Anyone tried BMW tourshell vs comfortshell?

seabiker · May 29, 2012

I got the comfortshell jacket a few years ago and couldn't afford the pants at the time. Decided to try and get them this year and found they are discontinued for the tourshell. I'm unable to find any comfortshells in my size and so am thinking about this instead. It looks like C-Change has been discontinued and I liked the Comfortshells multiweather/temperature capability. Anybody tried both and able to provide a comparison of them? I've read the reviews but they don't mention how the tourshell performs in comparison to the CS.

thanks

Sailorlite · May 29, 2012

I'm a big fan of the ComfortShell jacket and pants. I was surprised to learn that BMW has discontinued this line, but I just looked on eBay and see what appears to be a pretty comprehensive selection of both pants and jackets. Perhaps your size is available after all.

AceRider01 · May 29, 2012

Not sure if this is in fact the cae, but apparently comfortshell built C change liner is prone to fuel/oil/solvent damage and can delaminate. Someone must decided despite its obvious shortcoming the good old layering system is still most versatile.

swimmer · May 29, 2012

IMO opinion the comfortshell pants are not as useful as the jacket. I found the pants quite hot when the sun was hitting them. They need vents.

HalB · May 29, 2012

I came across the tourshell to-day at the shop and was impressed. The first jacket I've tried on for a while that fits. Everything looked right. Level 2 sturdy armour, c change shell. the armour was sitting in the right places. I was told it is the middle ground between the comfort shell and the streetguard. It is relatively cheap (by bmw standards) almost half the price of the streetguard 3 jacket and still less than the comfort shell (no sales here). It has heavier duty armour than the comfort shell, but the tougher shell of the streetguard. All the little velcros at the sleeves and neck fit just right. Lots of vents as well. The liner makes its own cozy little jacket and is thin enough that the jacket fits much the same with the liner out. The colours are only black and dull grey, not exciting. But the fit and feel and look is nice. If it is as water proof as is claimed it is a winner. There was only one left in my size and unless someone quickly talks me out of it, I'll probably pick it up.

AceRider01 · May 29, 2012

HalB said: ↑

..... c change shell. the armour was sitting in the right places. I was told it is the middle ground between the comfort shell and the streetguard....... It has heavier duty armour than the comfort shell, but the tougher shell of the streetguard. .....
Click to expand...

So are you saying the outer material still got the C-change membrane laminated to it? What do you mean it has got tougher amour to Comfortshell - do u mean the fabric or the protectors themselves?

Dominatio · May 30, 2012

I just got the Tourshell jacket last week.

With the liner in its very comfy and with it out and the vents open I was getting a little cool at 16C on a test ride! So the cooling aspects work for sure - not yet tried its rain capabilities. I did not have the Comfort Shell - and it was discontinued when I tried to get hold of one.

This jacket feels really rugged - compared to my last Hien Gerike Voyager (which is still waterproof at 11 years old), but it also feels significantly heavier. Most of that is the armour I'm sure - and the Tour has a HUGE back protector in it.

I only just started to ride with a back protector last year when I used mesh gear for the first time, and I have a very lightweight and vented protector in there.

The Tour protector is so large it actually catches the back of my helmet when on the bike and because of its weight and non vented style I'm tempted to take it out!

Problem is the protector pocket in the jacket would not hold a smaller protector in the correct place!

So great jacket - not convinced about the armour though.

AceRider01 · May 30, 2012

Dominatio said: ↑

..........

The Tour protector is so large it actually catches the back of my helmet when on the bike and because of its weight and non vented style I'm tempted to take it out!

Problem is the protector pocket in the jacket would not hold a smaller protector in the correct place!

So great jacket - not convinced about the armour though.
Click to expand...

my BMW Atlantis4 had the same issue - to solve it, i took out the back-protector, angle-cut or thin the top of protector a bit (and i also shorten it a bit) where it meets the neck so it conforms better to the back - problem solved!

Sailorlite · May 30, 2012

I've had very good luck trimming the orange armor with just a good pair of scissors.

seabiker · May 30, 2012

Thanks for all the replies. I already have the comfortshell jacket and love it. It's light and works really for the pacific northwet where I live. I really kick myself for not getting the pants but didn't realize they would be discontinued. I'm normally a size US 32x32 who has a gotten slightly fat and a US 42 is available on ebay that may work out so I'm going to give it a shot. The Tourshell does not have C-Change and I don't know why BMW discontinued. I haven't had any issues with mine yet....

swimmer · May 30, 2012

seabiker said: ↑

I don't know why BMW discontinued. I haven't had any issues with mine yet....
Click to expand...

