Winter jacket suggestions (and other gear). Need some expertise.

[justcountry04]

don't be so scared of used gear, I've completly stocked all my gear by buying used from CL and on here and have saved hundreds!!! I have some first gear pants with removeable liners and they are good down to around 35 degrees with some jeans on. as far as jackets I also have purchased a first gear Kathmandu jacket with liner and several other joe rocket stuff. Its all about layering. All the gear Ive bought used was very clean and odor free. I think you just have to look close at the pics of it and talk to the owner asking why they are selling and what they liked or didn't. Alot of times they just dont ride anymore. BTW, strait leather jackets suck, I had one and gave it to a buddy of mine cuz I froze in it. Botton line, Its easier to buy used first till you find what you like and dont like in materials, brands, and such without spending hundreds and finding it doesnt fit your needs!

[Mr_Gone]

I know a lot of guys who have the Firstgear Kilimanjaro jacket. It's waterproof for the rain; it has a liner for colder temps; it has pretty good venting for warmer temps. You can find them for around $250 new, and less for a used one, which I know is a little higher than your price range

Seriously, I know A LOT of road warriors who have the Kilimanjaro and wouldn't trade their jacket for a top-of-the-line $1300 Rukka.

I think Motorcycle Superstore has them for $255, and someone here usually has a 10% off coupon, which puts the price around $225. IMHO, you can't beat that.

[crazyapple92]

Originally Posted by justcountry04

strait leather jackets suck, I had one and gave it to a buddy of mine cuz I froze in it.

Some friend you are!

It's kind of silly to be bothered by used gear, I know it. And ADV types especially usually take good care of their stuff and are a pretty decent bunch... Though you guys might not shower quite as much as you should.

All kidding aside it's just one of those things. I can get over it if the price is right though. I poked around the gear section here and found that things weren't as cheap as I was hoping for, and there wasn't much that would work for me anyways. I don't plan on trying things out and swapping them out, I want to get something warm and cheap to get me through the winter, so long as it does that it could have pink tassels for all I care.

[JR356]

Not sure if they still have them,but CycleGear stores were closing out brown only TourMaster Transition 2 jackets for $99-109.
Good quality budget jacket with reasonable venting and the waterproof layer is built into the jacket,so you dont have to stop to put on rain gear or put in the rain liner.
Has quilted removable thermal liner.

JR356

[Toscana1]

Back up a bit. You're in Arkansas right.
.How cold will it get where you'll be riding? I'm sure there's a difference between Arkansas cold (even in the Ozark's) and upper Midwest or Rocky Mountain cold. I do fine into the 20s with my Tourmaster, liner and long sleeved polypropylene.

[Mr_Gone]

In the Ozarks, down in the 20s is about as low as it gets. It's rare if we get down in the teens, and very rarely down into the single digits. But 20° is cold.

[crazyapple92]

Originally Posted by Mr_Gone

In the Ozarks, down in the 20s is about as low as it gets. It's rare if we get down in the teens, and very rarely down into the single digits. But 20° is cold.

Yup, the Tourmaster was what I was going to do. It's $99 in a few places right now, and it gets great reviews. I don't love the looks, but it has a certain charm to it; I like brown.

It can get pretty nippy in NWA. Like Gone said, 20s is pretty standard. Though on the way to work lately I've been seeing a lot of the low teens. Like I said, I'm not looking to ride in a blizzard although... Well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I just want to be able to ride on those days in between freezing and breezing .

It looks like I'm going to go and overpay horribly for the Fly Terra 2 and my local shop. Best I could find online was $135.99, the shop wants $199. They did say they'd do me a solid and take $15 off. Thanks... I guess. And they're throwing it on the truck from Tennessee to get it to me in a day. We'll see if they hold up to either part of that bargain, they're a pretty scummy dealer and I really wish I hadn't bought my bike from them but to little too late. I hate overpaying like that but my riding buddy wants to ride this weekend. And I'd rather overpay to a local shop than spend $50 on fast shipping. And if I hate it I can take it back easily, I hope.

So no one owns a Fly Terra 2? I figured they'd be pretty popular with the ADV boys, they look pretty good and seem to be decent jackets at a fair price.

