What's the next best alternative to Rukka clothing (trousers, especially)?

[Snapper32]

I've done a lot of Googling, but am just getting myself tied up in knots, so I thought that I'd just come here and ask my question outright - I hope that's OK ?

The situation is simple (and quite common, I would guess ) - I want some comfortable, high quality 'touring' clothing, but can't afford Rukka prices. Is there another brand who use Gore Tex (or something almost as good) and make well-designed, highly protective and above all 'comfortable' motorcycle jackets and trousers for less money than Rukka charge ?

In the last year (when I've done several thousand miles of 'summer touring'), I have roasted and steamed in leather jeans or sweltered and suffered 'nappy rash' in nylon-lined 'breathable' (not ) textile trousers from RST ('Adventure II's). The various jackets that I have aren't great either, but it's really the trousers that I can't live with any more.

So, for next year (I don't ride much in the winter) I want to try and find some textile trousers that can be worn (i.e. will 'breath') in hot weather and which have sturdy impact-resistant pads that are built into the legs in such a way that they do not hurt my knee caps or rub up and down my shins . I have a pair of red scars on one shin were the Velcro from one of the inner knee pad pockets on my old trousers has rubbed the skin raw and the resulting cut has got infected - I don't want that again next year!

Can anyone suggest which brand(s) I should be looking at, please? Budget-wise, I'm interested in anything that is 50-70% of Rukka's prices, if there is such a thing. Usually, I'd live by the motto; "Buy right, buy once", but £1,500 for a jacket and trouser set is way out of my reach and will always be .

Hope you can help. Thanks !

 

[gerarddwatts]

Look at Revit?

 

[seahorse]

Dane

 

[younger06]

Halvarssons, not the cheapest for their top of the line kit.........but no where near Rukka prices.

http://www.jofama.se/mcsm/products.php?lang=2&cid=2&s=MC

 

[Wreford Miles]

2nd hand BMW rally suit with the liners.

In the summer I don't use the liners but do carry an old Gortex walking coat and some army surplus gortex trousers - they roll up nice and tight and if it rains I put them on over the suit.

 

[Wapping]

Any and all of the mainstream motorcycle clothing manufacturers make waterproof (Goretex or similar) breathable summer touring clothing. Several of them also offer non-waterproof, ventilated or mesh suits. These can be made waterproof by putting in a liner or by putting a light waterproof jacket or trousers over the top. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, according to taste and very often depth of wallet, so you'll probably end up with a list which - by the time this thread reaches two pages - of every manufacturer, with each bod telling you that they are very happy with theirs. Not least, you'll get some replies that will recommend suit XYZ as it's got multiple pockets, is sandy brown in colour and has got 'Adventure' somewhere in its name, coupled to an advertising picture of some bod or other looking moody in a desert canyon; fitting the image of an 'Adventure biker'. Thst they'll not get beyond Lille or Aberdeen is beyond question.

Now, you tell us some more:

1. Can we just check that you are looking to spend no more than £350 on a complete suit OR say no more than £150 on a pair of trousers? In brief what's your maximum price and for what?

2. Do you want brand new or are you happy with secondhand?

3. Other than Rukka have you looked at and rejected other makes? If so, what and why? That'll save fellows swearing Klim is best, when you've already established in your own mind that it looks like a sack of spuds, tied in the middle with string but that Dainese suit looks like the dog's bollocks.

4. This hot weather touring you do and suffer in, where to, how often / length of time away and... Most importantly... What average daytime temperatures are you encountering on a REGUAR basis. In short, are you boiling on the Moroccan pistes at over 35 degrees for three weeks or are you getting all hot and bothered on your week away in the Alps (or Wales) when the mercury sometimes sits at just on 26 degrees for two out of the five days?

5. How much water are you REGULARLY drinking on these really hot days?

6. Are you happy with non-waterproof highly ventilated trousers and / or jacket, as you already have a waterproof over-suit or must the clothing have their own separate liner, too?

7. What kind bod are you? Super fit slimmed down racing snake or 20 stone pie eater, who breaks into a lather when you are not in the air conditioned luxury of Tesco Express, tucking into a cheesy Ginsters, slurped down with a cherry Dt Peppers jumbo bottle?

