'Adventure' Type Textile Suits?

[Dainese Brave]

Hi All,

I’m after some information on some products….

I’m planning a couple of trips this year, the main one to Eastern Europe around the Ukraine…

What I’m after is a two piece ‘adventure’ style textile suit that is…..

1. Waterproof
2. Warm
3. Breathable, and with vents for when it’s hot.
4. Have removable inner linings (for waterproofing and/or quilting)
5. Be reasonably priced
6. Be able to cope with the ride to the destination (a cold, wet blast across Europe), but then the (hopefully) heat when I get there.

Last year I went to the Balkans, and went in my leather two piece suit, and just found the 40+ degree heat too much! This year I want to try a textile.

I already own a BMW suit which I find too warm in the body, but freezing on the arms, with totally unwaterproof pockets! And having already been burned with the £600+ price tag, I’m now after something more reasonably priced…but that still works.

The ones I’m considering are…

Spada Highland £135/ Trousers £104 = £239 Total
Frank Thomas X-Terrain £169/ Trousers £129 = £298 Total
Frank Thomas Raptor £160/ Trousers £130 = £ 290 Total
Frank Thomas Senegal £139/ Trousers £90 = £229 Total
Revit Cayenne Pro £293/ Trousers £215/166 (Cayenne/Dakar) = £508/459 Total
Revit Off-Track £226/ Trousers £166 (Dakar) = £392

Has anyone got any experience of any of the above???

I’ve tried on the Revit Cheyenne Pro, and it’s a nice bit of kit…but it’s more expensive than what I wanted to spend this time, and is it much better than the BMW one?, and also? is it really worth almost double of the other alternatives?

I like the look of the Revit Off-Track, but it is also starting to get expensive.

I’ve heard good things about the Spada Highland for warmth and water-proofing….but is it airy in the heat?....I’ve got a Spada rain over suit, and that was reasonably priced, but works brilliantly.

All the Frank Thomas stuff looks good value…but is it any good?

My preference at the moment subject to your comments are the Spada cos off the price and my experiences with Spada gear, or the X-Terrain…….but if it was cheaper I’d go for either Revit suits I think.

Thanks for any info....

 

[motobiker]

If money were no object...

RUKKA.

but as it probably is then - the REVIT Cayenne you mention...

Alternatively a TWAT suit.. always appearing on here or Ebay 2nd hand.. which IMHO makes them more attractive a proposition than the outrageous price 'new'

If you travel to America at all.. or have relatives friends over there... then an AEROSTITCH - would be by far the best solution.. exceptional kit for the money and M2M too.. just the import tax/vat bill when it arrives isn't too nice. hence bringing it back yourself or having it sent by a 3rd party labelled as a 'gift' is a great boon.

personally and considering your plans I wouldn't even bother with the other stuff on your list.

 

[paul nicholls]

textile

i can recomend Held kit, i used there rally type kit on a trip to mauratania via marocco last january so it had to cope with -5 to +35 which it did very well, didnt see any rain but no reason to doubt it. also very reasonably priced.
i bought it from motobrio in hawick but they do internet and mail order. found the service to be exellent i would recomend them highly.

 

[Rushy]

I already own a BMW suit which I find too warm in the body, but freezing on the arms, with totally unwaterproof pockets! And having already been burned with the £600+ price tag, I’m now after something more reasonably priced…but that still works.

Which BMW suit didnt you get on with?

 

[Dainese Brave]

The Rallye 2 Pro suit.......I just found it far too cold in the arms. And by wearing base-layers and fleeces to counter-act it only meant I was then far too hot in the body areas.

 

[MattW]

I'm new to the world of adventurous textile suits, but I just got a full 'Journey' suit from Hein Gericke (currently £80 sale discount on the jacket). Worked out at £160 each for the jacket and trousers after the discount. Not used it in anger yet, but it seems to tick all your boxes and has a two year warranty on the suit / 5 year on waterproofing as it's Goretex.

 

[Peak Rider]

The Aerostich Darien range meets all your criteria expect perhaps point number 5. What it lacks in style is more than compensated by its sheer all-round usefulness. I believe they have a new textile jacket due out soon but it's not yet showing on their web site. http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/index.html

 

[vireo]

Dainese

I can wholeheartedly recommend my Dainese textile gear. Mine is based on the Dry Line range and it is extremely successful and keeping out the cold/wind and rain (in everything bar the odd deluge, but at this point rain gets via the neck opening off my helmet). It has a removal quilted lining. I can honestly say its never been too cold on the bike if I wear it - that said, I find it too warm in summer and I think that this is an issue with all textiles except where they are designed for summer air-flow. So......I dont see you getting away with one jacket for the range of conditions you describe. I dont know of a jacket that allows cooling airflow for summer use while at the same time having a removable goretex lining that provides 100% waterproofing and windproofing.

How about a purely 'summer' jacket and a good one piece rain suit that you can wear over it? Good rain suits keep out 99-100% of rain and will provide excellent wind-proofing for the occasions its needed for your trip...?

Vireo

 

[John Armstrong]

I dont know of a jacket that allows cooling airflow for summer use while at the same time having a removable goretex lining that provides 100% waterproofing and windproofing.