 My first CS jacket leaked as did my CS pants. I wasnt crazy about the pants but the fact that the jacket leaked really bummed me out since I hadnt read about anyones CS stuff leaking and loved that jacket. I bought another pant jacket combo in the hopes of finding a substitute for a year round outfit. A bought a Held jacket that is only available in Europe but the advertising was a little misleading and it does not vent as suggested. Still a good jacket that I can wear for about half the year. I dont like mesh jackets as I feel vented ones with more limited air flow but with plenty of breathability work better in the desert heat. I dont pretend to know which gear works best in humid areas. Once the CS stuff started appearing on ebay at reduced prices I bargained with one vendor I picked up another CS jacket (this time in red) for a decent price and will take my chances on whether or not it leaks. At least this one I bought new and have a bit of a warranty. To replace the pants I am now wearing Revit everest GTX pants. I find these pants be cooler than the CS pants (the tops of my legs would bake in those pants) and cooler than my motoport Kevlar mesh pants sometimes its better to keep the heat out rather than trying to let any cooler air in, sometimes there isnt cooler air. The Revit pants have a vent and have the heat reflecting material. These pants also come with a liner so for me, these are year round pants. I got a little bit of a price break on the pants but they are still expensive. Still one pair of pants that do it all, for me and, they have the gore-tex guarantee. The build of these pants is similar to BMW stuff and while its not Euro made these pants are not made in china.

For reference the hottest Ive ridden in the Revit pants this year is 102F. For the CS jacket I used it all last summer so temp max near 110F. Once you start to get up in that temp range the negatives of pure mesh gear really start to show IMO and my red jacket does seem a bit cooler than the black one I had.

HalB · May 30, 2012

AceRider01 said: ↑

So are you saying the outer material still got the C-change membrane laminated to it? What do you mean it has got tougher amour to Comfortshell - do u mean the fabric or the protectors themselves?
Click to expand...

ooopss. So Sorry, I misread a review. the Tourshell does NOT have c change membrane. It has BMWs C.A.R.E. climate membrane. This is the same membrane as the Rallye 3 jacket.
"Windproof, waterproof and breathable, thanks to removable thermal insert with C.A.R.E. Climate membrane"

the outer fabric feels and looks tougher than the comfort shell. The armour feels a bit heavier and covers a bit more area. That's the impression looking at them side by side.

the details:
http://showroom.bmw-motorrad.com/Ja...ypY5;sid=eoneg2Vfqt1dgCqYcWz42Vf_u9i1_azMTBQ=

Dominatio · May 31, 2012

HalB said: ↑

"Windproof, waterproof and breathable, thanks to removable thermal insert with C.A.R.E. Climate membrane"
Click to expand...

That's misleading too in the advert. It's the shell that has the CARE membrane not the liner. The liner is simply a thermal.

swimmer · May 31, 2012

HalB said: ↑

ooopss. So Sorry, I misread a review. the Tourshell does NOT have c change membrane. It has BMWs C.A.R.E. climate membrane
Click to expand...

I think if the jacket has good venting from the zippers the c-change is not so important.

lucas123 · May 31, 2012

The Tourshell has the same NP armor as the Comfortshell.

No changes there.

cliffy109 · May 31, 2012

I've been drooling over the Tourshell for a few weeks now. I love everything about it except for one little thing... the colors. The choices are black (and not the Cool Black that reflects heat) or pavement color. Really? No red or blue? How about gray with dayglo green? How about anything except super-hot or urban camo?

Keppelj · Nov 1, 2012

Seabiker, you might ask a dealer whether the Tourshell pants zip to the Comfortshell jacket. Ride West? I would hesitate to buy onlne though. I found that the fit for Comfort shell jacket and pants took some swapping around. I bought both finally and am very happy with them. The Tourshell is slightly heavier fabric apparently.

ninepeaks9 · Dec 10, 2012

I bought the Tourshell jacket in Seattle in July and rode across US to my home in DC. Sales guy explained that the special fabric is temperature sensitive and would allow venting in hot weather and close up the pores in the cold and rain. Temps in Montana and South Dakota were in 95 - 105 degree range when I rode through and jacket did pretty well providing adequate ventilation to keep me cool. I was impressed. Fast forward, I rode to Knoxville TN and back 3 weeks ago in 32- 45 degree range with subfreezing windchill during the night on return trip, the jacket did a fantastic job of blocking out any cold air. I was pretty warm with my Gerbing heated jacket liner inside the Tourshell. I did not purchase the Tourshell pants as I wasn't sure what occasions I would wear it or how comfortable they would be, but I'm considering a purchase now. Either BMW Tourshell or Klim Bandlands. Need to do some more reading up on them, but would appreciate any comments from folks that have these pants.

chewnaut · Mar 20, 2013

First, I bought this off eBay for $320!! THIS JACKET IS NOT WORTH THE FULL PRICE, EVEN AT $320 IT'S QUESTIONABLE!!!

