Klim Latitude vs Roadcrafter vs ?

[kbnesbitt]

I'm in the process of getting a newer bike, so I am considering upgrading my riding gear. My BMW TourGuard has given me good service, but it is starting to lose zipper pulls, and is beginning to look faded. I have tried the latest BMW suits, but the fit, especially across the shoulders, is not as comfortable as the old one. I have thought about going to a 'Stitch for a while, but I like to try the goods before buying, and I have yet to see a pop-up in Canada. My local dealer is also a Klim dealer, and the Latitude jacket seems to be comfortable, but I don't know how well they work..

Since I don't have experience with either of these companies, I wanted to see how people like these brands. I ride in conditions from near-freezing right up to 40 degrees C, so insulation and ventilation are important to me. Also, is there another brand that I should look at while I am checking out gear? Thanks.

 

[lee]

I purchased the latest version on the Laditude last year. It's a nice jacket but does vent as well as my old Firstgear Scout leather jacket.
On my R1200RS the chest vents are pushed shut by air pressure.
The Badland and new Kodiak look like they may vent better but are very pricey.
I like the looks of the Apex more than the adventure style jackets but it does not have rear vents.

<iframe width="610" height="343" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nXxfi5DgC60" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[lee]

Both of us bought the BMW Streetguard jackets last year when we found them on sale at 55% off.
Thought they were great jackets until it was discovered they would leak even in a lite rain.
BMW replaced them and we have not tried the new ones in the rain.

 

[daboo]

The zipper pull on my Olympia AST2 broke, so I wrote their customer service department. The owner replied and sent a couple new zipper pulls at no cost. The hi-vis yellow is filthy with road grime (instead of being faded), but a wash in the laundry tub takes care of that. I don't mind having my gear look like I ride.

Olympia is tailored for the American rider, versus a European rider cut. There's a lot of thought put into their gear and the quality has held up over a lot of miles in daily Seattle commuting...i.e., it stays waterproof.

Klim is good gear. Aerostitch too. I'm not sure you get the increased quality and value as you increase to the cost of Klim over gear like Olympia.

Chris

 

[shortythorne]

You can't go wrong with BMW or Aerostich. BMW gear seems to have a better fit for average size women, but since I'm guessing your a guy, it wouldn't matter. Either brand says that you know what high quality riding gear looks like. Either one is better suited for serious riding in all climates & conditions than some other brands. I have heard that KLIM is great, but too many pockets, flaps, etc. for me. Sometimes when people buy the latest, greatest thing they have to try & justify their mistake by saying how wonderful it is. Just my two cents worth. BTW...I have both brands, but I prefer BMW because of the fit & function for me.

 

[daboo]

There seems to be a certain snob appeal to owning a BMW that I haven't embraced yet. If there's a way to spend a thousand dollars for a product that you can buy for far less, there's only one choice. Look at the price tag first and buy the highest priced item.

Chris

 

[patm]

I've owned a Roadcrafter for years. Love it. It's fine for riding behind the wind protection of an RT.
It's basically just a heavy cordura Gore Tex shell that can be worn over your regular clothes.
For warmth, you need an insulated liner or heated vest.
Vents are zippered openings under your armpits and across your back.
I wear it from near freezing temps (heated vest) to maybe 30°C. Above that, I wear a mesh.

I don't know anything about the Klim.

Hope this helps.

 

[lee]

I have heard that KLIM is great, but too many pockets, flaps, etc. for me. .

One reason I bought a Latitude over a Badlands is I don't like large exterior cargo pockets. I especially don't like large pockets on the lower half of a jacket when riding a S or RS.

 

[frenchnew]

I would suggest you take a look at Motoport (Tailor made to your size)

http://www.motoport.com/

I have the Marathon Air Mesh Jacket with liner for the cold weather and their Ultra II Air Mesh Pants with Stretch fabric in the back. Bought the jacket and their Stretch Kevlar pants in the spring of 2012 then added the Ultra II Air Mesh pants last May. The material use is top knotch and so is their craftmanship.
I was using a BMW Trailguard jacket & pants setup for the first season in 2011 and consider that for almost the same price I got tailor made Kevlar Air Mesh Suit (Jacket & Pants). I would suggest that you do not get the Full Kevlar Stretch Pants as they are too hot in 30C + weather, the Ultra II Air Mesh pants with Stretch Kevlar fabric in the back take care of this.

Robert

I'm in the process of getting a newer bike, so I am considering upgrading my riding gear. My BMW TourGuard has given me good service, but it is starting to lose zipper pulls, and is beginning to look faded. I have tried the latest BMW suits, but the fit, especially across the shoulders, is not as comfortable as the old one. I have thought about going to a 'Stitch for a while, but I like to try the goods before buying, and I have yet to see a pop-up in Canada. My local dealer is also a Klim dealer, and the Latitude jacket seems to be comfortable, but I don't know how well they work..

