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Alternative Riding Jacket to Aerostich?

alternate jackets

take a look at Clover product. I'm very impressed with quality and fit. Expensive but not as much as the stich.
 
Hmmm lots of talk about good jackets..I bought a First Gear Kilimanjaro in 1998 at the Montana rally and had the privilege to test its crashworthiness on the way home.It works!It was very durable and I got my local seamstress to patch up the various scuffs with material which First Gear was good enough to supply when I called them with my tale of woe.I find it hot though in really hot weather,the vents not working all that well...it is real handy for pockets and a camel back etc.I still wear it quite happily.I also have a Joe Rocket summer weight,armoured and made of a windy material which I like for day trips in really hot weather.It is not real handy as it does not pack very small.
What a world!Where compromises must be made because you just can't pack everything.
 
Planning To Buy New Riding Gear

Dave92029 said:
I have owned several Aerostich riding suits over the years, and used to think that they were the best over all piece of riding gear.

Well with the passing of time new products are introduced and improvements are developed.

Well I'm still on the same Aerostich Roadcrafter II suit that I've had for just over 11 years now. A good all around suit, but then, I have nothing to compare it to.

I looked at a Darien jacket a few years ago that someone had at a rally. For the price and even at half the price, I thought it to be an unfinished product. No lining and all you saw were taped seams which from reports that I've read, start to unravel over time. Has the design changed or is it still as I saw it then?

I'd buy a Darien jacket and pants, but for me to fork out those dollars, I'd want to see a lined jacket and pants, a zip-out cool weather fleece lining in the jacket and new generation padding (not like those that look home-made in my Roadcrafter II).

In the near future, I'll be looking at either the high end Rukka or Dainese gear. I want an all-weather riding suit. The days of rainsuits are long gone unless you buy cheap gear. The Roadcrafter will be kept for good memories and for all the years that it served me well.
 
Aerostich alternatives?

I have a 1991 Roadcrafter two piece and a 2001 model. The Roadcrafter is just an excellent suit for protection, weather resistance and durability - I really don't think it has an equal.

I had a pair of Darien pants for a while and didn't care for the fit or finish. They were well made of quality materials, but as others have commented, the unfinished look and feel didn't make me want to keep them.

I had a Belstaff Merlin for a while that I bought in a weak moment during the races at Sears Point. Nice jacket for winter/cold weather riding, but too poorly vented to be usable during the summer. Great, weatherproof collar, though - best I've seen.

I had not been much of a fan of the BMW Rider Gear until I had a chance to wear some on a bike. It didn't do much for me in the store, but the riding experience was a whole different ball game. I used a Savanna II jacket and pants for a few days during the 80th anniversary celebration and I was very impressed - great materials, great fit and finish and great venting.

Very nice gear and some of it is on closeout right now at reasonable prices - I bought a pair of the Savanna I pants with the optional hip and thigh armor for about $200 delivered (2nd day air by FedEx). Not bad. By the way, when you buy the hip and thigh armor, you have to buy two sets - each has ONE hip pad and ONE thigh pad. Strange, eh?. Very good armor, however.

Pete Bansen
Truckee, California
 
Alternative Jacket

I find the Joe Rocket Tahoe does the job for me. Watrproof, (except when I leave the vents open) , breathable, pads, pockets,
liner. I live in Charlotte, NC & ride year round with it. I picked mine up new on E-Bay for $109.00
 
Alternative to Aerostitch

I use a BMW Commuter jacket, waterproof, lined, excellent armor (back, shoulders, elbows), good vents. I don't think it'll save you any money over the Aerostirch Darien.
 
Darien like jacket--Teknic Sprint!

:bliss

Mike:

The thread is a month or so since a posting, and you may have made a decision about a jacket. I'm happy with my choice. Although I have only my regularly worn leathers (Teknic jacket, Z gloves, Hein Gerike pants) and varioius bits of outdoor sports technical gear to have as a personal experience base when trying to decipher promo copy or testimonials on web pages, my choice of the Teknic Sprint jacket seems to be right on...for the first six weeks of use. I haven't ridden it through a car wash, but it has handled intermittant showers and foggy mist just fine.

I was really bummed that I couldn't see much of anything "in the flesh." "We can order that for you" got to be pretty silly, especially as I could order it for myself at a pretty hefty discount, but I digress...

