My Favorite Summer Motorcycle Jackets for Women

 

Summer is almost here, and living on the East Coast, I think I will have to consider something I never had to think about before, mesh textile gear.

I've ridden in plenty of hot, dry climates in California. All the way up to 100 degrees in my hybrid leather/textile jacket and pants. But with the added bonus of humidity, I don't think I'm going to survive unless I wear a mesh textile instead of leather. So here are a few ideas for jackets and pants that may help you (and me) this summer. Not only will they provide lots of breathability, but protection as well.

Dainese Airframe

The Airframe is Dainese's answer to the mesh jacket. A lean fit, perfect for longer arms/torso and narrower frames. I'm not a huge fan of how the textile and mesh are cut out on the chest but it's still one of my faves. The matching bottom to this jacket would be the hugely popular New Drake Airs. Although they're not all mesh, it is a very light, breathable, abrasion resistant fabric with large vents.

REV'IT Airwave

The Airwave suit is another kickass option for summer. This jacket fits a little more relaxed, not a full American fit but not as lean as the Dainese Airframe. I would say average, hourglass with roomier arms. The pants are cut as an overpant, with a full length zipper from crotch to ankle on both legs. The waist/hips are pretty generous too. Personally, I love the pants more than the jacket.

Olympia Switchback

The Switchback is Olympia's summer jacket, which also features a removable waterproof liner. This one probably has the most generous fit with broader shoulders and more room in the arms, but shorter sleeves. Olympia features a ton of reflective piping, so if you want the most visibility, you can't go wrong. The Airglide overpants pair with this jacket to make a great summer suit.

Alpinestars T-GP Plus Air

 

New for 2014, I *love* the way it fits. Not too tight, not too loose. Lots of breathability with the mesh panels. I just wish there weren't EIGHT logos! I understand the need for logos, but why 8? 2, 3, 4 isn't enough? Ugh, I would immediately buy this jacket but the numerous logos have me on the fence. The Oxygen Air Overpants are nice too, ventiled well but they don't offer full length zippers, just a gusset closure.

First Official Group Ride, Albeit Brief

woo hoo! Went on a short ride around the Philly airport after work today with my coworkers. So fun, even if it was short and chilly. LOVE my new bike.

Are these motorcycle pants going to fit?

How do you know if a pair of leather pants / gloves / boots or jacket is going to fit or stretch? 

This question gets asked often as well. How do I know how much more it's going to stretch? It's difficult to say, really. But I can tell you that for the most part, leather can and does stretch. Especially when it come to motorcycle gear.

I recently acquired an older Rev'it pant (Marryls, pictured above) because I found them on eBay and couldn't pass them up. They're the BEST leather women's motorcycle pants I've ever seen on women of varied shapes/sizes. It's sad that Rev'it discontinued them here, because they're absolutely incredible. Of course, you can still get the fabulous Gear 2's but if you want something all leather without venting, these were a great option.

As soon as I tried to get them on, they were definitely difficult to zip up. Like, couldn't.zip.up.at.all. Like many of us do, I gave up, took them off and hoped I could drop 10lbs by the time I bought a motorcycle.

The problem was that they fit everywhere else SO damn good. I mean Perfect. I admit, I like my gear SNUG. I don't want a saggy butt, or saggy waist, or saggy anything. And that's generally how you want your gear to fit, if you can. It's a lot like clothes, when you wear bigger sizes you simply look bigger. Of course, it's also directly tied to safety as the placement of your body armor needs to be close to the body and immoveable in case of an accident.

I eventually slid them on and as soon as I pulled them over my hips, the stretching process started. Slowly I was able to pull the zipper up all the way (after 2-3 minutes or so) and it started to immediately feel better. You can see in the pic above that I could barely button the top, because the flap is showing. This is why it's SO important for you to try leathers on for MORE than 30 seconds. Of course, don't forget those crucial baselayers to make the process even smoother.  Another 5 minutes later and the waist/hip started to feel more comfortable to where I could sit in a chair, lean forward and start typing. I was even able to button it on the tighter (inner) button at the waist.

I know they're not done, and I have more stretching to go. I'll probably get about ~half size of break in and then they'll be loose enough to hopefully wear my winter weight thermals. It's been almost an hour and they feel SO much better than when I first started.

So don't give up, just give it a few minutes.. maybe 30..

"Quiet" Motorcycle Helmets

Riding down Geary Boulevard in San Francisco back in 2013

I had a really difficult question this week emailed to me from a rider in Australia about which helmets are quieter, full face or modulars? 

Questions:

• What is the quietest full face flip top (modular)?
• What is the quietest full face?
• And are the flip top (modular) as quiet as the full face?

Answer:

Generally speaking, perceived noise levels will vary depending on the individual. Noise can be caused by many factors, including helmet fit; the type of motorcycle and windscreen; wind speed and direction and even the type of clothing that is being worn. Also assuming that you are wearing the correct size/fit for your head, this will also greatly affect perceived noise levels We also always recommend wearing high quality ear plugs to minimize wind noise as well. One of my favorite resources for an exceptionally large selection is Earplug Superstore.

That being said, I am thrilled to share my personal experience with you, as well as that of many of our customers with our most popular helmets for overall noise reduction.

Many will agree that Schuberth makes one of the quietest modulars (also commonly referred to as flip up) starting with their popular C3 Pro.

My old Shoei Qwest Goddess

Schuberth made the first modular helmet and they say that the C3 and C3Pro are the quietest models available. They have wind tunnel tested both of these models starting at “82db at 62 mph on an unfaired motorcycle”. If you search for reviews of these models, you will find many riders agree that the Schuberth helmets are very quiet, relative to other makes/models. I have a C3ProW (women’s specific model of the C3Pro) and can definitely tell a noticeable reduction in wind noise in comparison to the other two helmets I own, which are the Arai Vector-2 and Shoei Qwest. As a side note Shoei claims a 2.2db reduction in overall wind noise from it’s predecessor, the TZ-R. I definitely think my Qwest is quieter than my Vector-2.

Many will also argue that modulars are noisier than full face helmets. That is true with a few exceptions including Schuberth, who has mastered the design and engineering of their helmets to eliminate as much noise as possible. Since Schuberth introduced the C3 a couple years ago, there are more premium modulars that have been released since then to compete including the Shoei Neotec and HJC RPHA Max that also are trying to provide a quieter riding experience. However, if you compare something as premium as the C3Pro to a basic full face helmet at a <$100 price point then the C3Pro is very much quieter than that one.

Alternatively, if you compare the C3Pro to other premium, high end full face street helmets such as the Arai Defiant or Shoei RF-1200 which have both been designed to greatly minimize wind noise, you may find they all come somewhat close to each other. 

The Defiant and RF-1200 have been very popular models among riders who are seeking full face helmets that can greatly reduce wind noise levels. Since Schuberth greatly publicizes their perceived noise level in decibels, I think you can safely assume that the Schuberth models might be a hair quieter than it’s competitors. It’s difficult to say which one is the quietest, but these definitely fall into the ‘more quiet than others’ category.

You must also take into consideration the fairing / windscreen setup of your motorcycle. My bike has nothing, so even the quietest helmets will still be noisy because I have nothing in front of me. Depending on what kind of setup you have on your bike, that will certainly affect overall wind noise as well.

UPDATE 2016: 

Since this post, I've purchased a Shoei RF-1200 which I find to be almost as quiet as my Schuberth. However, I do think the windscreen on my old SV made a difference in reducing noise as well. My current Triumph has nothing!