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REV'IT Tornado Mesh Jacket and Pants Review

R

robert.bantly

Guest
Someone has already posted a review of these, but I just spent a couple hundred miles in these so here's mine:

Build / Construction quality: 5/5
Protection/Safety (compared to full one-piece leathers): 3/5
Function: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Comfort / Coolness / Airflow: 5/5
Fit: 4/5 - 5/5 (Pants and Jacket appear to be USA/Canada, not Europe Fitting)
Overall cost: app. $600.00 for the set depending upon who you get it from / shipping, etc.

This is a very comfortable and very cool suit and looks great. Protection is limited compared to a set of one or two piece leathers, less than a non-mesh suit like an Aerostich Roadcrafter or Motoport, but comfort and coolness is higher overall and if appearance is important to you, it looks better than either. IMO, the Motoport is the best out there but the sport suits have the 60's Star Trek Landing Party look and cost as much as leathers anyway.

The Rev'it Pants and jacket go over street clothes easily. Zip open legs allow removing and putting on the pants without removing boots, a nice feature that keeps your socks clean at iffy rest areas/parking lots, and gas stations, etc. It also makes those emergency pit stops easy :) All zippers and fasteners are good quality, and even the neck snap has a sliding adjustment for comfort.

Fit was good but a tad loose - I am 6' 185lbs. with a 34" waist and 34" inseam, and I ordered the 52L pants (good fit, just a tiny bit long but helps protect street clothes when commuting, etc.) I also ordered the 56 Jacket, and this without the liner is a touch big for me, a 54 might have been a little better. Very comfortable, though.

The stock armor in the elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees is 'adequate,' but I plan to upgrade it with sturdier Knox pieces designed for the jacket and pants if I can find them. The back armor is not adequate and the hip pads are pretty minimal. I purchased the Knox back protector pad along with the suit and am glad I did - the stock back protector is app 1/2" to 5/8" foam and would have little effect in any impact situation. The Knox unit is much higher density, thicker, and sturdier and I am expecting the Knox upgrades to the rest of the suit to be of similar quality and construction. The jacket and pants zip together with a heavy duty one quarter zipper across the back like an ADV suit - I would like to see the whole suit zip together for better protection but as is apparent, stock this isn't really a suit for high level sport riding.

The only truly negative aspect I found is slipperiness between the inside thighs and gas tank. If you maintain correct posture and body grip, you will be gripping the tank with your legs while keeping arms bent and relaxed on the bars. I found myself sliding up the tank during spirited braking and it was difficult to hold on to the bike using this technique and keep a relaxed grip on the bars. Some sort of grippier material should be applied along this part of the suit (on the leg zipper covers), and will be an additional change I add to mine.

Overall, this is a good summer suit if you upgrade the armor and add some anti-sliding fabric on the inside thigh seams, thigh - knee. Even better if a Full Zipper is installed in addition to the quarter zip along the back. With these changes and an
additional layer of protection/padding under it (kevlar long johns/etc.) I would consider it fine for a bit of spirited street riding.

The summer cool factor is so good and the heat has been so much this year I don't have a problem with the armor upgrade and spending a few bucks to have some grippy stuff sewn in along the inside of the legs. This suit will get a lot of use until the temps cool off :)

Here are some links from one dealer:

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-tornado-jacket

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-tornado-pants
 
mosty +1

I bought the same suit and like it, but when it's 103 ambient, nothing helps, and I think perhaps I was actually cooler back in the day with a soaked tee shirt, a soaked head under my helmet, and the zippers popped on my leather jacket.

That said, the rev it tornado works pretty much as the OP suggests. Others have posted that mesh just generally evaps whatever's underneath faster. My exp bears that out. Tho' last summer riding XC in very high temps I never bothered to actually take off my shirt and completely soak it, and yet remained pretty comfy. Kinda. While sitting on my bike for a couple minutes waiting my turn at Total Rider Tech I was in hell. Ya gotta have a little wind for the vents to actually vent. This year I'm trying a long sleeved "Under Armor" shirt purported to help you stay cool, and similar underpants.We'll see.
 
I'm about to go for the jacket at least. Looks like the best of the mesh jackets (except maybe the Motoport "Star Trek landing party" model :)

Robert, what color Rev'It did you get? I'm usually sold on hi-viz gear but like the silver color's appearance better. And you found the fit to be accurate using the Rev'It sizing table?

pete
 
I'm wearing tha BMW Airshell Jacket and REv'it Tornado pant!

Great combo. Good visibilty, protection and airflow on the jacket and the pants are great as stated above.

A bit slick on the seat though.
 
Suit Color

I got the black although I was tempted by silver since it would have looked great on the Alpine white S1000RR. It just wouldn't work on a black and yellow GS or my old red TL. Looked at the hi-vis too, but I have seen some hi-vis gear that tends to fade when washed...

Black is fine temp wise while moving...

I shouldn't make star trek jokes... haha! :wave
Was in San Diego and visited Balboa Park and there just happened to be the most famous chair in Television on display! Couldn't pass up the opportunity to park myself in it for a small donation.

ST2.jpg
 
I have the light grey suit that gets dirty pretty quick. It does keep you pretty cool in the heat, but to me the fit isn't all that great. With the liner out, the snaps at the ends of the sleeve tend to make all of the material loose and it bunches up over your gloves. The pants legs seem to flap a lot in the wind.
 
Pants / Jacket fit

I only have the Tornado pants but I like 'em! They don't flow as much air as the Fieldsheer mesh I had, but there is a lot more protection, they fit better, and look like they are better made. I don't have any issues with slipping around the seat and I even have the ceramic beadrider when the weather's hot.

One thing I find about Rev-It! jackets is that they are tight on the shoulders for me. I'm 5'9", long in the torso, and slender (154 lbs soaking wet), but wider than usual shoulders for someone my size. I like the European cut of most jackets, but Rev-It! jackets just won't fit. My ex was the same way. Too bad - they make good gear.
 
I'm wearing tha BMW Airshell Jacket and REv'it Tornado pant!

Great combo. Good visibilty, protection and airflow on the jacket and the pants are great as stated above.

A bit slick on the seat though.
Please react to my next door thread r.e. the Airshell-thanks!
 
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