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By Jimmy, 2010/06/16 8:51 pm

I have to admit it: I’m a REV’IT! fan-boy.  Much like Apple fans that can’t find fault with the computer company’s products, or Nintendo fans that have to buy the latest Super Mario game, I have a fascination for REV’IT! products that is definitely not helping out my bank account.  For those of you new to REV’IT! (www.revit.eu), it’s a Netherlands-based company that arrived on the motorcycle gear scene in 1995.  They have a strong reputation for delivering high-quality gear that covers everything from track racing and off-road racing to riding on cruisers and scooters.  The company has expanded their product line over the years and works hard on releasing incrementally updated versions of their gear.  Case in point, the REV’IT! Sand jacket.  This textile jacket is new for 2010, replacing the popular Off-Track jacket that had been around for 2-3 years.  It features a number of upgrades over the original, utilizing newer materials and production methods seen in the latest REV’IT! gear, as well as items that address user problems/complaints with the Off-Track.  Priced at $429, it’s certainly not a cheap jacket, but one that is designed to offer great year-round coverage and protection without opting for REV’IT!’s top-end Cayenne Pro jacket ($579).  I’ve had the opportunity to ride with this jacket in Seattle through winter, spring and early summer for about 1000 miles – here are my thoughts.

Exterior

The REV’IT! Sand jacket fits similarly to the company’s other touring jackets, the Cayenne Pro and Dragon; it’s slimmer along the arms, chest, and waist than American brands, and doesn’t favor those with odd proportions.  I would describe it as a slightly roomier Euro-fit.  At 5 ft. 7 in. and 160 lbs. with a light build, I’m at the upper end for their Medium-size jackets, and Large would definitely be too big.  I find that the dimensions presented on their website brochure are spot-on, but would still recommend that you initially try both the stated size and one size larger to be safe.  That said, even if the fit isn’t perfect, there are numerous adjustments that can be made to the jacket (explained later).  The sleeve length felt perfect, providing enough material to work with both short and full gauntlet gloves.  Sleeve width and overall torso width was good, feeling snug with all liners in, and not too baggy with the liners out.  The total length of the jacket is on the shorter side for a touring jacket.  The Sand ends just below my hips, which I actually prefer when sitting in an upright position.  This gives the jacket some added versatility for both touring and sport-bike riders while sacrificing a little bit of bad-weather coverage (which I didn’t find to be an issue anyways).

The REV’IT! Sand is comprised of various denier textile fabrics – 500D and 750D in most areas, with 1200D wax-covered material at the elbows and forearm.  The wax coating is designed to improve abrasion resistance over standard high-denier fabrics, and can be considered one step below the SuperFabric panels that come in the Cayenne Pro.  The look of the jacket is similar to other adventure touring jackets, with numerous adjustments and multi-colored panels.  With respect to color-scheme, I opted for the “black-silver” jacket that uses black along the front torso, lower back, shoulders, and outer edge of the sleeves.  An off-white runs on the sides of the torso and on the inside of the sleeves, while gray paneling exists along the upper chest and upper back.  One thing to note is that some promotional pictures of the “black-silver” jacket show a thin red strip on the sleeves; mine doesn’t have this.  REV’IT! branding is kept to a minimum with only the triangular logo present on the shoulders and back, and wording present on the reflective panels.  There is a small “REV’IT! Engineered skin” tag on the left sleeve.  If you take a close look at the snap covers and zipper pulls, you’ll see that these contain the REV’IT! logo as well, a nice touch.  The jacket doesn’t feature any raised foam sections as in the Air or Cayenne Pro jackets, and this keeps the look quite clean.  Stitching also features prominently as numerous sections are double-stitched to improve durability and tear resistance.  You can literally identify all the high-stress parts of the jacket by their stitching and it’s nice to see that everything is put together very expertly.  Overall, the REV’IT! Sand comes across as a smartly-designed and fashionable jacket, without being too flashy.

Adjustment options on the REV’IT! Sand are many.  To start with, there are strap adjustments on the upper arms and along the waist.  The upper arms are tightened via a closed-loop, whereas the waist adjusters have convenient pull-tabs.  The forearm contains a two-position snap adjustment, and the sleeve cuffs have a velcro strap that runs underneath the wrist.  The sleeve cuffs are designed to put less wear on the velcro, emphasizing using forearm zippers to get in and out of the jacket.  I think it’s a smart design choice and I basically only have had to set the velcro strap once and haven’t touched it since.  Rounding out the adjustability options are two corded straps on the interior of the waist and REV’IT!’s customary 5-position collar.

One (slight) gripe that I have with the sleeve zippers are that they’re low-torque, meaning it only takes light force to get them to open up.  When wearing the jacket, moving my wrists tends to get the zippers to move from a closed position to slightly open (about 1-2 inches).  Since I wear gloves with full gauntlets on them, the zipper opening stays covered and doesn’t really bother me, but it’s an odd thing to see when you first put on the jacket.

