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Essential features of rideing suits
I have followed the threads about which riding jacket/pants/boots are the best. Why one manufacturer's product is better than another but I have never seen a topic on which three or four features are the best or most important (vents, armor, goretex, etc.). It often looks like all riding gear is the same when you read one product review or another or one manufacturers' web sites.
Here is my problem. My wife and I (age 63) are leaving next summer on a 12-18 month tour from NE China to Baja, Mexico and we will be riding in climates ranging from reasonable cold (Moscow & Helsinki in the fall) to pretty warm (parts of the mid east in the spring/early summer). I know there is no one suit equiped to do this but what do you feel are the 3 or 4 most important features of a riding suit that we should consider? Maybe knowing these things will help us to make a more intelligent choice. We really appreciate your help. Jack |
Jack, good question! First of all, forget about what manufacturers say on their websites, yes they all have the "perfect" combo! And the reviewers, well are they reviewing the gear for a weekend/day ride or a truly extended trip through many different climate zones?
Based on my experience, I have even found that the vast majority of motorcycle clothing stores back in the USA have no idea what is required for a global ride. Fortunately, many folks here on the HUBB do! I have yet to find one riding suit which does everything, but some come pretty close, like the Rally and Savanna suits from BMW and the Rukka Air Power suits. But I think the best approach is to use the concept of layering. A summer "mesh" or very well ventilated riding suit, with Goretex shells (motorcycle-specific) for the rain and cold will work very well. Add a heated vest and/or fleece and thermals underneath and you have a combo that will be good for many different climates. Good protection is a also must, so don't skimp on quality. There are some really flimsy "summer" riding suits on the market that I really wouldn't trust in countries that have limited or non-existent emergency medical care. But BMW and Rukka make excellent adventure touring suits and are always a safe bet. Best of luck on your trip! ------------------ Dave www.mototrekker.com |
I second what Dave says, layering is the only option for all climats you will be exposed to. For instance, my last Vancouver to Mexico, i experienced -5c to 42c climate, extreme rain and harsh wind. Soon after i purchased a heated vest from Gerbings with full sleaves and a collar. Worth every penny. I use a BMW Kalahari jacket with a gore-tex liner. Excellent in the rain and hot weather but much too drafty in the cold. I'll soon be up-grading to a Savanna or RallyII. The heated jacket looses too much heat with only the slightest draft, so your outer shell should be wind-proof with lots of vents. I recently purchased the RallyII pants with goretex liner. I ride an airhead so my legs never get too cold anyways http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif
So there you have it: a wind-proof armoured shell with excellent venting capabilities. A water-proof removeable goretex liner and full sleave heated jacket, IMHO, is the best gear for your travels. Don't forget your boots and gloves! I have yet to find the perfect solution for these items. I wear BMW gore-tex enduro's. Excellent comefort and dryness in the harshest rain, but HOT in the dessert! I pack two pairs of gloves, but have yet to find a true waterproof glove! Hand-guards and heated grips really help here. Finally, don't chimp-out on the change! Spend the money on good gear! Major bling provides major satisfaction! |
Thanx guys, that is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. We have a problem with using heated vests in that we will be riding a Chinese built Chang Jiang 750 cc/32 hp, (a copy of a 1938 BMW R 71) and I just don't think the electrical system has sufficient output to power the vest(s).
One advantage that the Chang has is an incredibly strong sidecar so we will be able to pack extra clothes, that is if my wife ever stops thinking of "just one more" gotta have item. Jack |
Jack, one more important comment about jackets and gloves.
I have the BMW Savanna II jacket with the inner gore-tex liner. One big problem with the waterproof liner being on the INSIDE is that rain can get underneath the outer layer and run down into your gloves (which will be lapped over the outer layer) getting them wet. The concept of the fragile gore-tex liner being inside is a good one, as it is protected by the rugged outer layer, but wet gloves are tough to prevent with this design. You may have a similar problem with an inner waterproof layer in the pants and water running into your boots, unless you can somehow lap the inner gore-tex layer OVER your boots. I also have the BMW Airflow pants with an external BMW gore-tex shell that I can take on and off on the side of the road in the rain or cold. The water problem is not a issue with this setup and this has worked very well for me in all conditions. And on the subject of boots, I have had great luck so far with the Gore-tex Frey-Daytona Road Star boots. Totally waterproof and comfortable enough to wear, walk, and explore in all day. A bit warm in hot weather, but bearable. Good luck. ------------------ Dave www.mototrekker.com [This message has been edited by davidmc (edited 23 August 2005).] |
here is my $1200 worth..
