RevZilla Gear Discussion / Q&A

Hi Anthony,

I am looking for some new riding gear for my wife. Rev’It looks like a high quality option. We live in the Southeast, so the majority of her riding is in mild to hot temperatures. But we do enjoy occasional touring (she rides her own bike) through the mountains. For this reason we are considering the Ventura jacket and pants. She commutes to her office, so one key requirement is that she be able to wear slacks or jeans under the pants. I have a few questions:

1. Do the ventura (or any Rev’It) pants allow for pants underneath? Even if they are sized a bit large, I’m concerned about not having a full length zipper. Do other people wear them as overpants? Can you recommend something else if these pants aren’t suitable?

2. If a different Rev’It pant is a better choice, will it zip to the Ventura jacket?

3. If overpants from another manufacturer turn out to be a better choice, is there a way to determine if it’s zipper will work with the Ventura jacket? I guess what I’m asking is are the zippers on the Rev’It gear standardized in some way such that it’s possible to tell if other gear will work with it?

4. I’d like your recommendations for sizing for both jacket and pants. Here are my wife’s measurements:
a. Chest – 34.5”
b. Waist – 28”
c. Hips – 38”
d. Inseam – 28.5” to ankle, 32 to floor
e. Outseam – 39.5” to ankle, 42 to floor.

I gave the measurements to the floor because she is concerned with the pants being long enough. Her current riding pants ride high up her ankle while seated on the bike. Also, I've read that this stuff runs a bit small. Please consider that she'll be wearing pants underneath almost always.

Thanks for your help!

Thanks for the advice Anthony, i appreciate it. Pity about the not shipping to Aus, Rev'It has almost no representation down here :huh

Hi CJ,

Anthony asked me to chime in on this since I can give a woman's perspective on the fit and comfort of the REV'IT! gear!

I decided the easiest way to figure out how comfortable the Ventura pants vs. Tornado pants with jeans on underneath was just to try them on. I'm fairly similar in size to your wife, though I'm a few inches taller and about 2 inches longer in the leg. I felt like both the long in the Ventura and the standard in the Tornado were long enough for me, wearing jeans underneath, and sitting on a 1200 gs. Given, I was wearing really snug fitting jeans, but it was still comfortable on the bike, and still pretty fitted.
The Ventura pants are not designed as overpants, so the Tornado pants are in theory a better overpant option. The big difference I would say between the two is that the Tornado would be easier to get in and out of (though I had no problem with the Ventura at all) and are better for hot weather. For when it's raining, however, I felt like the Ventura was a bit better, simply because you can wear the waterproof liner without the thermal liner, and still fit jeans underneath. The Tornado pants with the combination thermal/waterproof liner in one are a bit more snug to wear with jeans in waterproof form, but if she's really riding in the warm weather more often, the ventilation benefits of the Tornado might be the way to go.

As far as differences in protection go, really, the biggest difference between the two is the ProLife armor in the knees in the Ventura pants vs the Knox armor in the Tornado pants. The Knox is still CE approved, so she'd still get a good level of protection.

The Tornado has a short zipper only in the back, which will zip to the Ventura jacket no problem. The Ventura pant has the full zip to attach to the jacket, giving it a bit of an advantage in that respect.

I would venture a guess that she might be the happiest mixing and matching, and going for a Ventura jacket and Tornado pants, if staying cool and wearing pants underneath are her two biggest concerns.

As far as sizing goes, I would recommend the size 36 Ventura jacket and size 36 Tornado pant. That would fit her about the same as those fit me in the video seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbp1K307NTA
If she prefers a looser fit, then perhaps a 38 would make her happier, but it sounds to me like she would like everything to be nice and fitted. I wear a 38, and I measure about 2" larger than her in pretty much every measurement you gave us, so I think the 36 would be the best bet.

If she has any other questions, I'd be happy to talk to her, and discuss any more details about either of those. She can call me here at 877-792-9455 or email me through cs@revzilla.com.

Happy riding!

Kat (RevZilla store manager)

Anthony, the crotch seam of my Turbine pants has split and frayed. I plan on taking the pants to my local tailor for repair. Can you recommend a specific thread or repair to keep this from happening again. I suspect the seam failed from throwing my right leg over my panniers. I bought the pants a couple of years ago. I am 6'1" and weigh 190.

Hey GS,

The best move for you is to repair with the following thread.

http://www.guetermann.com/Startpage/Guetermann/

This is one of the best, if not the best readily available threads out there. Any fabric store worth their salt should have it problem

Hope this helps! Ride on!

Anthony

Hi Anthony,

I have sent you a PM.

Has anyone ever made any alterations to Rev'It pants to make the kneepads higher?

I have a pair of Defender GTX pants (size L-Short), and the kneepads basically start just below my knee. They're more like shinpads. Is this fixable? (I originally tried the M-Short, and while they fit better overall, they were too snug with the winter liners in.)