For storage, the Sand jacket contains a number of pockets, although these are much larger and less plentiful than in other touring jackets.  There are two velcro flap-over pockets on the front and one fanny pocket in the rear (again, enclosed with a velcro flap).  All three are easy to open and close with gloves on, although I wonder if the velcro will lose its resiliency with more use.  I’d prefer it if there were both velcro and snap attachments on the jacket’s pockets.

As the jacket’s name implies, the Sand features ventilation options that allow it to handle warmer temperatures with ease.  Two zip-down panels in the front reveal mesh panels that feature a new technology for REV’IT! jackets, 3D air mesh.  Seen in a handful of other high-end mesh jackets, this technology filters incoming air over soft webbing that is approximately 1/4 of an inch thick.  The thickness allows air to disperse over a wider area, and so the effect is that the air flow spreads across more of the body than just the area of the mesh itself.  In addition to the 3D mesh, there are two large, vertical exhaust vents in the rear of the jacket and intake zippers along the forearm.  I’m used to seeing ventilation zippers on the upper arm, so I’m not entirely sure if I like the lower positioning of these forearm zippers, but again, here is something interesting that REV’IT! is doing.  The forearm zippers serve a dual-purpose; the upper zipper opens up an air intake, while the lower zipper opens up the cuff for comfort (getting in and out of the jacket, sliding gloves underneath, etc.).  It’s a unique design and one that was conceptualized well.  Opening the intake zipper reveals standard mesh material fastened around the intake, so one can either open the zipper a little, or take it all the way down to the end of the sleeve cuff.  In practice, I think all these venting options worked as advertised with this touring jacket managing to keep me comfortable at highway speeds on some of the warmer days this spring.  I have yet to try the Sand in the full heat of summer – but I’m confident that this jacket could do well through 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit if you’re continually moving.

Reflectivity on the Sand is somewhat minimal; there is one large, laminated strip along the back, and two shorter strips along the chest in the front.  Aside from the lighter-colored sections of the jacket, there really isn’t anything else that will help you get noticed.  I would have preferred to see some reflective panels on the sleeves at least.

As previously mentioned, the collar features a 5-position snap enclosure.  Near this is another REV’IT! staple: a hook and loop that allow you to close the collar in the other direction, opening up the neck area.  As well, the sleeves feature accordion-stretch panels that flex well and are common to REV’IT! jackets.  The front enclosure of the jacket uses a large, self-cleaning zipper that features a zipper guard flap at the bottom (the flap is waxed 1200D material).  The front enclosure doesn’t use any velcro panels to help with the seal, something I would have liked to see.

Interior

One of the biggest selling points with REV’IT! jackets is how nice the interior liners are.  The Sand comes with the 3-layer system that combines: an exterior shell, a waterproof/windproof/breathable Hydratex liner, an insulating thermal liner.  The last two are attached inside the exterior via a system of snaps and zippers, and can be interchanged (Ex. exterior with the Hydratex liner and thermal liner, exterior with the Hydratex liner, exterior with the thermal liner).  While the insulating liner doesn’t have a front enclosure, the Hydratex uses a full-length zipper and snaps to ensure weather-proofing.  I’ve ridden with the Sand through winter and found the use of all three layers to be sufficient in blocking out the cold.  In addition, I’ve ridden through moderate rain with the use of the Hydratex liner and found it to be effective at keeping me dry.  As with all the other REV’IT! jackets I’ve tried, the liner system works great and it’s my personal point of reference when comparing the quality of other jacket manufacturers’ interiors.  With that said, there is one subtle change to note with the liner and the Sand jacket.  Due to the forearm zipper, the Hydratex liner features a connecting snap higher up on the arm (in addition to the standard one near the sleeve cuff).  It connects with the bottom of the mesh panel on the forearm and is actually a welcome change; it simplifies orienting the sleeves when installing them.

Aside from the liner system, there’s isn’t much else to say about the Sand interior.  The main part of the jacket is lined in mesh material with access to velcro pockets containing the jacket’s foam pad and armor.  There is one small interior pocket on the left and each of the liners have this as well.  The jacket features two zipper attachments, one short and one long, for compatibility across a wider range of REV’IT! pants.  The inside of the collar is lined in a soft polyester material.

Protection

The Sand jacket utilizes ProLife CE-approved armor in the shoulders and elbows.  It also contains a foam back pad that can be upgraded to a CE-approved Knox back protector, or a Sas-Tec protector (although you’ll need to manually cut it to fit).  The foam back pad is made of nicer material than most other back pads I’ve seen in jackets; it’s denser and perforated cleanly for ventilation.  However, it’s still a foam pad and it would have been nice to see this automatically upgraded to the Knox protector.  With respect to the ProLife armor, it’s quite flexible and non-bulky, resulting in a lot of comfort in motion and basically hiding itself in the overall looks of the jacket.  Compared to other types of armor, the ProLife pieces provide better coverage, particularly in the forearms where they run longer than expected.  The shoulder armor contains distinct left and right sides that are anatomically different.  As well, the ProLife armor, while they do contain incisions to help in flexibility, lack any perforated holes for ventilation.  All armor is accessible via velcro pockets and I found the elbow armor pockets easy to open due to the large forearm zippers.  While the Sand jacket doesn’t allow any sort of adjustments to the interior positioning of the armor, I found that the external straps allowed me to fit the jacket sufficiently well enough to not make this an issue.