Since I don't have experience with either of these companies, I wanted to see how people like these brands. I ride in conditions from near-freezing right up to 40 degrees C, so insulation and ventilation are important to me. Also, is there another brand that I should look at while I am checking out gear? Thanks.

 

[irish]

I upgraded my gear last year. I was mainly considering Roadcrafter 3, BMW GS Drysuit and various Klim options. I thought the Roadcrafter had the edge for practicality after seeing my friend peel his off leaving him in shorts, t shirt and hiking shoes in seconds. After some reflection, I realized that I generally prefer to peel off my riding jacket and keep my riding pants on when I stop, since what I wear under my riding gear is not an outfit unto itself most of the time. I was also concerned about what looked like relatively few vents on the Stich. I wanted one set of gear to do it all. So the Roadcrafter got eliminated.

I tried on the GS Dry Suit and like the fit, appearance and design very much. I ended up going with Klim Badlands jacket and Overland pants. The Klim jacket has ten vents compared to I think four for the BMW and four for the top half of the Stitch and I thought it would be better in hot weather. It has not disappointed and is about the equal of my mesh jacket on the hottest days, something I did not expect.

I think all three companies make outstanding gear and I know people who have had good luck with all of them. I think deciding on a one piece vs two piece suit would be a good place to start and then try them on to get a better idea. My Klim gear has been good from about 28-95 F and waterproof except in one day-long deluge where some water got through to stuff in my pockets and to my chest via my wicking action from a neck gator.

 

[shortythorne]

There seems to be a certain snob appeal to owning a BMW that I haven't embraced yet. If there's a way to spend a thousand dollars for a product that you can buy for far less, there's only one choice. Look at the price tag first and buy the highest priced item.

Chris

How does buying high quality riding gear that helps keep a rider safe, compute into being snobbish? I think you get what you pay for with riding gear. A cheaper alternative is not the same as the more costly when it comes to protection and safety. While less expensive brands may be ok for some riding situations (going 20 miles for coffee, or the post office, etc.), some riders need extreme gear for extreme situations. Because someone chooses a BMW suit or an Aerostich suit doesn't make them a snob. Ride over to your local Harley dealer on your BMW & see what a snob is.

 

[Friedle]

gear

How does buying high quality riding gear that helps keep a rider safe, compute into being snobbish? I think you get what you pay for with riding gear. A cheaper alternative is not the same as the more costly
when it comes to protection and safety. While less expensive brands may be ok for some riding situations (going 20 miles for coffee, or the post office, etc.), some riders need extreme gear for extreme situations. Because someone chooses a BMW suit or an Aerostich suit doesn't make them a snob. Ride over to your local Harley dealer on your BMW & see what a snob is.

Has nothing to do with being a snob. Simply put, crashing sucks, whether you are 20 miles from home or 2000 miles away. The dollars you save by "saving money" on gear is usually far less than a visit to the ER will cost you. My body is a closed loop system, there should be no leaks because I didn't want to spend the money to buy the best protection available. YMMV

Friedle

 

[blender]

And now to muddy the waters even more: Perhaps consider the Aerostich Darien and either the Darien or AD1 overpants. This combo allows one to remove the jacket and retain your trousers (the public will thank you).

The Darien line does not have the nylon (taffeta ?) lining that the Roadcrafter does. The Gore-tex lining gets much more abuse because of that. I've unfortunately crash-tested the Darien and it held up (saved me much road rash). I wore out the second Darien and am now on my third.

I have tried other vendor's products (mostly FirstGear) but keep coming back to Aerostich.

 

[daboo]

Has nothing to do with being a snob. Simply put, crashing sucks, whether you are 20 miles from home or 2000 miles away. The dollars you save by "saving money" on gear is usually far less than a visit to the ER will cost you. My body is a closed loop system, there should be no leaks because I didn't want to spend the money to buy the best protection available. YMMV

Friedle

You do wear an air bag vest, don't you? Seriously. Because if you're that concerned, and money is no object, you should really think of one. The cost is far less than a trip to the emergency room and the hospital costs afterwards.

I had a friend of mine who was leading a group of riders on sport touring bikes. The road curved, he went straight. He has no recollection of what happened. He's a mature rider with probably more miles than 90% of the riders on this forum, so the point is that he wasn't a twenty-something rider on a donor bike.

His much less expensive gear did a good job of protecting his skin. It held up just fine and did what it was supposed to do. But he almost died anyway. He had 22 bones broken in his chest, a crushed vertebrae and a fractured vertebrae.

