Jackets Mesh Jackets

Gunner,

I have worn a FieldSheer mesh suit for the last four seasons. Folks think they know hot, well, D.C. was built on a swamp. Normal here is 95+ and humidity like Brazil.

I remain comfy, with the body armor and all. Two-piece suit, have washed it twice a season. Love it.

When I need to replace it, I will take a long look at FieldSheer and Olympia -- both make very good mesh suits.

RiderBud
 
mesh saved my skin on a 58 mph get off when a deer ran in to the back of my bike , not a scratch , few other problems but the mesh works , i wore it in 90+ degree weather . i had a cortech mesh with leather
 
Mellow said:
The key for a non-mesh jacket is to open the cuffs up or, if it has them, shoulder vents.. The stitchs have long under arm vents.

Anyway.. for me, with the cuffs open a little then my hands out on the bars, the air is forced through the arms and fill up the jacket w/moving air.. since you're sweating.. that feels very good. With mesh, you don't get that air movement.. it just goes in and out of the jacket via path of least resistance.
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Joe, do you actually get a lot of air on your hands and arms?
 
bmcdonau said:
Joe, do you actually get a lot of air on your hands and arms?
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I can put my palms on the bar ends and it will scoop up air pretty good.

If I need a turbo boost, I'll hold my hand out in the air stream and get a nice shot of cool air..

I don't get much just in the normal riding position but coming off the wing, it feels like a tornado behind the screen vs the barn door.. LOL
 
Mark said:
:confused: What are you basing your theory on?

I live in a desert, when I wear mesh I can get so cold I shiver.
So I have empirical data that says a wet vest under a mesh jacket works very well.

Wind goes through mesh, water evaporates chilling what is left.
You're what's left...
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While not living in a desert I regularly cross the central valley during triple digits. Yes wetting down under a mesh outer garment will cool you down but for how long?

I can consistently get a couple hours out of my cooling vest wearing Olympia vented summer jacket and almost as long with a perfed front with vents leather jacket. Other riders in the group with just mesh dry out sooner and end up dehydrated.

Guess it all depends on how long between stops you want/need to go.

If you flip your windshield brackets your shield drops another 3" giving you a bit more air flow when all the way down.
 
Mellow said:
I can put my palms on the bar ends and it will scoop up air pretty good.

If I need a turbo boost, I'll hold my hand out in the air stream and get a nice shot of cool air..

I don't get much just in the normal riding position but coming off the wing, it feels like a tornado behind the screen vs the barn door.. LOL
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking--I don't feel any wind on my arms or hands unless I do something to scoop up some air. I have a clearview large GT and I don't get any air below my shoulders. I guess I could put the stock screen back on in the summer.

We went riding last weekend with a couple who were on a Wing--we were on my Dyna and although we were hot, they were toasted by 2 pm. I guess there is next to no air flow without Baker wings or something like them.
 
I always thought mesh to be adequate protection in the past. Now I've tested mesh at 50-55 on ragged textured blacktop. All the parts of the jacket and pants which burned through were in mesh areas. If I'd slid longer I'd have a good number of rashed body parts rather than just one. The 1680 denier balistic solid stuff on shoulders back and elbows held up adequately, the 600 mesh did not (pants or jacket). Not huge gaping rips, just a good number of holes all the way through. The one rashed part the jacket melted into my arm in addition to holing all the way through. It's healing fine, but that was a bit bizzar and underapreciated.

I'll be springing for the Motoport Kevlar Mesh to replace it. a jacket/pants with torn completely through holes isn't good enough protection for me personally. While I never wanted to spend that much on jacket and pants in the past (especially when it's times 2 as needing one for the other half as well), I can see the need now though. The 7 year guarantee and ability to repair and alter for weight changes is a plus as well. My wife's bike hardly cost more than the gear for both of us will, sigh.
 
Carl_T said:
I always thought mesh to be adequate protection in the past. Now I've tested mesh at 50-55 on ragged textured blacktop. All the parts of the jacket and pants which burned through were in mesh areas. If I'd slid longer I'd have a good number of rashed body parts rather than just one. The 1680 denier balistic solid stuff on shoulders back and elbows held up adequately, the 600 mesh did not (pants or jacket). Not huge gaping rips, just a good number of holes all the way through. The one rashed part the jacket melted into my arm in addition to holing all the way through. It's healing fine, but that was a bit bizzar and underapreciated.

I'll be springing for the Motoport Kevlar Mesh to replace it. a jacket/pants with torn completely through holes isn't good enough protection for me personally. While I never wanted to spend that much on jacket and pants in the past (especially when it's times 2 as needing one for the other half as well), I can see the need now though. The 7 year guarantee and ability to repair and alter for weight changes is a plus as well. My wife's bike hardly cost more than the gear for both of us will, sigh.
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Carl,
What brand mesh was it that you "tested"? IT'd be good to know. I have some fieldsheer mesh pants that don't have the same density of weave that my firstgear pullover jacket has. It's always been something that I thought of.

Tim
 
vnsfxr said:
While not living in a desert I regularly cross the central valley during triple digits. Yes wetting down under a mesh outer garment will cool you down but for how long?

I can consistently get a couple hours out of my cooling vest wearing Olympia vented summer jacket and almost as long with a perfed front with vents leather jacket. Other riders in the group with just mesh dry out sooner and end up dehydrated.

Guess it all depends on how long between stops you want/need to go.

If you flip your windshield brackets your shield drops another 3" giving you a bit more air flow when all the way down.
Click to expand...

