- $$$
- Where to Buy: Vanson.com
The pic on the left is of the Vanson Night Falcon Textile. I don't
have the exact same model, but I have another model that I absolutely love.
Sadly it doesn't fit me as well as I'd like it to but I love it too
much to get rid of it!
I think my jacket would be best if you have a small waist and a
larger chest.
My jacket is a small, but unfortunately I don't have enough up top to
fill out the front of the jacket. I've lost about 10 pounds since
buying this jacket, so it's fitting a little looser than I'd like.
Luckily the armor positions haven't been compromised so I'm still able
to wear this jacket. I also think if you were a size 6-8 on top, this
would fit really well (size small). Vanson's sizing goes up to XXXL and
Size 20 in women's in some of their styles as well.
If you lose weight, keep in mind that it's important for your armor to
maintain the right position. They shouldn't move around or shift from
your 'anchor' points such as your elbows/shoulders. You may want to
take your gear to a local gear retailer and have them check your gear to
make sure it's still fitting you properly if you've lost a considerable
amount of weight.
Something else that I really like about my
Vanson is the material itself. It's definitely one of the most dense
textiles I've seen made in a motorcycle jacket. It reminds me of
something like Kevlar. I think it would be far more abrasion resistent
than another textile jacket. Luckily I've not had the chance to test
this theory. I hope I don't have to!
Edit: I forgot to
mention that in June of 2007, I had to test this theory out. I went down
on at ~20 mph and slid briefly after scaffolding broke my initial fall.
I had nothing but a light scuff on the right shoulder/elbow. Thanks to
Vanson and TPro Armor!
Vanson also sells a liner that can be added
to any of their jackets, called the Streamliner. It's a convertible
vest with removable sleeves and snaps into all their jackets.
Unfortunately this is an additional expense, in addition to armor.
Their jackets don't come with armor, as you have to purchase Vanson soft
or hard (CE rated) armor, or higher end armor like TPro. Also,
Vanson's don't have armor pockets sewn into the lining. Unless you take
your jacket to a good shop that knows how to fit the armor properly, you
may find it uncomfortable. You'll have to stick velcro to the back of
the armor and place it by feel by unzipping the access zipper at the
waist and then inserting the armor from the bottom. If you don't insert
the armor just right and then have it properly fitted it can dig into
your arms/shoulders and make for an uncomfortable ride. Especially if
you're considering TPro. I found that the TPro insertable armor is a
little wide for my girly shoulders. Unfortunately I think I may have to
revert back to hard vanson armor. This is one of the main reasons why I
don't wear it everyday. (besides that it's not very warm since it's a
little too big). But I love it too much to let it go!