treemuncher
Vegetation Terrorist
Olympia Motor Sports All Season Touring Jacket
The wife and I finally received our new OMS AST jackets in blinding neon safety yellow. Thanks to the ineptitude of my FedEx delivery driver, the package arrived a week later than it was supposed to. FedEx's fault, not OMS's. Everything arrived in good condition new from the OMS warehouse.
We purchased the jackets from Tellico Motorcycle Outfitters www.tellicomoto.com (Mike) in Tellico Plains, TN. 423-253-2088 His prices are excellent (quoted 15% off of list) and so is his service. We tried on other OMS jackets to determine our sizes (colors wanted were not in stock that day), paid for the merchandise and had it drop shipped to us. We will be back to visit him in the better weather as he is a short ride from "The Tail of the Dragon". What beautiful scenery down that way and a nice little town, too.
I read lots of reviews on this jacket before making the purchase. We were set on the Tourmaster Transition 2 but the long term backorder status made me reconsider. What is an extra $100 toward my life insurance (jacket) policy? You get what you pay for. If I go down, I want the highest possibility of a walk away get off. The AST is not very supple or pliable while new (hopefully it will break in), but it is obviously a jacket that will protect a rider from serious abuse during sudden deceleration trauma. Ask Mike about his customer?s testimonial of surviving a near fatal get off. Reportedly, the medical staff could not cut the injured rider out of his AST jacket due to the strength of the Cordura fabric and the rider is still using the same jacket.
The jackets are outstandingly bright and obnoxious. The only thing that could make it louder would be a built in air horn! This is just what I want so that we can be seen easily and ride safer. The finish of the jacket is very nice, down to the details of rubber covered exterior snaps to prevent marring the paint. Rubber covered pulls are on every zipper except for the bottom front zipper that is rarely used anyways. The reflective material surfaces are large compared to other jackets that we considered thus improving night time safety. Of course the jacket is also armored at the shoulders, elbows and back with CE approved materials. The jacket boasts 8 pockets but there are even more on the insulated liner jacket, which can be worn as a separate jacket, so that should total to 12 pockets! Five of these are exterior waterproof pockets. I guess I will need to set up my GPS to know what I?ve stored where with so many options to choose from!
Currently, riding is in the 50?s or lower in my locale, I?ve not had a chance to check out the ventilation system but it appears well designed. There is an external bottom rim vent (bottom inner edge of jacket) for moisture and air, rear shoulder exhaust vents, long and ample arm intakes and two chest intakes. The front has double zippers to adjust possible air intake there as well. Each front intake has an adjustable strap to control how much air is forced in. From all of the research I did before our purchase, this is a highly efficient ventilation system providing comfort well into the 80?s and maybe low 90?s if the humidity is not oppressive.
Our first real ride with these jackets were in partly cloudy conditions, fairly damp and temps from the low 40?s to low 50?s. Speeds ranged from 30-65 mph averaging 55 most of the time. The jacket liners were in place. We wore our Tourmaster Flex pants. She had her quilted pants liner and I rode with no liners in the pants. After an hour or so, we had to don vests to increase the heat. I thought these jackets would be warmer than this but then, this is my first riding in colder weather in 20 years or so. At highway speeds, the heat is still sucked off of you even with that liner jacket installed. The liner jacket is very light and thin. It is easily packable but not super warm. Layer until comfortable. Don?t depend on the jacket and liner alone for long rides at temps less than 50 degrees. Long underwear would have helped but this was a ride for evaluation and experimentation to see what works best for us to prepare for longer excursions.
We did not hit any rain this ride. The shell is built to be waterproof and the waterproof design looks to be well thought out. There was no moisture condensation noted so the AST jacket system breathes well. Comparatively, my mesh jacket?s liner does not breath at all and creates moisture problems which then leads to a cold ride. The AST prevails in these colder conditions as the moisture is removed promptly.