Summary

The REV’IT! Sand jacket is an impressive touring jacket that gets as close to year-round coverage as any I’ve experienced to date.  With great cold-weather protection and acceptable warm-weather venting, it has handled everything Seattle weather has thrown at it (including the rain).  The design and construction are top-rate and while there are occasional gripes with certain design omissions, they’re not enough to prevent a whole-hearted recommendation from this reviewer.  At $429, the Sand is neither the cheapest nor most expensive jacket in REV’IT!’s line-up, but I think it’s their best.  (4.5 out of 5 stars)

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By Jimmy, 2010/05/30 9:01 pm

Spring in Seattle is always rather tumultuous, varying from the pleasant (sunny blue skies) to the down-right depressing (heavy wind and rain).  With my trusty REV’IT! Sand jacket, I have most of those conditions covered.  That is, unless it gets really warm.  I find that a textile-based jacket hits its upper comfort range at around the 80 degree Fahrenheit mark – and that’s when I’m moving on my Majesty at 60 mph.  Settling down for slower speeds around the city or hitting stop-and-go traffic, my jacket quickly heats up and feels like an oven.  Perhaps I need to switch out my touring windshield in favor of a shorter one to flow more air across the front of me; but in lieu of any sort of work to the scooter, that got me thinking about mesh jackets.  Being a fan of REV’IT! (www.revit.eu) gear, I peeped the Air, a mesh-textile summer jacket.  My general requirements for a hot weather jacket are that it flows significant air, features adequate protection (good fitting armor, abrasion-resistant materials in high-wear areas), comes in brighter color schemes (higher visibility), fits well, and be relatively cheap (under $200).  The REV’IT! Air jacket ($179) fits most of those criteria, albeit to varying degrees of success.

First off, the exterior of this jacket is great.  REV’IT! put good thought into the Air, launching 4 different color variations based on a black, gray or white palette with touches of red or silver.  The one I’m wearing in the photos is the “Light Gray/Black” version.  The look is sporty with different textile and reflective panels.  Mesh panels are placed along the chest, beneath the arms, and on the back, allowing the flow of air to easily cool the torso.  500 denier textile material covers the rest, providing basic abrasion protection.  The rear and sides of the shoulder contain a thin, raised section of foam, although I view this more as a cosmetic feature, not protective.

• Mesh is flat, as compared to the 3D mesh in the newer Sand jacket and other offerings from Dainese.
• There are some adjustability options with snaps along the upper arm and Velcro adjusters by the waist.
• Velcro panels on the sleeve cuffs were considerably smaller than seen on other REV’IT! jackets.
• The collar features a multi-position snap enclosure as seen on other REV’IT! jackets (a nice touch).
• Flex panels are located behind the elbow, but in my opinion, didn’t really contribute to increasing the comfort in sleeve motion.
• The Air jacket does not come with any sort of insulated or windproof removable liner.
• There is one interior pocket on the left.
• The interior material used on the collar is a soft, quilted material (nice compared to the abrasive collar on my Alpinestars Air-Flo jacket).
• The jacket features a short-length pants zipper and a two-snap belt loop.

The sizing of this jacket matches its sporty-styling; the chest fit more snugly for an M-size jacket than the more touring-oriented REV’IT! Cayenne Pro, Sand, or Dragon jackets.  The bottom of the jacket stopped towards the top of the hips, contributing to its aggressive appearance.  Overall, I would say that the Air jacket favors those on the slimmer side, with the snugness creating a better fit for letting air to pass through without having the jacket flap around.

The weakest point of the jacket is probably the protection.  The back pad is good, being constructed slightly differently from what I’ve seen in the foam back pads of other manufacturers.  While made of the usual dense foam material, it contains several large cut-outs in the interior, to improve air exiting out the rear of the jacket.  This is a nice touch to back protection/comfort that most companies wouldn’t usually care to think about.  One gripe that I have with the back protector is the rough cut of the foam; loose sections of threaded foam hanging off the cut-outs, and a section of foam actually missing from the pad (possibly torn).  The CE-approved Knox armor had its own set of issues.  While I found the overall sizing of the jacket to be spot-on, the placement of the shoulder armor was set too wide, covering more of the sides of my shoulder than the tops.  As well, while I think Knox armor offers great protection due to its combination of a hard plastic outer and foam inner, it doesn’t offer a lot of flexibility; this is evident in the elbow sections where bending the arm at sharper angles caused the armor to poke out annoyingly from the sleeves.  The armor is not adjustable, which I consider a big drawback.  It should also be noted that the forearm protectors are longer than those in the shoulders, although there is no difference between the left and right-side versions.

