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BMW Gear worth the price

Recently upgraded from a Airflow 3 to Airflow 4

I have enjoyed the Airflow 3 so much over the past few years that when it came time to upgrade all my riding gear. ( I do this every 5-6 years). I chose the Airflow 4 jacket, since heat is such a challenge here in Kansas. I like the concept of layering over the venting jacket as temperatures drop with windstop jacket/pants like KTM or others make.

The Coldblack treatment really works. With the AF 3 I could feel the sun hammering down when in stop/go traffic but don't feel it at all with the AF 4. Not to say it stops ambient temperatures from heating you up, but the direct heating from the sun is significantly reduced.

The AF 4 jacket doesn't flow quite as much air in my opinion, but overall the jacket just feels much more comfortable. I agree with the previous statements about BMW zippers, we'll see with the AF 4 jacket. I had to replace the main zipper on the 3 after about 3 years.

Oh, most important to me, the BMW armor is top quality, I see a significant improvement with the new jacket. The back protector is larger, is now vented and the shoulder and elbow/forearm protectors are also larger and fit better.

Ride safe.
 
From everything I've read and experienced the BMW gear is fine quality stuff. But the question was - is it worth the price? There's definitely a large premium to be paid to own gear with a roundel on it and the question is - am I buying better gear or just the roundel?

I'm getting back in to motorcycling after a long hiatus and figured while I'm on my buying spree that this won't be the last gear I buy and that somethings will work and some won't. Here are the choices I made:

- Gerbing eXTreme coat and pants for sub-freezing weather rides. Works great to keep me warm, it's very comfortable, and no use fussing with layers when it's that cold.

- Gerbing jacket liner and G3 gloves to wear with my Joe Rocket weather proof riding jacket when the temps are between freezing and 70 degrees.

- Rev'it Airwave pants and the new Rev'it Tarmac mesh jacket for hot weather rides. This gear, combined with the neat little air vents on my K16GT, make me feel almost like I'm standing in front of a window air conditioner when riding in any temps still in double digits.

- EMS sells some nice tech wear undergarments that keep me cool or warm and provides a comfortable layer between me and the gear.

- Rev'it H2O boots, very comfortable fit for walking or riding, great ankle armor and protection. Feet were happy in 100F ride all day.

I would judge that I spent less than half, maybe closer to a third on all that stuff than I would have spent buying gear with the roundel on it. OK, I'm not a rolling advertisement for BMW. But, can anyone offer any real distinction of why it's worth more money to buy BMW gear? Does it last 3x as long? Does it protect me any better? Is it more comfortable?
 
The Gerbings Extreme Element jacket and pants are 330 Denier Cordura; about as effective as jeans in abrasion protection. The stitching is also (in mine which are 3 years old) single-layered.

Rev It's quality issues are legendary, not much more needs to be said about their stuff, but I damn sure wouldn't want to crash in it.

While I agree that most textile motorcycle gear is ridiculously overpriced, I can't complain about BMW's quality or materials.
 
While I agree that most textile motorcycle gear is ridiculously overpriced, I can't complain about BMW's quality or materials.

But that's just it - most isn't ridiculously overpriced. There's a broad range of prices and what I think this thread's OP was asking, is the expensive stuff from BMW worth the price. If it protects better than cheaper gear - let's normalize that out and ask - If protection is paramount in consideration of gear, is there anything on the planet better than Motoport's Kevlar jackets and pants? It's ugly as home made sin and pricey but by all accounts the best at protecting us. Would you want to crash in BMW pricey gear or Motoport pricey gear?
 
Would you want to crash in BMW pricey gear or Motoport pricey gear?

Neither... I don't like crashing! :stick

That said, I've low sided wearing BMW gear and again wearing Aerostich gear. The Aerostich gear wins by a hair based upon my low sides. Neither suit was damaged in any appreciable manner, but the BMW gear NEEDED to be patched and the Aerostich gear could wait for a patch until I had additional reasons to send it back for an update. The bikes weren't harmed much, either.

