner and swear they are very good. I've been wearing just the mesh jacket all summer and so far, like it pretty well. Anything resembling velcro will stick to it and eventually, the mesh starts unraveling a bit but in the end, you get what you pay for.

Cheers,

Leo

[FRAZZ]

Have used mine though rain and shine for 2 riding seasons and am very satisfied with it for most summer conditions...I upgraded the armor with CE (not sure that I had to...maybe overcautious).I would jump on it, at that price

[BouncinBob]

I don't like them, I have seen crash damage and do not feel they hold up well enough in a slide. There are other options out there that have cordora panels in the slide areas and mesh to allow air.

Me, I'll stick to either my Roadcrafter or perfed leathers.

Bob Malehorn
Mentor, OH

[ghostryder]

I had a phoenix II, the type without a liner, and i loved it. when I had my small spill it held up fine, and I believe that the pads saved me from injury. I was looking at the new type with the liner. Do they have an xl in red???????

[GIZMO]

I just purchased the latest generation with the liner after wearing the original one since it came out. I liked the jacket a lot, it has been a godsend here in Phoenix. The only draw backs as far as it goes, have been addressed with the new line, the liner and the bright yellow color that I prefer for visibility. I have never crashed tested it, but know a fellow who went down on his Gixxer at over 100 mph and the jacket did it's job well. The jacket was a mess, but he suffered no road rash.

[BouncinBob]

Gizmo, That is good to hear considering the popularity of the mesh gear. I based my comments on the one and only one I saw posted on some sport rider board. The guy had road rash and kinda wished he had had his leathers on. But I don't know the events of the accident and can't swear it wasn't friction burns.

Really, 100 mph. Did he slide, roll or both?

[GIZMO]

Originally posted by BouncinBob
Gizmo, That is good to hear considering the popularity of the mesh gear. I based my comments on the one and only one I saw posted on some sport rider board. The guy had road rash and kinda wished he had had his leathers on. But I don't know the events of the accident and can't swear it wasn't friction burns.

Really, 100 mph. Did he slide, roll or both?

As I understand it, the rider low sided and did a combo of sliding and rolling. I think there is no question leathers or many of the high quality cordura type gear, offers better protection in the event of a "get-off". The Phoenix style jacket offers a very good compromise, for those who ride a lot in very hot weather. Here in Phoenix where it can get ridiculously hot, it gets awful tempting to ride in shirt sleeves or as I did before the Phoenix jacket came out, a denim jacket. While the denim jacket is infinitely better than shirt sleeves, it falls woefully short of the Phoenix Jacket and others like it in protection and features.

[40miledesertrat]

I went the whole route with pants and jacket via ebay. Great gear for hot roads and desert riding.

Mesh or other textile, this gear still beats serious road rash if you ride unprotected.

[RT DOG]

I bought an Olympia brand Motorsports Jacket. I bought it because of the cordura panels on the shoulders middle of the back and outside arms and the center of the chest, with air mesh panels in the front and back and inside of the arms. It comes with a back pad and the better Ce armour on the shoulders and elbows well thought out jacket with a liner was 159 bucks It gets a tad bit warm at stop lights in 80+ weather but moving I found it comfortable and reassuring sense I'm fairly new to riding. The only thing that I didn't like about it is it's made in China. But it is a well thought out Jacket and the quality seems sound.

[BouncinBob]

My son won one of those Olympia jackets that RT Dog describes. It seems to have better protection than most mesh jackets. The liner has also proven to be water proof. If I didn't already have the perfed leathers I would consider the Olympia.

I don't usually ride out in the hot west more than a week a year and can manage the leathers with wet long sleeve T under the jacket.

[k12allen]

One thing to think about regarding protection with any jacket is whether you will remember not to slide feet first. If you don't, and your jacket isn't zipped good to your pants, your back or belly is gonna burn. The Phoenix does have a zipper tho it's not as strongly attached as some I've seen and the zipper may not mesh with all pants.

Having said all that, my Phoenix does zip to my Heine Gerike Streetline leather pants and the combo is comfy in the summer. Had the jacket 3 years and it shows wear but I would buy another.

But for any rides when I plan to crash, will use leather or strong Cordura or something of that sort. And armor - which the Phoenix has.