All season suits

Does anyone have the Tourguard suit? I believe it has been replaced with the Streetguard 2. I am looking for an all season suit and have heard the Streetguard is awesome, then someone said I should try to find an older Tourguard. Any thoughts?

brianhinton said:

Does anyone have the Tourguard suit? I believe it has been replaced with the Streetguard 2. I am looking for an all season suit and have heard the Streetguard is awesome, then someone said I should try to find an older Tourguard. Any thoughts?

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Brian, my thoughts are that an "all season" suit really depends upon where you live. In Michigan I wear an Olympia mesh suit in the summer, and either an Aerostich or Santiago in the winter. Both of those need insulation underneath them, and a good windbreaker over the top. I suppose if you lived someplace with more moderate temperatures you might have one "all season" suit that worked. The Olympia mesh suit comes with insulated waterproof liners that are good down to about 45-50 F or so.

I recently bought the Tourmaster Flex 2 jacket, under a bit of duress. I was out riding around TX and NM and the zipper on my years-old BMW Savannah II jacket died. Fortunately, I had just been checking out the Tourmaster jacket a few days previously, so I had it overnighted to me in Alamogordo.

It has three separate pieces: a zip- and snap-out thermal liner; a waterproof/breathable zip-off outer shell with shoulder vents; and, sandwiched between, is an armored mesh jacket.

I haven't really tried it in a lot of environments yet. I haven't been in a real frog strangler, but it is waterproof for an hour in a light rain. The vents on the outer shell have velcroed covers that can be velcroed to themselves to force the vents open, and this really works -- at freeway speeds, there's a ram air effect to venting the jacket.

With the shell on, the jacket is warm. For me, it's sufficient down to about 60F, and the insulated liner will take me down into the 40s. Below that, I'd ditch the liner and use my electric jacket (or, on my 6 volt bikes, an Aerostich Darien liner). Above about 80F, I think I'd want to zip off the shell.

It has some nice adjustments: snaps on the arm to tighten the sleeves, and velcro waist adjusters -- on both the shell and the mesh jacket. It has full CE armor including a generous back protector. There are three inside pockets on both the insulated liner and the mesh jacket, and there are handwarmer pockets in both the shell and the mesh jacket.

Downsides (so far):

Although I really like the handwarmer pockets (which are waterproof), I wish there were a couple more pockets to stow stuff like my garage door clicker, chapstick and earplugs.

Installing the insulated liner and zipping the mesh jacket into the shell are both slightly fussy processes.

Because of the design of the jacket, you can't get your glove gauntlets inside the waterproof shell.

It's about $200 and comes in 3 colors.

http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product.php?productid=248&cat=3

Brian - hows about I answer your question with some more questions? I think more information from you will get you better recomendations.

Where are you riding with this suit on?
What temp extremes will you be riding in?
Is it for touring, week-end rides, day to day commuting?
You ride a bike with a fairing or a naked one?
Your ride in rain or would you rather not?

Fieldsheer

Hello,

I use a Fieldsheer one piece that I picked up on EBAY. Works great. I like the velcro around the ankles so that when I just walk around, the suit don't drag. Also, when it gets hot, I can unzip the pant legs and the velcro keeps the suit from flapping around in the wind. Think it was called a Highlander I......

Jeff

where Iam

Alabama is where i live, and I ride mostly in the Southeast. I ride almost every day, so I guess sunny and rainy, here we have had a week or so of 36 - 52 weather and now I'm wearing shorts (about 72 today).

Olympia Phantom

I got one of these in June




I really like it and you are definitely seen.

Wore it to Paonia, CO and through SD and the Bad Lands in 109 degree heat. I won't lie, it was hot in the Bad Lands and anytime not moving... but when your moving it is vented very well and not uncomfortable.

Wore it the other day for the first time below 50, with the liner, toasty.
It is supposed to be waterproof as opposed to the Aerostitch. So far not real heavy rain, but what rain I've riden in I've been dry.

Retails for $450.

http://www.olympiamotosports.com/phantom/Phantom.htm

Kevin

+1 on the Olympia Phantom suit. Just turned in a review for the ON. Very happy with the suit. That is one of the reasons I asked brianhinton (starter of thread) some questions about his riding temps, etc.
Brian.....Brian......are you out there? Can you shed some light for us????

Cliffy777 said:

+1 on the Olympia Phantom suit. Just turned in a review for the ON. Very happy with the suit. That is one of the reasons I asked brianhinton (starter of thread) some questions about his riding temps, etc.
Brian.....Brian......are you out there? Can you shed some light for us????