I'll give the succinct version first:

Good- Fit, Looks, Beathability/Ventilation, Protection, Collar height, Scarf, Waterproofness, Room for layers

Bad- Velcro at neck, Velcro at wrists, Price, FRONT ZIPPER, Insulation

Elaborating on the Good:
-Fit-I usually wear a 44L and bought the Tourshell in a 42R. It fits me nicely, sleeves are long enough, room for layers but not baggy. I can cinch it up nicely at the bottom and it stays put. I like the height of the collar, it's semi tall but doesn't interfere when I look down.
-Looks- mine is black and looks sleek IMO. there are no big logos or other colors, just some reflective material on the lower deltoid area.
-Ventiliation- The ventilation zippers are large (on chest and back) and a good amount of air runs through the jacket to cool you. I've been in the 90 s and was not hot riding around town. The arms open up wide at the front to effectively "scoop" air through your sleeves, works well.
-Protection- The armor flexes well in the heat, conforms to your body. Even in cold weather (<45F) your body heat will warm it enough for it to become malleable. The armor on the back is huge, but doesn't interfere with my helmet (I have a long neck though). The wrist and forearm protection has good coverage. All the armor is removable.
-Scarf- I saw this and laughed! it's even labeled "SCARF" on the collar where it tucks into the back protector for storage, it even is zipped in ( about 2 inches of zipper). It works! it doesn't insulate but keeps the cold air off my neck and chin. it's basically a tube of elastic wind breaker material that functions well and stays snug. when tucked away its unnoticeable.
-Waterproof- I wasn't riding in a tsunami, but enough rain to prove that at 80 mph the jacket sheds water. take into account I'm behind a GS Adveture windshield and touratech extension.
-Room for Layers- Very important to me cuz I ride year round. I can comfortably ride with a long sleeve Smartwool shirt and a Canada Goose "Lodge" Down Hoody under my Tourshell. With all these layers I still have adequate range of motion. I don't use the supplied Thinsulate liner in the winter cuz it just takes up space that the down hoody utilizes more effectively.

Elaborating on Bad: (also I would not recommend buying this jacket and here is where I'll explain)

-Velcro at Neck- Quite simply, it doesn't stay connected when riding. when the jacket is zipped open the male end of the Velcro sticks straight out and often scrapes your face. I modified mine by gluing a female square of Velcro inside the collar to fold away the angry male end. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO MODIFY A $700 JACKET!!!
-Velcro at Wrists- Quite simply, again, they don't stay connected when riding. A very poor design. The female Velcro is in patches stitched around the wrists, it should be just a solid piece of female Velcro, allowing more contact opportunities. the elastic band (that wraps around the wrist) with the male Velcro doesn't have enough Velcro area to grab the female counterpart and hold on. IT'S ANNOYING!!!!!!
-Price- With tax, new, it's north of $700! bahahahaha. DON'T BUY IT FOR THIS PRICE!!!!
-ZIPPER- in the first two weeks it detached from the bottom and unzipped the wrong way multiple times. The zipper is small and was a PITA to correct. In result the zipper is fairly trashed by now from all the reverse unzipping. I got fairly frustrated when it regularly was doing this . SERIOUSLY BMW?!?! YOU CAN'T PUT A FUNCTIONAL ZIPPER ON YOUR GROSSLY PRICED APPAREL?!?!
-Insulation- it's ok. It buttons in nicely but wasn't very warm. I rode in sub freezing temps (down to the high teens) and had to remove it for a down layer, perhaps this is understandable. Warning, the Thinsulate sweater is thin. Maybe good for weather above 50F.

I think I covered it all, hope this helps

kumakahn · Oct 18, 2013

I just posted my review of the Tourshell pants an hour ago. I don't own the jacket. I like jackets with more visibility than black. But, after using the pants for a few weeks in the fall weather here in Idaho, I am getting more interested in the Tourshell jacket. One thing that does concern me is just how much of the Tourshell product is actually polyamide. Is it just the reinforced areas, or is it woven into the whole shell, with polyamide reinforced areas as well? I am assuming the latter based on the BMW desription in its catalog and the fact that BMW has never been a fan of polyester (one reason I buy BMW gear).

Very substantial pants, though, with a terrific fit, great knee and hip protection, and simply beautiful looks. I mean really nice. Personally, I find the CARE membrane no more or less breathable than any type of Gore-tex gear I've worn. I have it in my GS Dry Jacket also. Event material is what they should all be using. Amazingly breathable, while still being waterproof.

If the jacket is like the pants, I would buy it and wear a lightweight, high-viz vest over it in traffic. I am paranoid about being seen. Just this morning, a cager blew right through a four-way stop as I was ready to take off. Didn't even slow down. If I had assumed she would stop, I would not be here to write this now. Never underestimate the narcissism of a cager.

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