Edit: It's the fly Trekker, not Terra 2. I think I'm mixing several jackets up all at once.

[Toscana1]

Good luck with the Fly. Let us know how it works out. My only complaint with the Tourmaster is the wrists are too narrow. I have small hands and correspondingly small wrists and it is still tight.

[twasp]

A little above your price range, but very warm , waterproof, (so they claim, haven't had mine in the rain yet) and lots of armor, particularly in the sleeves. BMG Challenger jacket. Sleeves are a long european cut. Built in liner jacket, I am cold blooded and I find it to be warm down to 40 degree F, with just a tee shirt under it. I think it is $289.00 plus $40 bucks for a back protector armor.

[mle52]

I know its over your price range but BMG Discovery is very warm & kept me dry during the 19 days of rain from Texas to Alaska and back. Best jacket I've bought in the past 45 years.

[cliffy109]

You want the best bargain in gear at the moment? It will cost you $275 and it is a friggin' steal. You're not buying a $275 jacket. You're buying a $450 BMW jacket that has been discontinued. It is the BMW Tourance 2 jacket. It has a waterproof shell (personally tested and it really is), a heavy quilted liner that zips out, top shelf armor and is very well constructed. It is not cheap Chinese made crap. Venting is decent but the limit is in the low 90s before you'll want to switch back to your mesh jacket.

I understand being on a budget but I also have gone through a lot of lesser gear that never turns out to be as good a deal as I thought. The Tourance 2 is friggin' awesome at regular price. At closeout, it is a steal.

http://www.amazon.com/BMW-Tourance-2.../dp/B004NTGWEC

Here is mine in Argentina last year.

[Toscana1]

I find that even if most gear is waterproof, the outer materials still tend to soak up a lot of water. It's the inner material and coatings that make them waterproof. On most of my mountaineering, motorcycle and bicycle gear (jackets, pants, gloves, bags, boots, etc) I usually give them a couple of thorough coats of a good waterproofing spray. It helps prevent the outer material from soaking up water and you have the additional benefit of adding to the stain resistance of the article. It's best done when new but can be done after something has been cleaned and thoroughly dried.

[BELSTAFF]

Tourmaster Rincon--- old school styling ,new world materials I have one for sale at $100.00 + shipping and its brand new with tags

I used it on 1 slab ride,136 miles, Tucson to Phoenix. packed it back up & ordered a Tourmaster 2 that was more to my liking.

pm if intersted

[HaChayalBoded]

Originally Posted by levain

What size are you? If you're a small boy, looking for a cold weather jacket exclusively, and can stretch a couple bucks, you're not going to find anything on earth better than the BMG Discovery. Really. It is that good. And waterproof. And warm. Don't wear it above 65. You'll cook. Below that, and you found bliss. It doesn't get any better.

+1 Jim and I have probably tried every single jacket out there. You will NOT find a warmer jacket out there, period. Except for some of the other Belstaff jackets available exclusively in the UK that also use the same thick merino wool liner.

I wore mine, with just a single thermal shirt under it during the Crotona midnight run one year (look it up). That year the temp was 6 degrees, the ride around the lakes were even colder.

That's a 12hr ride, in the middle of the night, on the nearest saturday to what is generally the coldest night of the year.

[Voidrider]

Another vote for a Kilimanjaro jacket.

I wear a Hein Gericke Timbuktu for most of the year and it has superior venting, but when it is really cold, I borrow my wife's Kilimanjaro...and I feel lucky we wear basically the same size. A local dealership had ordered a couple for a customer and they bought the one that fit them better. The other one sat on a rack for a couple years and we got a screaming good deal, like $120 or so.

I've ridden down into the teens. My bike also doesn't have the electrical overhead to power much in the way of heated gear, and if I layer, and wear that Kilimanjaro (with warm layers under it), I have never honestly felt the need...save for my hands. I have some killer good gloves though, and am setting up grip heaters. I think that will do it for me.

Since you are on a budget even if you don't go with the Kilimanjaro, you might want to keep an eye on www.motorcyclegear.com they regularly have some pretty good deals, and I have know people who say they have handled returns with no hassle.