Where the the BMW gear (a rallye II pro suit) fell down was in longevity. The Rallye II pro pants fell apart in 4 years. The jacket had to have its zipper replaced in 3 years. After 8 years with a Roadcrafter suit I sent it back to get that low side repair done and the velcro refreshed. I expect I'll get another 4-5 years out of the suit before I think about a replacement.

The 'stich stuff is better for me. It's also cheaper (but not cheap!). Motoport is out of the running for me because I can not stand the feel of the fabric... the suit would be too uncomfortable for me to wear.
 
But that's just it - most isn't ridiculously overpriced. There's a broad range of prices and what I think this thread's OP was asking, is the expensive stuff from BMW worth the price. If it protects better than cheaper gear - let's normalize that out and ask - If protection is paramount in consideration of gear, is there anything on the planet better than Motoport's Kevlar jackets and pants? It's ugly as home made sin and pricey but by all accounts the best at protecting us. Would you want to crash in BMW pricey gear or Motoport pricey gear?

I won't own Motoport given their horrifically bad customer service, their horrifically ugly gear, and its horrifically uncomfortable feel.

And I'd rather not crash again. Last time nearly killed me. That said, the experience gave me a very clear idea of what gear will and won't do. Bluntly put, the type of accident has far more to do with injury(s) sustained than gear worn.

You're right, not all textile gear is ridiculously overpriced. I misspoke. By and large, the inexpensive stuff either doesn't offer adequate crash or weather protection. Sometimes you'll get one and not the other. Sometimes you get neither.
 
BMW gear

I ended up returning my Tour Shell jacket, it's just too warm. I am now trying a Comfort Shell and comparing it to my Aerostich Darien that I've had for a while. I rode today in 98 degrees with an LD Comfort long sleeved shirt on, jackets zipped up with vents open. I rode with each jacket on for 45 minutes and it definitely felt like the Comfort Tech breathed better. I got pretty warm in both but bearable. I haven't ridden the Comfort Shell in rain yet but so far it's impressed me. I really like the fit and styling. The protection seems good too with the pads in the right places. The Darien pads attached to Velcro and always seem to move around to me. I got it for 20% off but it still wasn't cheap. The Darien will always be my go to jacket for trips because it's so versatile to layer and it's just kind of earned its keep. I keep looking for that elusive perfect year rounder and the Comfort Shell has a shot at it so far.
 
You're right, not all textile gear is ridiculously overpriced. I misspoke. By and large, the inexpensive stuff either doesn't offer adequate crash or weather protection. Sometimes you'll get one and not the other. Sometimes you get neither.

Adequate crash protection is something that many of us are deluded about. Unless you're wearing leather or Kevlar anything else (textile stuff) is going to protect you once and very briefly. But again, pick whatever solution (leather, textile, ect.) you want and compare BMW gear vs the better like product. How's the BMW garments stack up then?
 
I got the Airflow 4 jacket and Olypmia Airglide pants for my riding in the Texas heat.
The Airflow jacket is the best fitting jacket I have ever owned and the protection in it is top level. The jacket just sits on you so well. I think the reason is the pads kind of mold to your body after a while. The jacket does not flow air as well as my other jackets but too much air flow can be a problem also.

I wanted the AF pants also but wasn't sure I would use them that much so I decided on the Airglide pants with liners. I just did a 2 day ride with the pants and really like them. I used them as my only pants (not over pants) and used the liners over the pants when it rained. The liner is meant to be used inside the pants but I was not going to take my pants off under an overpass on a busy highway.

My decision is based on riding 90% of the time in extreme heat. I use wind blockers when things get cold and find I can use the jacket almost year round.

tsp
My blog http://www.swriding.blogspot.com
 
Adequate crash protection is something that many of us are deluded about. Unless you're wearing leather or Kevlar anything else (textile stuff) is going to protect you once and very briefly. But again, pick whatever solution (leather, textile, ect.) you want and compare BMW gear vs the better like product. How's the BMW garments stack up then?

You like Motoport. Fantastic. Motoport people tend to be a lot like Amsoil people, and there's generally no point in trying to carry on a conversation with them.

7 months ago I was hit by a carload of texting teenagers. Totaled my bike and damn near killed me. I can guaran-damn-tee you I'm not deluded about adequate crash protection. Good quality textile gear will do exactly what's needed in the event of a crash, regardless of what Motoport tells you.

