textile

Selling Used Dainese New Drake Air Women's Pants MD/44

dainese_newdrake_womens_used 4 (1) UPDATE 6/1: SOLD! that was fast. :)

Gotta clean out the closet! I have these Dainese pants that are simply way too big for me now. Check out my eBay Auction here and get a really good deal on one of the best fitting pairs of women's motorcycle pants on the market.

Went out for a quick 150 mile ride yesterday

triumph_street_speed_triple_scorpion_zion Went for a quick 150 mile ride to Northern PA the other day for ice cream!

We used this ride route that I put together, but only did half of it since we didn't leave early enough. So we made it to just below Bangor, PA and then headed East towards the Delaware River heading south on 32.

On the way we stopped for ice cream at Homestead Coffee Roasters. Yum! They also have a small lunch menu, ice cream and misc snacks. There's also a nice patio out back to sit and enjoy your scoops. Oh yes, we're also both testing out new helmets! He got this special edition Bell Star Carbon and I picked up a Shoei RF-1200 'Graffiti' (LOVE this helmet).

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I don't know why the man looks unhappy posing in front (it's also called the General Store), but he puts up a good front because we had a great time that afternoon.

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And along the way down 32, we found this cute bridge to take a couple pics on.

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The weather was perfect, high 70s for the most part. Not hot, not cold, just right. I'm testing the Scorpion Zion jacket for WRN and it worked well that day. A full review will be coming soon, so stay tuned.

 

 

Scorpion Zion Adventure Touring Jacket

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Over the next few weeks I'll be reviewing the Scorpion Zion Touring Jacket. This $299 jacket from Scorpion is a multiseason, multilayered jacket that offers you flexibility in various climates. With 2 removable liners (one waterproof, one thermal) you can go from hot to cold temperatures easily by adjusting your layering and closing or opening your vents.

It also has a rather long adventure style cut, with a slightly longer sleeve length and elongated torso. If you're searching for a jill of all trades outfit to take you from spring to summer to fall, this suit might just do it. Although I'm only testing the jacket I'm sure the pants will perform in the same way.  I'm actually fitting into an XS, although I've dropped a few pounds these past couple of months. I'm down to 125-127lbs from 135-140lbs, and was worried the XS might be too big. But the fit is actually perfect for my broader shoulders and freakishly long arms (for someone 5'3").

 

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Stay tuned for a detailed, full length review exclusively on Women Riders Now.

New Women's Motorcycle Jacket from Aether Apparel

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It's always great when new gear comes out for us, isn't it? This time it's from a more fashion based, motorcycle "inspired" company. The Aether Apparel Horizon jacket is $595 and is available in 3 different colors up to a size XL (~44" chest). 

I'm always skeptical of these sorts of companies (fashion based) making riding gear, because riding gear requires a certain fit that isn't easy to figure out. Especially when you add women's bodies into the mix. I want to say that this jacket was launched recently as of this week from Aether, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

This jacket has a built in waterproof membrane and a couple of vents which I'm going to guess doesn't allow for direct ventilation (which allows the air to flow directly to your body and isn't blocked by a membrane like the Klim Altitude). It also features full D3O body armor in the back, elbow and shoulders, so you know it offers some real protection.

However, I still question why the Horizon is so expensive, given the lack of technical features such as direct vents, a connection zipper for riding pants or a removable thermal liner. Not to mention the multiple seams running down each arm, which can make them more vulnerable in a crash. Perhaps they're using an advanced construction technique that I'm not aware of, I have no idea.

There aren't very many truly stylish, fashionable jackets that have the technical features many of us want and need out there, so it's definitely awesome when we get something else to choose from. Looking at this jacket, it competes with something like this Dainese Elysee D Dry which doesn't offer the extra vents, but it costs $200 less. Besides $150 worth of body armor, what else do you get for almost $600?

Either way, I just hope that this really works the way it should be intended; crashing, not modeling.