Hi Chrome,

Wow that stinks. We don't have any firsthand knowledge of folks altering the knee armor positioning other than the standard adjustment. If you have a reputable tailor, I would run it by them to see what their thoughts are on modifying the pocket. I would just make sure they use beefy materials and threads.

Thanks,

Anthony

Hey Adver's

If any of you are headed to the BMW MOA Rally in PA this July, we will be there. Come see us. We are also giving away a ton of crap.

We are giving away $100 every hour for the entire rally. IF you are attending the rally and want to enter early (increasing your odds) visit our 2011 BMW MOA Rally Section. You can also enter by stopping by our booth at the rally.

<a href="http://www.revzilla.com/bmwrally11?utm_source=advrider&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=boochzilla&utm_content=rzqa&utm_term=690">
<img src="http://assets0.revzilla.com/segment_homepage_callout/image/322/rectangle/20110623-BMW-MOA-520.jpg"></a>

We are also giving away a grand prize of a Dream ADV Suit as well as sponsoring the Rally Gift Bag a Registration.

I hope to see a bunch of you there.

Anthony

Hey guys,

First of all thanks for the outstanding service. Now for a question regarding a warm mid layer.

I am heading to Iceland in a couple of weeks for a moto trip and need to pick up a warm midlayer to wear under my RP2 jacket. Would like something not too bulky, definitely windproof and wearable of the bike for dual duty. I really like the aesthetics of Ranger jacket, but am afraid it it will be a little bulky as from the pics/video it looks like it is cut a little big, true? Are there any advantages of the Ranger of the Digital other than the Gore branding? I like the Upsilon, honestly the only thing I don't like is the big bright logo int the back, I noticed the Ranger is subdued. Not necessarily a show stopper but don't like walking around like a billboard. WIll you guys get any more Omega in and how does that stack up against the Ranger?

Thanks again for the great shop and outstanding service, keep up the good work.

Steve

I currently have the revit defender gtx jacket and want to get pants. I am wanting to go the the sand pants for the price. I am 6'1" tall and wear size 32 jeans. I usually perfer wearing pants in 33" length. My question is should I go with the tall or standard for the length. I can't try on so need to know so I can purchase on the internet. Is the tall going to be too long or is the short going to be too short when seated on the bike?

IMO i'd say go long - as I wear a 32" length pant and i'm 5'10" and the regular length is perfect. With the Sidi crossfires they ride up a little more than i'd like but that's due to the boot and the knee armour.

One added question. Black or white pants. I was thinking white. My jacket is the white with tan and black accents.

Hey guys,
the time has come to clean my REV'IT Defender gear. between bugs and a recent dirt nap, it's a bit gunked up.

At this point, I only need to clean the outer shell. I see the instructions on your site here. Is this for all components, including the Gore-tex and Exskin liners?

So NIKWAX Tech Wash in the tub used for soaking/washing.

Which NIKWAX product is used for the second step below? Is it the NIKWAX TX.DIRECT Spray-on?

The garment should then be hanged to dry and re-proofed with Nikwax for DWR (Durable Water Repellency) purposes.
​

Black if you do off-road riding and don't want mud-colored pants. White if you ride in the sun/heat a lot and don't want the heat absorption of black gear. I have the white (actually a sort of tan color) sand pants and after several offs in dirt/mud, it's never gonna be white again. But I don't care, so it doesn't bother me.

Anthony,

I am looking for a warm weather adventure touring boot...20% off road/80% tarmac. I like having a lug sole for the occassional loose gravel when stepping off my GS on tarmac. TCX seems to make a nice vented boot, but the bottom seems to be lacking in tread for the occasional off road adventure. Any ideas?

Thanks.

I have to agree with Dachary as the Black Pant is the better option if you have any thought of going off road. The Lighter color looks great when paired with some of the REV'IT jackets but tends to get dirty very quickly with road grime and bugs - Patrick

Hey Steve,

The first option that comes to mind would be the REV'IT Aztec WSP Shirt as it offers Gore-Tex Windstopper Protection in a low profile pull-over. If you prefer a full-zip option with a slimmer fit, the REV'IT Samurai WSP Jacket would be an alternate option with similar features. Both the Ranger and Digital Jackets will offer a more relaxed fit and may be too bulky under your current jacket. Unfortunately the Omega Base Layer has been discontinued. Let us know if you have any other questions and enjoy your upcoming adventure! Sounds incredible - Patrick

Hey Smurf,

At first glance, the best fit would be a size Medium Tall but please check your waist measurement as REV'IT uses a true waist measurement using the belly button as a center line. I would not be concerned with the length in the Tall as in the seated the position the hem will tend to come a bit. Please take a look at the size chart to confirm your waist measurement. - Patrick

For REV'IT textile cleaning, it should be shell only with all liners and armor removed (Elbow, Shoulder, Back). The Gore-Tex Liner should not be washed with any detergents or cleaners and only wiped with damp cloth, water only. The Exkin liner can be hand washed, cold water, with a light detergent and hung dry separately. For NikWax treatment, we have found the Direct Spray-On to be the best as application is a breeze. Let us know if you have any other questions. - Patrick