The jackets are new and still very stiff. The cut is comfortable in the riding position and the 3/4 length provides much more comfort than my mesh ? length jacket ever could. One complaint is that the AST zipper is smaller than the Tourmaster zipper so the jacket won?t zip together to the pants without stitching an adapter in place. Adapters were provided so that can be fixed in the future. The adjustable elbow straps keep the armor in proper position for comfort but the armor is not adjustable within the armor pockets. Overall riding comfort was stiff but very good once the insulation factor was increased to a comfortable level. With the added insulation, things are back to a rather bulky condition but that is what it takes to be comfortable in the cold at highway speeds.
My one major complaint about the jacket is the collar on the shell. It is neoprene lined in some areas which is great, but not all of it is lined across the front. I had an excessive amount of chaffing on my neck during our ride and I lost much of my upward neck pivot ability due to the stiffness of the fabric. I don?t want to have to wear a dickey or other neck cover to ride comfortably, especially in the summer.
The other complaint is the liner. It should be secured within the shell better than it is and it should have better cuffs. There is one small Velcro tab at each sleeve cuff, one small Velcro tab behind the neck and two short zipper connections at the sides. This liner moves around too much and the tabs look like they could be ripped off easily if the Velcro is too strong. Compared to my ?El Cheepo? Himalaya mesh jacket which has 2 snaps per liner cuff and a full zip in liner, the AST jacket liner is too loose on the tie downs. A full zip in would secure it to the shell much better The cuffs on the liner jacket are also degrading to look at. There is no real cuff, just a thin ?? strip of elastic strip to keep it tight around the wrists, but it is more of a limp wristed attempt at closure as it does not grip very tightly. It does not have a finished look or feel on this part of the liner and you have to hold the liner in place to get out of it without pulling it off the cuff anchors even though the cuffs don?t grip tight. OMS should also sell different weights of liners. This was not very warm once we got into the mid 40?s. When I was a kid, if snow was not on the ground or forecasted, I rode my cycle to work as long as it was 20 degrees or above. I plan to ride the ST from the high 20?s and above so I need a jacket warm enough to do this with. I guess I will need to keep layering to compensate for the AST?s shortcomings when required.
My wife?s major complaint was the elbow armor position. She may have had the elbow strap too tight or the pockets may not line up properly for her build. Adjustable armor pockets, like those in the Tourmaster pants, would resolve these issues.
Other minor but nice features:
? The men?s and ladies? styles are just a little different on the color scheme so they are easy to tell apart. Less confusion in the closet.
? Internal cell phone pockets on the main jacket and liner jacket.
? Neoprene padding on the neck of the shell but not all of the way around where you need it. What is there is great and works well.
? Did I mention 12 different pockets?
? Large rear storage pocket ? fill with foam padding to increase the pillion?s back rest comfort!
My conclusion is that the jacket is well built but needs a few tweaks to make it right for me. The color is great, the fabric appears tough as nails and the ventilation system appears top notch and is keeping the condensation out during the cold rides. The sliding liner I can live with until something tears off. I can wear more layers to compensate for the thin liner. The irritating collar must be addressed immediately unless I want to drive distracted and short of comfort. Either Polarfleece or a Neoprene inner collar liner will likely be built to solve this situation.
Hopefully, I will never need to test the protective qualities of the AST jacket in a crash or get off situation. But, if I do, I am confident that I will be wearing some of the best life insurance that I can buy. I just wish I was armored when I was a kid out riding so much. I would not have as many scars to show. Pants, jacket, gloves, helmet; all can be a pain to wear but not as painful as not wearing them when needed. Remember, you get what you pay for. Riding may not be the best time to purchase the $50 helmet or $50 jacket. Proper equipment is cheaper than medical or funeral bills ? wear it and live to tell about it.
Thanks to Bones for his post that led me to Tellico Motorcycle Outfitters. Mike was great to deal with, had a great selection of Olympia clothing and offered a super price that beat all others that I found. We need to keep the small shops in business so support him when you can.