I also have to say that cyclestuffusa.com had the best price, no fee on standard shipping and excellent!!!! service. We bought two Teknic jackets through them, the Sprint for myself and the Sequoia for my wife.

The Sprint is a little lighter than the Kilaminjaro, Savannah, Darien and Cycloak GT Pro. Maybe the Darien light would be a good comparison, but I've never examined one. I wanted something that could be year 'round. I rode in Montana in August. Standing around I was hot, but on the bike I was fine and I didn't go to a wet t-shirt. It's armored well, mesh lined, vented, pocketed, reflectivated, and a detachable insulation layer is also provided.

It was $225.00 to the door.

I don't think it can be beat!

PJ Wise, Nemah, Washington, #65985
'81 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce -- Verena Ragazza
'93 BMW K1100LT -- Berrin Marte
 
Belstaff explorer

I am wearing the Belstaff Explorer jacket and pants are typhoon model. Love both!!! jacket has better venting then merlin, is similiar to discovery jacket and has removable fleece liner that can be worn as light jacket around campfire alone. Waterproofing is great, and can be resprayed after washing to help maintain waterproofing, very inexpensive to do as well as easy. I wore in IB rally and was in all temps and weather with it.
 
I bought a Belstaff Discovery Jacket last October to get me through a winter of riding. Superb quality and this jacket has it all. Lots of pockets, warm, CE in elbows, shoulders back, really lites up at night, waterproof as far as I can tell (Colorado doesn't get much rain). It has a unique removable neck guard that really works well in winter. T he underarm zips and back zipped vents work pretty well for riding in the summer, though it is really not a summer jacket when it is 80 degress out, but I wore it on my ride to the Top O' the Rockies Rally in July this year and was fine as long as I was moving. Paid about $360 from MAWOnline, later discovered www.britishmotorcyclegear.com and bought pants from them, very pleased with their response to e-mails so would recommend them. Excellent quality, stitching, etc. and would buy another of anything Belstaff makes.
 
I bought a Spidi H2Out at the national ralley and so far am happy with my decision. It is a little different as the rain gear component goes inside the jacket! The outside shell was great for warm days ( I don't think anything works when it is 90+ and you are at a stop light). It is meshed under the arms from front to back.

The rain liner zips inside and acts as a wind/moisture barrier. The third liner fits inside, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet since it has only been in the 50's.

The key feature I like is the zipper on the cuffs, a must have in my opinion.
 
Like some others have said, Stitch doesn't make anything to fit me, had one, and had to send it back. I have a First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket, and matching pants, and think they are about as good as you can get off the rack. I only use it under 70 degrees though. Use a Joe Rocket Phoenix mesh jacket and pants in hot weather, and it does reasonably well into t he nineties, as long as you are moving. I see where First Gear has come out with a more vented Kilimanjaro style jacket this year, which may prove to be more of a year round option.
 
TourMaster

TourMaster is fine, but I've needed to waterproof it annually with Scotchguard.
 
R100RS said:
I'm looking for a ..........

The one truth I've found in my years of motorcycling is there is not one of anything that does it all, bikes, gloves, pants and yes.that includes jackets.

If yur only get'n one jacket...it's gonna be a compromise. If itÔÇÖs good in summer, it is not so good in winter. If it is good in winter you will sweat in the hot summers.

Figure out what end of the spectrum you are willing to give up. For me I have a couple of jackets. Kilimanjaro for late fall, winter, early spring. I also have a Vanson Falcon vented synthetic jacketvery nice in summer heat yet still gives excellent protection.

If I could only have one, I would go for the Kilimanjaro ÔÇÿcause it covers more of the spectrum than others like Roadcrafter or Darian. They donÔÇÖt vent like the Kilimanjaro.

The weakness of the Kilimanjaro is two fold. Vents are difficult to use. Forget opening the 2 front vents and two arm vents when on the bike. You have to stop, take the jacket off and futz with the Velcro to do it. On the plus side, they vent very well. Second problem is the outer material is rather lightweight. Be careful in off road get offs or when tinkering with yur bike on the side of the roadthe material melts /tears easy.
 
It has been relatively cold riding in October and so far in November. Between 22 and 50. My Cycloak has been warm, dry and comfortable. I was able to buy the jacket for $299 from our local BMW dealer.
 
re: One more thing about Aerostich

They are made right here in the USA by people working for the same company that sells them. You can only buy them from the manufacturer, not at a rally or thru a dealer. I'm not sure any other jacket can say that. Therefore, when you need alterations or repairs it gets done by the same folks who made it. That means alot to me.