i have ridden with alot of differant clothing. i have never been dissappointed with bmw clothing. just the opposite. fantastic crash features. comfort. etc. i especially recommend rally 1 or 2. you can sometimes pick up rally 1 really cheap because it is leftover. savannah is fantastic also. i use the gore tex liners and gerbing heated pants and coat and gloves. wyomex |
I have the Rukka Air Power III and it has been pretty good for most of the places I've been.
It breathes well, has Gore Tex liners and has the best armor in the business AFAIK. It is so comfortable I usually just wear it so I don't have to pack much in the way of other clothing. Add some long underwear of your choice and you should be fine in just about all conditions except the very hot and humid places in which case nothing is good. Get 2 pairs of gloves, one pair for normal use and another for wet, cold. Find a good pair of Gore Tex boots like Frey Daytona or Oxtar. Enjoy your trip, sounds like a good time is ahead. |
Where can I take a look at the airpower III?
Thanks, Bill |
I got mine from here:
http://www.adventuremotogear.com/ |
I took a look at it. $1000.00 is outrageous. You BMW guys have more money than....well I do.
I use the layered idea. I wear a Bohn armour jacket, the best protection I've seen, and when needed a gortex rain coat over it. |
It depends. Both my wife and I had the Savanna I suits for 5 years and we ride all year, hot or cold. I know some people who get cheap gear and replace it every couple of years or get one set for summer another for winter.
But then I have had the same bike for 13 years. Last month we did buy news suits. |
RE gloves - Rukka makes two style of waterproof gloves - one long gauntlet to go over the jacket, one short gauntlet to go INside the sleeve.
The short gauntlet is a great idea - it would go inside a lot easier than the long. I have the long gauntlet, but in nasty weather force it inside the jacket sleeve - Susan has to help me! We rode all day in a major downpour and neither of us got a drop inside, hands stayed dry all day. ------------------ Grant Johnson Seek, and ye shall find. ------------------------ One world, Two wheels. www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
Excellent information and I can't thank all of you enough. However, I do have one small problem and that is living in China! While I think I can get gear appropriately sized without trying it on beforehand, I do face substantial shipping costs and fairly stiff duties on imported clothing.
As part of my searching I came across the Fieldsheer name and looked at their website. Yes, I know that I can't believe anything re. a mfgr's claims but they do seem to have good stuff at a more reasonable price. Does anyone have any experience with their gear? Thanx, Jack |
Where I work we sell Fieldsheer, not too many world travelers here but the gear works quite well for the price. To bad you can't buy in China as a lot of gear is made there and exported.
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This is what I will use when my time comes:
http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/produ...ts/zipOffs.htm Dragginjeans make casual clothing strengthened with kevlar to prevent road rash. In addition they supply body armor that you can stick into your clothes (sholder pads, elbow pads, hip pads, and back protector). One thing I always hated about motorcycles was getting in and out of my suit every time I made a destination. With this, all I have to do on a hot day is to zip off the pant legs, pull out the armor, and enjoy the sun. In addistion to Draggin Jeans protective clothes I would layer up on cold and rainy days, using clothing which would double as regular clothes. (Rain gear, wind breaker, long jogns or running pants, jacket. For boots I would use some tall gore tex hiking boots and risk having my feet crushed in a severe crash (I just hate those motorcycle boots, and tall hiking boots offer fair protection.). I believe this would not only allow me to travel lighter, but would in adition also let me bring a larger and more versatile wardrobe, in addition to offer more comfort while riding. Not too hot on hot days, and not too cold on cold days, allways just perfect http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif Draggin Jeans offer pants, sweat shirts, jackets, gloves, t-shirts, and more, all with a casual look and protective kevlar. http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/image...gos-static.jpg http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/image...argo/inner.jpg http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/image.../monza_jkt.jpg http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/image...ar_elbow-b.jpg http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/image...an_wheelie.jpg |
Quote:
