Good touring gear?

[ConPilot1]

I agree with you about the Alter Ego being junk. Sold mine and got the Olympia AST. Highly recommend you check it out as it is very nice quality, especially at the mid price point it sells at. They use the same materials as Aerostitch. Kinda of like an off the rack Aeorstitch made in China that sells for 1/2 the price and their venting and styling is better. Olympia use 500D and 2000D Cordura so have significantly more abrasion resistance than nylon gear. 1000D Cordura as an example has a rated abrasion resistance comparable to 1.3mm leather and twice that of 1000D nylon. A second issue is venting. The olympia has best in class venting for the type of jacket it is. The AST shell is water proof on it's own so does not need an extra rain liner. I use mine with their XMoto pants which vent very well and have lots of protection.

Well that's one of the biggest wagonloads of bullshit I've heard in a long time. NFW. Not even close. I had one, and it never even came NEAR the comfort/performance/waterproof levels of my 'Stich jackets, either the Darien or the Roadcrafter. AST wouldn't even stand up to a 20 minute medium rain during my commute.

The collar was a torture device, and setting up/closing the vents on the thing were nightmares. complete velcro-fiddle-circus and frustrating to use.

Well constructed? Yeah, I'll give ya that but that's about it.

As far as the highly touted AST airflow goes, my Darien flows more air than the AST ever dreamed of.




Let me guess. You have an online store and sell Olympia gear.  

Your AST kool-aid flavor smacks of almost directly coming from Olympia marketing itself.


BTW, full retail on a Roadcrafter is $527.  Full retail on an AST is $350. How do you figure that is half the price of a comparable 'Stich? (Not that the AST is comparable to a 'Stich)

[bungie4]

I've gone through a pile of gear, some good, some bad. On the low end, Tourmaster Intake + plus Air Caliber pants saw me through 3 years of riding. Very versatile and inexpensive. Wore VERY well.

Scorpion Commander and Teiz pants. Jacket good (leaks around the big ass adjusters on the arms), pants crap, shitty materials, poorly made, no protection - but they fit awesome!

Latest gear, Motorport Air Kevlar top an bottom. Amazing gear I bought used for half price. 33F - 100F, all day downpours weren't a problem. Comfortable on the bike, heavily armoured.

I was shopping for Klim when the deal on the Motoport came up.

Pays yer money, takes yer chances.

[AnotherOne]

Well that's one of the biggest wagonloads of bullshit I've heard in a long time. NFW. Not even close. I had one, and it never even came NEAR the comfort/performance/waterproof levels of my 'Stich jackets, either the Darien or the Roadcrafter. AST wouldn't even stand up to a 20 minute medium rain during my commute.

The collar was a torture device, and setting up/closing the vents on the thing were nightmares. complete velcro-fiddle-circus and frustrating to use.

Well constructed? Yeah, I'll give ya that but that's about it.

As far as the highly touted AST airflow goes, my Darien flows more air than the AST ever dreamed of.

Let me guess. You have an online store and sell Olympia gear.  

Your AST kool-aid flavor smacks of almost directly coming from Olympia marketing itself.


BTW, full retail on a Roadcrafter is $527.  Full retail on an AST is $350. How do you figure that is half the price of a comparable 'Stich? (Not that the AST is comparable to a 'Stich)

I'm not sure of the cause of your bitterness but my experience has been very different and much more positive. I'm in my 4th year with my AST and have owned 4 other jackets, it is by far the best thing I have ever used. I'm not saying Olympia make the best gear ever, just saying the AST hits the sweet spot perfectly IMO between price and performance. For comparison purposes I'm a guy who commutes every day in conditions that range from (95F to 32F) highway/city riding. Note: also used heated liner below 45F. I also tour a few weekends a year. Hell, Klim make a $1400 jacket that has got to be better than either the stitch or Olympia just based on that price. I've addressed your points below.

Comparison with Aerostitch - both are made with the same materials (500D Cordura). In fact Olympia uses 2000D Cordura to reinforce the strike points. I believe Aerostitch uses 500D Cordura for this. Cordura is supposedly very abrasion resistant compared to say polyester (used in most cheap gear) which is not.

Waterproof - the AST uses water proof zippers on the opening vents that are not 100% waterproof covered by fabric flaps. I find the chest and exhaust vents are 100% water proof with the flaps but the top of the sleeve vents transmit some detectable dampness in a downpour. This is not enough to be bothersome though.  With the insulated liner worn this is not noticeable.

