What riding gear would you buy NOW if you were buying?

[netizen]

I'm curious what riding gear (jacket, pants, gloves, boots, rain gear) everyone would buy if they were buying now.

I'm especially interested in gear you can use year round, adding liners, taking them out.. well vented for summer etc.

If you were buying this kind of gear now... what would you buy?

What is your favorite gear that you own or have owned in the past?

I currently have Olympia jacket and pants, but they are old enough now that they are not even listed on the Olympia website. I'm wondering if it's time to upgrade?

 

[Ramseysteve]

Living in Utah, am right now buying/upgrading my mesh gear. Motorcyclegear.com has 2010 and 2011 First Gear Meshtex on close out pricing, so I'm giving that a go (not arrived yet). If it doesn't represent an upgrade over my current cheaper and older gear, then I'll bit the bullet and pay up for better stuff.

In Utah we don't ride in rain much, but temps can vary a lot through the day. Being a skier I have a lot of good quality technical layers, and is nice to stretch their usage.

Not a fan of the one or two zip out layers approach, although I can see how they help sell jackets and pants. I think they compromise the jacket or pants' true intended purpose and are horrible to remove and refit, other than occasionally.

I'd rather have a dedicated summer set and a second two season set with room enough to add a layer if is cold enough. That occasional layer can help the mesh gear if summer temps unexpectedly drop.

BTW, am I the only person who doesn't understand why gear designed for hot weather would be available only in black? It may not make a huge difference, but the main reason I'm upgrading is my current mesh jacket is black. I stop at a light and start to cook within 30 seconds.

A rain suit over the mesh is a better and easier to deploy option than zip in liners when needed, and as temps usually drop with rain, work out ok, comfort wise.

Olympia Gear looks to be first rate, but I'm no expert. They seem to run slightly smaller than some others, but the designs are clearly well thought out. I seem to fall between their medium and large sizes, so they may not be for me. I had the same problem with First Gear when I tried their Teton jacket.

 

[Naked_Duc]

I have had good luck with Firstgear. I current wear the Kathmandu jacket with its overpants from spring to late fall. The liner works well in the cold while there are enough vents (chest and armpit) to get airflow on warm days. Except for a few weeks in the summer that gets over 80, I would switch over to Rev'it Air Jacket. In the winter when it's cold and wet, I wear the FirstGear thermal suit. It's like wearing a sleeping bag. Got down to 28F and I was fine without heated gear. My hands and knees do get cold after 30 minutes or so...

The jacket is now 4-5 years old so I might need to find a replacement soon. The cut of the Firstgear jacket fits me well so I might stick with them. The other "American brands" tend to have cuts with thick torso and broad shoulders. Being really skinny, they just don't fit me. European brands fit me well. I would look into Rev'it (if I can find them to try on for fit) or Alpinestars. If finance allows, I would look into a Klim for an all-around riding jacket/pants combo.

 

[Ramseysteve]

I guess that the difference between WA and UT in summer months is around 25-30 Degs! I expect to wear mesh for 3 months not a few weeks!

The RevIt! air jacket has been replaced by the AirWave I think. Looks good, but a lot of reviews comment on how tight it's neck is. Weird for a hot weather garment.. Huh! It was on my shopping list until the FG Meshtex close outs came up at $115 per piece. RevIt! Looks like great stuff, particularly their Ignition 2 jacket.. But pricey, ouch!

 

[Jay Fridays]

I have the Icon Overlord leather Jacket. It's nice in cool to warmer weather. It has tons of protection and ventilation, but that makes it not so good for cold weather. I put my DC snowboarding jacket on over it with my warmskin facemask when it gets below 50 deg f. And my DC sowboarding gloves...lol

I don't like anything but a my fox hard knuckle gloves and t shirt, maybe with the Icon protection on the provided suspenders, when riding in Hot weather....

