Jackets Tourmaster Flex 3 Jacket

FrayAdjacent

Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
383
Location
Austin, TX
Bike
1995 ST1100
I think this will seriously be my next jacket.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/jackets_and_vests/textile_jackets/tour_master/flex_series_3_jacket.html

I had been looking toward the Joe Rocket Alter Ego as something that can be mesh in the summer, but have some manner of shell that can be added for rain and wind protection in cooler weather.

The Tourmaster Flex 3 looks to cover the gamut. It's a mesh jacket with armor that has a removable outer shell, and comes with a quilted liner. I'd expect it should be pretty comfortable down to some pretty low temperatures.

Does anyone have any firsthand experience with this jacket? Would you recommend it to other riders?
 
I have the Tourmaster Flex 2 jacket and love it. It is very comfortable and if I need warmth, easily accepts my Gerbing jacket in place of the liner. I haven't been caught out in the rain on it yet, so I can't speak for its water-shedding capabilities, but based on the shell keeping out cold, I would say it'll do a nice job for short downbursts. I don't know the improvements made on the Flex 3, but I highly recommend the Flex 2.
 
Have the Flex 2 jacket and pants.

It does not have water proof zippers on outer storm jacket? 2 many zippers. poor quality zippers, same with pants. SEWED seams very poor. pretty much came apart. Wife has sewed this jacket in many places. Had 2 use DUCT TAPE on pants because zippers failed.
 
Tourmaster needs to get better zippers! my pants had less than 1 season and both sides seperated within 1 week of each other,,,,managed to get one side working.but the other side is toast....
gl!
 
fwiw I have alter ego. it's ok with the zip off shell and zip in liner. the water proof liner isn't.you will still need rain gear the outer shell becomes a very heavy sponge.
 
Bummer to hear about the zippers... I hope they sorted that out with the Flex 3 design. I'm wondering if using Scotch Gard on the shell would help a bit with water resistance?

I'd probably use the shell more for wind protection in cooler weather... with TexSTOC coming up, it could get to near 90 degrees during the day, making a mesh jacket very desirable... but it could get down into the 60s. And a mesh jacket over a teeshirt in the 60s can be a bit... 'brisk'.

st1300r, I think the new Alter Ego from Joe Rocket uses a complete external shell over a mesh jacket like the Flex 3 does.
 
Well, I ordered one and received it today. My first impressions are very positive. I threw it on over a teeshirt, and it was a little bit snug, but I do prefer wearing only a teeshirt even on colder days, so it shouldn't be much of an issue. The liner, shell and base jacket appear to be very well made. It does feel a little bulky with all three components put together, but nothing that would be difficult to deal with.

I removed the quilted liner first, and noted that it has a couple nice pockets on the inside. Two on the left side that would be about wallet / cell phone size, and a larger one on the right side. Removal was a pretty standard affair - one zipper around the inside of the jacket, and a couple snap loops on each sleeve and at the bottom of the torso portion.

The mesh jacket also has the same pocket layout on the inside, so you can use them and get used to them in both modes. Fit is a bit better, of course, with the liner out.

I removed the outer shell next, which is a little more complicated. Two zippers down the torso, one around the neck, one at the base of the torso and one at each end of the sleeves. Not overly complicated, but it may take a couple minutes to remove or install it, so I'll want to plan ahead. The shell has a couple vents on the front at the front/top of each shoulder. They're not very big, so I'm not sure how much air flow they will gain. The rear vent is a long horizontal one just below the shoulder blade area. The front closure of the shell is velcro, and access to the mesh base jacket zipper is quite adequate. The shell has a couple external hand pockets in the usual place.

After removing the shell, I was down to the base mesh jacket. The armor feels good, but the sleeves feel overly baggy. Each sleeve does have two snaps with three points to adjust fit, so that is nice, but I foresee probably having to loosen them a snap when putting in the liner. The mesh base has the inside pockets mentioned before, and the two usual outside hand pockets.

Overall, I really like it, and I think it will be a very versatile jacket since I can use it from the hottest I'd dare ride in, probably all the way down below freezing. Of course, I can always use my electric jacket liner instead of the quilted one. I do fear it may be a bit snug that way, but this past winter, I didn't feel much of a need to use the jacket liner... just the heated gloves and grips I have.

I don't think or expect it will be water 'proof'... but I think it will not be too bad in moderate rain. I'll keep the Frogg Toggs with me!
 
I love mine.....



Strip it down to armour and roll the windshield down and on a 98 degree day theres lots of air moving thru it....Rainey? Put the shell on it and your dry from neck to below the waist....No zipper problems yet....If ya ca find a deal on it buy it!



Mine was 149 at the dealer.

Oh, and I bought mine in the Superior RED! which means Tourmaster gave it 5 more points of Cool.
 