Collar - this fits me fine although I will acknowledge it has a limited adjustment range. I have the version 2 of the jacket, this has been increased in the version 3 of the jacket according to Revzilla

Venting - this is the best venting jacket, next to mesh I have owned. It has two chest vents, two vents on the sleeves that run the full length of the sleeves and two exhaust vents. The vents on the front of the jacket and sleeves have straps to hold them open to the wind and force air in the jacket. No one in the industry makes a jacket with bigger sleeve vents. In comparison the Aerostitch jackets I have looked at only have pit vents and these are placed such that air from forward motion will not be forced into the jacket.

Price - I was unaware you could buy a new stitch for as little as $527 however looking at this it appears basic things like an insulated liner are extra cost options on the stitch. In fact they have four pages of extra cost options listed for this jacket on their site so I suspect the out the door price would be higher for the stitch than just $527.

[Hambonee]

Ive got a motoport 3/4 jacket and pants I bought this year. REALLY expensive and not necessarily pretty but man it is good stuff!

Comfortable as all get up, highly armored, warranted for a crash(7 years you crash they fix free), and well made. Since it was made to my measurements fix like a charm and have used from 30 degrees to 80 with nothing more than removing a liner to adjust.

Anyways, I can't help but think the stretch Kevlar will hold up better than cordura/nylon/whatever. The material is some odd stuff..was pulling on it the other day and the stuff feels almost like leather in how it stretches and behaves.

[X1Glider]

Don't sweat it Another One.  Like any product, be it Apple/Mac or Aerostitch, some will vehemently defend their choice.  I bought a garment for outrageous money and people think I'm nuts for it and some people even claim it sucks too.  As much as it cost, I wonder if those people actually spent their money on it and experienced it or are they talking internet BS in an effort to defend their beloved Stiches.  But my experience with it has been pure perfection.

I paid 800 for a new Stitch 1-piece in the late 90s and it ranked among the worst garments I've owned.  I could get in and out of it an nothing flat but it leaked like a sieve through every seam and zipper.  My final opinion on it is that it was good for keeping your work clothes clean on a dry day.  I sold it to someone else for just that purpose for $500 a week later.

[ConPilot1]

I'm not sure of the cause of your bitterness but my experience has been very different. I've addressed your points below.

No bitterness involved. You don't know me, I tend to have strong opinions on certain things. Your post came across to me as a sales pitch for the AST.

Comparison with Aerostitch - both are made with the same materials (500D Cordura). In fact Olympia uses 2000D Cordura to reinforce the strike points. I believe Aerostitch uses 500D Cordura for this.

AS jackets have a double layer of the 500D on the shoulders and elbows. Not a big deal. You don't hear of Roadcrafters blowing apart in a crash. I've seen the stitching work in Olympia products and it is not on the same level as the AS. Lots of fraying, loose threads. The materials used are only as good as the quality of the stitching holding it together.

Waterproof - the AST uses cheaper quality water proof zippers on the opening vents covered by fabric flaps. I find the chest and exhaust vents are 100% water proof but the top of the sleeve vents transmit some dampness in a downpour but not enough to be bothersome.  With the insulated liner worn this is not noticeable.

My AST leaked like all hell through stitching seams, particularly at the back of the shoulders/arms. Dripping water. Not "dampness". And as far as it not being noticeable with the insulated liner, that's great when it's 40° and raining. What do you do when it's 75° and raining? Wear an AST with the insulated liner???

Collar - this fits me fine although I will acknowledge it has a limited adjustment range. I have the version 2 of the jacket, this has been increased in the version 3 of the jacket according to Revzilla

Fit is subjective. Some like the fit. Didn't work for me at all. I'm an average/smaller build guy. The collar was suckage for me, as was the general cut of the jacket.

Venting - this is the best venting jacket, next to mesh I have owned. It has two chest vents, two vents on the sleeves that run the full length of the sleeves and two exhaust vents. The vents on the front of the jacket and sleeves have straps to hold them open to the wind and force air in the jacket. No one in the industry makes a jacket with bigger sleeve vents. In comparison the Aerostitch jackets I have looked at only have pit vents and these are placed such that air from forward motion will not be forced into the jacket.

So you just "looked at one" and made those assumptions without real world trial-and-error. Evidently you never wore a Darien because when you open the pit and back zips, loosen up the sleeve cuffs a bit and take down the top zipper a few inches the jacket flows more air than anything I've had, short of my mesh.