The wife and I finally received our new OMS AST jackets in blinding neon safety yellow. Thanks to the ineptitude of my FedEx delivery driver, the package arrived a week later than it was supposed to. FedEx's fault, not OMS's. Everything arrived in good condition new from the OMS warehouse.
We purchased the jackets from Tellico Motorcycle Outfitters www.tellicomoto.com (Mike) in Tellico Plains, TN. 423-253-2088 His prices are excellent (quoted 15% off of list) and so is his service. We tried on other OMS jackets to determine our sizes (colors wanted were not in stock that day), paid for the merchandise and had it drop shipped to us. We will be back to visit him in the better weather as he is a short ride from "The Tail of the Dragon". What beautiful scenery down that way and a nice little town, too.
I read lots of reviews on this jacket before making the purchase. We were set on the Tourmaster Transition 2 but the long term backorder status made me reconsider. What is an extra $100 toward my life insurance (jacket) policy? You get what you pay for. If I go down, I want the highest possibility of a walk away get off. The AST is not very supple or pliable while new (hopefully it will break in), but it is obviously a jacket that will protect a rider from serious abuse during sudden deceleration trauma. Ask Mike about his customer?s testimonial of surviving a near fatal get off. Reportedly, the medical staff could not cut the injured rider out of his AST jacket due to the strength of the Cordura fabric and the rider is still using the same jacket.
The jackets are outstandingly bright and obnoxious. The only thing that could make it louder would be a built in air horn! This is just what I want so that we can be seen easily and ride safer. The finish of the jacket is very nice, down to the details of rubber covered exterior snaps to prevent marring the paint. Rubber covered pulls are on every zipper except for the bottom front zipper that is rarely used anyways. The reflective material surfaces are large compared to other jackets that we considered thus improving night time safety. Of course the jacket is also armored at the shoulders, elbows and back with CE approved materials. The jacket boasts 8 pockets but there are even more on the insulated liner jacket, which can be worn as a separate jacket, so that should total to 12 pockets! Five of these are exterior waterproof pockets. I guess I will need to set up my GPS to know what I?ve stored where with so many options to choose from!
Currently, riding is in the 50?s or lower in my locale, I?ve not had a chance to check out the ventilation system but it appears well designed. There is an external bottom rim vent (bottom inner edge of jacket) for moisture and air, rear shoulder exhaust vents, long and ample arm intakes and two chest intakes. The front has double zippers to adjust possible air intake there as well. Each front intake has an adjustable strap to control how much air is forced in. From all of the research I did before our purchase, this is a highly efficient ventilation system providing comfort well into the 80?s and maybe low 90?s if the humidity is not oppressive.
Our first real ride with these jackets were in partly cloudy conditions, fairly damp and temps from the low 40?s to low 50?s. Speeds ranged from 30-65 mph averaging 55 most of the time. The jacket liners were in place. We wore our Tourmaster Flex pants. She had her quilted pants liner and I rode with no liners in the pants. After an hour or so, we had to don vests to increase the heat. I thought these jackets would be warmer than this but then, this is my first riding in colder weather in 20 years or so. At highway speeds, the heat is still sucked off of you even with that liner jacket installed. The liner jacket is very light and thin. It is easily packable but not super warm. Layer until comfortable. Don?t depend on the jacket and liner alone for long rides at temps less than 50 degrees. Long underwear would have helped but this was a ride for evaluation and experimentation to see what works best for us to prepare for longer excursions.
We did not hit any rain this ride. The shell is built to be waterproof and the waterproof design looks to be well thought out. There was no moisture condensation noted so the AST jacket system breathes well. Comparatively, my mesh jacket?s liner does not breath at all and creates moisture problems which then leads to a cold ride. The AST prevails in these colder conditions as the moisture is removed promptly.