In the meantime:

https://www.fix.com/blog/motorcycle-riding-in-hot-weather/

http://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/ironbutt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf

http://www.thelostadventure.com/beat-the-heat-while-motorcycle-touring-this-summer

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under...es/10-warm-weather-motorcycle-accessories.htm

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/parts-gear/hot-weather-motorcycle-apparel-and-gear

https://forum.motorcyclenews.com/topic/65209/bike-wear-for-hot-weather

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/style/advice/g4778/summer-riding-gear-upgrade-1/

 

[Roadrash Rider]

Lot of good advice from wapping above but to add to it, you do tend to get what you pay for with kit like this, no cheap equivalents. You also need to consider the two types of Goretex or similar the cheaper but very good Goretex liner type, this is a layer of Goretex under your jacket, a warmer jacket as you get two layers but in the wet your outer gets piss wet thought and you can get colder due to this, or consider the more expensive bonded type Goretex which is a layered outer shell cooler than the liner version and needs extra layers in the winter. But you still need vents no matter how good the gear is.

With regards your nappy rash you don't say if you use a bace layer or not? I use them all year round, keep you warm in winter and cooler and non stick to you kit in summer nothing worse than trying to peal of leathers when you've been sweating your nuts off all day in them, moisture wicking bace layers stop this.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Mr Anderson]

I kinda was in the same situation, not arsed about winter riding and wanted good airflow which keeps you cool and comfortable etc...

I've still not found pure happiness in any textile clothing and my current textiles are Rev'it Defender Pro are great in some respects.
They feel safe, superb air flow if you open it all up.
Goretex and it looks good but very heavy suit which makes you sweaty if you walk around in your gear a lot. Merino wool helps out immensely though.

 

[Gargy]

Had Rukka Armax, now got Revit Poseidon.

Happier with the Revit. It's all personal choice in the end.

If you can stretch to it, go for the Gortex Proshell. As there is no liner. The Gortex in laminated to the outer layer.

Good luck.

 

[Wapping]

PS You tell us you have written-off Rukka due to price.

I am no eBay expert but I found these strides in seconds at a very good price. Of course I have no idea if they'll fit you or really if you even like them:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rukka-Gor...745056?hash=item4af3caf7a0:g:z4YAAOSwjVVVo~2e

I very quickly found this excellent jacket; I have one, the trousers, too.

If it's much below 15 degrees, for instance first thing in the morning before the great fireball in the sky has woken up, it will feel cold, you'll need some sort of underlying layer, just to keep the breeze out. Get the temperature consistently up above 20 and it's great.... It will leak like a sieve when it rains. Rukka also makes a version with a removable waterproof liner or just take a waterproof over jacket or use a bin liner, lobbed over the top, I've done it. Days on end north of 30? You'll be hot in your birthday suit, so go sit in the shade, mate. Chill, to use the biker expression of choice.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rukka-Mot...hash=item1c5d33b233:m:mYnky6MztvXthhb92jlPUhQ

Well, blow me down with a feather, there's tons of it:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...ukka+airider.TRS0&_nkw=rukka+airider&_sacat=0


How much of a hunt have you really done?

 

[ymfb]

Halvarssons I have heard very good things about.

But I like my Klim Badlands Pro two piece, not sure will I would go back to Rukka

 

[llotse]

By shopping around and waiting for the bargains I paid £470 for Rukka trousers and jacket, both the best I have ever worn, However I wouldn't want to ride through summer with them! Bit hot even with the liners out. I have a 7 year old Comfortshell suit from BMW, bought at half price over the winter months from a dealer on ebay, that is a fantastic all year fully waterproof goretex shell suit. If you have patience keep an eye on ebay and check out FC moto online for bargains. Just taken delivery of a BMW of a BMW airflow 4 jacket and trousers from ebay, two different suppliers and bought within a few weeks of each other but again half price.

 

[Wapping]

Précis of advice so far:

RevIt (thrice, I think)

Dane (probably called, Sven)

Halvassons, twice though one bod's never owned any

Getting very and productively active on eBay and / or giving us a bit more of a clue

Klim Badlands Pro; once tried, no going back

BMW rally suit (secondhand)

Other (different) BMW gear. This is a BMW centric site, so the statistics might need some adjustment, along with the waist size.



