Aerostich vs Cycleport/Motoport Kevlar riding gear.

[ngarider]

1) I've worn the air mesh kevlar now for several months, commuting and long tours (1000+ miles, 3+ days). LOVE this gear. No liners and some UA heatgear it does 100+ degrees no problem. I mean, you're going to be warm, but it's as tolerable as any other mesh gear. Cold weather, down to the 30's so far with their liner and UA coldgear under it.

2) Riding buddy went down on a very spirited ride just a while ago. Right hand sweeper, lowside at about 70mph and tumbled off the road into dirt. Bike is trashed, he walked away with some bruises and that's it. Same gear as me. It did scrape up the gear pretty well, but nothing wore through. Gear is back to Wayne for repairs now, and buddy is looking for a replacement bike. Armor did it's job, kevlar weave did its job. After picking him up out of a ditch, and seeing him walk away from that, it's motoport gear all the way. I was ATGATT before, now it's my religion.

[photomd]

Anybody compared these suits to the Olympia Phantom?

FWIW, I've surfed in a one piece Roadcrafter for about 90 feet and walked away with a bruise on my right hip. Otherwise I was fine after highsiding my VFR. I like the Aerostich for it's convienance and it keeps me dry enough that I haven't used my rain suit in 8+ years.

I would be interested if this new suit is everything it claims. It would be nice to have another option. I don't pay much attention to Motoport after talking to their owner at Daytona. He spewed the same old same old...like he was reading their catalog and seemed like I was wasting his time. So for the price, I'll stick with Aerostich. I know it's proven, great customer survice, to me it's comfortable.

[Zukati]

Some of my history with Motoport. I visited Motoport in January. A couple friends and I did a winter time ride from Oklahoma. Part of it in the truck of coarse. Wayne meet us at his shop on a Saturday evening.( Their not open on sat.)
Not only was it in the evening but three guys he had never met. He gave us a tour of the place and taught us more than we ever wanted to know. Wayne was absolutely outstanding. He is every passionate about motorcycle protective gear.
He took our measurements, and we said goodbye some three hours later.
When I got home I called Wayne and placed an order. I ordered Kevlar mesh jkt and pants. I got the jkt first, and the fit was great. But on the 3/4 jkt the back pad kept pushing into my helmet. So I called Wayne and he said send it back and he replaced it with a waist length jkt. Well this go around came the jkt and pants. The jkt fit OK but not as good as I thought it should for a measured suit, and the cost. But the pants were just awful as far as fit goes. They weren't even close. And the pant liners most have been for ho ho the clown. Any way this is getting long. After many talks with Wayne we both chose just to refund the suit. All of this to say Wayne was great to deal with. And I believe Motoport has the best protective gear out there. I'm in need of new gear and all my searches keep turning to Motoport.

[VFR_Serenity]

There is no question in my mind.

If you ride every day and are ATGATT there is nothing that even comes close to the 'Stich.  It was mentioned before:  TEN SECONDS!

If you are putting the gear on and taking it off every day, sometimes multiple times during the day at each stop as you run errands on the way home from work or shopping on the weekends with your bike and stopping at multiple stores nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is as simple/no-nonsence as the 1-piece Roadcrafter.  Forget the added hassle of a 2-piece.  If you ride ATGATT then you will be wearing the whole suit all the time.  Don't forget about TEN SECONDS!  The 2-piece is NOT 10 seconds, it is considerably longer. If you stop, then pull the suit off.  Unzipping and removing the top isn't any faster than taking off the one-piece.  If it is cool enough to need a jacket where you are going then you are  (like me) probably wearing a wool or ultra-fleece under-jacket.  If it is HOT out then you will probably be wearing shorts and a T under it (forget about the lawyer mumbo-jumbo about long sleeves and pants under the 'Stitch -years of riders going down at track days at higher speeds and the old-timers who put  100K/year on going down have shown that it is ninny-worry-BS)   Leave the Kevlar for bullet-proofness. I really don't need that on my VFR!

The Rev-it looks like an OK suit on the surface but if you look at the way it zips up it is NOT a 10-second job like the 'Stich.  It's more like a 45-60 ordeal to put on if you are not going to pull your boots off and even so, how long does it take to put on our boots?  Even my Sidi's require me to put something ELSE on once I pull them off and hop around.  I usually carry lightweight sandals and if it is cooler I just leave on my boots or wear nice socks birkenstock-style (who cares about fashion?  I'm Sport-touring -not trying to impress Paris Hilton!)

I'm not married to the 'Stich but as of yet NOBODY has come out with anything that even comes close to its versatility.  I really wish someone would beat it as anything that could beat it would be that much better.  But for now, I don't think I would replace my 2 suits with anything else on the market today even if they paid me.  

With just a little forethought into the correct under-layers, the 'Stich can go from 35-degrees to 110 (just keep moving) with only the stuff I carry in my tankbag.  And be comfortable on the other side when you get there with all my gear packed into my saddlebags, safe and secure.   If it is laundered correctly with Nikwax products a 1-piece is just about waterproof enough for the monsoon season and never forget:

TEN SECONDS!  -the battle cry of an everyday ATGATT rider.  Nothing else comes close.  Why would anyone want to hop around trying to put on or take off their PANTS every time they drop the kickstand?  Maybe the weekend warrior wants to -but not me!

 

[number9]

Just curious.......... how often do you ride in the heat and humidity of the southeast.

[hovmaven]

There is no question in my mind.

If you ride every day and are ATGATT there is nothing that even comes close to the 'Stich.  It was mentioned before:  TEN SECONDS!

If you are putting the gear on and taking it off every day, sometimes multiple times during the day at each stop as you run errands on the way home from work or shopping on the weekends with your bike and stopping at multiple stores nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is as simple/no-nonsence as the 1-piece Roadcrafter.  Forget the added hassle of a 2-piece.  If you ride ATGATT then you will be wearing the whole suit all the time.  

I love my 'stich and agree it is a near universal suit.  But, my motoport zips together, and donning it takes one more zip than my 'stich, so two zips instead of one, say, perhaps taking a total of 12 seconds instead of 10 (they are shorter zippers).    And, when I get to where I'm going, I can unzip the top and enter the restaurant/eatery/whatever with just the air mesh kevlar pants.  Suffice it to say that when it's above 75-80 degrees, I reach for the motoport.  

[photomd]

Just curious.......... how often do you ride in the heat and humidity of the southeast.

All summer long. We had heat indexes of 120+ here...I'm in the Florence, Darlington, SC area. It's hotter than KY. I graduated from KY in '99: Go Cats.