BMW Rallye 4 suit?

[sailorlite]

Judging from a Motorrad news release at the EICMA show last month, there are some major refinements coming in the 2016 Rallye suits - materials, design and color combinations. Their other suits were not mentioned this year.

 

[lkchris]

That's part of what I'm looking for is NOT having to don rain gear. I want one suit that I can wear all the time.

Definitely not waterproof without the liners.

Typically something that's do-it-all or "universal" does no one thing particularly well.

Going to be tough to stay cool in summer in an always waterproof suit. Rather, you need some mesh ventilation in all likelihood.

As noted, inside liners can be a pain, and IMHO are not as functional as the old standby, i.e. external rain suit.

That's the beauty of the BMW Airflow--the two-piece rainsuit goes on over the Airflow easily when it rains but also when you just need something to stop the airflow. I wear mine year around.

Lots of tradition around the one-piece rainsuit, but I've no problem staying dry in the BMW two-piece Rain Lock suit, which goes on lots easier and you only have to wear half if that's all you want. Yes, Gore-Tex is all high tech and everything, but it's best imho just for boots. Plus, with the short jacket (besides not having to sit on it) you're maybe more inclined to zip it to your pants ... which you should, as the ultimate safety is either a one-piece suit or a zipped together suit, thereby ensuring your pants don't come off when you're sliding down the pavement. Racers wear one-piece for a reason.

 

[dannyleo]

Rallye 3

I had a Rallye 2 that emergency room personnel in Montana credited with saving my life. I bought a Rallye 3 before I was even cleared by the brain surgeon and neurologist based on that. It's my number one suit to go to. I take along a Frog Toggs suit for the rain and to add insulation when really cold. For the short, temporary rains, that's all I'll use keeping the Gore-Tex inner liner as an all-day, frog-drowning back-up. Best all-around suit there is IMHO. Look at the pros, the majority are wearing it. Took it for my NC-Prudhoe Bay-Key West-NC trip. Kept me warm in Alaska (32 when I left Prudhoe Bay) and the vents kept me cool when going through Atlanta when it was 102.6.


Forgot to mention. I've got an Aerostitch Roadcrafter one-piece. Spends the majority of the time hanging up behind the door. Great things about it, it's cold in the winter and warm-to-hot in the summer, but at least my crotch gets wet in the rain! Aerostitch has made improvements, but I've heard the crotch is still the weak point for water. YMMV. One piece, though kind of frumpy, adds to my old man image, but it is easy to get on and off and allows wearing civilian clothing underneath, something I can't do with anything else. But then I have to figure out where to put it when I get to my destination. Everything else, I just continue proudly wearing so people will know, "Yes, there sits a REAL motorcyclist." But the Aerostitch one-piece is so bulky, I just feel like I'm in a snowmobile suit sitting an a restaurant.

 

[JDOCKERY132445]

[/B]




That's funny. Whenever a group of us are riding, and we stop for a break, bystanders always mistake those Aerostich dressed guys as "our mechanics."

That must be because of all the grease and dirt that stays on them, no matter how much you scrub and wash them.

Of course mine is 15 years old and really needs to be replaced. I am lucky that a 46 Long off the shelf Roadcrafter fits me extremely well.

 

[t6pilot]

I looked at the above three brands several years ago and decided to go with MOTOPORT, yes a liner is required for waterproofing, in light to moderate rain suite stays dry without liner, not so in heavy rain
Quality suite, lots of options, only complaint hi-viz panels have faded a bit in 3 years
FYI I rode in on a Tuesday and got fitted, following Monday UPS delivered my suite

 

[jeffkruger]

I have been really happy with my Rallye 2 and have worn it from the low teens to 114. I agree with other posters about the liners. Never used the pant liners. Jacket liner only in winter. Frog Togg two piece goes on quickly. I launder with the Nikwax system and the shell will repel a little moisture. Without the Rallye I would want a dedicated warm weather mesh system and a waterproof winter system. Personally, I like the breath ability of the Rallye, even at times in the winter. Gerbings jacket liner, Frog Toggs, and lightweight long underwear and I'm ready for anything.

I have owned waterproof gear from major manufacturers and found the lack of breathing a compromise I'm not willing to make.

 

[tweetbiker]

Where you live and ride is key. Living in Northern California I almost never see rain. My rallye 3 suit just works. Like others seldom use the liners. For round town or a commute ride I pair the jacket with first gear pants that zip off quick. However I always feel safest in the full BMW suit. I have another suit just don't use it. For colder weather a gerbings jacket liner does the trick. If I lived somewhere rainy then I'd have to invest in frog togs or similar.

If I lived in Vegas I'd buy either the rallye or an airflow. Still the rallye will take you around the world.

 

[bamajohn]

with years of trying to find the right riding gear, I am happy with the current stuff:
BMW Air Jacket in hi viz for summer
Klim Badlands jacket in hi viz for winter;
Aerostitch Pants with Klim suspenders for year round;
Gerbings electric jacket liner and gloves with wireless dual controller.