Price - I was unaware you could buy a new stitch for as little as $527 however looking at this it appears basic things like an insulated liner are extra cost options on the stitch. In fact they have four pages of extra cost options listed for this jacket on their site.

Maybe so. However the general function of the AS jackets doesn't require any extra liners. If you're cold, wear a fleece or a heated jacket liner, which is what most heavy experienced winter/cold weather riders do anyway. As far as I'm concerned they can have 10 extra cost options. It's nice to be offered extra luxurious options if you've got the need for them and the willing to part with the scratch.

As far as pricing goes do you homework before coming online and making incorrect blanket statements about Olympia vs. 'Stich.
It sounds to me like you've never owned or personally tried a 'Stich so in my judgement you are not qualified to be making such definitive comparative statements.
If you came on and said that you rode 15k miles in an AST and 15k miles in a Darien and you preferred the AST, that would be different
as your opinion would be based on your personal experience. You're free to your opinion as anybody else is, no doubt.

I just find it laughable when comparing pieces of gear when looking at paper specs. I've had and used both. Real world riding and real rain.
Plus there are two main jacket seperate contenders in the 'Stich lineup. Darien and Roadcrafter. The AST to me seems more to be targeted at competing with the Darien.
The Roadcrafter is a totally different jacket.

Hang around the forums, and check other forums, read a bit. You'll find there are people who love them and a good percentage hated the AST for reasons I stated above.
It's common knowledge the AST's were hit and miss and there were most definitely quality issues with the product line.

[AnotherOne]

No I am not an Olympia retailer. I also don't have a religious attachment to any brand. You edited this portion of my post out before responding.

"I'm not sure of the cause of your bitterness but my experience has been very different and much more positive. I'm in my 4th year with my AST and have owned 4 other jackets, it is by far the best thing I have ever used. I'm not saying Olympia make the best gear ever, just saying the AST hits the sweet spot perfectly IMO between price and performance. For comparison purposes I'm a guy who commutes every day in conditions that range from (95F to 32F) highway/city riding. Note: also used heated liner below 45F. I also tour a few weekends a year. Hell, Klim make a $1400 jacket that has got to be better than either the stitch or Olympia just based on that price. I've addressed your points below."

[ConPilot1]

Stated my opinion. This ain't a pissing match.

I'm glad you are all about your AST. Mine sucked.

Enjoy it, and wear for many safe miles.  

[expatbrit]

+1. I buy all my good stuff great condition 2nd hand or leftover NOS. Saves a ton of cash. I got into a full 2 pc. Motoport AMK suit for $460 bux.  
Just be patient and search the boards for people selling gear. There's ALWAYS gear on the move.  

I am envious of all you folk with normal builds that can do that. Us freakin' mutants are SOL. I'm trying hard to decide if I'm biting the bullet on full custom stuff -- the answer is probably 'yes', but /OUCH/.

If it had to be black, and you had the choice between superfabric/cordura and leather/cordua, both goretex pro-shell, and the leather was TFL cool treated, what's your take?

I'm leaning towards leather. It better be good, 'cos having the stuff made to fit me is ... yeah. It's expensive, but so's one trip to the ER.

[X1Glider]

<Slight threadjack, but I've been following this thread to see what the output is>

I am envious of all you folk with normal builds that can do that. Us freakin' mutants are SOL. I'm trying hard to decide if I'm biting the bullet on full custom stuff -- the answer is probably 'yes', but /OUCH/.

If it had to be black, and you had the choice between superfabric/cordura and leather/cordua, both goretex pro-shell, and the leather was TFL cool treated, what's your take?

I'm leaning towards leather. It better be good, 'cos having the stuff made to fit me is ... yeah. It's expensive, but so's one trip to the ER.

As I will spend between 10-16 hours in the saddle on a trip just so I can get as far from Texas as quickly as possible before I can enjoy the rest of the country, I tend to go more for comfort.  To me, that means the extra flexibility of textile.  I haven't worn leather since my racing days( 10 years ago) and always hated the stiffness.  But to be honest, my Rukka's Goretex ProShell equipped Armacor cordura superfabric is pretty stiff as well. 

What is intersting about the Armacor is that it stiffens on impact much like a kevlar vest.  Wether that's good or bad or simply interesting is something I'm unsure about but I have no doubts that it would hold up under a 100 mph slide, just like leather would.

