Mr. Mojo posed a good question on another thread, does the color of a mesh jacket make a significant difference in how hot you feel? Black vs. white? Anyone have experience/knowledge of the difference?
Jackets Mesh Jacket Color
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tlartist
Tom Laux
I went with the grey because black absorbs heat. Not sure if you did this experiment growing up but black definitely absorbs more heat than white.
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I picked RED 'cause it's faSTeST!
KScoTt
I've used both black and light grey... as long as you're moving, no significant difference. It's a different story once you stop...
Bones
Your Humble Scribe
Go for the breezy Power Ranger look with high viz mesh. 
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I had a black Tourmaster Mesh-Tex, now have a silver Joe Rocket Phoenix. The silver is always cooler when stopped, it makes no difference when moving. I got silver Pants, too.
Tour Master Intake Air Series 2 Jacket is now offered in HiViz
I've got bumble bee yellow. Or is it yellow jacket?
No way I'm cool looking.
Liner is inside mine. The liner is pretty much usless. I didn't take enough mechanical engineer courses to install it in a timely fashion.
If I get cold I just put on my YELLOW rain jacket over it.
No way I'm cool looking.
Liner is inside mine. The liner is pretty much usless. I didn't take enough mechanical engineer courses to install it in a timely fashion.
If I get cold I just put on my YELLOW rain jacket over it.
Blue STreak
Bob Meyer
Mine is white / gray / with some black. If the idea of mesh is to stay cool, getting a black one seems self-defeating. It probably won't matter too much while your moving, but if you're stuck in traffic I bet it will.
I have a black jacket cuz its the "coolest". I think its a Joe Rocket Santa Fe.
In my regular Tourmaster Courtec I'm just another Sport Touring ATTGATT geek.
In my BlacK Joe Rocket Mesh (with black pants, helmet, & gloves on a black ST11) I become...
The Black Knight... a legend in my own mind !:bow1:
And oh ya, traffic jams ? wasat ?
In my regular Tourmaster Courtec I'm just another Sport Touring ATTGATT geek.
In my BlacK Joe Rocket Mesh (with black pants, helmet, & gloves on a black ST11) I become...
The Black Knight... a legend in my own mind !:bow1:
And oh ya, traffic jams ? wasat ?
Imrubicon
Wannabe Squid
I have two Joe Rockets UFO and the black one is bad at a stop light in tx heat , Gray one is bad at a stop light in Tx heat but I think and it may be all in my head Gray is a little better in the light gray UFO . eitehr way stopping in 100 degree heat sucks .
I would not wear a jacket if it wasnt a mesh one .
I would not wear a jacket if it wasnt a mesh one .
Capt_Gruuvy
Stay-at-Home Astronaut
I have always preferred a color than either black or gray. Those do attract more heat and I know heat living here in the desert.
I use a First Gear Torrent Mesh in bright yellow. I have a bubble bee theme going with my jackets.
I use a First Gear Torrent Mesh in bright yellow. I have a bubble bee theme going with my jackets.
I just got a FirstGear HiViz mesh and it is bright and the sun doesn't seem to heat it up. NewEnough on sale for $85.00.
Sonny
Sonny
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
Anyone have a portable IR thermometer to try an experiment? Measure the temperature of a spot on your non-black mesh while riding, such as the top of your leg. Then cover that same spot with a patch of black thin fabric (black mesh would be best)--wait a minute and check it's temperature. It will show, with all ambient conditions being equal (sky opacity, temperature, wind speed, sun angle...), the black surface will be hotter than lighter colors, especially white.
But, will it be hotter under the layer(s) of black mesh than other colored mesh? Yes. But that amount may not be perceivable as long as there's some airflow under the mesh to keep a majority of the heat (energy) from transferring to the skin. However some energy will transfer, but how much? I don't have any data to illustrate.
Black exists as a 'color' because it absorbs all visible wavelengths of light, reflecting none. White reflects all visible wavelengths, and other colors reflect just their color's wavelength (or a couple color's wavelengths).
Heat is transferred in the infra-red wavelengths (which is a bit beyond the human eye's wavelength range), and acts similarly to what you can see in most materials.
The point is, black absorbs more energy... it stands to reason that black gear is going to be hotter. I used to ride with black mesh, but this spring changed to silver because silver absorbs less.
But, will it be hotter under the layer(s) of black mesh than other colored mesh? Yes. But that amount may not be perceivable as long as there's some airflow under the mesh to keep a majority of the heat (energy) from transferring to the skin. However some energy will transfer, but how much? I don't have any data to illustrate.
Black exists as a 'color' because it absorbs all visible wavelengths of light, reflecting none. White reflects all visible wavelengths, and other colors reflect just their color's wavelength (or a couple color's wavelengths).
Heat is transferred in the infra-red wavelengths (which is a bit beyond the human eye's wavelength range), and acts similarly to what you can see in most materials.
The point is, black absorbs more energy... it stands to reason that black gear is going to be hotter. I used to ride with black mesh, but this spring changed to silver because silver absorbs less.
I just take the jacket off put the rain liner on then put the jacket on over it. I don't bother zipping them together.
About 5 years ago or perhaps longer, Motorcycle Consumers News did a test using most of the brands, including First Gear Mesh Tex, Joe Rocket and others. I don't remember the details of the test but they put all the jackets in the sun for the same time measuring temperatures in the jackets at the start and at the end of the test period. The end result was that silver color was the coolest temperature at the end. I think blue was the next coolest but not sure.
indypup
Accidents HURT! Safety doesn't
I concur. Black is definitely hotter because of the above. I have a hiviz roadcrafter and a silver Fieldsheer.
Me too. I never connect the two. Can even put the liner on over the jacket if I want to.
I've never believed the colour made much of a difference with heat. Size or coarseness of the mesh does, and you have to be moving. However, safety is now primary, and it definitely is more confidence-inspriring wearing hi-viz yellow. You are never missed, and cage drivers are way more respectful. Tourmaster or Olympia..........