A riding suit if money was no object..

Hey Guys,

Ride a R1200GS in a variety of terrain and climates throughout europe. Need a all-in-one top of the line set up in terms of jacket and pants, no extra waterproof layers/liners to add please, that waterproofing needs to be built into the outside of the jacket.

I'm about to pop a deposit down with atomic moto for the new Klim Adventure Rally 2 J+P combo and just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing any options out there that are highly regarded by inmates before I place an order.

I basically want the safest setup I can find, and Klim seems to be well regarded here and as it stands I'm inclined to believe their materials and build quality are about as high-end as I can go. I am hoping the AR2 uses their latest technology to great effect but i'll be taking a punt on that as it ships in March.

Let me know if there is anything else I should be considering please.

Look at Rukka, also. Aerostich makes a very good suit, too. Anything with a Gore-tex Pro Shell should perform excellently. I believe Dianese has at least one jacket that should fit your needs, but honestly I don't know anything about it.

I have a Klim Badlands (a step down from the Adventure) and I'm very, very happy with it. I think you will be equally happy with the Klim Adventure.

You're on the right track.

Does BMW still offer the suit made from the foreskin of a Sperm Whale? The one sewn together with hummingbird tongues.

Nah, they've gone all high tech and are offering waxed cotton now.

I wish, I think they discontinued it back in '09. Something about Green Peace complaining that removal of the foreskin caused premature ejaculation or something like that

Seriously, OP, have a look at the Rukka Armas line if you don't care about being a little warm in temps above 80. Stadler also makes great suits with decent venting that can be used all year.

I own both the Rukka Armas and the Stadler Airgate Pro jackets. Both are 100% waterproof but the Stadler has removable chest vent panels that makes is perfect for hot weather.

call nasa

I love my Klim gear and they stand behind their product, my vote is with them.

starting to think it's not possible for a suit with waterproof outside layers to be comfortable under extremely hot conditions.

that takes a mesh suit like Motoport mech kevlar. my favorite combo is Aerostich one piece Roadcrafter for nasty wet/cold conditions with heated suit and temps up to about 75-80f. some claim to ride one piece RC up to 95F if you keep moving... that's too hot for me.

so two suits to cover all conditions ...

The Halvarsson's Safety suit is not a bad choice - I ride the same "terrain" you do, and it works very well. You have a safety suit underneath changeable shells depending on conditions - mesh for hot, totally waterproof for rain. Don't know if that disqualifies it for you, I find it a very smart concept. I've tested both conditions thoroughly (a full day's downpour at about 10 degrees in Sweden, a day and a half later through Bavaria at +30) with very good results.

I also crashed last summer with it and I will be hard pressed to ever buy anything else, because I had a very good experience. Protectors took all the impact, and the safety suit was barely bruised. Had to change the shells though, but they're sacrificial anyway. There's a long thread about the suit here, towards the end is my experience with it from the crash: http://advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=19013843&postcount=517.

Thats actually an interesting mention. This past summer during some extreme temps, I happened to have a discussion with another rider who turned out to be a rider himself. Granted, at the time he was wearing a pair of shorts as he was local to the location we were in, but he was asking about my Roadcrafter Light I was wearing. Anyway, he mentioned how he had recently read a paper by another doctor about cooling and it related to riding. The point is during slow speed riding mesh is nice because it allows some airflow. However, during higher speed long distance riding mesh was actually bad as the additional airflow evaporated your bodies sweat in turn making it harder for your body to stay cool and of course leading to dehydration that much faster as your body would try to sweat more.

At the time, I just purchased the Roadcrafter and was actually on my way home from Duluth where it was purchased. I purchased the suit for colder weather / wet weather riding only and planned to stick with my mesh gear for hot weather. After this discussion though I wore the Roadcrafter on some hot long distance riding and I did feel better while riding. Sure I was hot when going slow in traffic or towns, but on the open road I felt better especially after a long day so there must be some merit.

