I'm really happy with my Dianese stuff. Nice shoulder, lower arm and knee/lower leg armour, I had a hard time finding other textile pants with armour.*
I got the D-air stuff that has a removable waterproof lining. But it's a band-aid, not suitable for extended wet weather riding. Ventilation is great without having mesh in impact areas.
Thanks Steve, I personally think a waterproof layer inside the jacket is completely retarded. I find a $100 rain jacket over my leathers from Scott or Rev'IT is perfect. packs up to the size of 1/2lb coffee and weighs nothing.
That shot is from Pitt Meadows Track Days, which allows textile. I would have been in the Relaxed group on that bike, when I moved up I got leather. Not sure leather is required for the intermediate and expert groups, but it's certainly the standard.*
I'm sure other more advanced track days specify leather but you'd have to check.
If you're getting into this range, look into Aether and Rukka. I assume you've obviously also looked at Klim. Given the style you've mentioned, another consideration is the BMW Enduroguard suit; it's seriously stiff though, I gather you wouldn't like the fit as compared to your leathers.
*edit* - Didn't see what Steve G said above; he pretty much covered it with the Enduroguard. Stiff.
Thanks Steve, I personally think a waterproof layer inside the jacket is completely retarded. I find a $100 rain jacket over my leathers from Scott or Rev'IT is perfect. packs up to the size of 1/2lb coffee and weighs nothing.
I agree, the inner "waterproof"*lining on the Dianese stuff I have is a great wind block but only good for light rain in an emergency. Those cool mornings that chill you at highway speed but warm up are the ideal use case.*
I lament the loss of serious textile Belstaff gear, I started with that and it was great stuff.*
I don't understand why you guys don't just get a proper Goretex jacket that is typically used in the backpacking/hiking realm and fit it over your leathers? If you need something packable, get one of the lightweight waterproof over-jackets that CDG mentioned.
Today i spent time at Pacific Motorsports, Ducati Richmond, Daytona in Surrey, Holeshot in Langely, and Open Road Langley. The end result of looking at everything under the sun, was that I ended up going with my first choice the Klim Latitude.
Looking forward to not needing to bring my rain gear any more, better ventilation during the hot days, and much lighter weight than my leather gear. Although leather will still get worn on 'extra spirited' group days.
Today i spent time at Pacific Motorsports, Ducati Richmond, Daytona in Surrey, Holeshot in Langely, and Open Road Langley. The end result of looking at everything under the sun, was that I ended up going with my first choice the Klim Latitude.
Looking forward to not needing to bring my rain gear any more, better ventilation during the hot days, and much lighter weight than my leather gear. Although leather will still get worn on 'extra spirited' group days.
Nice choice. May I ask why you decided on the Latitude versus something like the Apex? What other jackets did you consider and why did the Klim stand out for you?
Nice choice. May I ask why you decided on the Latitude versus something like the Apex? What other jackets did you consider and why did the Klim stand out for you?
I really like the Apex, and it's possibly a 'better' jacket for me. However if you search online, you'll find lots of complaints against the collar being really uncomfortable. This was a deal breaker for me. I suspect there will be an updated version next year, and maybe i'll have one in my future. I never had a chance to try it on, but it was originally my first choice with Klim. Although I wish they had a more colourful option.
The Latitude was the best sporty 'touring' jacket that i looked at. Whatever i bought HAD to be Gore-tex, and that very quickly limited options. A lot of the other options were just a bit too long, and on the Tuono that would mean the jacket would always be riding up. I also appreciated that it comes with D3O armour, although just CE1 in North America. I also didn't want an all black jacket, and a lot of the Dainese and other options were all black.
Much like motorcycles, I think we're blessed with a lot of great options right now.
Today i spent time at Pacific Motorsports, Ducati Richmond, Daytona in Surrey, Holeshot in Langely, and Open Road Langley. The end result of looking at everything under the sun, was that I ended up going with my first choice the Klim Latitude.
Looking forward to not needing to bring my rain gear any more, better ventilation during the hot days, and much lighter weight than my leather gear. Although leather will still get worn on 'extra spirited' group days.
Great choice. Collar choice is as important as any of the other features a jacket has or does not have. Lack of comfort can actually be quite distracting, when you should be concentrating on the ride.
Pacific will cut you a but of a break when you buy both together. I've been disappointed with mid-tier products so many times, that at this point I either buy the cheap stuff, or the expensive stuff.
Hopefully this 'investment' pays off.
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