In backcountry winter camping, we dress in layers. The outer shell is usually just a waterproof/breathable shell. The layers underneath are what keep us warm. That allows us to deal with a signficant breadth of temperatures. If we wore only 1 very warm jacket, we would overheat much of the time. I'd suggest the same for extended travelling. Determine which parameters are important to you ie abrasion resistance, impact protection, breathability, water resistance etc. And then look for gear that meets that. The popular mid-price brands are probably not the best in terms of providing something that you can "live-in" day in day out for a whole year. They aren't designed for that. As a general rule, outdoor activity stores, the ones that are staffed by people who actually do the activities and use the products are a good bet. You can find clothing that is meant to perform well. And then you top that off by a motorcycle specific shell whose purpose is to protect you in case of mishap. Hope that helps some, Bruno Montreal, Canada Gerbing Heated JACKET LINER Review http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides/p...bing/liner.htm : [This message has been edited by Bruno Valeri (edited 23 November 2005).] [This message has been edited by Bruno Valeri (edited 23 November 2005).] |
Agrre with the post above. In short, here is my opinion... summed up:
1) Layering 2) Protection from road rash (i.e. kevlar) 3) Protecting major joints in crashes (armor, built in or strap on) Then 4) Wind proof (If you bring an aditional windbreaker, having clothes that will let the air through on hot days can be nice) 5)Breathable water proofening??? For me this is not a must as I carry 100% water proof raingear with me - my experience is that when my body is cold and I am riding wast into the rain, I still get wet. These things work on the osmosis principle, and when my body is cold (as it often gets when sitting still riding in the rain), my body doesn't build up enough bodyheat for moisture on the inside of the jacket to evapurate. The airpressure (generated by riding), moisture and heat on the outside may in fact be so high that the osmosis effect works the other way around, making moisture seep into the clothes. Further, I find these clothes large and bulky, and hot as hell, even without the liner, they make me look like a clown on the way to the moon, and they have no other versatility besides riding. Also, I don't feel they do a heck of a lot for breathing either... All in one concepts have short comings in all areas but one, general convenience. |
After quite a lot of deliberation, my wife and I opted to go with AEROstich. There were several reasons for this. First, Andy Goldfine is a world class rider who has travelled to many of the places we will ride and his designs are based on experience not fashion or marketing. While we will be riding in the heat, I would rather sweat a bit than be without real protection. And since I have some experience of riding in the deserts of the American SW, I feel ok about this. We were also impressed with the quality of construction. While this may require that the Darien Jacket is a bit stiff and heavy, I have been assured that the stiffness will go away and I will get used to the weight. We also have the Darien pants, that have been altered to fit - I do have short legs.
We also opted for AEROstich' Combat Boots. Made by Sidi, they really are waterproof according to all the tests I have read. To be fair to any one who reads this post, out ride is being sponsored by AEROstich so we got a substantial break on the purchase price of all the stuff we bought from AEROstich and RIDERwearhouse. However, even without their support, I would have selected their products any way. For a final note, we leave on July 17 for Beijing and after a final bike check we head off to Mongolia to Ulaan Baator and then to the western border where we will enter Russia. Thanx for all the advice, couldn't have done it without HU and all the people who have helped with this and other posts. www.draginrun.com B/rgds Jack |
Gloves.
Think I've decided on some MX gloves for really hot days, and some vented gloves for every thing else. To water proof them some waxed cotton over gloves are the only product that I'd trust RTW for water proof gloves. They also eliminate wind - making the vented gloves non vented for cooler weather. 14 summer glove review http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/acc...ummergloves01/ The most essential thing is the protection for all the clothing. On the dragin jeans etc. While fine products ... they are not suitable for RTW .. Pack volume is large and drying times are long. I use than for day/weekend trips. But not a week. |
My last big motorcycle trip took me from Virginia to Alaska to the the "loneliest road" in Nevada. Not big by the standards of many people on this site, I know, but still, it included days of near-freezing temperature as well as days of 110 deg heat. What it did not include is any serious off-roading. I had been on several similar trips before and so had a few learning experiences. On this last trip I was very satisfied with what I used for gear. I was determined to travel superlight on this trip, and winter clothing takes up a lot of luggage space.
