Author Topic: Hot weather riding.. jacket or no (Read 9257 times)

chippi · « **on:** June 09, 2005, 01:53:30 PM »

Hey all!! Got a question for anyone that wants to chime in.
It is getting pretty hot and humid. Past couple of days my 3/4 length riding coat is just too warm. Even an hour on the superslab with the AC set at uhm 90 I was soaked.
(I know, I know an hour on the superslab

but it was late in the day and dinner was on the table)
Anyway in my cruiser days we would dump the leather coats for T-shirts and vest as soon as possible. After Upgrading the the B12 the leather coat just didn't go (I'm tooo cool for the old leather). So I moved into the high tech, PADDED, waterproof good venting bla bla. I was further convinced this was a good purchase after taking an advance riding course that got me thinking safety safety safety. BUT NOOOOW it is too hot to keep the coat on. After preaching the safety of the new coat to the banker/wife I feel silly to say "It's too hot, I'll go without it". Becuase she comes back with the what about the all so important PADDING?

HOT WEATHER RIDING: WEAR MESH PADDED JACKET or T-SHIRT?

PeteSC · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2005, 02:16:53 PM »

Mesh jacket, if you have one.
Worse comes to worse, any light jacket is better than just wearing a t-shirt.
Whatever additional layer of material you add over the t shirt, helps.
In a minor slide, even a light, non-motorcycle jacket helps a bit.
Plus...you have bugs, flying gravel and sand to deal with on bare arms.
If you're going to ride at 'highway' speeds, it's not worth it....

Red01 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 09, 2005, 07:33:04 PM »

Yup, I agree with Pete, Mesh Jacket time.
I don't find mine, a Joe Rocket Alter Ego, to be any hotter than just going in a T-shirt, though I don't get a lot of >95* weather around here. And with a wet T-shirt underneath the jacket, actually cooler.

chippi · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2005, 09:53:07 PM »

Guys
Trying to explain my new philosophy on safe riding to the group was starting to make me feel like a stuffy old old dude with no sense of adventure.

Paul... I like the new avitar. Were is that ( want to make sure to stay out of that town)

P.S. I just spent a year in the Tacoma area love your roads!!!

Red01 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2005, 10:23:14 PM »

I don't know... the pic is in the avatar gallery.
UK maybe?

KoolDawg6 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 10, 2005, 12:47:15 AM »

I'm not only a new member, but a new rider as well. I have only ridden a few times in mid april here in VA where it was in the 70's and sunny. I took a spill and bent my frame and just the other day got a donor bike for the rebuild. Anyhow I have the Moto GP 3-in-1 mesh jacket. It has the quilted inner liner, rain jacket liner and then the padded mesh on the outside. I wore nothing but a t shirt underneath it and from time to time was chilly at 65-70mph. I have always had the thought of wearing good safety gear as soon as I decided to get a bike. It gets hot here in VA the next several months with temps in the 90's and humidity to match, BUT I'd rather sweat a bit than trade skin with the asphalt anyday!!! My other gear consists of Scorpion EX0-700 helmet(only one I've owned, but love it), mesh/vented gloves. I was wearing Timberland steel toe boots, but after my spill I will be looking into the more race inspired all black boots for the added protection.

dsartwell1 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2005, 12:18:13 AM »

No matter how hot it is, I always wear my JR riding jacket(padded-textile) gloves and helmet. After reading some posts about textile riding up during a spill, I'm looking for a well vented leather I can use for at least most of the season without being too uncomfortable. Sweat does exactly what it is supposed to! Get a little sweaty and get moving and all is good. Small price to pay. If I lived in the South I would be looking into perf leather instead of vented solid. That damn asphalt is hard.

aussiebandit · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2005, 06:50:04 AM »

It may be getting hot for you guys, but downunder it's SKI SEASON.

The mesh jackets, vented gloves and hydrapacks have made way for thermal underware, lined jackets, wool socks, thick gloves, neck socks/balaclavas and dreams of Hydrapacks capable of holding HOT coffee.

Tundrahog · « **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2005, 11:19:43 PM »

I'm thinking mesh jacket. I've never ridden with one, but they look like just the ticket. It was in the high 80's-low 90's all week, so I've started looking. Newenough.com has a couple on closeout for about $70.

chippi · « **Reply #9 on:** June 12, 2005, 09:01:56 PM »

Bike Week in Lake George

Found a pretty good deal on some mesh jackets and made the plunge. It was in the upper 80s and HUMID (got a couple of thundershowers). The jackets are awsome. Beleave me I was still hot but when we stopped, wipping off my jacket was not the first thing I thought to do. On a couple of stops I left it on while watching the sunburns on my friends start to peal. Found a Jacket from First Racing that was under $100 in store. padding sewn into the jacket and removeable padding on the inside. Also picked out one from OSC added another $30 but this one comes with a long sleeve liner ( and it's not the same as my riding buddy

he like the First Racing one so much he bought the same one). Wife was looking at the OSC but looked beter in the Joe Rocket, everyone does, well maybe not everyone.
All of my main group is now riding with the mesh jackets.

Banditboy600 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2005, 10:25:41 PM »

Just got back from Lake George. Rode up in the leather Teknic, it was great that ride up, great at night, but too hot for the day, ended up not wearing a jacket at all. Wished I had my mesh jacket, but how many jackets can you carry? Soemtimes it is too cold for the mesh.

Red01 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2005, 12:39:08 AM »

Quote from: "Banditboy600"

Wished I had my mesh jacket, but how many jackets can you carry? Soemtimes it is too cold for the mesh.

That's the beauty of the Joe Rocket Alter Ego and others like it (Teknic Spider, I think is one). You can zip it down from a normal riding jacket to a mesh jacket. With the JR version, they even give you a lightweight backpack to stuff the rain liner and removable panel in and the pack stores in the jacket when not in use.

B6Matt · « **Reply #12 on:** July 01, 2005, 04:30:39 PM »

Interesting little tale about a guy who hopped on the bike for a local errand. Sounds like gear saved his arse.

FZ1 Crash

Makes you wonder about the idiots who don't wear helmets -- sounds like his helmet saved his noggin. I'm spending some time in Ohio, where helmets are optional, and it just gives me the willeys watching people riding m/c without helmets.

chippi · « **Reply #13 on:** July 01, 2005, 05:14:06 PM »

I'm sure we all hate to hear when somebody goes down. Even worse, this crash happened in my neck of the woods.

Big cheer for the right gear

fartndust · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2005, 08:15:56 PM »

Sometimes I let out an audible moan as I put on my jacket in the low 90's outside temperature

(Did I do that out loud?)
But once I'm at highway speed it's not nearly as uncomfortable. I ride off rode alot (ATV) and insist that the family wear ALL the riding gear (pants/long sleeve jersey/boots/gloves) regardless as to the temperature level. I've crashed many times on the MX track and I can deal with the bruises and sprains much better without the open wounds associated with Road Rash.
I see guys riding in shorts and tennis shoes with a tank top...more power to ya if you have the gnads...I just want to recover as quicky as possible from a wreck and get back out there. I can't anticipate when I'm going to go down (unlike Monika

) so I want to be "dressed for the occasion"