Air bag vests started out with equestrian sports. If Chris Reeves had been wearing one, he'd have walked away from his fall.

Just a thought.

Chris

 

[Rinty]

KB:

I got a Rev' it Sand 2 last year, and it's worked well so far. The suit gets pretty good reviews, even from the picky ADVrider guys, and it looks great.

I like to go to a retailer that has a big stock, and then try a number of things on until I find something that feels right.

You mentioned that you were considering an Aerostich Roadcrafter, and they're very, very stiff. I felt like the Pillsbury Doughboy in mine, and sent it back. Good stuff though, if you can hack wearing it.

 

[179212]

Protective gear

I have a roadcrafter lite it works very well blocks wind when cold vents well when hot but most of the time I wear aero stitch Darien pants buy same size as your jeans full zips on legs easy to get on and off. I have an Olympia mesh jacket with waterproof liner I can not find model name but it was on sale for $99 at local dealer, it is very comfortable keeps me dry in rain and cheap enough that when I get off bike I can leave it hanging on bike.the pants I got used on eBay have a pair of black ones and a pair of yellow ones ( no longer made ) less than $300 both pairs. The high Viz yellow attracts and hold every thing that can make a spot after a while you look like pigpen in the peanuts comic strips they may show the dirt because the yellow is so noticeable around it, get what is comfortable so you will wear stuff every time you ride

 

[BMARC153920]

You do wear an air bag vest, don't you? Seriously. Because if you're that concerned, and money is no object, you should really think of one. The cost is far less than a trip to the emergency room and the hospital costs afterwards.

I had a friend of mine who was leading a group of riders on sport touring bikes. The road curved, he went straight. He has no recollection of what happened. He's a mature rider with probably more miles than 90% of the riders on this forum, so the point is that he wasn't a twenty-something rider on a donor bike.

His much less expensive gear did a good job of protecting his skin. It held up just fine and did what it was supposed to do. But he almost died anyway. He had 22 bones broken in his chest, a crushed vertebrae and a fractured vertebrae.

Air bag vests started out with equestrian sports. If Chris Reeves had been wearing one, he'd have walked away from his fall.

Just a thought.

Chris

I wear an airbag vest on every ride, along with Sidi boots, Held gloves and either a Firstgear expedition suit or Alpinestars Bogota jacket/Valparaiso 2 pant combo with upgraded level 2 protection including chest plates.

All gear is a trade off, ALL gear is a trade off, and gear is a system, one thing works with another works with another, a true test of the weakest link.

IMHO no one can say X gear is better than Y gear in a crash because no one has had the same crash on X AND Y gear. I do know many many many stories of gear helping minimize body damage regardless of brand and price paid.

Price is not an indication of quality nor safety. My pants for example were $300 here but I got them from Germany for $200, are they $100 less safe now? Nonsense.

Aerostich is nice gear, it's price is what it is due to being make in the USA, the many options you can custom order and the use of Gortex and of course high-end materials. Is it the best? Debatable.

The price is irrelevant in relation to safety in this case anyway.

IMHO any gear is better than no gear, I'd go for good fit and quality armor over features and waterproofing dollar for dollar.

I'd also research nylon vs poly fabrics as the two are not equal when it comes to thickness and durability. A common mistake people make is assuming thinner nylon is not as durable as thicker poly.

Again the price of gear is irrelevant generally speaking but better made gear, with better armor with better material use such as nylon, double stitching, thicker nylon in impact and slide areas will add to cost and are worth paying for.

Buy the best you can, with the best features and materials given your budget and use it all the time. Brand matters not.

Again IMHO.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[kbnesbitt]

Thanks to all the board members who posted in to give their opinions. I went in to my local dealership today and placed a down-payment on a Klim Latitude jacket and pants combo. I did give serious thought about going with Aerostitch, but I couldn't justify going that route when I wasn't able to try it on first (I wasn't looking forward to shipping back and forth from US to Canada and back).

 

[bamajohn]

You can't go wrong with BMW or Aerostich. BMW gear seems to have a better fit for average size women, but since I'm guessing your a guy, it wouldn't matter. Either brand says that you know what high quality riding gear looks like. Either one is better suited for serious riding in all climates & conditions than some other brands. I have heard that KLIM is great, but too many pockets, flaps, etc. for me. Sometimes when people buy the latest, greatest thing they have to try & justify their mistake by saying how wonderful it is. Just my two cents worth. BTW...I have both brands, but I prefer BMW because of the fit & function for me.

Hi Gail....let's ride!
jb

 

[shortythorne]

Hi Gail....let's ride!
jb

Anytime!