I have the Flex 2 that is very similar. 2 zippers down each side of the front instead of one around the inside for the insulated liner and no zipper across the lower torso for the outer shell. Otherwise the same layout. I really like mine. I don't trust it in rain and always use my Frogg Toggs. I used to have the TM Flex 1 that included the wind/rain liner in addition to the insul. liner. I did ride once in the rain with only that liner inside and no Toggs on the outside. It did keep the rain out, but I felt clammy since the water vapor from what soaked the shell could breathe through it. I've been in light rain in my Flex 2 with just the outer shell on and stayed dry. I've worn the Flex 1 in mesh mode in temps up to 105*F. I was wearing my Flex 2 in full insulated mode with the addition of thermal long johns and a fleece jacket inside in temps as cold as about -15*F (minus 15 deg F). I was comfy both times. Ok, it was a little warm at the 105*F... when I wasn't moving. I have just enough room in mine that I can get the fleece jacket in under it. A little tight but it works. That's what I bought the Flex platform for. One jacket (and now the Flex pants) for all weather (other than rain). Gotta love it.

Oh, and I do highly recommend the TM Flex jacket and pants to any rider. :grin:
 
I've had the flex 2 jacket for a year and just got the matching pants. I'll ditto on the zippers. The outler layer zippers rip out on both. And the liners are a waste. Jacket quilted liner doesn't go to the neck or end of the sleeves, OR the bottom of the jacket. Just wear something else. And for rain you'll need something else. So why did I just buy the pants when half of what you're buying is wasted? I feel the mesh is a good quality and like outer layers. Good fit too. I give it a 3.5/5
 
Well, as mentioned, I'm not going to expect it to perform well as a rain jacket, I like the fact that I can throw a shell on it as a windbreaker when the temperature drops a bit... and then the liner when it drops a little more. I do wonder if Scotch Gard would make the shell a bit more water resistant, though. Couldn't hurt.

I'll have to take a look at how low the quilted liner goes compared to the bottom of the jacket.

Over all, I think it's a VERY versatile jacket. I can probably get away with using it year round.
 
I'm on my 3rd season with my Flex Series 2 and it's a great jacket. Mine is in grey/black and I noticed the black wrists are starting to fade to that blackish-purple color from the sun. It is SUPER versatile and I wear it year-round without the liner. Hoodies work well under it and the liner assures I stay dry, even in some hard rain! The collar rubs me somewhat so I wear turtlenecks or the Schampa neck gaiter for more comfort. The replective piping on the back/ arms of the air-jacket ROCKS! Wife followed me home in the dark and said it was so bright it was almost distracting to her! One zipper that attaches the outer shell to the air-jacket is tempermental, but for $130 and 3+ years of use so far, I can't complain! Not sure what differences in the Series 2 and Series 3 are...they look just like mine!
 
Another +1 for the Flex 2 jacket. I've had mine for about 3 years now and wear it about 80% of the time (I have another jacket I sometimes wear at home here in Florida).

I am sure my Flex 2 jacket has well in excess of 100K miles in ALL kinds of weather from snow to 100+. I don't use the quilted liner at all - if it gets cold enough to need it I just add my heated jacket liner (Warm 'N Safe). Without the outer liner, it's pretty comfortable even in Florida summer weather. When it gets cooler, adding the outer liner and I'm good down to 50 or so. Lower than that and I add my heated liner which I only need to actually plug in and turn on blow 40.

Although I had some difficulty getting the smallish zippers on the outer liner to start when new, I find them fine now and I have not had any issues with zipper failures or seams. I even was wearing my Flex 2 with the outer liner when I crashed last year and it's still serviceable (landed on sand covered with pine needles).

The outer liner works pretty good in rain, but because the arm cuffs are exposed below the rain liner water will eventually wick up the cuffs and up the sleeve liners. Not real bad but enough to get damp. I do carry frogg toggs for long duration weather events, but most of the time the outer liner suffices just fine. If/when I wear this one out I would definitely buy another, likely the Flex 3 or maybe 4 if they are still making them ;-)
 
Well, now that I've used it a little bit, I have more input.

I don't like it as much for hot weather as I do my regular mesh jacket. Why? It has another layer of mesh like stuff beneath the outer mesh that just adds one more layer for the air to go through. Thus I may not use it as a primary jacket for HOT weather. I'd say I'll wear it as long as it doesn't go above 80 or so.

For the fall/spring and even winter, it should be great. Putting on the outer shell helps greatly with wind protection and provides a little warmth. I haven't tried it in real COLD weather yet, but I'm sure with the liner in, it will be cozy down to about freezing. I also have a heated jacket liner, so that helps.

I may prefer my 3/4 length jacket for really cold weather, as it does cover the waist a lot better.

Overall, I'm happy with it, and should get several years of use out of it.
 
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