What people need to remember is that every crash is different, and sometimes it doesn't make a bit of difference what you're wearing. I don't plan on crashing, and I really couldn't care less whether or not my gear survives a crash. I'm far more interested in surviving with as little damage to my body as possible.
 
You like Motoport. Fantastic. Motoport people tend to be a lot like Amsoil people, and there's generally no point in trying to carry on a conversation with them.

7 months ago I was hit by a carload of texting teenagers. Totaled my bike and damn near killed me. I can guaran-damn-tee you I'm not deluded about adequate crash protection. Good quality textile gear will do exactly what's needed in the event of a crash, regardless of what Motoport tells you.

What people need to remember is that every crash is different, and sometimes it doesn't make a bit of difference what you're wearing. I don't plan on crashing, and I really couldn't care less whether or not my gear survives a crash. I'm far more interested in surviving with as little damage to my body as possible.

I don't own any Motoport gear. I personally think it's not very attractive or comfortable but I believe their claims about how it holds up and protects the rider in a mishap. It seems like the best at that. I'm just trying to have a rational conversation about gear. You brought up the notion that my gear isn't as protective as the BMW gear and I don't have any reason to dispute that. I could care less if my gear survives the crash either as long as it protects me. There's a lot of factors that go in to why we own and ride with the gear we do - price, protection, comfort, style, bragging rights, whatever. I'm sure the BMW gear is very high quality, protective gear. Pick whatever reason you want and tell me why the BMW gear is better than other less expensive or even similarly priced gear. You crashed it and I guess it worked for you. The same could be said by other riders with all manner of gear. We all make trade offs in what we buy and use and I think we're just asking for someone to help justify the price of the BMW gear.

I'd love to own some BMW gear - why not, I ride a BMW and I'm proud of it. I'm just not willing to waste money for prestige - my personal choice. Help me understand why that's not happening if I spend $$$$ on BMW gear?
 
I don't own any Motoport gear. I personally think it's not very attractive or comfortable but I believe their claims about how it holds up and protects the rider in a mishap. It seems like the best at that. I'm just trying to have a rational conversation about gear. You brought up the notion that my gear isn't as protective as the BMW gear and I don't have any reason to dispute that. I could care less if my gear survives the crash either as long as it protects me. There's a lot of factors that go in to why we own and ride with the gear we do - price, protection, comfort, style, bragging rights, whatever. I'm sure the BMW gear is very high quality, protective gear. Pick whatever reason you want and tell me why the BMW gear is better than other less expensive or even similarly priced gear. You crashed it and I guess it worked for you. The same could be said by other riders with all manner of gear. We all make trade offs in what we buy and use and I think we're just asking for someone to help justify the price of the BMW gear.

I'd love to own some BMW gear - why not, I ride a BMW and I'm proud of it. I'm just not willing to waste money for prestige - my personal choice. Help me understand why that's not happening if I spend $$$$ on BMW gear?
I'm not sure where you get the idea that I'm saying that you're not protected if you don't wear BMW gear. I didn't crash in BMW stuff, I crashed in a leather jacket and chaps, and I can tell you point blank exactly what leather does and doesn't do in a crash far more than what theoretical internet "knowledge" states.

Back to BMW gear, from my first post in this thread.....
05Train said:
I took the plunge on a Rallye 3 suit. It's insanely expensive (really, all adventure suits are), but it fit right, came with excellent armor, and was immediately comfortable. Those are three huge plusses. Having ridden with the stuff for a while in various weather conditions, I gotta say that it's worth it. I don't mind wearing the thing, and it does what it's supposed to do.


I still say it's ridiculous that a hundred dollars worth of fabric sells for $1,500, but then again, I paid it.
Look at that; not word one about anything like "prestige" or "bragging rights". It was comfortable and fit me right. Those two things are more important than anything else, because that means I'll actually wear the damn thing. Compared to every other pant/jacket combination I tried (and I tried a lot of them at all price points), nothing came close to the R3's feel.
 