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Two, three or so posts up, Cliffy.

Whoops. Sorry Brian (thanks Dan - should have my reading glasses on when I read, eh?)
If you are riding in AL, then you will probably do well in the Phantom. My extreme high did not equal that of Kev95GS - I wore it into the mid-90's. The venting in the arms, chest and back work great. I have worn this suit with the liner and a battery powered vest down to 13 degrees on an unfaired XT550 for a 12 mile commute here in Michigan.
I am very pleased with my Phantom - full review in ON soon.
Brian - you ride with a fairing or windshield or not?

Cliffy777 said:

...and a battery powered vest down to 13 degrees on an unfaired XT550 for a 12 mile commute here in Michigan.
I am very pleased with my Phantom - full review in ON soon.
Brian - you ride with a fairing or windshield or not?

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I would like to use my electric vest but there is no way to run the cord down. Battery powered, as you said, would be an option but I don't want to buy another vest.

I don't want to cut a hole through the waterproof liner.

This is one of the drawbacks to the suit. The other would be the amount of zippers and velco, takes a little more time but once you wear it a while and get used to it that parts is not as bad.

Kevin

Cliffy,

Thanks for the info on the Olympia. Working hard areound these holidays makes it hard to check back so often. I been riding unfaired (R1200C) until in turned cool then I put the windshield back on. Temps now in AL are high of 47-54 during the day. Last week the high was 68. Crazy weather, thanks again.

Kev95GS said:

I would like to use my electric vest but there is no way to run the cord down. Battery powered, as you said, would be an option but I don't want to buy another vest.

I don't want to cut a hole through the waterproof liner.

This is one of the drawbacks to the suit. The other would be the amount of zippers and velco, takes a little more time but once you wear it a while and get used to it that parts is not as bad.

Kevin

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I use my Gerbings heated jacket liner with my Phantom suit and didn't need to cut a hole anywhere. There is a second zipper pull all the way down on the bottom end of the main zipper. I routed my cord out under it. I did buy a 36" Gerbing extension to do this, though I probably could have gotten by with a 24' extension. I think it costs $5 before shipping.

I've had the Phantom suit for almost five months and love it. I was attached to an F-4 Phantom squadron back in the 60's and just that name brings back a lot of memories.

warredon said:

There is a second zipper pull all the way down on the bottom end of the main zipper. I routed my cord out under it.

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I considered that but was concerned about water getting in since it tends to pool in the lap area.
Have you ridden in any heavy rain with it like that? If so, what were the results.

Thanks

Kevin

Kev95GS said:

I considered that but was concerned about water getting in since it tends to pool in the lap area.
Have you ridden in any heavy rain with it like that? If so, what were the results.

Thanks

Kevin

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Kevin, I have ridden in some rather heavy rain, but not for very long and didn't have any trouble. This was on my K1 not my airhead. I guess the true test will be a 650 mile ride in a pouring rain. The bottom end of my main zipper is not in the lap area. It is a long zipper that runs a little diagonally and ends just above the right knee, and I did not notice any pooling there. Since it is not directly in my lap and covered with the first flap, then again with the Velcro flap, it would probably need to be near flood conditions for much water to enter there. I do offset the cord just a little from where it exits the zipper and then the Velcro flap.

Hi!!

My name is Nick and I was a gear whore!!!

Down here in South Louisiana, the temps are so crazy, thrown in with a little bit of cold weather. So, if one travels from this area, one needs all kinds of gear. In my quest to find some "all season" gear I have finally settled down to the following.

When I first bought my GS in 06, my wonderful bride found me a NWT Savannah II (with liner) for a steal on Ebay. I have fell in love with that jacket!!! I've since bought (and sold) a Darien and other jackets as well. But at times that jacket still is a little too much as far as heat goes (remember, here where we are is gets soo hot that your sweat sweats at times!)...

As far as jackets, I have settled for 2.
1) The BMW Savanah II jacket with gore-tex liner
2) The Tourmaster Intake jacket. It's a mesh jacket with re-inforced shoulders and elbows and comes with a removable rain and winter liner (plus they came in tall sizes / good for me being 6'3").
When it gets really cold, I have my BMW Heated vest or Stitch heated liner. That way I can wear the liner separate of the jacket around the campsite in cold weather.

Pants?
A pair of Dariens and just last month,an across a pair of Savannah II pants (with liners).
So, now I have a complete Savanah II suit (with liners) and then my Darien/Tourmaster suit.

Tourmaster Jacket link
I just wanted to put in my 0.02 for today.

Hope this helps.