| Author | Message | ||
     Eulysses |
Trying to make a decision...wisdom in many counselors, right? Been thinking a winter suit as just the ticket...and now that I have one (Firstgear Expedition suit) I am thinking a touring jacket/pants would be more comfortable and easier to deal with when stopping for whatevers. Anybody go from jacket to suit and love it (describe rides) or from suit to jacket and happy with that (describe rides)? Love to hear. Euly | ||
| Someday |
Euly, I've been riding with a one piece Aerostich for over 20 years and find it the perfect gear for me. I chose it because I knew if I bought a 2 piece I'd leave the pants home half the time. When I get to a reststop I'm out of it in about 30 seconds. I've worn it in 95 degree temps and as long as you're moving it's bearable. Was out 2 days ago in 35 deg temps and with an electric jacket I was toasty. It isn't cheap but it does the job of several garments for different seasons if you layer properly. I'm sure others will chime in but that's my .02$ | ||
| Tastroman |
I've never owned a 1 piece suit but I have always assumed one would be safer. I know I can zip my jacket to my pants but I never do. I assume if I slid down the road the wrong way that my jacket could hike up increasing my chances of road rash. The reason I stick with jacket/pants is that I have 4 different weight jackets from mesh to down filled leather. I would love to own a one piece suit some day. | ||
| Blasterd |
I couldn't have made it through last winter without the Fieldsheer 1 peice suit I broke down and bought in Feburary. Still rockin it this winter and I love it, supposed to be 18 in the morning and I have 40+ mile one way commute. | ||
| Rarebird |
I also have been using a one-pc Fieldsheer suit for the past 6 NEOhio winters. I own jacket/ pants and the one-pc, and NOTHING beats a suit in the cold, IMO! I've ridden well into the single digits with it, and helmet frost has been a bigger problem than cold in the suit. Throw a heated vest into the mix, and all's toasty | ||
| Eulysses |
Thanks...looks like the suit is a winter favorite for cold protection and full skid protection...won't be leaving pants behind. Looks like the Aerostich sheds fast...faster than this Firstgear Expedition I have...more like a minute. It does not get too cold on the NW coast...shedding important. Thinking a jacket would shed faster but loving the idea of pealing a suit fast too. That long zip on the 'stich is smart. The Firstgear only goes to crotch making the top peal tougher. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
Eulysses, Since we're almost neighbors...and have the same crummy weather. I think I'd like a suit, but I've got too much invested in various jackets. My kit: 1. Langlitz leather jacket - custom made so it fits perfectly, breather better when it's a "warm" (by NW definition). 2. Motoport Nylon jacket with goretex liner. For the weather like we have right now. 3. Firstgear mesh jacket for when it's hot, bought it in South Carolina where it actually was hot. 5. Olympia Motosport pants, 4 years old and only started leaking recently, looking to replace them with some Motoport Kevlar soon. 4. Gerbings heated jacket and gloves with thermostat. So my get up is more flexible for varying weather conditions, but I could have bought a few Stich' for what I've got in it all at this point. | ||
| Nipsey |
I went with Motoport jacket and pants and wish I did it long ago. When stopped the jacket comes off and the pants are comfy enough to wear around, have lunch etc. Leaving for a bit and I use a cable lock to secure the jacket to my bike. Motoport kevlar mesh - awesome stuff. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
If I had the money, I would be all over an aerostich suit. | ||
| Buellerxt |
+1 on Motoport! The best 'anything' I've ever bought for motorcycling, not just clothing, ANYTHING! I have the mesh Kevlar jacket and pants that zip together, as well as the liners and Kevlar race gloves. Great gear and great service. Four years, one substantial get off, and the gear looks new. I feel good about it every day I ride. | ||
| Blasterd |
I can be in or out of my Feildsheer Cyclone in less than a minute, each leg unzips from the foot all the way to the waist and then in the middle like a jacket from the waist to the neck and step out. It was 19 here this morning and man I was glad I had it, now my hands.....well that's a different story....brrrrrr with Olympia waterproof/ windproof gauntlet winter gloves, heated grips and handguards. Still couldn't feel the tips of my fingers and thumbs after my ride into work this morning... | ||
