While I don't spend a lot of time here at ADV { I help manage another bike forum} I do value the vast experience available here. You guys { and gals} pound out the most miles of any riders. That brings with it an experience that's hard to come by. I ride a lot of miles myself, around 15k a year on my KLR and I know who makes good gear and who's to stay away from, what I need advice on , is what American companies are actually "American made" { no offense to our European brothers and sisters} I know Aerostitch and Klim are, but are there any others that are. My reasoning is this, I'm in the market for new pants, while I'd like to say money isn't an issue, it is to an extent. The Dariens are in my price range, I wished Klim was but it isn't. I also want to purchase "American made" Are there any other, lesser known brands of quality that are. Thanks, Gunny
Aerostitch or MotoPort. And be done. I have a full one piece Aerostitch suit and it is awesome. They also make separates (Darien), as you know, and fully back their product. They are made in the U.S.A., are super to deal with, and make a great product. I have also had my hands on the KLIM GoreTex stuff and it is super also. I did not think it was made in the USA though.
I just purchased the Klim Badlands jacket and Klim Traverse pants... both were not made in the USA. Klim is an American company, now owned by Polaris, I believe, but they outsource their manufacturing. I just bought a Gerbing's heated jacket liner and it says "Made in USA" on the tag.
Well I appreciate the input, I'll be getting either the dArien pants or one of motoports, prices are about the same as well as quality.
Not to hi-jack your thread... Gerbings gear is now made in Stoneville NC. Their stuff was made overseas, somewhere up until about a year ago. Rumor mill has it that Cabelas did some hunting heated gear contract with Gerbings but the crux was the they (gerbings) had to produce US made stuff. Thus the in-source in the past year. I think they got a new CEO/President too. Tom Nolan. Hes an upstanding bloke. I had some dealing with Gerbings in the past month and Mr. Nolan snapped the whip to get things straightened out ASAP. Now back to your normally scheduled programming.
Gunny are you an active duty or retired Marine? If so I can tell you how to get 30% off all KLIM.. in fact there is a thread around here somewhere.. search for promotive.com I have Darien pants.. and they are fine piece of gear.. but the KLIM stuff is just far superior.
Howdy, Gunny. Glad to see some still look for the label. I do believe not all Aerostitch is made in the US. I think some is made in Mexico. Might want to be sure. Vanson is another American company. I have heard they also recently began making some stuff outside the US, but don't know. Their Odyssey pants are Cordura and very nice.
Called aerostitch yesterday and the roadcrafter an Darien are still U.S. made. I'm either going with the Darien or motoports I think.
Go with Andy's gear. doesn't breathe for shit but water and windproof all day long, mine (Darien) just never leaks 100,000+ miles, easiest on/off with your boots on. Hot weather 100 plus, Klim Moab pant
Aero stitch isn't the most comfortable choice , but they are durable, and service is good almost all the time . I have a two piece road rafter with 50,000+ miles .
Gunny....discounts or not..........LOOK at Motoport(I'm a satisified customer....not a rep.).The fit and finish are fantastic.Humid weather,focus on the Mesh kevlar gear....dry heat,focus on the stretch kevlar gear....their kevlar gloves are great also!.
I guess I missed the US made piece in the OP I too try to buy everything I possibly can US made.. check labels on ever piece of clothing I buy to see if it US made and if it isnt then I try hard to find a US made alternative before I cave in. I drive a US made truck and even bought the only American made SxS 20 gauge on the market. But sometimes there is just not a good alternative. If you are going to put in a ton of miles on asphalt, absolutely go with Aerostich.. it is time proven and crash proof. I personally tested this in my Darien gear just a couple of years ago... but it quickly runs out of functionality when you need it to breath past a minimal level, or if you want the option of wearing it over enduro gear. Motoport is great too from all accounts, but I wont buy a piece of gear you need to put a waterproof liner in.. just out of date. I still wear my Aerostich if I want high vis for a 100% on road ride.. but if I am going to ride in the dirt.. then the KLIM gear just outperforms the Darien in every aspect. IMHO YMMV
+1 on the Aerostich stuff. I have a Darian jacket I use just about every day and a 2 piece Roadcrafter I use for long trips. One of the best products I have ever purchased, once you get over the price that is! And 100% water and wind proof.