There'll be more before the day is out. You'll need a spreadsheet.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Don't forget that Rukka also have a cheaper end to their range to assist those of us who don't have deep pockets full of cash and I personally wouldn't have an issue buying a used suit provided it fitted

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

There is some very good 2nd hand kit to be had from eBay.

I bought a a WBM Ralye suit that was as good as new because the owner had changed his bike colour - it was less than half price

Re the breatahability of a suit my experience is that Gortex is still far better than anything else out there and that removable Gortex liners are the way to go for ultimate coolness/breathability. The laminated Gortex Pro is fine but not as good in that respect.

Oh, and not sure why Klim was mentioned. Yes it's great kit (I use it so it must be) but I'm not sure I'd describe it as cheaper than Rukka......................

Other points of view are available

Andres

 

[Skid06]

twat suit for me, well vented, fab in hot weather, use an oversuit when it gets really wet because the waterproof liner is underneath the jacket so you feel damp ..going to buy a klim badlands at show today if its price competitive with fc-moto, Rukka looks the business but they do seem to fade quick

 

[Shoestring]

I've been lurking for a while here (on my 3rd GS) and its interesting to read these threads on kit. There's a lot more good quality gear being made now at reasonable prices - most manufacturers (even Rukka) take advantage of cheap Far Eastern production to keep their prices low.

I think the challenge the OP faces is in finding riding clothes that will meet all conditions, from the wet cold we have in a typical UK winter to the heat you'll find in Southern Europe in August. I don't really meet any riders that only have one set of kit, most will have a wardrobe+garage shelf full!

Rukka is fantastic stuff that is focussed above everything on keeping you dry. The GoreTex Pro system is fantastic, but be warned; the bonded Pro construction makes for a much stiffer material that some people find uncomfortable - especially the trousers. It can get hot in warm weather though and ironically its not the warmest (but as it doesn't get sodden you don't suffer from heat bridging) so be prepared to layer up. I'd say it was best for the cooler UK seasons. BTW the Rukka Flexius suit uses a Goretex drop liner, so is more comfortable (and you can buy a suit for ~£800) but like all lined suits the external fabric layer can get sodden.

For hot weather riding you really need something like the Halvarssons Qattara that has a removable waterproof layer, as these means you can get massive airflow through the jacket via big vents. For rain you can put the waterproof bit back, but it still won't give you the same level of protection from getting wet as Rukka, or a N. Europe focussed suit like the Halvarsson Prime/Panzar/Prince.

Full disclosure: I work weekends in the Guildford showroom of www.motolegends.com so I've talked to a lot of bikers helping find them the best kit solutions; the above is based on that experience.

Also the boss probably won't mind me reminding you that Motolegend's price match means you can buy a Rukka Cosmic suit for around £900 - the same as FC Moto (we'll match the price of any EU seller and beat any advertised UK price by 10%) and you won't have the problems some people experience getting after-sales support from an offshore vendor. We can often spend several hours with a customer trying to get the right solution, so if you want to make the trip over from Kent we'd be happy to see you.

SS7
PS The Cosmic suit is being discontinued so some sizes are in short supply

 

[GS TRV]

I sold my Rukka Armas for a Klim Badlands for the very same reason of venting in hot weather.

 

[frosti]

I bought Revit Everest Goretex Pro last year, while they were being discontinued - on FC moto

Goretex Laminated with thermal liner.

Excellent.

€389 Jacket
€300 Pants

If you can still find them they are worth it.

Posideon is the replacement for it, possibly a bit better but more expensive for now.
Watch FCmoto / Louis etc for discounts

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Also the boss probably won't mind me reminding you that Motolegend's price match means you can buy a Rukka Cosmic suit for around £900 - the same as FC Moto (we'll match the price of any EU seller and beat any advertised UK price by 10%) and you won't have the problems some people experience getting after-sales support from an offshore vendor. We can often spend several hours with a customer trying to get the right solution, so if you want to make the trip over from Kent we'd be happy to see you

Does that price matching extend to Schuberth?