My only beef with leather is sometimes the stitching can rip through the leather.  I've had a glove blowout at the seams.  The needle perforations were the path of the rip.  The stitching on the Rukka is double and triple stitched and the weave of the Armacor will give with tension rather than rip.  Just MHO.  Keep in mind it is just my opinion.  I won't start a war on leather vs textile.

As for TFL, I've felt the difference.  All my gear has been black.  The Rukka bakes me the least in Texas sun despite having only frontal armpit vents.

Goretex Pro Shell.  There's nothing better.  When it pisses down, it doesn't absorb moisture.  Water rolls right off.   It weighs the same in the dry or in the dirty side of a hurricane.  Right now, this is the best available.  Other suits that rely on rain liners will end up 3 -4 times heavier when wet.  An added bonus with the Pro Shell is that since the moisture doesn't absorb into the fabric, even with a liner underneath, the coldness of the wetness, especially in low temperatures, isn't close to the skin and will not remove body heat.  This is important if you're trying to prevent hypothermia.

The near future holds applications using superhydrophobic nono-coatings available to mid priced gear.  The bad ass base fabric itself will still be high dollar stuff.

I have not tried the ProShell leather stuff that Rukka and now Arestitch offers.  Gotta be pretty awesome to ride in a downpour and not absorb any water in a leather suit.

[expatbrit]

As I will spend between 10-16 hours in the saddle on a trip just so I can get as far from Texas as quickly as possible before I can enjoy the rest of the country, I tend to go more for comfort.  To me, that means the extra flexibility of textile.  I haven't worn leather since my racing days( 10 years ago) and always hated the stiffness.  But to be honest, my Rukka's Goretex ProShell equipped Armacor cordura superfabric is pretty stiff as well. 

Rukka, sadly, isn't an option. They don't make gear that'll fit me. The leather/textile combo, with the leather backed up with the proshell appears the best option.

What is intersting about the Armacor is that it stiffens on impact much like a kevlar vest.  Wether that's good or bad or simply interesting is something I'm unsure about but I have no doubts that it would hold up under a 100 mph slide, just like leather would.

My only beef with leather is sometimes the stitching can rip through the leather.  I've had a glove blowout at the seams.  The needle perforations were the path of the rip.  The stitching on the Rukka is double and triple stitched and the weave of the Armacor will give with tension rather than rip.  Just MHO.  Keep in mind it is just my opinion.  I won't start a war on leather vs textile.

Totally with you. I think they're pretty damn comparable at this point, for the really high-end textiles.

As for TFL, I've felt the difference.  All my gear has been black.  The Rukka bakes me the least in Texas sun despite having only frontal armpit vents.

And this is with TFL, on the Rukka? I've avoided black in NM, because the sun is /harsh/ here as well and without TFL even mesh isn't great. For longer trips, I'm not a fan of mesh, both for the perception of protection (and I'm not including the Motoport stuff here; more the 'general' mesh) and because of the whole issue when it gets over 95 degrees.

I really like the /idea/ of TFL. I've just never tried it.

Goretex Pro Shell.  There's nothing better.  When it pisses down, it doesn't absorb moisture.  Water rolls right off.   It weighs the same in the dry or in the dirty side of a hurricane.  Right now, this is the best available.  Other suits that rely on rain liners will end up 3 -4 times heavier when wet.  An added bonus with the Pro Shell is that since the moisture doesn't absorb into the fabric, even with a liner underneath, the coldness of the wetness, especially in low temperatures, isn't close to the skin and will not remove body heat.  This is important if you're trying to prevent hypothermia.

The near future holds applications using superhydrophobic nono-coatings available to mid priced gear.  The bad ass base fabric itself will still be high dollar stuff.

I have not tried the ProShell leather stuff that Rukka and now Arestitch offers.  Gotta be pretty awesome to ride in a downpour and not absorb any water in a leather suit.

I'm sold on the proshell concept. I'm sold on waterproof gear without raingear, because I never, ever get my raingear on in time since I hate wearing it, and the flapping, and so on. It may be pricey, but it's less than the deductible on my medical insurance.

Thanks for the feedback, especially from someone in an equally hot climate to my primary riding area.

[ph0rk]

Comparison with Aerostitch - both are made with the same materials (500D Cordura). In fact Olympia uses 2000D Cordura to reinforce the strike points. I believe Aerostitch uses 500D Cordura for this. Cordura is supposedly very abrasion resistant compared to say polyester (used in most cheap gear) which is not.