MarkF
 
Since Mike's original post was back in July I assume he's already bought a jacket but I'll go ahead and post for others' possible edification.

I have a one-piece Roadcrafter but am less than impressed with its water resistence. Also, it's drafty and lacks room for layering (we won't talk about the few extra pounds I've collected since buying the thing . . . ). So I wanted something else for the cold, wet winters 'round here.

I settled on Hein Gericke's Eco jacket/pants combo. They feature 500 denier Cordura, integral Gore Tex liner, and removable quilted liners. The jacket has CE armor in the back, shoulders, and elbows while the pants have the same in the knees. Both are styled in understated black and the jacket has some small reflective piping across the back and shoulders.

First, this outfit is draft-free and very warm. So far this year I've ridden in 26-degree temps and was comfortable (with an e-vest). There's room for layers, although the jacket's neck is too tight to snap all the way up when I'm wearing my collared e-vest or a collared fleece pullover. I'm shopping for some thin, collarless fleece (any ideas?).

I've ridden in some significant rain too and so far have remained completely dry. I haven't yet tested it in an all-day rain but I have ridden for an hour in moderate rain and stayed dry. As with any Cordura product, the outer fabric gets soaked. I don't know if this would present a problem in a long rain ride. Anyway, the Eco is easily superior to the Roadcrafter in terms of water resistence.

There are NO VENTS in the jacket or pants. With the quilted liners removed there is enough "breathing" to stay comfortable up to about 75 or 80 degrees, but you'll definitely want to wear something else for hot weather.

I haven't tested crash worthiness . . .

gericke-eco-gore-tex-jacket-pants.jpg
 
hi everyone. im new to beemers (had a few bimmers) and am working to get properly outfitted. this thread is a great one, and i'd like to hear if anyone has some more feedback for me. im cose to a jacket purchase myself. ive narrowed my choices to the first gear kilimanjaroII and the cycloak GT pro. things i'd like to learn a little more about before i take the plunge:

1. the fit. the FG fit fine. i havent had the chance to try on the cycloak, and am not sure i have a dealer here in austin. anyone know if the fit is hugely different between the two?

2. the venting. im in austin, so i ride in three seasons - warm, hot and hotter. i dont expect to be able to ride this jacket all year-round, but i would like to have maximum flexibility allowed. we have a lot of days where in the morning its chilly and in the afternoon it's, in the vernacular, durn hot. so if the FG is better vented i'd like to hear about it, or vice versa.

3. the material/armor - im assuming that both will protect me equally well? they each have different trade names for the fabric, and what im wondering is if one is wayyyy better than the other?

lastly, i can get the cycloak for $100 less than the FG. naturally $$ factors in as well.

thanks for reading.

lee
austin, tx
2002 r1150r
 
For general usefulness, I don't think you can beat Aerostich. I've had 2-piece Roadcrafters since '86, and they have worked wonderfully. One thing that I have learned is that you must spray waterproofing on the suit at least once a year, but it is better with a good spraying every time you wash the suit (at least twice a year). Except in the middle of the humid Southern summer (when I use a Firstgear mesh outfit), a Stich works just fine for all my riding needs.

I have crash tested the suits--they work very well with padding and abraision resistance. Unfortunately, the EMTs usually tend to cut the suits off the inert rider, so stay awake to keep your suit intact. :D
 
Thanks for all of the great replies! Nice to see the thread is still going to help others.

Yes, I did purchase a jacket, in September. I ended up with the Belstaff Discovery and have put close to 1000 miles on it.

Overall, it appears to be an excellent jacket. Everytime I turn around I find some new feature.

I have worn it in the cold (down to 20* F) and it's been fine for the very short commute to work. For longer rides in that temperature, I'd probably wear something under it, in addition to the liner. I don't particularly like the (detachable) neck gaiter that comes with it. It's a neat idea, but it just seems to direct cold air up into my full face helmet. Again, it's fine to work and back and it's easy as it's attached to the jacket. For longer rides, I will wear a separate windproof fleece neck gaiter.

I haven't had the chance to wear it for any length of time in the heat, but I DON'T expect very good things from it. As mentioned before, the venting is pretty wimpy. As someone else mentioned, it should be acceptable at speed, just not stuck in traffic.
 
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