I've got a good mesh jacket, an Olympia Moab, I'd consider replacing it but I just got it last spring. The pants I have are cheap ones that leak and really offer little protection. I'm not all that concerned with how "hot" the pants will be when it's 90+ out so long as the upper body gets a good breeze. What really amazes me with all these manufacturers is that very few of them make any gear in a color other than black ....... apparently some of the people that make this stuff have never been on a bike in 90+ weather. I haven't looked to close at the motoport stuff yet but the darien at least comes in a lighter color gray. You would not believe how many web sites for gear I've looked at in the last couple weeks, there are literally hundreds of gear makers out there at both ends of the quality spectrum. The European gear is as every bit as good as the aerostitch stuff but due to exchange rate is expensive stuff. Which ever I choose, it isn't going to be black gear. Lighter colors are more bearable in the heat. Around here, in western NY it doesn't get really hot though it can get humid. I wished the aerostitch had an option for putting in a mesh lining, that would be a great help in the heat by letting air circulate more freely rather than the material just laying on the skin. I suppose I could wear a set of tights under it :eek1 I'm not a cheap sob but I do like bang for the buck. I strongly believe in attgat, saved my hide back in '07 when I smacked a deer at 70 mph returning from Moab. :eek1 I've got a couple finalists picked out, I just need to read up more and see what fits the bill, maybe see who would give a discount to a combat disabled vet. In the end, I really appreciate everyones input and suggestions, makes things a lot easier to choose the right gear.
Look into LD Comfort. I wear their long sleeve shirt and long pants under my goretex Klim pants all year round. They make riding in 110 plus temps tolerable. Ldcomfort.com
IMHO, Gunny, Aerostitch makes great stuff, but comparing the 'Stitch's crash protection to motoport, the 'Stitch finishes second. The big knock on motoport is that it is ugly. As a retired Chief, I know you care a lot of how pretty you look! Seriously, take a hard look at motoport's air mesh kevlar, which I think is great for humid weather. Motoport's stretch kevlar is a fantastic material, as well, and it is easier to wear than the mesh. The mesh is tough, and it feels a little like chain mail, but it vents better than anything on the market because the whole outfit is mesh. The stretch is a little softer, and it really is stretchy. By the way, motoport makes a sport glove from the stretch material, too. I highly recommend buying a pair, and then never worrying about buying another pair of gloves. They don't wear out, water doesn't bother them. I know Wayne (motoport's owner) has taken some knocks on the customer service front from a handful of fellers on here. I have had several dealings with him now, and I am a very happy customer. If you have any questions, shoot me a pm. I'll send you my phone number; I'd be happy to tell you over the phone why I am so satisfied with motoport.
My 20 yr old 2-pc Roadcrafter still wears well and performs flawlessly, but some of the more modern stuff sure is attractive when I think of replacements. I haven't shopped in a long while for any kind of gear. Is there an American company that produces top of the line riding boots? I didn't see anyone mention boots, but I wear Aerostich CBT's. They are made by Sidi (Italian) specifically for Andy and company and wear well. Best of luck in the search, and Semper Fi, Gunny. basketcase, aka, Rick in AL USMC 1972-76
actually, motoport, as fugly as it is was in my top two, my only issue is I really don't want to have to stop to put in a rain liner or rain pants so the 'stitch is what I'm getting. I was on revzillas web site and they have a nice pair of, I guess you could call them pants, not sure, anyways they are designed for wearing under gear and have built in air channels and are made from a wicking material so I figure I'll just wear shorts and those under the dariens., might look funny stepping out of the dariens but, like I tell the hardley riders, I'd rather sweat than bleed any day and new pants are cheaper than skin grafts.
