Sturgis Survival Gear
STURGIS SURVIVAL GEAR
Another tine mesh...
That bastard Murphy and his damn Law were at it again in Sturgis. Having sweltered through one too many South Dakota scorchers, we ordered up a seven-pack of mesh riding jackets for this mega-mix cruiser comparison. Black Tshirts and bare arms-the Sturgis uniform-was not an option; none of us likes sticking to the sheets after a simple tip-over. But, of course, a cold front descended upon the Black Hills, really screwing things up. Last year's average daytime high at the rally was 92 degrees; this year, 74. Dawn photo shoots for Slavemaster McNally saw the mercury struggling to reach 50!
No matter, we wore the jackets in a wide range of tempera tures, and sampled some good old SoCal desert heat after the Sturgis shootout was done. Our findings:
BMW VENTING MACHINE
It's a well-kept secret that BMW sells some of the finest rid ing apparel on the market. The new Venting Machine jacket is Hungarian-made, composed mainly of a highly resilient net polyamide, with stretch panels inside the elbows and armor in the elbows, shoulders and back.
You'll have to get used to the Eurostyle left-side zipper pull, and layer up when the temp noses below 75 degrees-though it's the priciest here at $399, the Venting Machine has no inner liner. Works superbly hot weather, just not very versatile. Understated but taste ful in black/silver, the Venting Machine is available from BMW dealers (www.bmw-riders-gear.com) in men's sizes 40150L and women's sizes 4-16.
HEIN GERICKE SPEEDWAY
Here's the king of cool morn ings. Thanks to its insu lated, waterproof, full S1eeve liner, we'd rate the new Hem Gericke Speedway jacket ($250) as the most weatherworthy of this mesh mosh. Liner out, it flows air with the best of `em and doesn't flop around at speed. Conservatively styled, as befits a cruiser rider, the jacket (www.fairchild sports.com) has padded leather at the shoulders and upper arm/elbows, mesh everywhere else, and comes in two solid col ::OrS-black or red-with a contrasting stripe across the chest and arms. Lots of protection from internal plastic guards at the fore arm/elbows and shoulders, plus a foam back protector. Sized from S-4XL.
OLYMPIA SPORTS AIRGLIDE
A jacket within a jacket, the Olympia Airglide's Cordura outer panels are strategically combined with ballistic mesh to provide excellent venti lation. There's removable molded armor at elbows and shoulders, an articu lated back protector and reflective piping. For storage, there are five pockets. The waist is adjustable and the neoprene collar is a welcome com fort. An insulated "flight jacket" liner transforms the $199 Airglide (www.olympiamotosports.com) into three-season wear. This zip-out garment features a windand water-resistant rip-stop nylon shell, quilted insulation and tour storage pockets, and looks stylish enough for après-ride wear. Four color combos in men's sizes S-XXL.
REV-IT AIRFLOW
From the Netherlands, Rev-It's mesh jacket features a tighter weave than the others, though we didn't notice appreciably less ventilation. We liked the perforations in the back protector, allowing air a shot; also the still forearm material, some kind of non-vented suede-ish stuff-at higher speeds, the armored jacket arms did not buf fet. The nylon liner is wind/water-resis tant and worked as advertised, though as with all of these jackets you wouldn't want to brave an all-day toadstrangler, even in sum mer, without some dedicated raingear to shrug into. Our liner seemed a little mismatched, extending past the jacket bottom and above its collar, and we'd like to see more adjustment in the jacket's wrist closures. Otherwise, a well-made piece (www.revit.net) showing some style, available in blue, red, sil ver, yellow or gray, sizes S-XXL, for $230.
POWER TRIP SAN JOSE
The $1 30-Si 50 San Jose backs its polyamide-mesh outer shell with a zip-out insulated vest. The latter isn't as useful as a fully sleeved liner, but it's less bulky and came in very handy for the Sturgis Shivers. Tailored with cruiser riders in mind, the jacket's sleeves are lengthy and pre-curved. Highdensity armor in the shoulders, elbow/fore arms and back, though we removed the back pad for extra comfort and ventilation in slow-speed work. Aiding fitment in sizes S to a whop ping 5XL, the San Jose (www.power-trip.corn) comes with an adjustable waistband, and is sold in all-black, black/silver (like ours) and cream/black.
ROADGEAR AIRTEK
We liked the Airlek's generous fit, its malleable padding and its adjustability, the latter thanks to vel cro at the collar and two snap posi tions at the culls. It was com fortable, with no binding or chafing, and seemed wellmade. The liner went in and out easily, but was rather flimsy, little more than an internal wind breaker that didn't add much warmth on chilly Black Hills mornings. To its credit, it folds so thin that it can be stuffed in the jacket's built-in fanny pack, but bring a fleece for anything below 70 degrees. Mid-priced at $170, the Airlek (www.roadgear.com) can be had in silver/black or silver/red, in S, M or I women's sizes and men's 40-52.
TRIUMPH RAPTOR
Thumbnail sketch of the Raptor: Impressive hot-weather ventilation at a great price ($139). Good crash protection from hard-shell elbow and shoulder pads plus a foam back protector. With five pockets, reasonable cargo capacity. It looks good, feels comfy and has sleeves long enough even for orangutan arms.
The Raptor (www.triumphmotorcycles.com), in multiple colors, gave very lit tle to complain about; our only nitpick was with the sleeve closures. Rather than using velcro, each sleeve shuts with a single, large, rubber-covered snap. No adjustability. Meanwhile, the two adjustable cinch straps on each arm have four available snap positions, the smallest of which chokes the sleeve down so tightly that we doubt you could get the arm of a 5-year-old Ethiopian through the opening.
Bottom line-which holds true for all these mesh heat-beaters-comes from the Raptor's chief tester, Paul Dean: "I like it. It works. It's mine. Don't ask for it back."
