Cannot stop buying jackets.

[Hank]

I have only been riding as an adult for three years. (Typical moderate dirt bike use as youth.)

But I already have several jackets.

1. Olympia mesh. Plain but functional, lots of good design touches.
2. Hitair airbag mesh, silver. Works ok, no airbag system is ever going to be as cool in summer as a non airbag jacket.
3. Triumph branded leather, bought on sale. Looks great. Plenty of pockets. Developing lots of character. Has some vents, but over about 80 degrees it is too hot, and below 45 or so it is too cold.
4. Firstgear mesh Tex in high viz. Man, if you want high viz, this is it. The whole jacket is high viz.

Is this normal? It is cheaper than buying new bikes all the time, but is expensive.

 

[netizen]

I have only been riding as ana adult for three years. (Typical moderate dirt bike use as youth.)

But I already have several jackets.

1. Olympia mesh. Plain but functional, lots of good design touches.
2. Hitair airbag mesh, silver. Works ok, no airbag system is ever going to be as cool in summer as a non airbag jacket.
3. Triumph branded leather, bought on sale. Looks great. Plenty of pockets. Developing lots of character. Has some vents, but over about 80 degrees it is too hot, and below 45 or so it is too cold.
4. Firstgear mesh Tex in high viz. Man, if you want high viz, this is it. The whole jacket is high viz. View attachment 36470

Is this normal? It is cheaper than buying new bikes all the time, but is expensive.

Yeah, I bought about 6 jackets, then just grimaced and bought a Klim jacket and pants..... If you ride allot your going to eventually end up with high end stuff that can be worn year round and is waterproof breathable Gore-tex but it will cost you a bunch.... I was able to minimize that pain by buying both my Klim jacket and Klim pants off of ADV rider used (slightly used) at half the normal price. I still spent around $700 - $750 for both. Not an amount I thought I'd ever spend... but now I"m good for life unless I go down in them and damage them... or get too fat to fit in them anymore

 

[Hank]

Forgot I have another Olympia winter jacket. Their stuff reminds me of Ruger firearms, strong and durable and heavy.

 

[netizen]

If your just riding around home, having a bunch of jackets is not a bad thing... you can take a mesh jacket with you when you ride and swap out when it gets hot. But if you travel and space is a premium you will want a 1 jacket fits all conditions setup, that you wear all the time regardless of the temperature or rain or snow. It's nice to be riding on a long ride and see rain ahead, swap out your gloves while riding (gloves in tank bag) to gore tex ones and zip close the vents on your jacket and just keep trudging on into the rain. Then as you ride out of it you can swap back to the cooler vented gloves and open up the vents without ever having to stop.

I used to do the stop and swap out jacket and even pants for a rainsuit.. put rain covers over my gloves and boots then hop back on the bike only to be stopping 30 minutes later to reverse the whole process and pack away wet gear when the sun came back out and I felt I was riding in a sauna with wet clothes. If you don't stop in time your clothes are soaked from changing out riding gear standing in the rain. Again.. if your not traveling distance this isn't a big thing.. you just ride home and take off the wet gear. If your 6 hours into a 12 hour ride your stuck riding in wet clothes until the wind dries them out if your fortunate enough for the rain to stop.

Riding wet on a long ride will motivate you to buy an all round riding jacket and pants pretty quickly...even if they are expensive, just as riding in the cold will motivate you to splurge on a heated vest or jacket... That's something I fought long and hard against, but gave in after nearly getting hypothermia on a couple of long rides, that I was too stubborn to end without making the miles I intended that day.

Buying quality gear is a long term investment in your riding. Add up all those jackets and you'll realize you probably could have gotten a really good all season waterproof riding jacket. Good news is there are allot of people that will buy your used gear so you can recover that $$ pretty quickly and get that one jacket you really need.

Having said all that... I still have one or 2 other jackets hanging in my closet... but I justify having them for passengers..... which I almost never carry... I do keep a mesh jacket that I occasionally wear.... but the quality is just not the same, so it's hard to leave the Klim hanging on the hanger. Besides the Klim has stiffer sleeves that can SCOOP the air up into them causing a wind tunnel effect that cools really well even if it isn't mesh.