 

[Alabama Al]

I live on the Gulf coast, it can get very hot and humid here in the summer & you think you are going to freeze to death in the winter because of the humidity. In the summer I have a set of Olympia mesh gear, jacket & pants with zip off legs & Joe rocket vented boots that work well. The jacket has a rain and insulated liner & I have rain pants that go over the mesh pants. When it rains down here, it does not mess around. For the winter, I have a olympia touring jacket that is wind proff and also has a water proff liner & Olympia mesh pants that have a rain liner. I use heated jacket, pants, socks & gloves that under the gear. Also joe rocket water proff boots. If you ride in the cold for any distance, get at least a heated jacket & some heated gloves.

 

[Beemerphile]

I don't think there is one riding suit for everything, but the closest I own is an Aerostich Roadcrafter one piece. I have 13 riding suits and they all get worn. The Roadcrafter is not first in ANYTHING except ease of donning / doffing, but it may be second in EVERYTHING. If I had to pack light for a long trip in unknown weather, or if I had to commute, the Roadcrafter would get the nod. Otherwise, I am a fan of BMW riding gear. I have the Atlantis, Rallye II, ComfortShell, Venting Machine suits and an old BMW full leather set. The rest are made by Olympia (Odyssey), FirstGear (3), Hein Gerecke (Tuareg), Belstaff, and Vanson (leather).

 

[DominusFL]

I'm still looking for the right commuting pants. Rev'it Axis Pants are the best so far, but their side button arrangement is a pain, while the whole length zippers are amazing. I had to take the knee armor out because it was too low, even with the adjustable velcro (it doesn't stay in place). I have a pair of FirstGear TPG Escape Pants, which are awesome with two flaws. First the zipper doesn't go all the way up (so I don't use them regularly) and the hip armor is too low.

I think ideally I'd love to find something like the Rev'it Axis Pants with the true waterproofness of the FirstGear TPG Escape Pants and with armor that actually sits properly. Long term I may have to try Klim or Held I think.

 

[DominusFL]

For jacket, I can't speak higher of my Motoport Air Mesh Kevlar Men’s Motorcycle Jacket, the perfect jacket for hot Florida weather. Armor everywhere, Kevlar Mesh, etc. Pricey, but still less than the multiple jackets I bought over the year and didn't end up wearing. Has a waterproof liner and optional insulated liner for colder weathers (the waterproof liner gives me enough warmth for Florida cold). They have a new "Ultra II" version, not sure what is different. "They" claim that it is the only Mesh motorcycle jacket that provides better protection than road racing leather. They also claim it is 10 stronger than new competition grade leather.

I found the brand after seeing some state police on bikes wearing these (their's were green and the collar was cut to look like a shirt).
Air Mesh Kevlar Jacket | Mesh Kevlar Jackets | Motoport | 102.300

 

[Bug Dr.]

If I were buying today I'd replace my Aerostich one-piece Roadcrafter with a two-piece Roadcrafter for increased comfort when stopped.
Mike

 

[AdvSplash]

I would buy another Rukka Suit, wear my year round and never have any problems!

 

[NCer]

For the summer - I am a huge Olympia fan. For the cold month I use Firstgear.

 

[Beemerphile]

If I were buying today I'd replace my Aerostich one-piece Roadcrafter with a two-piece Roadcrafter for increased comfort when stopped.
Mike

I replaced my 19 year old one piece Roadcrafter with a new one piece Roadcrafter because of two attributes:

1) The "ability" to wear the jacket without the pants means that you might have chosen NOT to wear the pants the day that you crash
2) Nothing is easier / faster to put on and off and the one piece Roadcrafter.

To the issue of comfort when stopped, since I can get in and out of it in seven seconds, I find it easy enough just to completely remove it at stops. For shorter stops, I just unzip the long sipper and walk about with it hanging open.

BTW, my old Roadcrafter survived a 55 mph lowside get-off on my Honda ST1100 with little damage to it (a scuffed left knee pad). All I suffered was a sprained left wrist that was attributable to my poor dismount technique and not to the suit. If I had not had the Aerostich lower protection, I am sure I would have destroyed my knee that day. It was a short leisurely afternoon ride near my home in upstate New York.