I do, my BM Savanna jackets have never leaked and have goretex linings

But they are the same style as the Rallye so the original problem for the OP will be the same I'd think about seeing if using a heated jacket that has heated sleeves with the Rallye 2 would be a cost and warmth effective solution. Plus using thermal leggings / top to help keep the extremities warm.

The holy grail of jacket that's ok at the North Pole in winter, and in the middle of summer in the Sahara, is an almost pointless search.

Rallye pockets won't be waterproof as they're outside of the goretex. Did you get a gortex bag with it? Got them with Savanna's I've had.

 

[Gruffalo]

+1 on the rukka front
grabted v.expensive but im on my second all road jkt and cant fault it
it got loads of vents for summer and has never leaked a drop of water when rained, even after a 4hr trip to newquay last year, and it rained all the way!
has gor-tex liner but no quilted liner but its niot needed imo

just purchased the trs and can safely say they are the same as the jacket, gore-tex liner, vents for the summer, and wider bottoms with bigger zips to allow mx type boots, good but of kit

only draw back is that it about £900 for the 2 peice suit, not cheap!

jonyboy

 

[freeloader]

HG Journey

I'm new to the world of adventurous textile suits, but I just got a full 'Journey' suit from Hein Gericke (currently £80 sale discount on the jacket). Worked out at £160 each for the jacket and trousers after the discount. Not used it in anger yet, but it seems to tick all your boxes and has a two year warranty on the suit / 5 year on waterproofing as it's Goretex.

That's the same suit as I bought over a year ago - so don't do what I did and lose the receipt!

I took it back to HG in Aberdeen (where I'd originally bought it) after a long trip in which the trousers started to leak around the crotch. Couldn't find the receipt (and still haven't been able to), so HG weren't interested.

Wasn't a big leak so at the moment I'm just trying not to think about it. Still like its warmth and comfort, and if I had to buy another right now, I'd probably still buy the same one.

 

[LiquidLAN]

If money were no object...

RUKKA.

Another vote for Rukka here... yes it has a £600+ price tag, but its kit that really does do what its meant to do. I've no experience of the Allroader but that's the one I'd look at.

I've got Sinisilo (sp) for offroading and its great kits, warm and dry but I use a Rukka ARP Strong jacket and trousers in the BM, its great for all types of weather. The external pockets aren't designed to be dry, but I'm not fussed as I carry most stuff either in the jacket or on the bike...

I think the mistake you've made is that you've been branded, not burned perviously... 99% of the time you do get what you pay for.

Oh another pluses for the Rukka (I'm not sure this counts abroad - I'd check) 5 year warranty and if you have fault with the item the dealers will loan you a replacement while yours is being repaired. Also its what gets issued to Police riders.

 

[Dainese Brave]

Thanks for all your replies so far

I like the look of the Held, and also the Hein Gericke seems good value.

The Rukka is just to dear for what I want. I'm sure it's good...I've never heard anyone say a bad word about them...but just too pricey.

Still no Spada owners out there ???

 

[ExpatinIstanbul]

I used HG all seasons kit when working as a courier, and have used it as a leisure rider as well. Generally good prices and good kit. I use the Frankfurt shop, mind, where the lovely Anna is the best excuse for going back.

 

[LiquidLAN]

Thanks for all your replies so far

I like the look of the Held, and also the Hein Gericke seems good value.

The Rukka is just to dear for what I want. I'm sure it's good...I've never heard anyone say a bad word about them...but just too pricey.

Still no Spada owners out there ???

if it helps I think Sinisilo manufacture the KTM kit... do a search, there's plenty of info on this stuff here, I've read and posted on a couple of very similar threads in the last two or three weeks

 

[Dainese Brave]

I have thought of the over-suit option over one of those 'air' jackets....but thought that would probably be way too cold on the journey out on the trip, and probably not even practical when I get there really.

What I'm after is a compromise.....good warmth, rain-proof....but able to remove sufficient linnings when I get there...and put them back in if necessary.

I'm happy to wear extra layers going down there, to make up for the fact I'm after a warmish, waterproof summer jacket.........just after a jacket and trousers that aren't useless in any particular area.

The BMW suit would be ok...if it was warm overall the body and the arms...not just the body...I could work with that!

 

[LiquidLAN]

I have thought of the over-suit option over one of those 'air' jackets....but thought that would probably be way too cold on the journey out on the trip, and probably not even practical when I get there really.

What I'm after is a compromise.....good warmth, rain-proof....but able to remove sufficient linnings when I get there...and put them back in if necessary.

I'm happy to wear extra layers going down there, to make up for the fact I'm after a warmish, waterproof summer jacket.........just after a jacket and trousers that aren't useless in any particular area.

The BMW suit would be ok...if it was warm overall the body and the arms...not just the body...I could work with that!

if its the cold you are worried about, I use the Rukka baselayer kit, its great from around freezing up to mid/upper 20? but for really cold or longer exposure I've got a Giali heated fleece. I've got the older version, but this one looks better with the removable heated liner, it should fit better under your jacket.

Of all the bike gear I've bought over time, this has the be the best bit of kit!

 

[Wapping]

Dainese Brave?

Given the topic of your post, maybe you should think about altering it?

 

[Deleted account W]

Another cracking 1200 technical thread

 

[cherokee]

I have the rev'it off track jacket and dakar pants,good kit,i also have the gericke suit with all the vents and i mean hundreds of vents this is the one im gonna wear when i go down to spain in june.....