| Rwven |
I'll make my obligatory plug for the TourMaster Flex jacket and pants here. One system for all seasons. Goes from summer mesh to winter insulated in a few minutes. Fairly waterproof too with the outer jacket liner and the inner pants liner, though I still use standard rain gear. | ||
| Uly_man |
Over the years I have found that a one piece suit like an Aerostich or a over-suit works best. They stop air leaks and rain dead but can be more cumbersome if you have to take them off a lot. They may be best used, as I have, on longer rides. I have had lots of gear but still find the problem is the type of riding you are doing. The closest I have found is the Rukka or Hein Gericke two piece systems. We are unable to get Aerostich here in the UK very easy so I have never tried one. The HG TOUR GTX is waterproof leather with Gore-tex Pro Shell bonded to it, SAS armour, full zip and a removable winter liner. This means you get the best of all worlds in you ride gear. The top line Rukka stuff is on the same sort of lines and like HG TOUR GTX is cutting edge bike gear. The only problem is the cost and a full suit, by either HG or Rukka, is very serious money. A new Rukka Armas suit is £1600, a HG TOUR LT GTX suit is £1500 and both have the new Lockout zip system. Thats more than half what my Uly is worth. I would say it depends on how much you want to spend, the fit of the gear and your average ride conditions. Little or anything will be a perfect situation. I still think, with a Uly, that a two piece full armour leather suit with a one piece winter lined over-suit, if needed, is the best and cheapest combination. I find feet and hands are much more of a problem to solve anyway. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
For feet, I've had Cruiserworks boots and now Redwing waterproof. Both have been VERY waterproof. Gloves....haven't stumbled on the perfect solution. The Gerbings will resist water for a long time, but the leather gets soaked and they take a long time to dry | ||
| Eulysses |
I appreciate you guys. Testing the Firstgear Expedition suit last night...on and off...on and off...and it hangs up at the arms. Fraid I will wreck the zipper as it is so short (below belly button)as I fight to get my arms through it with any kind of a jacket on. Up to xxl now...getting way to big anywhere else. Looks like the design of the Aerostich with the long zipper, inner leg zipper (brilliant) and low velcro (the velcro drives me nuts trying to get in and out of a set). If ATGATT is the goal this stuff needs to be sweet getting into and out of whether jacket/pants or suit. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
Who are you kidding? With the weather out here there's only about 3 weeks where you want to ride without overpants anyway, right? That's why I was considering the Air mesh Kevlar from Motoport. Ride with liner in for 10 months of the year, then zip it out for "summer" (July 5th - Aug 10th)or the journeys to dry side. The air mesh looks like it would pass a bunch of air and the Kevlar means it won't melt into you legs on a getoff. | ||
| Eulysses |
I was shopping Motoport this summer thanks to BuellerXT. My Uly buddy in MT found a set on Ebay half price and snagged it. I ended up with a mesh Olympia (had to outfit wife at time too). Fine for half the year but no liner...could make one. Thinking about sending this Firstgear Expediton back to Kneedraggers (they don't refund w/o 15% charge) swapping for cheaper Tour Master suit that has a zip down to knee. Or...finding a jacket/pants with minimal velcro. | ||
| Eulysses |
OMG! Checkout Teiz Motorsports. www.teizms.com You won't believe the value. Euly | ||
| Crusty |
I've tried gear from Motoport, the original Buell Adventurer two piece suit, TourMaster, Fieldsheer and am presently using an Olympia AST jacket and pants. The best of the lot was the Buell Adventurer suit, but I wore it out. The rest didn't impress me. My next suit will be from Aerostich. It might cost more, but I believe that you get what you pay for. | ||
| Tastroman |
Wow, those are some great prices at teizms. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Eulysses, teiz is pretty teets! Nice website and the price does seem quite good. Anybody own any of their goods? | ||
| Uly_man |