 

[dduelin]

For the recreational year round riding I do - about 25 to 30,000 miles a year - the Tourmaster brand has served me well. If I was buying today I would probably pick up the Intake Air mesh jacket, Caliber pants, and a pair of Venture Air mesh pants. This would serve me with the appropriate foundation layers for three season wear. With $300 more in a heated jacket and controller it becomes 4 season wear plus the liner is a good insulated layer for days over 45 or 50 degrees when I don't use the heated function. It [heated jacket] serves as a jacket when touring and serves two functions when on and off the bike. I don't mind liners in a jacket but not in pants hence both a solid textile and mesh pair of pants. I have a Aerostich 1 pc Roadcrafter and it is extremely versatile but in the humid south I can't wear it year round. With the right layers the Tourmaster gear did serve me for all seasons before I bought the Stich.

I like the Tourmaster Solution boot for all weather year round wear. They are amazingly inexpensive and are both breathable and durably waterproof. I just got my third pair. I get about three years or 50 or 60k out of a pair before the sole is worn too slick or one boot develops a leak.

In gloves I would get a Tourmaster mesh summer glove - I think the GX Air is the current offering. For a mid weight glove I like Tractor Supply deerskins. They are very soft and supple and about $20. I take them to a leather shop and have a snap installed in the gauntlet on the outside of the wrist to help the glove stay on if I have a get-off. I end up paying about $25 for what are my favorite gloves. My winter gloves are Alpinestars with a removable insulated liner. With heated grips I don't wear them often anymore. I found by using a set of thin silk liners, about $10 from Tourmaster, I can extend the range of the deerskins to very cold temps. I also have a pair of Gerbings T5 heated gloves for temps under 35 degrees. The thicker and more insultated gloves become the less effective my heated grips are. The beauty of heated grips is being able to use thinner more supple gloves.

Choice of foundation layers is important. Two thin layers is better than one thick fleece or cotton sweatshirt or pants under an outer shell both for range of movement and retaining body heat. Technical apparel of wicking microfiber is king. Mesh in the summer can be dehydrating when air temps exceed 93 degrees. I find that wearing long sleeve wicking heatwear shirt under mesh is more comfortable than a tee shirt. Avoid cotton clothing in the summer.

 

[StratTuner]

I bought a one piece Tourmaster suit before doing enough research. A two piece achieves the same and costs less.
So, I would buy a Tourmaster two piece outfit this time.

 

[bamamate]

I have Tourmaster Flex pants and jacket. They worked well through the winter with the liners and zipped down to the mesh have been good in the 80s with jeans. Temps haven’t made it higher than 80s yet. The Flex pants have a waterproof liner. The Flex jacket doesn’t but is water resistant which works OK for light rain. For boots I have TCX X-Cube. Flow air well for waterproof boots and are comfortable. They might flow too much air for serious winter weather without good socks.

 

[goodrick]

+1 on the Aerostitch Roadcrafter suit. I bought a used suit from my neighbor, for a song. I wear it during my daily commute. If I run an errand with just a riding jacket, I feel naked (in a bad way). When this suit needs to be replaced, I won't hesitate to spend the $$$ on a new one. And that is something I never would have thought, before I tested the suit for a few rides.

If you are completely opposed to riding pants, Sliders makes some nice discreet kevlar lined jeans. They were my riding pants until I got the Roadcrafter suit.

 

[Nortwestrider]

Aerostich Darien !!.
The ONLY gear I will ever buy !!!.


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[netizen]

Before I would invest in Aerostich or Rukka, I would want to try one on... is there a place you can try one out? I believe in investing in long term equipment that is very good, if I can afford it. But I really need to be sure of something that pricey before spending the $$$.

I'm more concerned with fit and comfort and being able to see how venting it is for the summer months. I know they have earned their reputation so I am not concerned with the quality of these items.

 

[Beemerphile]

Before I would invest in Aerostich or Rukka, I would want to try one on... is there a place you can try one out? I believe in investing in long term equipment that is very good, if I can afford it. But I really need to be sure of something that pricey before spending the $$$.

I'm more concerned with fit and comfort and being able to see how venting it is for the summer months. I know they have earned their reputation so I am not concerned with the quality of these items.

Aerostich doesn't sell thru dealers so you'd have to mail order it. You can return it for fit if it was not customized. chances are you business suit size is what you need. Aerostich is behind the pack in venting technology.