Quote:
Originally Posted by The Brutailer Hey guys. Need your help once again!
Any recommendations for riding jacket....Specific model/product name would be much appreciated |
Ok, again since you asked
let me take a crack at this and give you my two bits. Unfortunately no one can recommend any specific make and model. You have to try and see if it fits you and your budget. In no particular order let me share what pointers I look for when deciding on a riding jacket and for that matter riding pants.
Impact Protection
They say nothing beats a good airbag system. The external ones have been around for a while for eg: Helite and now all the big guns have started introducing their inner airbag systems for street and race use. One day I wish to own an airbag vest but for now they are very expensive and require periodic servicing and maintenance so they are out of the question for me.
Various brands use different "Inserts" some are propriety (brand specific) and some are generic (Knox,D3O ..etc) While they all have to adhere to CE standards they go about their own different ways. Some, like Revit's Seesmart armor are so thin and malleable that you dont feel like you are wearing anything at all! The standard inserts are Back,Shoulder, Elbow and Chest. Most brands dont give you all of them with the jacket and you have to upgrade from either foam or L1 inserts (For a long time I rode around with a foam back insert thinking I was protected). And not all Inserts are compatible with all jackets so you have to do your research there too.
However there is no use of getting the best Inserts if it does not protect the area it is supposed too. If its not held in place there is always a risk of it moving out of position if you take a tumble. So look for a jacket that has velcro or tabs to keep them in place.
For eg: Straps to keep the elbow armor in place
I prefer the armor to sit as close as possible on my body so it doesnt move around and you dont feel like something heavy sitting on you. So I make do with this option
https://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/pro-xv2-air-range. Has quite a few advantages. The suit acts as a base layer and I can pretty much wear this under any jacket so when looking for an outer layer I dont have to worry about the armor. Also in the city where the risk of a slide is minimal I can wear this under a sweatshirt and I wont look like an astronaut. Only downside is they are expensive but look at it as a one time investment.
Slide Protection
The order from most protective to least
Nothing beats leather if you have the misfortune of sliding on the tarmac , its basically another layer of skin over yours. Textile is a good middle ground but again depends on the denier rating and how good the stitching can hold up. Mesh is a great option for our day time riding weather conditions however gives you the least protection in a slide. Manufacturers do give you some slide protection at the most common impact areas but again no crash is the same. Now there are some premium brands that give you some decent mesh options which might hold up during a slide but the budget offerings do what they say (let a ton of air through) and nothing more. I would only consider a mesh jacket for street use. Some jackets have external hard sliders at the shoulder and elbows to help in a slide, unintentional and intentional *wink wink
Comfort
There is no use buying the best protection only for it to be a pain during a ride. For our weather conditions (Im in Bengaluru too) Leather is the worst followed by Textile and then Mesh. Again Textile is the best middle ground but make sure it has enough inlet vents and exhaust vents, otherwise you will be fighting the wind with no proper ventilation. You also get hybrid options like leather+mesh etc so look around.
**Touring jacket for reference
The front vents need to work in tandem with the rear exhaust vents
Fit
You have a proper sports bike so to make your life easier on your rides your riding gear should fit accordingly. Jackets made for sports bikes have pre curved fitting to ensure you have one less thing to worry about on the bike. It might be uncomfortable off the bike (you may look like a hunched over alien) but once you get on the bike it will fit just right. You would also have to look out for stretch panels (Accordion panels) mostly at the shoulders, elbows and lower back. Might sound like a minor thing but in my case I have a very tender left elbow and during a ride if there is no stretch, the armor literally digs in causing shooting pain.
**Suit for reference only
Red outline are the stretch panels and blue are the exhaust perforation (vents)
Colour
My riding buddies scoff when I say this, but I stick to it, the lighter the color the better overall. Yeah its a pain to clean and white will look like dirty khaki no matter how good your washing machine is but hey it reflects heat and makes you that much more visible to other road users (this is a good thing to avoid getting knocked over). Darker colors absorb heat. So I would prefer to look dirty on the outside if it helps me stay cooler even by 1 degree on the inside.
Reflectivity
Again another thing where most people prefer form over function. Dont get me wrong, most jackets have inbuilt reflectors that work brilliantly when the beam from a headlight hits it. What if it doesnt ? If you have spent considerable time on our highways you would have noticed the number of truck and car drivers who are busy on their cell phones and are blissfully unaware of you coming up behind them. I always look at the rear view mirror of the vehicle I am overtaking to see if they have noticed me and in most cases nothing matches a hi-viz jacket fluttering in the wind to grab someones attention. You will definitely look like a road worker or construction worker but Id rather be safe than trying to win a beauty contest. Right now I am using this over my riding gear but there are some elegant options out there on Amazon
https://www.amazon.in/b/ref=dp_bc_aui_C_5?ie=UTF8&node=10290515031 etc
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Originally Posted by The Brutailer I live in Bangalore which has pleasant weather throught the year. But it does get a bit chilly in the winters |
I am from the same city and this has been my experience so far. I ALWAYS start my ride between 4am and 6am irrespective of the season. I would prefer to face the brunt of a chilly morning for about 30 minutes than be on the road fully layered up when the sun is out and the slow cooking starts. You will be surprised how warm an 8am Sun can be. You do get an option of removable warm inner layers but considering you are on an RC390, once the sun comes up where will you store it ?
Thats just an overhead I can do without. You would be better off wearing a moisture wicking base layer or a Tshirt (not if the sun is out)under the jacket. The only time I would use the inner layer is if I am going to a hill-station and I know its going to be cold all the time and I know I have a place to remove and store it if it gets too hot. This is where the Textile options shine. Will keep you warm in the morning and with the proper venting will keep you cool during the day time.
On the flip side I have used a full leather race suit on a couple of highway runs and a couple of track days in the peak sun and if you have the right base layer and are properly hydrated it does not become unbearable but yeah this is not taking stop go traffic into account. If you are going to be constantly on the move you should be ok.
One more factor to consider is acclimatization. If you know you are going on a long ride and will be riding mostly during the day, spend the prior week walking around in the sun and dont use air conditioning. You will be surprised how easily you adapt.
Now regarding your query on this option
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Brutailer |
Looks like a very good option on paper and I briefly considered this but they pulled the plug on the white jacket so I didn't buy it. The only thing I didnt like about it was the armor weighed a ton!
Happy shopping!
P.S My observations are purely for tarmac riding, there are different things to look for when going off the beaten path