You're correct on the thin wet vests... 2 hours max.
The miracool vest stays wet for 3 days... I haven't been able to ride that long without at least a 30 minute break (all the time the vest needs to recharge). :)
I'll stick to my motoport air mesh and miracool wet vest...

Mark
P.S.
no windshield brackets on an ST1100 to flip
 
A couple of other things to consider about Motoport's gear:
1. They have holes in the armor, so despite have armor covering over 60% of your body, their products actually keep you cooler (and certainly less wet) than most other mesh products.
2. Having spent alot of my riding time in body-fit leather, I was always feeling anxious everytime I wore mesh (Fieldsheer and Cortex) as the mesh products never fit me tight and I was afraid the one time I needed the armor it was not going to be in exactly the place I needed it. The Motoport gear fits me as well as my leathers and I feel much safer.

I wish there was something comparable to Motorport's gear at half the price, but I have not found any yet. Since I own an ST, I do not need to be spending much money on the bike, so I save my pennies for my gear.
 
Thanks to everyone for their input.

I'm considering the Motoport Air Mesh Kevlar Jacket and the Air Mesh Kevlar Street Jeans. The web site says this can be year round gear with the two part Aero-Tex Liner.

I can't do the overpants. I have a friend that has a pair and with that big flap in the front I think it looks like a diaper.

I found these web pages dicussing Motorport:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/motoport/

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154671

Where is Motoport located? I'm going to have to see and feel the gear before I buy something that's so expensive, custom made and not returnable.

Steve
 
They are in San Diego (the thread you posted has this info).

I'd catch up with some on it Texas that has a suit made of the material you're interested in to save the ride...

We have the Air Mesh (with the front flap!!! :)) if you want to ride over and see it...

Mark
 
Tim,
It was a Tourmaster Intake jacket zipped to a pair of Cortech mesh/leather pants.

The armor parts did fine, it was the mesh that sucked. I like Tourmaster's stuff in general, but I'm done trying to get away with poly mesh stuff. If you need better just one time, it's important to have it on you that time you need it.
 
Apparently, in some cases staying cool isn't always worth the risk of losing the abrasion protection which is the prime directive of ATGATT.

So there is a trade-off when wearing jackets made from any material that is nylon based, it will melt when subject to high enough friction heat.

That doesn't mean that some aren't better than others, but I read a fairly interesting review here and if you can afford it, it would seem to be a really good argument for kevlar.
 
Something to remember about the Motoport gear... not only do you get the Kevlar protection... but you get chest, elbow, shoulder, and back armour to protect you... and it vents :bow1:

No it isn't cheap, but sometimes you do have to pay for what you get... and you get great protection with this gear ;)
 
Mellow said:
The key for a non-mesh jacket is to open the cuffs up or, if it has them, shoulder vents.. The stitchs have long under arm vents.

Anyway.. for me, with the cuffs open a little then my hands out on the bars, the air is forced through the arms and fill up the jacket w/moving air.. since you're sweating.. that feels very good. With mesh, you don't get that air movement.. it just goes in and out of the jacket via path of least resistance.
Click to expand...

If you crash without the cuffs tightened you WILL lose most of the skin off your arms... the sleeves will ride up past your elbows and the protection pads will not stay in place... San Diego Burn center does good skin grafts though, so no worries. Ask my brother.

I had a Joe Rocket mesh... didn't like it. Now a Tourmaster Intake mesh with rain liner and quilted liner... the rain liner is WATERPROOF! I seldom ride with just the mesh... I do feel a little exposed but I'm not willing to test it for you Gunnar
 
If you're pants have what I would call hockey shin guards, you won't really feel the heat. I went through Brawley, CA at 113 with every zipper open and my T-shirt was wet, but it never felt like Vietnam.
Full armor even in the heat. My SPIDI jacket cost over $500 and I don't wear it to the store. I do have a KIA, Charlie Ratte, who died in a front on crash. It was my 305 Honda Superhawk, I'd bought it on the sly.
When I saw what was go'ing to happen, I jumped straight up. Charlie landed next to me and I saw him die. It was like a thermomenter as he passed.
Years later, I saw the same in wounded on the back of my tank.

I've strayed off subject, sorry

John
 
This is my third year of using the Motoport over pants and short jacket, I like it. I wear it on the ST as well as when dual sport touring. Riding down the road, it's like you are wearing nothing, stopped it's hot though- probably nearly as hot as non-mesh gear. And this stuff is tough. I have had a couple of minor get offs on the XR650L and the jacket doesn't even show it. My Kilimanjaro has some scuff marks from similar encounters. But, if I was ordering today, I would order a little differently.

I ordered over pants since I commute on the bike. I can wear shorts or jeans underneath without the need to change clothes when I get to work. But, this means the pants are bulky, even more so since I fitted them to allow the liners. I would go with regular pants and a jacket fitted without the liners, and for the 3 months of summer we have here, just change when I get to work.

The liners do add a great deal of warmth as well as make the gear waterproof, so this probably could be a 3 season suit. But they are bulky to carry along. And if you encounter rain, you have to stop, take off the gear, put in the liners and put everything back on. It's much easier to slip on a rain suit by the side of the road.

My preferred summer riding set up with the Motoport suit is to take my Gerbing gear, with a rain suit. Use the Gerbing if it's cool, plug it in if its cold, put on the rain suit if it's really cold. Slip on the rain suit if it looks like rain.

I also took out the chest and back pads. They blocked a good deal of air flow. I believe the chest protection to be overkill for me. The back pad wasn't as easy a decision- I take it out if I will see temps over 90, but leave it in for lesser temps. My choice, you may feel differently.

If this stuff ever wears out, and I'm not sure it will, I will order another set.
 
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