I agree that cost and name does not make it something good.. all i am really saying is that if i have to pay for one expencive thing to meet my needs that ends up being cheeper then buying 4 "things that are 1/3 of the price".

__________________
2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

The stuff I most like the look of for all weather kit these days is by Dainese.
I've recently got a pair of their Gore-Tex trousers, and I've been very impressed. They fit well, have decent armour inserts and fit over my winter boots properly. The best thing about them is that the GoreTex breathes far better than cheaper fabrics. They're very comfortable to walk around in - I've got a set of cheap Frank Thomas trousers which feel like you're wearing bin liners, even though they claim to be breathable. The same goes for the Spyke jacket I use for greenlaning. I've got an Alpinestars Gore-Tex jacket which is a lot nicer to wear, but unfortunately the fit isn't that geat.
Next on my list is a Dainese jacket to match the trousers - their Gator jacket looks very well thought out for wet weather use.
The seperate removable waterproof liner concept works well in some situations, but isn't without it's problems (I've got a KTM suit which uses this system). If your touring in mostly warm conditions, with occasional rain then they work well, but if you're riding in the rain day after day then the outer jacket becomes waterlogged and takes a full day to dry out.
These days I wouldn't bother with the budget brands - Akito, Buffalo, Frank Thomas, etc, and I wouldn't bother with anything which doesn't use Gore-Tex. If you're riding all day long in less than ideal conditions then you want the best kit you can afford.

It never fails to amaze me why people do not use full touring fairings more often. I have had summer thunderstorms when out riding, and my bmw r80rt fairing kept me completely dry. Also you never get wind chill, or the buffeting or sliding back when you hit a bump at speed. If you could see the dents from impact with flying stones and the mass of squashed insects I am sure you would re-think. In the early sixties up until late 80's I used Avon Touring fairings on older Triumphs. They no longer trade, BUT. Sprint manufacturing has all their moulds still.

What I've finished up with is my Weise jacket (conventional black touring type - cordura type fabric with waterproof liner), and when the weather gets too bad I put on top of it a cheap thin Regatta jacket (about £12 - for sale in lots of outdoor shops, and comes rolled up in a little bag). This cuts a lot of cold wind out (I have worn it for warmth on a cold dry day), it folds to no size, it can be taken back off if things warm up and (this is the main advantage when camping in Scottish rain) it keeps the fabric of the Weise dry (ish). The waterproof lining of the Weise works fine, but it's not nice sharing a small tent with the sodden outer fabric after a rough day.
Given that the Regatta is olive green it also doubles as a fishing/light walking jacket.

You can't beat layers!

It's going to sound a bit odd at first, but a few years ago my dad used to ride his bike in his former Helly Hannsen sailing gear. They still seem to make the same model, just updated, but even then it was Goretex, with very good taped seams, a zip in fleece layer and sundry pockets. He had the bib trousers to complete the outfit.

He used to swear by it, reckonning that if it coupld cope with salt water spray day in day out dragging round a rolling deck in mid-ocean, it could cope with biking. No reinforcing protection if you come off though.

The only thing is on the latest the collars seem a bit high on the jackets and might interfere with a lid

__________________

Look at these -

AKITO DESERT MOTORCYCLE TEXTILE WATERPROOF JACKET on eBay, also Men's Jackets, Jackets, Motorcycle Clothing Helmets, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 07-Jan-08 12:22:08 GMT)

A mate of mine has got a set of these and tells me they represent fantastic value for money. Good quality too.

__________________
Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

Unfortunately like so many others they do not meet my number one criteria
water proof shell.. it has a
3 in 1 modular skin system - separate detachable waterproof inner membrane and thermo-lining.

This mornings commute was the perfect example..of why i dont want this.. I left the house and it was dull and grey.. (hey it is winter in the UK what do i expect).. About 10 minutes later i was on the motorway, and the heavens opened.. my jacket saturated with by the time i got to the office.. Yes i was dry (cus the H2O membrane was in) .. but there is a 1.5 m and growing puddle in my office.. which did not impress my boss much when he came to see. me...In Travel terms.... on my one of my last tours (orkney islands) we got hit on the way up.. but it was raining so hard that by the time we found a safe place to pull over and put on over suits, it was too late.. took 3 days of living in a b&B instead of camping (blowing the budget) just to dry them out.. and we had to have the heat on so high that it was very uncomfortable..

I just dont get the point of having water proof textile gear if I have to carry a over suit anyway.. i might as well use leathers..

the sad search continues... any one in the textile biz want to start a motor bike gear company that thinks function before fashion????

__________________
2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

Would i be wrong in saying the 3-1 jackets would be well suited to warmer climates? How well do the vents on a Jacket work(on a jacket with the w/proof membrane laminated to the outer shell of the jacket?)

And in realty the Jackets with a laminated w/proof liner - the shell will become heavily saturated just the same yes? After all a gore-tex type fabric is only a micron thin fabric lamanted to the back/inside of the outer fabric - the same fabric you'll find on a 3-1 jacket. The only diference being the lining on 3-1 jacket ( if it got wet with out the lining in) would be wet as well.

With a Gore-tex jacket, the face fabric is coated with DWR - "Durable water repelancy" a chemical coating to the fabric to slow down the face fabrics becoming saturated, which would then restrict the gore-tex's ability to breath.

So any wet-sodden textile jacket is going to be a heavy dripping mess anyway.????

