I like the First Gear stuff for the tall sizes. Bought a pair of the semi-mesh pants 3 years ago and still going strong. No suspenders on.my model.
Back from the store. I need to cut out the beer and go on a diet.... Wait, that is crazy talk.... I'm going with the fact that their sizes are off and I need to go with a larger size than what I would normally go with. Yeah that is it. I tried on a 38 which fit but the expansion tabs were out all the way. This was over jeans. That was the largest they had in Kathmando but they had a 40 Tall in another model so assuming their sizes are consistent I tried that. They fit better in the waist but seemed a little long in the legs actually. Hmm They didn't have a 40 in any of the Fisrtgear but they did have a 40 Short to compare. That was a little short as I would expect so I think a regular 40 might do the trick if I went that route.
I liked them overall but still not sure of the color. They have pockets, pass through pockets, the hook for the waist line, better quality (YKK) zippers, D3O T5 CE Armor, Venting and detachable suspenders with a mesh back so they won't be too hot in the summer. The color though.....
I wish they had straight black. They call the color Dark Grey and Black but it is more of a silver. I guess it would match the bike as I ride the 03 most of the time. Here is the jacket that I have. Tourmaster Sonora
Since they also had the Sonora in stock still I put them side by side. I guess I could live with it if I went that route.
I asked about Olympia but they didn't have any.
They didn't have the Alpinestar I was looking for but they had a very limited supply of other models. None of which fit.
Sennister, look at the age and condition of all your other riding gear. I really didn't have the money for my Aerostich, and I only needed pants due to a problem with my old pair. I got to looking- my jacket was 10 years old and while still mostly water resistant, had lost most of its waterproof qualities. My rain gear was several years old, and would soon need replacing due to using it a lot...in fact, a lot more since my old jacket wasn't as waterproof as it used to be. Adding up new pants, a new jacket soon, and new rain gear...I would be spending nearly as much as the Stich (which I found discounted from Aerostich...it was used for a photo shoot), and who knows when my current gear would fail? If the jacket zipper decided to give out while in the middle of a trip, I would really be hating life. As it was, the pants gave out the night before a 24-hour rally, requiring a temp fix and putting me in a stressed frame of mind for the rally.
I have thought about that.
The Sonora Jacket is 2 seasons old now. The only issue is I broke the main zipper pull but I made a new one and like it better than the original as it is longer and easier to grab with gloves. I have a Firstgear rain suit that is in good condition as it doesn't get used all that much which I am happy with. Most of the time I just say the heck with it and deal with the rain liners or it is warm out and I am commuting home so I don't care if I get a little wet. The only place I was getting wet last season was my feet as my boots were in pretty rough shape. Those were replaced with Combat Lites last year and my feet have been dry since then even though they are not WP. Stich is just down the road from me so it isn't hard to run up there plus they give a discount for buying in the store. If I could transfer the credit to Stich I would do that, bust out the plastic and order up a Roadcrafter suit. That isn't the case though so if I can get a new set of pants for under $100 out of pocket I might as well do that. Even if I get a Stich later it would be good to have a spare jacket/pants should I need to send the Stich in for some work. Kind of like the issue you ran into with needing something right before a rally.
As I have mentioned I have had zipper issues with Tourmaster so I am not going that route and it is why a quality zipper is on my list. I retired my Joe Rocket pants because the leg zipper blew out like the Tourmaster but they lasted many years so I wasn't mad about it. The Jacket also had zipper issues but limited to the pockets so it wasn't the end of the world. That is the thing I like about Stich. Being they make everything in house, zipper issues can be resolved easier than what I have been facing.
Since Revzilla has a good return policy I am debating right now. I could order the Olympia and check it out if I don't like it, swap it with the Firstgear. The good news is that I have time. We have an inch of ice on the road and driveway still from the winter. Bike is tore apart doing spring maintenance and I don't ride the 1100 much till it is warmer out.