Here is what I used: - Aerostich One Piece suit. - Few T-shirts, at least one long sleeve (this is also of course your non-riding clothing) - Heated vest, sleeves, and gloves (I think I have Widder) - Slim fitting gortex wind breaker - Leather perferated full-coverage gloves - Face mask that fits confy under helment and covers neck - full faced helmet of course - Matterhorn Crosstech Wateproof Leather Nylon Boots - Other normal clothes like a pair of shorts, pants, underwear and socks (again also for non-riding). The one piece suit, for me, answers the question of having to take off so much gear at each destination, because it goes on over your street clothes and comes off almost as fast as a jacket, yet covers your whole body in durable nylon and decent pads. Additionally there are tons of big secure pockets. These features also make this suit great for commuting. At least one long sleeve t-shirt because you won't want the heated sleeves directly against the skin. Get a heated vest that includes the collar to cover your neck. The heated gloves work fine in cold and rainy weather. They actually did soak through but with the heat going it didn't matter. A more waterproof heated glove would be an improvement to my list. Use heated gloves, not heated grips. The windbreaker goes over the heated vest but obviously inside the aerostich on cold days. Makes the heated gear much more effective and it can be something super thin so it takes up practically no space in your luggage on hot days. The leather gloves are for warmer days and if it rans but is warm, just have wet hands, who cares. The face mask can be anything that fits comfy under your helmet. This makes such a huge difference on cold days, and yet is such a small item to carry. Look for something that covers the neck as well, and use something that is actually shaped to fit a face. These things are popular for skiing. I bought mine in an outdoor store and it looks like this: http://www.rangerjoes.com/gatorface-...lack-p-41.html The boots I bought from http://www.newenglandshoe.com and I can't say enough about their quality - these things have lasted 2 years of everyday use. They really are waterproof and at the same time the most breathable shoe I've ever had. They are fine for riding and good for hiking too, thus no need to carry any other shoes in your luggage. Only bummer is no real crash protection or shin protection like riding-only boots would have. MY feet have never felt too hot, cold, or wet in these boots. On cold days, the heated gear is very effective and it prevents from having to carry tons winter layers in your luggage. The other advantage of the heated gear is that you are bound to experience days that are back and forth quickly between hot and cold if you are going over mountain passes. Since you can flip the heat on and off easily, it is not necessary to stop to add or remove clothing. Wire up a convenient switch on the bike somewhere to turn the power on and off. You can get thermostats but the switch is all the gagetry you need. On rainy days the Aerostich works well enough, so no need to carry rain gear. On mildly warm days the one-piece suit is quite bareable if you are able to keep moving. On really hot days, soak the cotton t-shirt in water and ride! Ah it feels so good! Use the vents on the aerostick to control the speed of evaporation. You must wear something over the wet shirt else it will dry too fast and you will feel a painfully icey feeling against your skin. Open the vents more and it will feel cooler but dry faster. Close the vents and it not feel as cool and will last longer. In any case there is more than enough cooling effect and it will last a good 1.5 hours per soak even in dry desert heat. Using these methods I was never really uncomfortable, and the most riding gear I ever have to carry in my luggage is the heated vest, sleeves, and gloves. All the other stuff is either clothing that is normal street clothes, or the stuff that is too small to matter. The big flaw in this setup is that I was not equiped to hike in really cold weather. Sorry for such a long post! I always have this problem of talking too much when it comes to motorcycles and travel! On my first bike trip I used a leather suit and carried rain gear and winter overalls in my luggage! Sheese what was I thinking? |
Regarding the Draggin Jeans stuff, I read a magazine article that test various riding clothing by putting weights inside and the dragging it on the ground. Some nuts in this test even tested full leathers on a track by sliding themselves intentionally off a racing sidecar at 70mph. Anyway, the kevlar reinforced jeans they tested did only slightly better than regular jeans, and were no where near the protection level of leather or tough nylon. Just an FYI but it was a long time ago and it might have been a different brand.
I'm so proud of myself for keeping this post short! :-) |
Ive read previous posts on this topic and I'm trying to decide between the hein-gericke toureg combo which has good ventilation and is gotex at a good price or the more expensive rukka 'safe' jacket which is very expensive I think for a textile jacket. Has anyone seen any comparisons or had experience of both?
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