Best dual sport jacket without going broke.

Okay I've finally decided to break down and buy a real jacket. Up to this point all I have been using is my north face winter ski jacket when necessary. This isn't the most comfortable but it does work.

What I would like to know is what is the best and most reasonably priced jacket for all conditions and why.

Any photos?

My first aerostich Darien jacket lasted me 13 years in regular service and is now being used and totally functional as my enduro jacket and has done this for about 5 years now.

I've seen aerostich's go for around $200 used.

My Darien for me has been totally waterproof and has functioned very well from temps ranging from below freezing to around about 90 degrees.

While it's new purchase price is steep the jackets last a long time.
I would recomend buying whatever jacket you end up wanting to get used.
This will save you a lot of money.

Good call on the used option. Lots of gear whores here on ADV (myself included) who have several or more outfits sitting in their closets. Many of these appear to have been worn only a dozen times. A good washing at the laundromat will wash the cooties off of them and give you several years more use. Check the ADV Flea Market regularly.

IMO: if you're going new avoid the super fashionable stuff made of polyester or mesh under $150. They've been shown to have lousy durability, waterproofness, and abrasion protection. I also agree with the previous sentiment on longevity: spend a little more now on something that isn't super fashionable and wear it longer. It will hold up better.

Hit the closeout sections too, I picked up a Fly Patrol on clearance from Atomic a couple years ago, great jacket and very reasonable.

Used Kilimanjaro if cold weather, otherwise mesh jackets work just fine, decent hard pads and very breathable. depends on your riding temps. Keep an eye out in the flea market and you will find a good jacket here to meet your needs for under $200.

Great ideas on the partially used. I found a new 2010-11 first gear kilimanjaro which was awesome and on sale $229 but is was a Medium and seemed to fit perfect except at the bend in the arms where it seemed to pinch. They didn't have a Large in first gear to try.

They also had a Klim Traverse which was awesome in quality but a very different jacket from the Kilimanjaro no pads, not as many vents, or pockets. They wanted around $250 for this jacket?


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i do believe the klim is gore tex an the kilamajaro is just "waterproof"
i have a kilimajaro and it is ok, id rather have the traverse.
i was looking at the klim xcross pullover, thinking of going over to hinshaws in kent to try one on.
i like to layer my system so the jacket can be just a shell or layer it and be able to adjust with layers.
kilimanjaro was great on a cold morning but in the after noon was to bulky for my likings.

Atomic Moto has a discount code for Klim gear right now. I just used it to pick up my Traverse jacket and pants (and the armor, which is sold separately for the Traverse). I LOVE my Traverse stuff... WAY better than the Latitude line that I had this season (and sold to another inmate a few months ago). The code gave me a $61 buck discount... throw in the free shipping and Atomic Moto is a good deal for Klim gear right now.

Code: amxb52

And yes, Klim is full a Gore-Tex shell, while most others have a membrane. I believe Rukka is about the only other manufacturer that offers a full Gore-Tex shell, but Rukka is SPENDY! Awesome stuff, though.

??????????? Gore-Tex doesn't exist without the membrane.


http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satellite/content/what-is-gore-tex-membrane

I picked up an Olympia AST2 jacket last year and I really like it. I had been wearing a First Gear Kilimanjaro for the past few years, but it did not fit well. The Olympia seems to fit me really nicely. It is warm with the liner in, and repels water pretty well unless it is raining hard, then I throw on a frogtog to keep the jacket dry and me warmer. The liner also is useful without the jacket for wearing around the camp site in the evenings.

HTH

What I meant is that Klim uses the 3-layer Gore-Tex shell technology, where others have a removable Gore-Tex liner...which allows the outer shell to become saturated.

Different Klim systems use different Gore technology. The Badlands and ADV systems use 3-layer Pro. The Latitude and some others use 2-layer. Apparently the more "layers" the more breathable the membrane is supposed to be.

That said, when it's really hot (above 85F / humid) GoreTex does not really breathe. It can't ventilate humidity fast enough. You NEED vents and air velocity to make that happen. You need to sweat and that sweat needs to evaporate fast to keep you cool.