My opinion is that given the low price-point of this jacket, REV’IT! put out a solid product.  There are obvious areas where the company did some cost-cutting, but these can be forgiven.  If your dimensions allow for a good pairing with the protection in the jacket, the Air jacket is hands-down, an excellent buy as a hot weather option.  Otherwise, as most summer jackets will feature similar construction, you may be better off trying a higher-end REV’IT! jacket that utilizes more flexible armor (ex. the Turbine with Sas-Tec or Ignition with ProLife) or an Alpinestars or Dainese jacket, both of which offer good selections at similar prices.

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By Jimmy, 2010/04/21 10:17 pm

REV’IT! (www.revit.eu) jackets typically don’t come cheap, with most all-weather touring options occupying the $400-$600 range.  Fortunately, for those of you who dream about owning a REV’IT! product complete with the bells and whistles, the Dragon textile jacket has appeared.  It sits right at $300, a price that brings it into the reach of many budget-minded consumers, and REV’IT! pleasantly surprises by giving the Dragon a unique standalone, wearable liner – the only one in their 2010 catalog!  Let’s find out if this entry-level touring jacket is worthy of the REV’IT! badge.

Exterior

As to be expected, the Dragon jacket’s fit is the same as other REV’IT! touring jackets.  I normally wear a Medium with REV’IT! gear, and the M-size Dragon was basically like slipping into any old Cayenne Pro or Sand jacket.  With all liners in, it felt snug, but not constricting.  With all the liners removed, it was not too loose in any one area.  The sleeve length was noticeably shorter with all the liners in place; the cuffs ended by my wrists.  With them out, the sleeves extended about 1 inch lower, covering the wrists and the bottom of my hand; a much better arrangement when seated on my Majesty.  Moving my arms around, I found the sleeves to creep up more than expected, which I attribute to the less pliable Knox armor.  Just keep this in mind when ordering the Dragon.

I’ll be honest and say that the appearance of the Dragon jacket fits perfectly with my tastes.  I think the colored panels at the shoulders and around the arms are large enough to improve visibility without making the jacket look too gaudy.  As well, branding is kept to a minimum with the REV’IT! title and logo used only sparingly.  I’ve been into wearing jackets that are predominantly black in my riding gear, and I think this does a good job of satisfying both that urge, while making room for a few new colors.

When it comes to chassis materials and construction, the Dragon exemplifies REV’IT!’s typical attention to quality.  It features a water-resistant 750 denier Cordura chassis with 1000 denier sections on the elbow and shoulders for increased abrasion resistance.  REV’IT! also mentions that Lorica and 600 denier materials are used on the jacket.  The material feels durable and on par with the textiles used in other REV’IT! jackets I’ve tried.

Adjustments can be made in a number of places.  There are tightening straps around the upper arm and waist, with the latter set in place via velcro.  There are also two-position snaps at the forearm and a velcro adjustment at the sleeve cuffs.  One comment about the velcro straps on the sleeves; I found that the velcro panel stitching was somewhat loose, and it looked like it might wear-out very easily.  This is concerning because a rider would theoretically be opening and closing the cuffs multiple times a day.  Returning to other jacket adjustments, the collar features REV’IT!’s standard multi-position collar, and the base of the jacket has some cord tighteners.

The Dragon jacket contains three exterior pockets: 2 in front, 1 in the rear.  The front pockets feature a velcro and snap enclosure, which I prefer over having zippers or any single kind of fastener.  The pockets are large and water-resistant.  The rear fanny-pocket is enclosed via a long velcro strip.

Reflectivity on the jacket is present as thin strips along the upper arm and the lower back.  I like REV’IT!’s reflective panels over the more common reflective piping that you see in other manufacturers’ gear.  Since the Dragon jacket does come in a number of colors (including a high-visibility yellow), I wholly recommend getting it in either white, yellow, or red.  I think that a bright color in combination with the reflective panels will be sufficient for most riding conditions.

The Dragon has a number of ventilation options.  For intakes, there are two large zippers that run down the front of the chest, and two zippers along the lower forearm.  When opened up, they reveal about 3/4 of an inch’s worth of mesh material.  To me, that seems too small and the design itself is not optimal; there are flaps of material that shield the vent opening, and this may limit the ability of the jacket to cool the wearer.  At the rear of the jacket, two large zippers run down the back to allow air to escape.  These also feature small openings, but as exhausts, this should be sufficient.  From my experience, all these openings will allow enough air to extend comfortable riding to the 75 degree Fahrenheit mark.