I've had a number of Olympia things go through my hands (Airglide 2, Moab, AST2, X-Moto, Airglide pants, Recon 2 and 3 pants). I still have the recon 2 pants and a pair of airglide 2's. I also have a Roadcrafter one-piece.

Olympia's 500d cordura is nothing at all like Aerostich's. Nothing at all. The "Cordura" name is applied to a variety of fabrics of differing quality. These two manufacturers are using a different quality of fabric, and it shows.

The stitching and seam allowances on Olympia gear is very poor - I returned/exchanged 3 or 4 olympia products for issues like that (as in, a seam came to me already burst, new with tags!).

If you're a stockier build, olympia's gear is ok. Not great - ok. If you're lean, it sucks - it will never fit you right. I can't be sure, but Olympia's cordura feels like it may be a urethane coated variety - it doesn't breathe well at all. The x-moto rivals the roadcrafter in terms of unbreathableness, and the roadcrafter has a goretex lining! The x-moto leaks like a sieve (granted, not designed to be WP without the liner).

Some of their stuff does look nicer than 'stich's, but I've held stuff in my hands from scorpion with better fabric.

[X1Glider]

Rukka, sadly, isn't an option. They don't make gear that'll fit me. The leather/textile combo, with the leather backed up with the proshell appears the best option.

I sent you a reply to your PM before I read this thread again.  Curious as to who you would have make a custom suit.

[X1Glider]

Actually, unless you have a hump, you can mix and match jacket and pants.  Before going custom, take a nice 400 mile overnight ride to Gilbert, AZ to visit the guys at www.adventuremotorcyclegear.com.  Give them a call to make sure they have the garment you're interested in first.  Then try it in person.  One thing about Rukka's sizing is that they run on the long side.  Longer inseams, sleeves and torso in other words. At least the SRO was this way.  The Armas, my 2nd choice at the time, was a great looking piece of gear.

[expatbrit]

Actually, unless you have a hump, you can mix and match jacket and pants.  Before going custom, take a nice 400 mile overnight ride to Gilbert, AZ to visit the guys at www.adventuremotorcyclegear.com.  Give them a call to make sure they have the garment you're interested in first.  Then try it in person.  One thing about Rukka's sizing is that they run on the long side.  Longer inseams, sleeves and torso in other words. At least the SRO was this way.  The Armas, my 2nd choice at the time, was a great looking piece of gear.

I talked to the Rukka folks at Trophy Cycles, and they said they can't fit me. Aerostitch can't modify enough to fit.

It sucks being a mutant.

[Hotbrakes]

Update!

Got a set of BMW Rallye 2 Pro jacket/pants on eBay for $400 and it came today on the brown sleigh.  Initial impression is good.  Lots of vents, very comfortable yet heavy duty material.  Fit was questionable for my build on the BMW size chart (6' 220lbs) but it fits like a good pair of pajamas.  My girlfriend has Rallye 2 Pro pants that have held up very well in two crashes.  Only complaint is the liner system for waterproofing.  But at least it's only one liner for water and cold so I'm not stuck with a saddlebag or closet full of mismatched liners to sort through.  

The Klim pants proved to be very comfortable and versatile and I've put over 1000 miles on them in the last week.  No rain test though.  I will likely sell them though and live with the liner of the R2P to recoup some of that cost.  Good pants though.

[Hotbrakes]

And a last minute decision to visit the local Bimmer shop for their holiday extravaganza netted the unexpected purchase of a Klim Latitude jacket.  They just picked up the brand and had a few sizes to try on, and 15% off!  Much to the wife's dismay of our ever growing closet, I made endless promises to sell all the gear come spring cause this should be exactly what I need.  Sturdy and well made, guaranteed waterproofing, no liners, no bs riding gear.  The material is very stiff as well which should allow adequate air circulation in hot weather with the vents open.

The Rallye 2 Pro gear has been great for summer riding but has no wind blocking except with the liners in.  With the liners in there's not much room to layer up for sub 40 with darkness or cloudy skies.  The outer shell just doesn't block the wind as an outer shell should.  And a few times I've opted for wetness in lieu of stopping and undressing in some dirty gas station bathroom to insert liners.  Very stylish and comfortable above 40 degrees though.

[frzp]

For pants and jacket I like the Kathmandu by First Gear.

With the liner(s) I ride comfortably (for about an hour) at 15F.  Below that my wife says I cannot ride.

Without liner, all vents open, and dressed appropriatly it is comfortable up to around 95F.  Above that mesh pants and jacket all the way.