summer gear

[sfcali86]

so its starting to warm up here in sonoma county CA just wondering what gear you guys wear in the heat do you still wear your leathers? how do you guys deal with it do you just not wear gear?

 

[DefyInertia]

perforated leather

desert dwellers keep themselves covered, right? same concept applies to us. drink a lot of water, keep yourself covered, and you won't suffer from heat exhaustion.

sweat wipes off easier than roadrash (just getting that out of the way for everyone)

perforated leather does a better job than you would guess...seriously.

You'll be hot if not moving regardless of what you wear. If you can keep moving, you shouldn't get too hot.

:thumbup:

 

[keira]

mesh. but a good mesh, not the stuff that feels like mosquito-netting. of course if i'm doing a long, fast run, it would be leathers or "too hot to ride"

 

[abacall]

I have a 1/2 perforated leather jacket (sleeves). It has a removable liner so it also works in the winter.
Perforated with lots of vents works well for me up to 95*. I've ridden in hotter, but I don't enjoy that kind of heat.
I have a pair of lighter leather gloves as well. They still have padding on the palms and knuckles, but have mesh on parts of the fingers and top of the hand.
A well vented helmet also goes a long way at keeping you cool. You dump a lot of heat from your head, so it really helps. Just don't get something that looks like it works, most of the glued-on vents don't do much more than make noise. Do some research and find a well vented helmet that works. It does wonders.
And Defy's advice about staying hydrated is extremely important! You have no idea how much you sweat. If you don't stay hydrated you lose your ability to make quick, smart decisions. And that could be fatal on a bike. Always take plenty of drink stops in hot weather.

 

[geetarhero]

I own a dainese perforated leather jacket (in white with black accents) and I honestly do not find it too hot. With the liner in ive ridden in -5*C comfortably
Its a lil warmer than perf. textile jackets but its only noticeable when sitting in traffic.

keep it cruising, avoid traffic and enjoy the peace of mind with leather

 

[chimneydoc]

In really hot weather I carry a camel back hydration system, It works really good on keeping you cool. Just take a drink of ice water every little bit it makes a big difference.

Doc

 

[Hollywood416]

I wear my Icon Battlecry leather jacket up until about 85* after that I switch to a Astar Textile jacket. The textile jacket got tested last summer at about 25-30mph and it help up fine not even a scratch but I only slid about a lane width on asphalt before going into gravel.

 

[FZyLarry]

I have a Cortech GX Air and it is very good in heat (and I don't do heat very well). It's mesh with leather and the standard padded plastic crash bits in all the right places. I've had the jacket for 2 years and it has held up very well. My one negative comment would be that because it comes with a rain liner and a quilted liner, if you get it to fit well with all the liners in, it is a little loose with all the liners removed.

 

[dankatz]

I do mesh. Not as much protection as perforated leather, definitely cheaper andvents a little better.

 

[Mississippi]

I wear the leather jacket up to the low 80's, then I have a Scorpion Hat trick jacket that is a Textile jacket that I wear from 80 and up. It works pretty well at letting air in. However, like previously posted the key is to keep moving.

 

[Roadstergal]

+1 to both perforated leather and a Camelbak.

I find that perforated leather keeps the wind flowing, keeps the sun off of me, and keeps the heat of the bike's headers from burning my legs. My leather gloves are vented to start with.

I used to wear mesh until I saw the pictures of burns folk got from crashing in it; at a decent road speed, it can melt.

 

[Andz]

I have an Arlen Ness perforated jacket with shoulder and elbow armour and a back protector. I need to get some Draggin jeans or something, usually I wear Levi's... :squid:

 

[gearheadstu]

My summer gear:

Perf leather jacket
Perf leather pants
Coolmax or Underarmor full-length uppers & lowers
Camelbak
Half Naked: Fairing in tact, but no windscreen. VAST improvement in airflow
Sunscreen on nose & neck
A full tank
...and nowhere to be for the next 8 hours

 

[MarinaFazer]

I wear the same leather gear. I'd rather sweat. Besides, my pants a wee tight, so when I sweat in them, it helps stretch them out more.

USE BABY POWDER!!! puff baby powder on the front and back of your lower area on your body and you'll see that it makes a world of difference. You also don't smell gross when done riding!

 

[Jake]

+1 on the perf leather comments
+100 on drinking copious quantities of water

The AGV Breeze is a perf leather jacket that's a little lighter than standard leather. It's not so light that it won't offer good protection, but light enough to make extreme heat more bearable without going to mesh.

If you still prefer mesh, check out the Draggin Liners. They are kevlar and can be worn underneath armored mesh attire for comparable protection to leather. Combined price will be equal to leather but the mesh/kevlar will definitely breath better.

IMO if you're not willing to save the $$ for good protection then don't ride. Invest in premium gear and you can still wear it long after you've bought a different bike. Nothing worse than seeing someone with bike bling and el-cheapo gear.

Draggin Liner Bottoms

Draggin Liner Shirts