I'm not sure where you get the idea that I'm saying that you're not protected if you don't wear BMW gear. I didn't crash in BMW stuff, I crashed in a leather jacket and chaps, and I can tell you point blank exactly what leather does and doesn't do in a crash far more than what theoretical internet "knowledge" states.

Back to BMW gear, from my first post in this thread.....Look at that; not word one about anything like "prestige" or "bragging rights". It was comfortable and fit me right. Those two things are more important than anything else, because that means I'll actually wear the damn thing. Compared to every other pant/jacket combination I tried (and I tried a lot of them at all price points), nothing came close to the R3's feel.

I never ascribed any motivation to your posts. :scratch I sure some people do buy them because it's got the roundel on it but never said you implied that you did. Heck, I might pay a little extra for that as I'm as proud as anyone of owning a great mark. The question remains: among textile gear, is there any reason to believe that the BMW gear is worth the price? Since it seems you're intent on taking this up to an argumentative level, I'm done here. I would still be interested in reading what anyone has to say that's substantive to add to that question? I'm kinda new back to motorcycling after a long hiatus and I'm genuinely interested in learning something about the quality and performance of riding gear.
 
"Is there any reason to believe that the BMW gear is worth the price?"

There are many reasons to believe that it is. The question for each person is whether those reasons are important to them.

For example, just the "reason" that it has a BMW roundel attached to it is important enough to some people. From this thread, it's obvious that for most here, that isn't important enough of a reason on its own.

But there are any number of other reasons - you can pick up the BMW catalog and read about all the features they describe. The thing is, you have to decide for yourself which, if any, are important to you, and what they are worth to you. Clearly, for many, the benefits don't justify the price. For others, they do. And for some, they may not even be benefits!

After having owned a few different brands and looking at a LOT of alternatives, I purchased the BMW StreetGuard 3 suit. Frighteningly expensive even with a decent discount. However, for me, it does what I want better than anything else I've found, and those things were important enough for me to justify the price.

However, that does not mean that I think it is the best choice - or "worth it" - for someone else.
 
I have the BMW Trailguard jacket and pants and have used them in temps between -10C and humidex of +42C. The jacket is well vented - the pants not so much. I agree with an earlier comment - the armour has moulded well to my body and it tends to keep the heat in when the temp is cool.

The jacket will only keep me dry if I use the Gortex liner. Without the liner, water is penetrating in a moderate shower after 10 mins.

Normally, I ride with the liner in and all vents open - that combination is quite comfortable throughout the countryside. I zip up as soon as the first rain drops start falling.

The Gortex liner is bearable in temps above 30C when I'm driving rural roads. When I have to go into the city with the liner in and the temp is +30C then it becomes quite uncomfortable after a few mins.

I wear Allround boots. My feet have stayed dry so far. I also use the Allround gloves - other than my hands getting hot, the gloves tend to keep me dry and well protected.

I haven't taken a spill in the gear (yet !!!) so I can't speak for the overall protection factor.
 
Unfortunately these responses to the original question are subjective and anecdotal, i.e." this happened to me when...; or I like this because". Does anyone know of any comparative testing?
 
I like a lot of the BMW gloves, but I'm not a fan of wearing anybody's logos. Hard to find gear without them though.
 
Unfortunately these responses to the original question are subjective and anecdotal, i.e." this happened to me when...; or I like this because". Does anyone know of any comparative testing?

A pdf from our british friends reviewed several riding suits in 2008. I don't know if it's been updated. Part of the problem with riding suit reviews is that some manufactures re-design their line-up almost annually, making it hard to find a current comparison.
 
Kind of hard to imagine testing involving a test rider sliding down the highway.

BMW publishes some laboratory abrasion test results for its materials.

They publish statements such as:

Schoeller Keproshield: This protective composite has been specially designed for motorcycling and combines a three-layer laminate of Kevlar (aramid), cotton, and polyamide with the c_change membrane. The new material mix and the innovative construction have brought about a 20% improvement in abrasion, impact, tear, and frictional heat resistance over predecessor products. The reduced weight also further increases ride comfort.

http://www.schoeller-textiles.com/en.html

Haven't really seen countering claims from other providers or whether they are using same materials.
 
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