Just watch what the iron butt riders wear.... the ones that do back to back 1000 mile days...or riders that spend most of their days riding around the country. They live on their bikes. They know the best setups. They also have the coolest farkles on their bikes that you can learn about to put on your own bike.

There are enough of them on this forum that you can learn everything you want to know from. Maybe when I retire I can become one of them... I don't get near enough saddle time these days!

 

[travatron4000]

I have several jackets and most I don't wear anymore.... It's a case of I wish I know then what I know now... I should have just bought an Aerostich in the beginning as I've probably spent more on multiple things over the years. I keep telling myself to save up for one but then end up buying something else that's on clearance

Running a FLY Terra Hi-Viz as my Fall/Winter as it doesn't vent to the skin, and an AGV Sport Topanga Perf as my summer jacket. I decided to to try and go all Leather. I have some Sedici Dino leather-perf pants for serious riding and various Kevlar lined jeans for around town. I prefer to use dedicated rain gear for wet. I know it's a gonner in a crash but it just works so much better than any integrated system. Down Pour all day and stay dry. On trips I can layer under my Leather Perf and top it with the rain gear for cold temps and it works pretty good. I also have heated Vest/Gloves/Grips for the coldest days.

In the closet I have a Joe Rocket that stopped being water proof and has some tears (1st jacket), a Bilt Storm Hi-Viz which is actually still mostly fine despite the miles (the water proofing is only good in a short light rain and the zippers are starting to go), a FirstGear mesh that never fit right, an X-Element mesh that I use on the hottest of days as it's really light weight and kinda cheap, and a TourMaster Lawndale that is mostly just my normal winter walking around jacket but I'll wear it to hang outs as it is more normal looking than the Hi-Vis and the AGV Sport.

 

[Rapturee]

Oh man jackets... I too like jackets and have a bunch of them. My wife has teased me of being a camo horse. Although i only have two riding jackets, i probably have close to a dozen hunting jackets/outfits..!! Both riding jackets are hi-vis. One is an ADV layered with tons of vents/zippers that i like, but it is a tight medium(it was lightly used and a gift), my second one is a new Speed-Strength mesh that i really like as well. I also carry a great older sweatshirt in my Frunk for those cold spells, got it at a yard sale for $1.00. :{)

 

[melensdad]

My wife and I each have 2 jackets.

I've got a Klim Apex Air (black & white) and a First Gear 37.5 Kilimanjaro (black, white, flouro Green).

The Apex Air is a mesh jacket, it does have panels that can be zippered closed. Plenty of venting and plenty of armor. The Kilimanjaro is a textile shell 3/4 jacket with 2 small arm vents, 2 small shoulder vents, and 2 fairly large exit vents on the back. It is fine up to about 80 degrees while riding but you could bake in it if you were stuck in stop/go city traffic on a sunny day.

My wife has a First Gear Hi-Viz Monarch and a First Gear purple Contour Mesh.

The Monarch is a textile shell 3/4 jacket that has 2 small shoulder vents and 2 back vents, not a hot/humid weather jacket because there is not enough venting. She is comfortable in it up to about 75 degrees. The Contour Mesh jacket has shoulder/elbow armor and is a waist cut mesh jacket that did not come with back armor, only a back pad ... but the Monarch back pad slides into the pocket and she only wears 1 at a time.

 

[Hank]

I am considering one of the high end goretex jackets. My Olympia pants are waterproof and reasonably comfortable, though not very stylish.
I have a Helite high viz airbag vest that serves three purposes, so while I thought of one of the Alpinestars airbag jackets, it seems unnecessary duplication. The vest gives me high viz, air bag protection, plus I have my Go Pro mounted on it.

I probably should sell my Olympia one piece suit, as I wear it very little.

 

[StratTuner]

my current count is 5, but I'm always shopping for the next one.

so far the "Tourmaster Transition" series is most versatile.

 

[3polxin]

my current count is 5, but I'm always shopping for the next one.

so far the "Tourmaster Transition" series is most versatile.

Yes, I like it too, Tour Master Transition.