Also, when it's raining GoreTex only works when the outer layer is able to shed water. GoreTex is not the outer later of the garment. It's a liner - just like PVC or polyurethane in the cheaper jackets. If the outer layer (Cordura mesh) is able to shed the rain and allow water VAPOR to evaporate through the liner then it can breathe. But if the outer layer becomes saturated with water and soaked through then the GoreTex liner is no better than a plastic trash bag. Water vapor from sweat will condense on the inside of the GoreTex liner, not breathe through, and will drip down the inside of the liner making you feel wet and cold. This take some time, but it will eventually happen on a long day in the rain. The outer layer MUST be able to shed water to allow the "Gore" layer underneath the breathe. This is the purpose of the durable water repellant treatments of the outer layer.

Hope this helps.

This has been a great jacket for me. I use it for the daily commute & touring.
3 years & ~15k miles on it & it has held up very well. Some fading but still Hi-Vis.
Waterproof and excellent ventilation.
Works well in cold weather with a warm layer underneath.
Works well in hot weather w/ a wet shirt underneath.
I've learned to make sure the velcro flaps on the lower cargo pockets are secure when it's raining.
If they aren't the pockets fill w/ water.


http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...et---2011.aspx

Check the clearance racks. My Dad and I found a sweet Joe Rocket jacket at a rummage sale a few years ago for $25 bucks.

Probably have to get a model from the year before at a discounted rate. I have a Tourmaster Transition 2 jacket that's really nice. They are a bit cheaper on fleabay, but make sure it fits in the store first.

http://www.klim.com/en-us/technology/snow/gore-tex


GORE-TEX®

GORE-TEX® fabrics are created by laminating GORE-TEX® membrane to highly durable and breathable textiles. GORE-approved manufacturing processes utilize innovative solutions for ensuring every seam, joint and fold in a garment are 100% waterproof when a garment is sold. Inferior methods of breathable waterproof construction can’t compete.

Membrane
The GORE-TEX® membrane is the heart of all KLIM Waterproof products. GORE-TEX® contains over 9 BILLION microscopic pores per square inch. These pores are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet and 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule. The result: GORE-TEX® is completely waterproof from the outside, while being highly breathable from the inside. Other materials claim the same performance but only GORE-TEX® incorporates systematic processing of their membrane to guarantee durable waterproofness and breathability.


Laminates
A GORE-TEX® laminate is simply GORE-TEX® membrane bonded between high-performance fabrics. These fabrics enhance the breathability and durability of the overall garment. While all GORE-TEX® fabrics are waterproof, windproof and breathable, there are many different options of laminate layers and combinations to use. By engineering specific laminates into KLIM gear, we give you maximum options. You can easily choose what’s most important for your ride: abrasion resistance, comfort, texture, light-weight and so on.

Okay, I purchased a triumph adventure jacket. It seemed nice and at only $191 it seemed a fairly good price.

I wear a 40r suit, but a 44 seemed a good fit with this jacket. The only concern I had is that the sleeves seemed a little long, they ended around my first knuckle of my thumb.

I have compared many jacket for dual sport use. For the money I think a Darien is close to the best. It is constructed of Cordura which is abrasion resistant and has thick and contoured to your body armor pad. Back pad is extra. With a little help from Scotch guard it has been waterproof for me. Some do have some leaking issues. It come with zippered vents for warm weather use making it a multiseason jacket, good up to 80 - 100 degrees depending upon the users personal heat resistance.
Some of the disadvantages include, can leak, the front flap is too small and will leak a lot of cold air in the winter, The material is stiff and the entire coat can be heavy.
The Klim lattitude may be a similar jacket for equivelent dollars, I haven't tried one. The Badlands Pro is probably a superior jacket, but more expensive, GoreTex, water and wind proof and a multicrash jacket with improved vents, zippers, abration resistance and probablly better quality armour.

IMO Teiz has the best prices for gear with upper end protective and functional features. Your going to have to sacrifice some protection with cheaper polyester gear. They are also offering discounts if you are willing to wait longer for your order.

http://store.teizms.com/navigator-jacket

Too many choices & I have no dog in the fight, my old Gerike still works. What I will suggest, is that once you pick one, you check in with motorcyclegear.com They often buy the entire stock of a given brands remainders & resell them at big discounts. Good folks to work with as well.

With the end of the year coming up, look for previous year models at a discount. I got a very nice Dianese jacket last October that had a huge discount. Cost half the price of the BMW Rallye jacket, and has almost every function, and looks better IMO.