The jackets are new and still very stiff. The cut is comfortable in the riding position and the 3/4 length provides much more comfort than my mesh ? length jacket ever could. One complaint is that the AST zipper is smaller than the Tourmaster zipper so the jacket won?t zip together to the pants without stitching an adapter in place. Adapters were provided so that can be fixed in the future. The adjustable elbow straps keep the armor in proper position for comfort but the armor is not adjustable within the armor pockets. Overall riding comfort was stiff but very good once the insulation factor was increased to a comfortable level. With the added insulation, things are back to a rather bulky condition but that is what it takes to be comfortable in the cold at highway speeds.
My one major complaint about the jacket is the collar on the shell. It is neoprene lined in some areas which is great, but not all of it is lined across the front. I had an excessive amount of chaffing on my neck during our ride and I lost much of my upward neck pivot ability due to the stiffness of the fabric. I don?t want to have to wear a dickey or other neck cover to ride comfortably, especially in the summer.
The other complaint is the liner. It should be secured within the shell better than it is and it should have better cuffs. There is one small Velcro tab at each sleeve cuff, one small Velcro tab behind the neck and two short zipper connections at the sides. This liner moves around too much and the tabs look like they could be ripped off easily if the Velcro is too strong. Compared to my ?El Cheepo? Himalaya mesh jacket which has 2 snaps per liner cuff and a full zip in liner, the AST jacket liner is too loose on the tie downs. A full zip in would secure it to the shell much better The cuffs on the liner jacket are also degrading to look at. There is no real cuff, just a thin ?? strip of elastic strip to keep it tight around the wrists, but it is more of a limp wristed attempt at closure as it does not grip very tightly. It does not have a finished look or feel on this part of the liner and you have to hold the liner in place to get out of it without pulling it off the cuff anchors even though the cuffs don?t grip tight. OMS should also sell different weights of liners. This was not very warm once we got into the mid 40?s. When I was a kid, if snow was not on the ground or forecasted, I rode my cycle to work as long as it was 20 degrees or above. I plan to ride the ST from the high 20?s and above so I need a jacket warm enough to do this with. I guess I will need to keep layering to compensate for the AST?s shortcomings when required.
My wife?s major complaint was the elbow armor position. She may have had the elbow strap too tight or the pockets may not line up properly for her build. Adjustable armor pockets, like those in the Tourmaster pants, would resolve these issues.
Other minor but nice features:
? The men?s and ladies? styles are just a little different on the color scheme so they are easy to tell apart. Less confusion in the closet.
? Internal cell phone pockets on the main jacket and liner jacket.
? Neoprene padding on the neck of the shell but not all of the way around where you need it. What is there is great and works well.
? Did I mention 12 different pockets?
? Large rear storage pocket ? fill with foam padding to increase the pillion?s back rest comfort!
My conclusion is that the jacket is well built but needs a few tweaks to make it right for me. The color is great, the fabric appears tough as nails and the ventilation system appears top notch and is keeping the condensation out during the cold rides. The sliding liner I can live with until something tears off. I can wear more layers to compensate for the thin liner. The irritating collar must be addressed immediately unless I want to drive distracted and short of comfort. Either Polarfleece or a Neoprene inner collar liner will likely be built to solve this situation.
Hopefully, I will never need to test the protective qualities of the AST jacket in a crash or get off situation. But, if I do, I am confident that I will be wearing some of the best life insurance that I can buy. I just wish I was armored when I was a kid out riding so much. I would not have as many scars to show. Pants, jacket, gloves, helmet; all can be a pain to wear but not as painful as not wearing them when needed. Remember, you get what you pay for. Riding may not be the best time to purchase the $50 helmet or $50 jacket. Proper equipment is cheaper than medical or funeral bills ? wear it and live to tell about it.
Thanks to Bones for his post that led me to Tellico Motorcycle Outfitters. Mike was great to deal with, had a great selection of Olympia clothing and offered a super price that beat all others that I found. We need to keep the small shops in business so support him when you can.