Closing up the exterior of this jacket are some details around the collar and front opening.  The collar, in addition to having REV’IT!’s adjustable positioning, also contains a small hook and loop system.  This allows the wearer to fasten the collar towards the left, opening up the top of jacket for additional air flow.  The collar itself is also a step up from a usual jacket collar, being something more akin to having a storm flap around the front.  It’s made out of a comfortable, soft material that should keep the neck warm and dry.  The front opening contains a zipper with additional several velcro panels running down the sides to help keep the enclosure secure.

Interior

My favorite part about this jacket is the inclusion of REV’IT!’s 3-layer system: insulated lining, Hydratex windproof/waterproof lining, and outer shell.  I’ve covered this before in the Cayenne Pro review, but this basically means that the wearer has a number of options when configuring this jacket, and should be comfortable riding through Autumn, Winter, and Spring.  With the beefier collar front, I’d say that it even excels keeping out the cold better than the Cayenne Pro or Sand.  Anyways, the insulated and Hydratex liners are attached via a system of snaps and zippers.  The insulated liner runs short length-wise in both the torso and sleeves.  It’s collarless and does not feature an enclosure on the front (this is handled by the Hydratex or outer shell).

The Hydratex shell for the Dragon is unique from that of other REV’IT! jackets.  It is designed to be detached from the outer shell and worn as a casual jacket.  Whereas the regular Hydratex lining features somewhat garish gray-striping, the Dragon liner is finished in black, comes with outer pockets, has a REV’IT! label stamped on the back, and even has flaps to conceal the attachment zippers.  After trying it on, I think it’s a somewhat hokey effort:

• Whether you use the insulated liner inside or not, both the torso and sleeves are too loose/puffy
• Zipper concealment isn’t all that effective, and you still have the attachment straps sticking out on the sleeves
• As an outer by itself, it feels really thin and cheap – short collar, simple elastic around the base and sleeve cuffs

So, take it for what it’s worth – if you’re really in a jam, you can wear the removable liner.  However, odds are that you will just leave it attached to the jacket.

Lastly, the interior of the outer shell is comprised of mesh lining with an interior pocket and a short zipper connection for compatible REV’IT! pants.  One should note that the higher-end REV’IT! jackets contain both short and long pant zippers to work with all pants in the line-up.

Protection

The Dragon’s armor and back pad are accessible via velcro panels.  The back pad is your typical gray EVA foam.  I’m not a fan of cheap foam in the back as I think manufacturers should automatically upgrade it to CE-approved back armor.  However, it is removable and replaceable with more substantial armor from Knox and Sas-Tec (the latter can be cut to shape).  In my opinion, REV’IT! back pads are smaller and sit higher up on the back than in jackets from other companies.  The Knox armor in the shoulders and elbows/forearms is CE-approved, featuring a shock-absorbing foam interior attached to a hard plastic shell.  The armor is the same between left and right sides, but is unique to the shoulders (shorter) and forearms (longer).  I tend to like Knox armor as the combination of hard/soft feels protective.  However, this does come at a cost: flexibility.  While the armor is cut to allow maneuverability, it was nowhere near as comfortable or as easy to move around in as REV’IT!’s ProLife or Sas-Tec armor options.  As I mentioned above, I felt like the lack of motion in the Knox armor actually shortened the length of my sleeves; you’ll notice this because the elbow/forearm armor protrudes noticeably.  This could be alleviated by using armor without a hard outer or through stretch panels around the elbows, but REV’IT! is probably forgoing those features to further distinguish its higher-end offerings.  All things considered, the protection is on par with other entry-level touring jackets.

Summary

The REV’IT! Dragon is an attractive and versatile jacket that will make fans out of anyone new to the REV’IT! brand.  While various parts of the jacket may not reach the same level of craftsmanship as its Cayenne Pro or Sand brethren, it nails all of the essentials and even offers up some bonuses at its price-point.  The standalone liner is of limited usefulness and the fit is a little awkward, but the Dragon is at its core, a very able and admirable offering.  (3 out of 5 stars)

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By Jimmy, 2010/03/17 10:12 pm

Cortech (www.tourmaster.com) is one of the more popular brands I see on the backs of motorcycle riders.  It’s a little bit difficult to explain, but Cortech is essentially the sportier cousin of the Tour Master and Fieldsheer brands, all owned by the Helmet House (www.helmethouse.com).  In my opinion, all three lines lean towards casual touring-type clothing – so it’s a great match for those looking for riding gear that is both functional on and off the bike.  Another advantage to consider is that these jackets are often cheaper than similar options from the likes of Alpinestars and Icon.  Being a great deal on paper, I decided to add a Cortech jacket to Hee-chan’s queue of leather riding jackets to review.  We picked up the Cortech LNX women’s jacket for $220, a bargain compared to the REV’IT Allure ($370), Icon Hella ($350), and Shift Siren ($400), all items we have been evaluating recently.  Let’s see how this women’s jacket fares relative to the pricier competition.

