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Hi-Vis BMW Air Shell fading issue?

glenfiddich

glenfiddich

TravelsWithBarley.com
I bought this jacket last year a week before riding down to the Johnson City Rally. I absolutely love the jacket, but in just over a year it has faded badly to the point where it's sort of a pastel lemon now. Mine has been exposed to the sun only when I ride; when not in use it's hung up in a dark closet.

Is that par for the course with Hi-Vis, or did I just get a bad batch of fabric? Any recourse to restore my desired degree of conspicuity?

Pete
 
Its well know enough to be considered a general problem with hi viz anything. The Aerostich guys used to have issues, helmet makers, other clothing makers, etc.

Think about it. BMW outsources all of their accessory stuff from electrics to clothing, etc.
And a lot of the stuff uses Asian items. If you seriously believe that method of sourcing anything ensures attention to details, I'd be surprised.

A smart outsourcing operation would have known about this and spec'ed to avoid it. More likely the responsible folks at BMW don't even ride a bike and didn't.
 
In some circles...mine especially...faded jackets are a sign of being a road warrior, not a posinski!!! Wear that faded stuff with pride! It means that yer out there, on the road, and hey...that's what it's all about, friend!!!
 
Yarddog said:
In some circles...mine especially...faded jackets are a sign of being a road warrior, not a posinski!!! Wear that faded stuff with pride! It means that yer out there, on the road, and hey...that's what it's all about, friend!!!
Click to expand...

I ride solo so really could care less about what others think. But living in a tourist town where so many drivers are distracted by the scenery, I like to take advantage of every edge available to me when out there. I also ride in anything short of ice, so would like to be seen.

Pete
 
glenfiddich said:
I ride solo so really could care less about what others think. But living in a tourist town where so many drivers are distracted by the scenery, I like to take advantage of every edge available to me when out there. I also ride in anything short of ice, so would like to be seen.

Pete
Click to expand...

Got it!!! But when I see ya goin' down the road and yer stuff ain't brand new, well, you have my respect!!! And it's okay if you don't care what I think!!! All is well, that's why we ride...

Sounds like ya may not be able to do anything about yer faded clothing now, the thing that pops into my mind, given that visibility is more important than style to ya, is just get a high-vis vest and when it gets weary, replace it, rather than trying to incorporate hi-vis into your comfort wear...gotta be a LOT cheaper, and yeah...it's perty ugly... but it gets the job done...
 
Yarddog said:
In some circles...mine especially...faded jackets are a sign of being a road warrior, not a posinski!!! Wear that faded stuff with pride! It means that yer out there, on the road, and hey...that's what it's all about, friend!!!
Click to expand...

What it is all about is being more noticable.
 
When I bought my motoport / cycleport riding gear in 2007, I was concerned about having a high viz jacket fade. My solution was to buy black and always wear a high viz vest. The first vest was a green construction vest that lasted one season. The second was a motorcycle hiz viz that lasted two years before falling apart, not fading. Now my third hiz viz vest is from the MOA Store. Vests have come and gone, but the jacket still looks good.
 
Acejones said:
What it is all about is being more noticable.
Click to expand...

Not to get argumentative, but you can be noticeable on the couch! I say again... the road is the deal, being noticeable keeps you there...
 
kgadley01 said:
It wouldn't matter if you were wraped in Christmas lights. some bonehead still wouldn't see you. Ride defensive :thumb
Click to expand...

Years ago when I was a young Marine I had to attend a month long 2 hours each weeknight MC safety course before being allowed to register my bike on base. I can still remember the Gunny screaming inches from my face, "The roads is full o' mass murderers and they's all gunnin' for YOU!"

Yes, I ride defensively. Lights and bright colors are just tools to that aim. My primary weapon is right between my ears.
 
kgadley01 said:
It wouldn't matter if you were wraped in Christmas lights. some bonehead still wouldn't see you. Ride defensive :thumb
Click to expand...

EXACTLY my point!!! I've never worn anything HiVis, and I've had a few folks begin to come out in front of me, and a couple of times, they DID come out in front of me and I coulda been wearing bright pink with puce polka dots and it would NOT have made a diff! What did make a diff was having my escape route already picked out before it happened and going to that place when it did happen!

That's not to say that, hey, if ya feel better wearing bright pink with puce polka dots, by all means, do so, but in my opinion, in my world, it does not make a difference at all... that headlight being on in the daytime makes a lotta difference, and I did so before it became required... when I see someone even looking a little 'duh', I flick it several times...

But that's me...I'm not gonna sit here and say that's for everybody... but we all have our comfort zones, and that's where we need to be...ON THE ROAD in our comfort zones!!!
 
I have an Olimpia red hiviz jacket 3 years old, about 10,000 miles in the day light, still pretty bright, and I feel they do help, I see people see me, one toll booth lady said see could see me coming from 1/2 mile.
 
Aerostich had a problem with fading on some of their hi-viz materials a few years back. I'd head back to where you bought it from and check to see if you can get the jacket replaced.
 
Pete,

I bought the same jacket this summer and am curious to what the dealer/BMW will do for you, and possibly others with the same problem.

I also have a Hi Vis Olympia AST jacket that I wear for about six months a year and it is still holding the color. I wash it in the spring with technical cleaner (http://www.nikwax.com/en-us/how_nikwax_works/green_for_clean.php) and it works quite well. Give it a try.

Please let us know the outcome.

Take care,
JC
 
I've had this jacket since the beginning of last year with no fading issues. The jacket comes with a 2 year warranty if I'm not mistaken. Take it back to the dealer for a replacement.
 
Update: My dealer contacted BMW about my issue and the jacket was replaced under warranty on the spot. Apparently there was a batch of fabric that didn't spec up.

Many thanks to Frank's BMW in Essex, Vermont for doing the legwork and replacing the jacket out of their stock!
 
I just had my 9 month old Airshell replaced under warranty at San Diego BMWMC. Had the same fading issue. I purchased the jacket in Raleigh, but any dealer will replace it if you have proof of purchase and it is within the 24 month warranty period. The hi-viz portion of the jacket seems to be a slightly different material than the old jacket, so hopefully BMW has corrected the problem. The parts manager recommended using Scotch-Guard to keep it looking like new.
 
My hi-viz BMW Airshell jacket is holding up well, and still very bright, FWIW.

I also have hi-viz vests I wear over my blue 'Stich.

Also, my white full-face helmets are part of my "be seen" strategy.

Harry
 
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