JB in Sweet Home Alabama

 

[rad]

I had an early Rally, 2 I think. I liked it for on off road stuff and really hot weather. The drawbacks were just how thin of a material it is compared to other street gear and of course the liners. I stopped using the liners other than during cold weather for warmth. I used a high quality rain suit over the top. The suit is heavy and cold in rain for the outer material becomes saturated and transmits cold directly to the very thin waterproof liner.

I also have a stitch, 2 piece that I use like a one piece. It is my preferred touring suit until the weather gets into the 80's and up.

My warm weather gear is my Rev'it Ignition fully vented jacket and pants.

Which of your choices would I pick if I could only have one suit and I lived in Vegas? Due to the heat issue I never would pick a stitch, so that leaves the Rally by default.

 

[surfdad1060]

Aerostich

I think Aerostich has a pop up event in Vegas where you can be fitted. I come down on the side of Aerostich mostly because its made in America which is my supreme qualification besides safety. I have the Darian two pc. It does always look dirty which seems to be a badge of honor among the denizens, it is hot which is because it is thick cordura which makes it abrasion resistant but if you put handful of ice in each hand warming pocket it helps a lot, customer service is awesome. You do look like a power ranger for sure. Ultimately you have to decide what you want to be wearing when you fall.

 

[195990]

Aerostich vs Klim vs Rallye 3 vs new Rallye (review)

Anybody?



Aerostich vs Klim vs Rallye 3 vs new Rallye (review)

Hopefully my review help someone else thinking about the same dilemmas as I was. After much online research reading forums, reviews, videos and trying on stuff at local dealers the following is my story.

I had a bit too large Rallye 3 (black and yellow) jacket for the past 5 years and many miles. Got it new on clearance for a steal, So I put up with their slightly too big jacket for years. My thoughts on it, I never remove the sleeves riding off road because when I fell I would usually land on my elbows and shoulder so I didn’t see the point of removing the only armor that was actually needed. When walking up hills to scout out lines, or picking up the bike after dropping it and getting too hot I would just quickly take off the jacket and put it on when I was ready to ride again.

I just picked up the brand new rally jacket today at my dealership when I was there to pick up some hand guards, (being impulsive with black Friday deals is not good for the pocketbook). My thoughts on the new jacket, it feels so much lighter and soft compared to the old rallye jacket I have. However I weighed them on the scale and they’re exactly the same weight, it must be the new Wooltech material that just feels more flexible and soft then cordura. I had an issue with the old jacket liner leaking in the rain, but I tried a trick from my old military days, of a damp towel with the gortex in the dryer and steaming the Gore-Tex to refresh it. And it seem to work, while trying to do a Butt burner gold (1500mi/24hrs) I ran into 13 hours of continuous rain on the tail end of my adventure, I had the old rally three jacket liner and underneath a heated jacket.

After 13 hours of continuous heavy rain stopping only for gas, at the end only a bit of my neck and my sleeve openings where wet on to my heated jacket, but no water made it to my undershirt. That water had just came in through my neck and glove openings. However the jacket was extremely heavy and took a long trying to dry out once I finally completed my ride. (Was actually 75 miles short st my 24hr mark, so only qualified for a buttburner ironbutt ride 15000/36hrs)....damn rain. If I wasn’t committed to a goal, I definitely will not ride in heavy rain for 13 hours straight on purpose again!

After that I was convinced that going with a Gore-Tex combined shell was the way to go and bought a pair of Klim traverse pants. The pants breathe well when moving and definitely keep the rain out, but they are heavy and are constantly saggy when walking around off the bike. And as you know gortex really only breaths with positive pressure present so just sitting in the pants you get pretty warm. The klim gear is tough stuff, but it doesn’t integrate to my jacket so the pants are always sagging which I fixed by buying a pair of big construction suspenders.

When buying the new Rallye jacket I figured I would try on the pants, and they feel like you’re wearing sweatpants they’re so comfortable and feel light walking around in them all day, you only realize they’re motorcycle pants due do the knee armor. I like the fact I finally have pants that attach to the jacket so they don’t sag down while sitting, standing, sitting or walking as you ride around. They feel so much lighter and maneuverable then the Klim pants, The rally pants are much more dual sport riding oriented then the Klim traverse pants, It really is like having a pair of motorcross pants on that just happened to take a Gore-Tex liner if needed.

Living in Northern Nevada I deal with hot temperatures during the summer and spring and very cold temperatures in the fall and winter and try to ride the bike on trails and commute to work as long as there’s no ice or snow on the ground. Last year I ordered a custom tailored Aerostich R3 one piece suit after my frustrations with having to deal with a Gore-Tex liner.

the thing I love about Aerostich is they are very durable, have great armor and you could wear your street clothes underneath and within 30 seconds your in an out. With the Rallye3 and Klim pants I found myself just riding in jeans and the jacket, most often (and wasn’t ATGATT). The thing I don’t like about the R3 is it’s hot (90+) when you’re not moving, it starts to heat up. as long as you’re moving they actually are pretty cool in the heat despite being wrapped in a full Gore-Tex plastic bag. Now they don’t look that sexy but now that I’m in my 40s, I’ve accepted I’m not as cool as I once thought I was. However taking my GSA on all the dirt trails Nevada has to offer me and occasionally dropping it (I’m still not good in soft sand, starting to think it’s mental) the one piece Gore-Tex encapsulation is not the best for physically exerting yourself (1 or 2 piece suits).