Outer

We ordered a size Small (8) and it fit fairly well.  The shoulders looked wide due to the armor underneath, but we found that the fit inside was spot on.  The sleeve length was acceptable, however the overall length of the front and rear of the jacket were on the short side, ending at the top of the hips.  Of the four jackets we’ve been testing, the LNX had the shortest length out of all of them.  In fact, Hee-chan’s first comment about this jacket was that it may be too short for her.  The jacket would be much better if it were only 1-2 inches longer.  The cut of the jacket is towards the feminine side.

The outer is a combination of 1.2-1.3mm leather with perforations along the underside of the arm.  The leather is very supple and emits a light sheen.  Due to its softness, the jacket fits comfortably from the beginning, which is always a pleasant surprise.  The chassis has a clean appearance with panels running along the sides of the jacket from the shoulder to the torso in the front.  In the rear, there are separate panels for the upper back, middle of the back, and the left and right sections.  There are also four noticeable accordion stretch panels, two beneath the shoulders in the rear, and one on each side of the jacket near the base.  These flex well and should give the wearer additional comfort.  As well, there are two zippers in the rear that allow the base of the jacket to flare and additional 2 inches each.  The sleeves are also aesthetically clean with two leather panels stitched together, save for the insertion of the perforated section.  Branding is kept to a minimum; the Cortech name is stiched in white thread at the bottom left of the front jacket, the front zipper pull has a Cortech label, and 3 snaps on the jacket have Cortech etched into their tops.

Reflectivity on this jacket is left to a small amount of reflective piping that runs across the upper back of the jacket (along the ventilation zipper).  I suggest that you use higher-visibility products (reflective vest, add reflective tape, etc.) if you intend to do a lot of nighttime riding.

The ventilation options are acceptable in this jacket.  The perforated panels will allow air into the arms, extending riding comfort to spring temperatures.  As well, the cuffs can have their zipper opened to allow more air flow.  The jacket’s front pockets are lined in mesh, so if you don’t carry anything in them, you can zip them open for more air.  There is also an exhaust vent in the upper back that can be zippered open.  It has two zipper pulls which can meet in the middle or some range in-between to allow for varied amounts of symmetrical flow out the back.  I’m used to seeing just one zipper pull, so this is somewhat nice to see.

The zippers are made by YKK, and the front pockets have a nice leather flap over the zipper openings.  This prevents the wearer from scratching their bike, as well as preventing the zipper pulls from dangling around in the wind.  The jacket’s front zipper has a leather flap underneath as a guard against wind and rain.  At the top of the jacket is a simple collar snap.

The sleeves are rather simple affairs with a short zipper cuff extending the opening, and a snap closing it.  There is only one snap so the width of the opening is fixed.

Inner

The interior of this jacket contains a zip-around long-sleeve liner.  Long-sleeve might be a misnomer, however, as it’s really closer to a 3/4 -length sleeve.  The liner’s sleeves snap a bit higher into the sleeves of the leather outer, which I thought was somewhat unusual.  It ends about 5 inches up from the bottom of the leather outer’s sleeve opening.  I would have preferred that it extended further down.  Anyways, the liner is lightly insulated and features a small interior pocket on the right.  The liner does have removable sleeves, which can be taken out via zippers.  This provides the user with some options for customizing warmth, which I think is a great idea.  Most jackets provide either a vest liner or a full-sleeve liner – having the choice of using either is very welcome.  With creative layering, a rider wearing the LNX jacket should be comfortable between the temperatures of 45-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Removing the insulated liner reveals a mesh-lined interior with what appears to be Cordura trim around the frame of the jacket.  Again, there is an interior pocket on the right side of the jacket.  There are also the usual velcro access panels for the back pad and shoulder armor.   Removing elbow armor will require reaching down into the sleeves to open the velcro pocket, but it is a simple affair.  Rounding out the interior are two zipper connections for attaching compatible riding pants.  One accomodates a 360-degree full-circumference zipper, the other works with an 8-inch zipper.

Protection

Sadly, the LNX does not come with any sort of back protection.  Considering the low price of the jacket, this doesn’t come as a surprise.  Cortech does sell a compatible triple-density back protector for $5; however, it would have been nice to simply just include this as standard on the jacket and increase the base price by this amount.  I don’t believe that the back protector is CE-rated.  The shoulder and elbow armor is CE-rated.  Pulling them out, the shoulder pieces are identical to the elbow ones, which is disappointing.  I would expect them to be of different proportions to accomodate the uniqueness of the shoulder and elbox/forearm shapes.  Unfortunately, this is probably a cost-cutting measure on Cortech’s part.  Still, you got to give them props for putting CE armor at all on a $200 all-leather jacket.  The armor has a number of incisions made into it to allow for flexibility.  My opinion is that these will provide adequate protection in the advent of a crash.  Cortech does sell armor upgrades for the shoulders and elbows at about $8 for each pair.

