For those of you that are financially challenged you will be hard pressed to beat those suits that the guys working on the motorway at night wear.
Bright yellow fluorescent, with reflectors and they really are waterproof.
Me and my mrs wore two last year for wandering along the south coast, shes Spanish and as timing is everything I chose the worst U.K. weather in the last century for the trip ( remember the floods )....no she was not impressed...
At 45 quid the outfit from the market , the only drawback is people think you work for the council when you wander round towns, and at the ferry they ask you when the ship sails etc..

It's not such a drawback: you could have some fun with that!

This is the modern day version of wearing the oilskins that used to be available for deepsea fishermen (probably still are) - 100% waterproof, if you don't consider the sweat as water!

__________________
Dave

Recently having returned to biking, and due to my size i have ended up with a jacket which seems to weigh a ton!......its obviously a good one and wearing it id quite comfortable.
However does anyone know of a similar one to my old beltaff trialmaster....now defunct...I used to find this garment good to wear and always reliable, if not a bit stiff when it got wet......but at least it didn't seems as bulky as modern cloth jackets.
Alas due to gaining a lot of weight.the one i kept hanging up for years on a a peg no longer fits me lol

Old beltaffs had no impact absorption layer - this is what makes the modern jackest bulky. If you don't want that protection simply remove it, all the ones I've seen have the foam in internal pockets that you can open to remove it.

__________________
---
Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

Barbour still make the International jacket and you can pick up Belstaff jackets on eBay.
BMW have a waxed cotton jacket as well .

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Has something happened to Belstaff I don't know about? Their website's still online and listing the Trailmaster


At least for the UK.

__________________

I think those are the poncey fashion ones that Belstaff sell now , Belstaff will be bringing out proper bikes jackets like Ewan and Charley wore on Long Way Down , but I've heard they'll be very expensive .

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

I have now found a place selling Belstaff jackets but they are in cordra?..the same as the one i purchased for a lot cheaper!
The poin tis the jacket i have feels huge when not actually riding the bike,,,,,and to walk around when you stop is like wearing an overcoat......so i had hoped for a lighter and tighter jacket like the waxed cotton Belstaff trailmaster i have, but can no longer fit due to increased girth all around lol
and the cost of new ones is way beyond my pocket at £359!
Is there any alternative other than leather, or slim nylon pvc style jackets.

different thread lead to the boot section. There are a couple of options available from different manufacturers/price.

Vannucci and Held gear looks to have all the right stuff.

HELD 6821 Hakuna Textile Motorcycle Jacket

__________________
Take Care
Stew and Brenda

I have heard very good reports of the similar jackets made by 'Sunstuff', who are I think, an Australian company.

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

For Sunstuff bike jacket in the Trailmaster style go here:

Hitchcocks Motorcycles -- Royal Enfield and Amal Parts and Kits

Click on 'accesory catalogue', then 'clothing' and its the second item down. Careful though, Hitchcocks prices don't include VAT. I've bought a bunch of stuff for my Enfield from them though, and they are a good company to deal with.

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

I used the Kilamanjaro jacket and pants. Both gave terrific service on my trip. I had 31 days of rain to ride in and with the exception of 1 very hard rain, I stayed warm and dry. My only problem was wet gloves which I solved by wearing a pair of surgical plastic gloves under my regular gloves.

As for abrasion resistance, I was tossed 3 times on the trip and received no markings on either my body or my riding suit.

One of the many advantages of the chair is that I can dump the overpriced bike clothing. Full winter kit is:

Leather trousers - ancient
East German police jackboots - ancient
Gortex boot liners - from camping places
Bright orange motorway workers type waterproof trousers
Heated jacket- Home made
Thermals and Norgie top - camping/army surplus
Drizabone long wax horse riding type coat - 2nd hand
Face mask and helmet.

With heated grips, muffs and a fleece lined knee apron I ride in unlined leather gloves all year round.

In summer the boots get swapped for DM's, the leathers for jeans or combat type trousers and the waterproofs/thermals get stowed. Total cost wouldn't buy you anything decent in the Gericke shop/BMW agent, it's totally waterproof and you can switch from looking like the Red Barron to looking like a normal person in about 30 seconds. This odd collection of antiques, horse gear and military surplus is the best all weather kit I ever used despite the thousands spent in bike shops over the years.

Why some horse gear company can't add the £50 plastic pads to a £100 (short) riding coat and kick the bike gear manufacturers **** is beyond me, but even I stick to armourered gear on the solo, so until they do I guess the loud leather people have it SEWN UP

Andy

68jules, if you don't mind could you tell me what was the coldest it got on your ride? I am looking at this jacket for a trip to Alaska next summer and for winter riding here at home. I'm needing something warm so I don't have to pack a lot of clothes to layer with if possible. Thanks

My only advice is, bite the bullet, pay the silly price BMW ask for their Rally Pro 2 and you will have the best. I have done over 52,000 kms this trip, 45 degrees in Australia, bloody cold and below freezing in Norway, and everthing between. I have come off in Cambodia, Pakistan and Mongolia, a couple of times hard. The memory foam protection always worked. Throw them in the washing machine when they are putrid and they come up like new.

__________________
Chris