 

[ScottHump]

Man, I was wondering if I was the only one with a jacket fetish. I started out with a Cortech and First Gear jaunt that was kind of a gift. Neither fit me quite right and as a new rider, I wasn't exactly sure of what I wanted in my ideal jacket so I made due until I figured it out.

For me, a Scorpion Yosemite is almost perfect. I don't really use either liner it came with, I prefer to layer with a few different fleece options when it's cold. It has a lot of direct vents so I can open them while I'm moving and the air penetrates the fleece. I still get a little bit of cold creeping in somewhere so I bought a windproof fleece as an option too. When it's hot, it vents like you're wearing a screen door. You can fold down the entire back panel too, if it's really toasty. It came with Sas Tech level 2 armor and I added the level 2 back pad as well. It's all very comfortable.

I also have an Olympia mesh jacket I've had for a while that is great when it's just hot and is going to stay hot, but in 90% of my riding scenarios the Scorpion will be ideal.

I also succumbed and bought an Alpine Stars Andes that I prefer for cold rides. No cold air gets in, and the collar is just big enough I can wear a neck gaiter to block everything out. That's how I justified buying it anyway, maybe I have a jacket fetish, I dunno.

So anyway, the Scorpion and the A Stars cover 98% of my riding and very happy with both of them.

 

[Junkie]

I'm pretty overrepresented as far as gear goes...

I have 2 pairs of Sidi Crossfire SRS (an original and a 2)
Sidi Mag1
Sidi Vortice
Sidi ST
Daytona Road Star GTX
Daytona Security Evo

maybe some others too...

as far as gloves go, I've worn out a couple pairs lately (Helimots at that) but still have half a dozen pairs

Jackets/pants? I guess I have the Aerostich, 4 1 piece leather suits, 2 leather jacket/pant combos, another jacket, 2 dirt/SM jackets, 2 SM pants

probably forgetting some things too.

 

[drdubb]

Man, I was wondering if I was the only one with a jacket fetish.

I started with a first gear Kilamanjaro. Then added another first gear, then a first gear mesh. I finally went with Aerostich. first class. I can wear it until it gets up in the 90's. Even then I can wear it if I stay out of the city.

I don't think there is a perfect jacket. You have to choose the best you can for the conditions you anticipate.

I still break out the kilamanjaro from time to time.

 

[Red Rider]

Umm, I don’t think it’s the jacket...it’s the handsome dude with the three day beard and Ray Bans... I look more like that guy with every jacket I buy.

(At last count I’m up to five. And I’ve lost 50 pounds and look 20 years younger.
Chicks dig me)

 

[Juan_Banjovy]

I have 3 jackets. First I got a gray mesh one, then got hit by a truck so I got a hi-vis textile one. Was hot in summer so I got a hi-vis mesh one. Mesh won't provide a lot of protection but it keeps the sun off me while allowing wind flow, visibility & holding the armor in place. If it's cold but I want to ride I wear Dickies insulated coveralls with a bright orange vest over it. Much warmer than my jackets with liners but, no armor. $85-$94. Black, tan or navy.

 

[NCX19]

Since Ive had multiple brands, I had multiple motorcycle mfgr branded jackets.

Smartened up a couple years ago, sold em all and have a Klim now.
It breathes, yet I have a gortex liner from a previous jacket for cooler or wet weather.

Maybe not the BMW Rallet-3 quality I had - but waaaay lighter and less bulky.

 

[NuckaMan]

I think almost everyone goes through a phase of buying all types of riding gear. From my personal experience, what I have found is investing in upper-level gear is the way to go. What I mean is brands like Rev'It, Dianese, upper-level Alpinestars, Klim, etc...

What they offer over budget brands is the quality, materials, features, performance, fit, and small details tends to be alot better than the more inexpensive brands....and it should, especially at some of the prices they want for a pair of pants or jacket. By investing in 1 or 2 high-spec gear reduces the needs for other gear. At least from my experience. I sold off or gave away most all of my old stuff and stick with Rev'It and Klim only, and only own a few pieces from each that covers me from super cold to super hot, dry and wet.

Buy gear on holiday weekends or at the end of the year to really save some money. That's what I do.