Summary

Despite lackluster performance in the armor department and some gripes about the fit (especially in regards to length), the Cortech LNX leather jacket does a fine job of delivering good value for female riders.  It’s obvious that Cortech spent time crafting an intelligent product that balances quality, comfort, and functionality; the fact that they did this for $220 only makes this accomplishment even more impressive.  (3.5 out of 5 stars)

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By Jimmy, 2010/03/09 10:19 pm

Spidi (www.spidi.com) is an Italian company known for their excellent attention to detail when it comes to riding gear.  Perhaps better identified through their high performance racing suits, Spidi actually offers a huge variety of jackets and is only now expanding distribution into the US.  So, despite the hokey company name, I decided to give their Netwin jacket a try.  Designed as an all-weather touring jacket, it promises to be everything that one would possibly want in a jacket.  For $500, I see myself wanting a lot (heck, I could even buy two jackets for that price), so let’s see if it delivers.

Outer

The first thing I noticed about this jacket was the very snug fit.  While ordering the Netwin, I was advised to order one size up.  I’m between a REV’IT! Medium and an Alpinestars Large, so I opted for the Large size.  Turns out that this just barely fits me.  The arms and torso are narrow, but length-wise both were perfect.  I’d say that if you are not slim or don’t have a V-shaped upper body, the Netwin will feel somewhat constricting and may even be unwearable.  I could fit into the jacket, but I didn’t have much room for adjustment.  I tend to like wearing my clothes on the snugger side, but with the Netwin in Large, I get the sense that gaining even a few lbs. would require that I switch to another jacket.

The outer shell features mix of different panels:  Cordura, mesh, and Flex Tenax stretch material.  I couldn’t find the type of Cordura being used, but I would assume it’s between 500-600 D.  The mesh features a dense weave and covers a significant part of the outer shell.  There is mesh on the front torso, sides, back torso, front upper arms, and rear forearms.  There are also small strips of stretch material around the shoulders for comfort.  Overall, I’d say that the jacket is 49% Cordura, 45% mesh, and 6% stretch material.  Mesh always makes me concerned about a jacket’s resistance to tears and abrasion, but from what I can tell, it looks tough and strong enough to provide adequate protection.  Apparently some of the material is Teflon-treated, although I’m not sure if that just enhances water-repelling or if it just keeps the jacket cleaner.

Despite all the types of materials used in this jacket, I feel the Netwin does an adequate job of not looking too busy.  Branding is non-flashy and really only limited to two spots.  The jacket features a red Spidi badge on the upper left chest, and “Spidi” stitched in red on the upper back.  Snap covers have “Spidi” pressed on the tops, but is not noticeable at all.  Aside from some ribbed stitching on the lower back, most panels are cleanly stitched only for functionality.  I think that all the panels on the jacket work to present the appearance of being well-crafted and intelligently-designed.  The Netwin isn’t going to win any fashion contests, but it does make you look like a serious rider.

The Netwin in black features good reflectivity.  There are thin reflective panels going down the front of the chest and two small bands around the upper arm.  These are brighter than the regular reflective piping found in most jackets.  The rear of the jacket features the same thin panels, but supplements this with 2 thicker 1-inch wide panels along the back of the shoulder blade and 2 panels near the waist.  These will significantly improve rear reflectivity.  I’m pleased with the visibility of the jacket relative to how much reflective material is used.  It’s somewhat understated, but effective.

Ventilation on this jacket is going to come almost entirely via the mesh panels.  Due to the sheer amount of mesh, the Netwin is a good candidate for warm weather riding.  Even though it isn’t summer here in Seattle yet, I’d venture to guess that it will push enough air to be comfortable into the 80-90 degree Fahrenheit range.  The mesh panels are all placed strategically to maximize ventilation, and thus comfort, for the wearer.  There is good ventilation for the chest, arms, and venting out the back.  It is also possible to open up the zipper on the cuffs to let additional air in by the forearm.

The adjustment options are quite good.  There are snaps to tighten the upper arm, with 3 different positions.  The waist adjusters are also secured by snaps and feature 4 positions.  I must say that I do like snap adjusters over Velcro.  There are also two zippers at the base of the jacket that open and flare out the waist by about 4.5 inches each.  The sleeve cuffs feature two different snaps, although I found the widest one sufficiently tight enough.  The collar features a 5-position adjustable snap to ensure a custom fit.

Due to all the open mesh on the outer chassis of the jacket, there is little room for storage.  There are two waterproof pockets on the lower-front of the jacket.  These feature flaps covered by a snap enclosure, along with a zipper for the actual opening.

One thing I particularly like about this jacket is the front opening.  Along with the full-length zipper and snaps are additional snap enclosures at the base and top of the jackets.  These flaps feature two snaps each and they effectively provide additional resistance to abrasion and bad weather.  The corduroy-lined collar also sits up about 1.5 inches on the neck to provide some warmth.

All snaps on the outer chassis are branded Fiocchi, and the zippers are YKK.