Disclaimer; What I've said above comes from years of trudging through NZ bush in biblical rains for weeks at a time, and selling top end outdoor gear for 8 years. Rather than with MC clothing, though my thoughts are the theory must be the same as the fabric IS the same, only bit heavier.

I ask these questions as I've not had road gear before, but am buying the kit in the next month...... I'm leaning heavily towards a Rev'it Cayanne Jacket- which is a 3-1 set up, because I'm concerned that without the ability to remove the W/Proof lining you'll cook in the summer??

would I be wrong to say that marketing aside, a true 4 season jacket is mythical - as the performance in one of the "seasons" is going to be a comprimise for better proformance in another season????
Some thoughts from the old(read; experienced) hands please.....

__________________
'99 R1100GS - In a suitable shade of black

It's not that life is so short, It's just that we're dead for so long....
"The world is a book, those who do not travel read only one page." ~ Saint Augustin

Hi
Purchased a Halvarssons Safety Jacket and trousers,not cheap,but possibly the most versatile 2 peice suit you can buy.Quality on a par with Rukka and fits all your requirements and then some,the whole suit not just the armour is CE approved.For your cash you get the armoured safety suit and trousers,a meshed warm weather jacket and trousers and a waterproof/windproof jacket and trousers both with thermal and coolwall linings,fantastic bit of kit.Check it out.

I believe those 3-1 designs are for exactly what you mention; a warm climate, whereby you don't want to use the liner in day to day wear.
Consequently, and solely as a personal opinion, they are not too useful in the wet and cold UK. (Plenty of other threads have said similar things about getting the outer soaked through before the liner comes into play; a no-brainer really).
This is all a bit similar to, and relates to, the argument about why the UK climate is pretty "aggressive" to the human body. Just cold and wet enough to cause hypothermia etc but not constantly very cold/wet (i.e. snow) so that you can deal with it once and for all; hence people die in the mountains of the UK every year.

The vents on my jacket(s) work just fine - lots of air flow or lesser air flow, depending on the variables. I can't see how the type of membrane or its' location in the jacket would make a difference - it is a load of great big holes on the front that let the air in, and another set on the back that let it out again.
An extreme case is the zip-off arms that some designs incorporate.
On the other hand, riding behind the screen of a Goldwing, on a test ride a few years ago, I overheated because of the total lack of airflow: the windflow characteristics of the bike make a big difference as well.

I've worn plenty of gore-tex clothing in outdoor activities other than riding a bike and, once you get a "real" heat production rate on, you will sweat (perspire for the gals!) no matter what. Sure, gore-tex will help, but it is not perfect - but better than oilskins!
I 've talked with plenty of riders wearing gore-tex clothing and the general theme has been that it is fine when just sitting on/riding the bike and it works OK when walking about at a "moderate pace"; this, to me, has confirmed my own experience with it, as outlined above.

My conclusion: If I am travelling any distance, I take the fully waterproof overtop, no matter which jacket I am wearing.

__________________
Dave

Nice one Dave, some good food for thought.
And it makes sense what you say about a W/Proof over suit/jacket. better to take that off at the journey's end and stuff it away rather than a sopping wet great bulky M/C jacket. And these seem to be available for reasonable sheckels.
It's a bit hard for me as I've just moved to Holland, so I'm not 100% on the weather. I've been here since August and doen't seem so bad ( though I know the Bahama's it's not....) Maybe my living in the Scottish Highlands for 2 years softened the blow...
So with the above in mind... Maybe a good mid-range 3/4 jacket(170-200EUR) with a W/P laminate of some kind with good vents, and keep a W/P over jacket handy, or if rains a sure thing set off with it on... hmmmm back to the internet.....

Cheers

( and sorry to Xander for highjacking your thread for a bit!)

__________________
'99 R1100GS - In a suitable shade of black

It's not that life is so short, It's just that we're dead for so long....
"The world is a book, those who do not travel read only one page." ~ Saint Augustin

Try Rev'It, if you haven't already.

They are simply the best. (imho) SERIOUSLY ALL weather!

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...879#post172951

__________________

I'd have to disagree, I bought one last year and felt that the waterproof lining was bulky (could carry another jacket for the bulk of liner and w/proof liner) and cheap (very oilskin like) there was too much play in the sleeves for the armour to be of any use in a crash and I was quite relieved to find that some of the lining hadnt been stitched together properly so I was able to take it back and get my money returned.

I'm sorry if that sounds really negative, I am just counterpointing your zeal really, there are worse jackets out there and I did like the venting for hot weather use.

Im going to try the Halvarssons safety system next as you just swap between shell types, waterproof/half vented/vented as appropriate and the jacket outers wont be much bulkier than the cheapo linings in these 3 way jacket things. furthermore they do repairs and you can just replace the outer cheaply when it finally expires/you go down in a spill.

In ref to the OP theres a flourescent outer option both w/proof and vented.

When it comes to kit that is expected to perform well in all conditions, then a single-design item is unlikely to satisfy. Compromise with regards to comfort can be a real annoyance esp with a long ride ahead! Outdoorsy/Military-types generally regard a combination of thin layers as a realistic solution. Try a Hi-vis vest / coated Nylon waterproof / thin fleece, in conjunction with a windproof + armoured main jacket, just make these layers thin and packable.

Found this beauty while researching Jackets. The Tourmaster Intake Jacket which is supposed to be an all weather jacket. Quite impressive. Anyone ever seen or used one?



Tour Master :: Textile Jackets :: Intake Jacket

__________________
Every where is walking distance if you have the time!