To the OP, I love my Roadcrafter light. Much lighter wearing and more comfortable than a standard Roadcrafter. Super waterproof, and not near as hot as a standard one either. Also with some layering has been great in temps down to around 20 degrees.

I'd look at this http://www.hideout-leather.co.uk/mo...extile-and-waterproof-jackets?product_id=1316

It is the only Kevlar-lined textile jacket that i know about.

If money was no object, then either Rukka or Stadler (they make Touratech's suit).

I am in the same situation as the OP and decided to try out the KLIM AR2. I really wanted the Rukka Armas but the lack of venting killed it for me which made me sad as I really love the look of it. If I had the money for 2 high end suits I would probably have the Armas and the Airway. I also looked hard at the Stadler offerings, especially the Companero, which I really liked but I didn't want to have to carry around the outer shell as well. The biggest thing with the Stadler gear (other than the price) is the looks for me, I don't dislike it but it isn't my favorite either.

The AR2 ticks a lot of boxes for me: redesigned venting, beefier armor, more tailored fit, all Armacor (minus the superfabric and stretch goretex areas in a few areas), Deflexion armor in chest and top of thighs, love the look of the gray suit, and the addition of cinching straps on the arms and waist area are appreciated. I was able to sneak into the end of the Atomic-Moto preorder at the start of the new year so the price ended up being a couple hundred less than the Companero suit and a little less than the Armas.

Hopefully I will love it, with only having one suit there are always compromises but I think the new AR2 fits my needs best.

have to agree when riding in extreme temps like say 105-110f+. which happened several times this last summer in Oklahoma. over evaporation happens with mesh gear at extreme temps.

then one piece Aerostich Roadcrafter single layer without insulation works better. but it's very uncomfortable when stopped. under stop and go HOT conditions Motoport Mesh Kevlar is better. just keep dumping water on your self. same as riding a bicycle under those conditions.

Motoport Mesh Kevlar is way more comfortable from 75f to 100f range for me. which is where most of my summer riding occurs.

note above comments are without an evaporative cooling vest. which I need to get... but have not due to getting by just fine without with Mesh Kevlar and drenching shirt with water as needed.

one thing is for sure ... heavy multi-layer goretex suits like two piece Aerostich Roadcrafter are miserable for hot weather riding around here... hot/humid conditions are common.

your mileage may veri...

he did say money was no object

Motoport kevlar mesh with quad armor. If it saves you 1 day in the hospital, you pretty much break even on the price.

I think you are making a mistake not at least considering the Rallye 3. It doesn't comply with your requirements that it have no waterproof liners, but the idea of liners is to maintain the waterproof nature of the suit despite a fall, and the liners enable you to layer (or not) depending on the temps.

BMW gear is expensive, but I think you get a lot of value for your money. Its not the most expensive, but I don't see how the more expensive stuff is really any better.

It also stands to reason that their gear be high quality and high value, as BMW has the money for R+D, and the volume to better control price.

FWIW

Klim Adventure Rally 2013 or Stalder Evo, depending on what environment you ride in and how high you value waterproofness built in one single suit or two.

Hey all, enjoying the discussion unfolding here, interesting to read about the gear that different folk perceive as the best out there at the moment.

If I had unlimited bank, which I do not, I would wait for the KLIM Adventure Air or just buy the Touratech Campanero right now. I know you dont want layers, but as others have stated, true 1 piece Goretex suits are HOT above 85-90F. I have worn BMW gear - hated the liners... Aerostich Darien - still wear it as an oversuit in the winter.... Revit - hated the liners and the quality was not equal to the price point.... and now wear 2nd Gen KLIM Adv jacket with Badlands pants. I just think the latest group of breathable mesh suits are the way to go..with an integrated outer Goretex jacket... that way you stop, put on the outer layer.. and at the end of the day you have a thin layer that needs to dry out rather than the whole jacket like you would with an inner layered jacket. Plus you have expanded your ability to ride to a true fours seasons.