Inner

The interior of the Netwin is lined in mesh for breathability.  I particularly like how Spidi labels various parts of the interior in red.  They read with descriptors such as “Thermo & Rain Attachment” or “Chest Protector Attachment” to help speed up putting things together.  There is one snap-enclosed pocket on the left, that I would have liked to see using a material other than mesh for durability.  Otherwise, the rest of the jacket is comprised of Velcro pockets and snaps for the protectors I will outline later, as well as attachments for the interior liner.  These attachments are essentially loops that the interior liner’s flaps snap over.  There are loops by the collar, four in the front, and one on each sleeve.  A very clean interface.

The removable liner is notable because it is designed to be wearable outside of using the outer shell.  The H2Out jacket is waterproof, windproof, breathable, and lightly insulated.  It is quite handsome in person, and wouldn’t be out of place as a casual shell during colder temperatures.  What I find impressive is the great attention to detail given to an item usually considered an after-thought by other manufacturers.  The appearance is again sporty without being ostentatious, using a two-tone black and light gray color schcme.

It features Velcro adjustability in the sleeves and waist, and a drawstring at the base.  There is a waterproof exterior pocket, and another regular pocket inside.   There is even thin reflective paneling on the sleeves and stretch material on the rear of the waist adjusters.  The front opening of the liner also features snap enclosures over the full-length zipper for additional protection from the elements.  The insulation itself is adequate for most riding conditions.  You’re still going to get cold in winter, but if you can fit a sweater underneath the liner, you’ll be much more comfortable.  It’s definitely not on the same level as REV’IT!’s insulated liner that makes one positively toasty under the coldest conditions.  However, I still give accolades to Spidi for making the best single-piece internal liner I’ve seen to date.

Weather-wise, the mesh and waterproof liner performed well in light rain.  Don’t be fooled; rain will still seep through the mesh and collect water inside the jacket.  I’m not a fan to holding water inside a layer of my jacket, but your core will remain dry.  Besides, if you are going to be riding in heavy rain, it’s just better to don a rain-suit.

Also, one should note that the jacket comes with two removable groin straps at the base of the jacket.  These allow one to secure any pair of pants to the jacket.  The jacket does not come with any sort of pant zipper connection, which makes me suspect that Spidi pants normally don’t have a mating connector.

Protection

In my opinion, very few companies shine when it comes to the armor installed in jackets.  It’s common to find the default protection lacking in quality, or even missing altogether, forcing costly upgrades and additional hassle.  Fortunately, Spidi absolutely excels in this area with the Netwin.  It provides CE-approved armor in the shoulders, forearm, back, and chest.  That’s two more places than what most other manufacturers provide, and examining the armor, probably much better material as well.  Please note that the armor is not adjustable, however the snug fit on my jacket probably helped the armor line-up in the appropriate spots.

The armor on the shoulders and elbow are called Biomechanic protectors.  The shoulders are designed separately for left and ride sides, and the forearms are marked separately as well (although they looked the exact same to me).  The Biomechanic armor is essentially a two-piece plastic shell covering styrofoam-like padding.  The plastic pieces are connected via a hinge that allows some movement, in addition to the plastic being slightly flexible itself.  The yellow padding makes me wonder about durability, but as long as you don’t remove and re-insert the armor all the time, you should be okay.  The armor pieces themselves look solid and should hold up well in an accident.  The forearm armor does run on the longer side, so it will provide additional protection there.

The Warrior back protector is the “compact” type and attached via Velcro (as are the shoulder/elbow pieces).  The back protector is made up of a plastic shell over the same styrofoam padding as the shoulder/forearm protectors.  The plastic shell is interesting because it is comprised of numerous little cubes that allows the shape to flex, either up and down or side to side.  It works well and the size/feel of the back armor is good.

Lastly, we have the Warrior chest protector, which follows a construction similar to the back protector.  This attaches to the front of the jacket via 4 snaps (2 on each side).  It’s a little bit cumbersome to attach and remove, but once in place, it feels very satisfying and protective.  On my Alpinestars jacket, I have separate left and right side chest protectors, but they aren’t nearly as reassuring as the Spidi one.  There are small ventilation openings on the chest armor so a little airflow will go through.  Again, I have some concerns about the durability of the underlying padding; since you’ll be attaching and removing the chest protector frequently, this padding is going to receive more wear than any other piece of protection on the jacket.  It would have been nice to see Spidi encase the edges in rubberized plastic or something to that effect.

Summary

The Spidi Netwin jacket provides exceptional versatility and usefulness for those riding in mild weather conditions.  It offers good venting, protection, and construction, but is held back by an uncompromising Euro-fit.  Provided you meet both the body type and temperature requirements, this is an excellent jacket that could easily be the only one you carry in your closet.  For everyone else, we’ll just have to hope that Spidi has a roomier Netwin-variant somewhere else in their line-up.  Spidi, this jacket has sold me on your riding gear.  (4 out of 5 stars)