The thing I like about the new rally jacket is that the waterproof/windproof liner can be worn over the jacket if you had a rain storm. Even in my aerostitch one piece if it starts raining I still have to stop to zip up the air vents. No I haven’t timed it but I’m assuming putting a jacket liner over the top of a jacket your wearing isn’t that time consuming. You do lose some reflectivity as the jacket liner is only reflective on the shoulder sleeves and has no strip on the back. I think if I was heading out for a trip or is it going to experience a lot of rain I would wear my Aerostich one piece unless it was a dual sport trip like riding the BDR. For that I would take my rallye suit and deal with the pants not being waterproof. The wooltech rallye material seems like it dries out faster than the old cordura/nylon. I don’t think I would mess with trying to get on the Gore-Tex pant liner on in the rain, unless it’s gonna be raining for days at a time. In which case I would just bring my Klim pants (and suspenders) instead. The only downside of the new Rallye pants are they only have a zipper vent in front, no rear vent. The material does breath very well, but only summer temps will tell if this is a con.

One good thing about the Gore-Tex liners however is there also wind proof; and when riding in cold temps with all the zippers and vents, even if they’re closed causes you to cool off quickly. But with a Gore-Tex liner you really don’t need to wear that many warming layers when writing in cold weather, it was 22 today and I felt fine on a short ride. Even my Aerostich one piece seems to leak air when zipped up, despite a 30 mile commute in the low 30s to 20s all I need is wind blocking layers underneath and I’ve been fine. I haven’t busted out any of my heated gear yet.

The new rally has tons of Vents. The whole back panel rolls down and there’s one big vent or you could just zip down the sides like other jackets and still put in the hydration bladder on your back in the jacket. The only downside I can see to the rally jacket is looking like a little bit of a fan boy, however as the guy that owns a one Aerostich suit; apparently I don’t care what other people think I look like . I really like that one piece aerostich suit for commuting, I even wore a suit underneath it for an interview and looked like I just got out of a nice car, after 30 seconds. However they are not cheap and neither is the rallye gear and if I had to do it again I probably would’ve just gone with the rally gear and put the liners in during the winter to block the wind. I was really hoping the “ride More guarantee” of the Aerostich would make me love it, however it is not that comfortable off the bike, and not a great summer option and definitely sucks when working hard off road. However if I was going on Street trip and maybe camping along the way, the Aerostich would work great. Because it is great on the road and comes off so quickly, and you could be in your street clothes underneath and it’s off in seconds, all you Gotta do is figure out what to do with the suit, so it doesn’t walk away from the bike when you do.

I looked into and researched the Enduroguard suit, and on paper and in the videos it looks like the perfect solution to all the deficiencies in all my other gear. However after actually trying it on, I learned it wasn’t the holy Grail . It does have some slick features, but it is not as stretchable or pliable as they make it seem. It is very similar to my 1000 weight cordura Aerostich. Now after several months and thousands of miles of riding the Aerostich, it has broken in a bit more, emphasis on a “bit”. However, the new rally jacket and pants felt broken in like a favorite jacket, off the hanger. I suspect the Enduroguard suit, Is much more Street oriented despite the advertising commercials, it was stiff to walk around in and didn’t flow that much air when you’re not moving fast, the great thing about it is it does have lots of Vents, And is waterproof without the need of a shell or liner. Which is why the Enduroguard needs more Vents, because it isn’t as breathable as the wooltech material is on the rallye jacket.

I am still very torn on what Gear I would have if I can only have one set, I think if I wasn’t an adventure rider (read wanna be off-road rider, on too big of a bike) the Aerostich one piece suit would be my choice if I could only choose one. However, I think a two piece is the way to go if you are doing any type of off-road riding.

Now I know there’s many other manufacturers out there, I was also on the fence about the revit’t Sand three suit; which I think is probably one of the best bangs for your buck out there for non-integrated gortex suit. After spending a few decades in the Marine Corps, I know even the new Gore-Tex stuff is not that breathable when walking around and exerting yourself.

Therefore after much research and trying on many different types and brands of suits, I think the BMW rallye Is one of the best all-around options out there. And with 20% off during Black Friday sales I pulled the trigger and I’m not regretting it. If my old rally three jacket was the right size for me I think I would’ve been wearing it for another 5 to 10 years and just bought some non-Gore-Tex pants to go along with it.

If I was going to be in a high-speed crash, then Aerostich would be my choice to save my butt.

Fortunately, or unfortunately however you look at it; I’m single and on my second career so I can afford two separate suits for riding. I am a firm believer of wearing all the gear, all the time. And the one piece or aerostitch when commuting allows me to do that and in seconds be in my work clothes and ready to go.

However when riding for fun, on short trips, and longer adventures; I think there are few choices that are as good as the new BMW rallye suit!