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Looking for a 4 season jacket

T

tubaguy

NYrider
I have been researching for months.
I'm looking for a 3 1/2 - 4 season jacket with a Gortex outer lining (not zip in) and one removable insulated liner. The jacket should have CE approved armor in elbows, shoulders and back. It should have plenty of venting for hot days, and have nice reflectivity. And it would be nice if it looked cool.
I ride as a commuter, long distant tourer, weekend warrior, and lots of weekend trips up to our cabin, all on asphalt. I ride in and out of thunderstorms on hot days, and basically all year in all kinds of weather. I do not want to stop on the side of the road in the pouring rain and struggle with zip in rain liners. And I don't want to start my trip with a hot rain liner zipped in. And one more thing: I don't want to bake in black.
I've been dealing with the nice folks at Revzilla. But I have sent back many items. Call me picky, but I think that if we can put probes on Mars we should have such a product with all of this versatility. Any suggestions? I don't want to spend more than $700. The closest I have found is the Dainese Carve Master. But the venting isn't the greatest, and I have to pay extra for a back protector. Thanks for your input.
 
Look at Joe Rocket Alter Ego 3 Jackets...
I have one of these and am greatly impressed with it. Outer waterproof jacket that fits over inner mesh jacket with all the CE armor, and a zip in insulated liner. This is the best all around jacket I have used and if you have to don rain gear in a hurry, you just toss on your outer layer just like a second jacket, zips in the front panels so nothing has to come off to get it on.

$275 listed from the site, however eBay and other places has some cheaper if ya look around.

Link to overview here:
http://www.joerocket.com/catalog/index.cfm/236/458/Textile_Jackets/Alter_Ego_3.0_[hybrid]

(I still like my stich better until about 95 degrees though...)
 
Take a look at the Olympia line of 3/4 length jackets. Have gone thru many miles and many weather systems with these garments (both X-Moto and MotoQuest) - outstanding, and a better value than the 'premo-price' Aerostich line.

http://olympiamotosports.com/


Good luck with whatever you end up with! :thumb
 
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Darien plus your choice of liners appropriate to the season. Add electric gear as needed in the cold.
 
I had a Darien, liked it, other than It didn't vent enough how I liked it to, plus didn't care for pockets. Some love it, I just liked it. Then I bought a KLIM Badlands Pro. Love it, it is a bit heavy, but I love the included water bladder, the pockets, venting, etc. I paired it with a Powerlet heated jacket liner, so I can dial up the heat, or dial it down. Protection seems above the Darien for sure. I would even love it more if the bladder was in the back pouch vs. in the back, but oh well... Close to perfect for me.
 
Buy two jackets: a 3-season, and a summer mesh jacket like the BMW Airshell.

Based in Manhattan, you might consider a good hi-viz mesh jacket for those hot, humid days, and for warding off evil spirits in city traffic. The Airshell has a liner to block air for cool mornings.

Harry
 
I own about 7 or 8 jackets and have that many others for sale on consignment at my dealer, so I'm always on a quest for the perfect one for conditions.

Of the ones I currently have, I think the closest to your description is a Roadgear Xcaliber. And there's a great sale on them right now.

I haven't used it in the summer but it does have five good vents so I expect it to be at least tolerable into the 90s. I know comfort is subjective but I find it good with the thermal liner that comes with it and a fleece underneath in the upper 40s and have used it to the low 20s with an electric jacket liner. It isn't Gore Tex but is Reissa which is a South Korean waterproof/breathable material.

My only criticism of it is the lack of hand warmer pockets mostly as a place to stash my keys when I'm off the bike. The web site says it has them but that is not true. Of course I can put my keys in the bellows pocket though.

Quality wise it's certainly not at a level of my BMW Streetguard 3 but even at full retail was 60% less. I think it's a notch above the FirstGear Kilimanjaro that I have.

It was kind of an impulse purchase for me based on a discussion here, but I'm glad I got it. The zipper on my Streetguard busted and the Xcaliber got me through the two months of winter waiting for a repair.

Xcal.Jkt.RJ.jpg
 
KyleTurner said:
I have been researching for months.
I'm looking for a 3 1/2 - 4 season jacket with a Gortex outer lining (not zip in) and one removable insulated liner. The jacket should have CE approved armor in elbows, shoulders and back. It should have plenty of venting for hot days, and have nice reflectivity. And it would be nice if it looked cool.
I ride as a commuter, long distant tourer, weekend warrior, and lots of weekend trips up to our cabin, all on asphalt. I ride in and out of thunderstorms on hot days, and basically all year in all kinds of weather. I do not want to stop on the side of the road in the pouring rain and struggle with zip in rain liners. And I don't want to start my trip with a hot rain liner zipped in. And one more thing: I don't want to bake in black.
I've been dealing with the nice folks at Revzilla. But I have sent back many items. Call me picky, but I think that if we can put probes on Mars we should have such a product with all of this versatility. Any suggestions? I don't want to spend more than $700. The closest I have found is the Dainese Carve Master. But the venting isn't the greatest, and I have to pay extra for a back protector. Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...

I would highly recommend the Klim Lattitude Misano jacket. It's Gortex, has massive venting, and it is totally waterproof. I can ride this jacket comfortably into the high 80's and have ridden it at higher temps with less comfort. I would say it's probably the best 3 1/2 season jacket that I have owned. I have ridden this jacket in all day heavy rain without a drop in the jacket. I think the extra money spent on the Klim jacket was well worth it if you can swing it. Gortex is the way to go.
I also still have a Olympia AST, which in its latest version I think is now called the Ranger. This is also a very nice jacket and is at a lower price point. It is well constructed and also has lots of venting. I would call this jacket a 3 season jacket as I find it less comfortable in hot weather. It is not Gortex, but uses another type of waterproofing system. It's waterproof to a point, but if in a downpour for an extended period it does start to get wet.
In really hot weather I wear a Olympia airglide mesh jacket which is also very well constructed and flows lots of air.


I hope that this helps.

Doug
 

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All great suggestions here. Thanks! I checked out the Revit Outback, but it was really uncomfortable with both liners in. That's one reason why I don't want 2 liners, it's tight and uncomfortable. The Neptune looks great, but I don't want to mess with zipping/snapping liners, PIA in my opinion. I also firmly believe that you get what you pay for. I've had cheap jackets that functioned well (Cortech) but the seams started failing/fraying after 2 seasons. The Darien looks like a viable option here. But I heard it's very stiff in the beginning, and a bit hot for Summer(?) The Klim stuff looks good too. It's hard to get everything in 1 jacket. I have been using my Cortech Sport air 3.0 for super hot days. Great venting! But seams are fraying.
I have a Dainese Carve Master being shipped for trial. I'll keep you posted.
 
I have a Tourmaster Transition 3. Lots of vents, waterproof and a removable quilted liner, and reasonably priced.
 
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