Well getting into/out of bike gear quick is never on the easy side. Or at least I have never found so. It sounds like size is also, like me, a bit of a problem. Bike gear sizes vary wildly from one make to another. Even boots from the same maker, Sidi for one, can vary from one style to another. Which is very odd and a right pain in the ass. The only brands of gear I have heard of, with no water leaks or other quality issues, are Aerostich and Rukka. BMW and HG can be good as well but only the top line stuff. All of these brands are in the same price range for the best gear. Like I said it depends on many things. Say you wear a business suit and need something over it, waterproof/protection, for riding then the Aerostich/BMW suit is the best and know to be so. This is also true if you do not want to be in bike gear for visits to friends and the like. You will just have to pay up for this sort of gear if you want it. If, on the other hand, wearing bike gear on visits or you change into something else once at you destination or your not worried either way then think on this. A good/branded two piece leather suit with air vents for summer, full armour, maybe winter liners and a good/branded lined one piece over-suit for bad conditions, if needed, is just about the best combination I have found so far. I ride all year and in all conditions. Just remember that the Uly has no faring at all to speak of and your wind/water protection has to come from your bike gear. This means, in your ride conditions, that what you seek from your bike gear may be hard to find and, in my opinion given that I have tried to do the same for 20 years, near impossible. People who have spent some time on the road will know all of this and how hard it can be to find the right ride gear. The whole thing is something of a compromise due to the nature of the problem. I have just bought a pair of HG TOUR GTX pants to see if the perfect solution can be found to this question. Time will tell I guess. They look good/fit well though.  Best of luck Sir. | ||
| 7873jake |
Don't forget or underestimate the value of spending a little more to have something made or tailored to your dims. My most enjoyable and comfortable gear was custom tailored and later adjusted yet again to my requests by Aerostich/RW. | ||
| Uly_man |
I can not fault Jake on that one. I myself have problems with fit of any bike gear. Apart from anything else my right leg always has problems with the knee armour fit. It may be due to a crash I had some time ago. | ||
| Eulysses |
I see Teiz has custom work available. I like the zipper from top to bottom on the suits. Check out their Commuter suit...no insulated liner but has a water proof liner. $249 for heaven's sakes! That just suits me. Suits me, get it? Easy on and off...other leg zip is INSIDE. Looks like Aerostich copy. Huge thread in ADVrider. | ||
| Barkbuster |
I was gonna recommend Teiz but I see you found them. i found them in the vendors section at advrider and bought a Lombard v2 this year in late spring. Got it in time for summer by 4th of July. Its a darn good suit but a bit warm for 85 degrees or more but what isn`t, thats just plain hot.Anyway its very well vented and I`ve been in it in over 90 degrees but when it was time for gas I stowed it in the saddlebag, it even fits in there with the liner in. He came out with a refined v3 and offered such a good deal to repeat buyers I got one a size smaller, my incentive to get fitter for next year. They are both hanging in the garage ready to go at a moments notice  (Message edited by Barkbuster on December 19, 2010) | ||
| Lloydxt |
I have Rev'it! Cayenne pro 4 season jacket and pants. They have 8000 miles on 'em this year. Im in Seattle and they are all I have needed. I am still putting on 150 miles a week and have every option available. Spendy but they have SAS-TEC armor in elbow, shoulder, knee and back. I was a commercial fisherman up here in the late 80's early 90's and I swore I would never be that cold again. The only time Ive gotten that cold is when riding my bikes. I didnt mind spending that kind of money on gear. (I sold my cage to afford it.) | ||
| Eulysses |
I ordered the Teiz Commuter suit in hi viz. Looks like the ticket for a fast throwover for the 10.5 months of bluck I ride in the Pac NW. Had to take a 10% "restocking fee" from Kneedraggers. Could not get the First Gear Expedition suit to a comfort level. Zipper too short and body too short (crotch to shoulders) which made getting into it irritating. The Teiz commuter has a zip neck to cuff. Wow. |
