Protective Gear Recommendations

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by LilNinja77

Mesh jackets are a bit of an oddity. Yes, they have armor; but the body of the jacket (which keeps the armor in place) will shred upon impacting the road.

That depends upon what it is made out of. Some textiles are VERY tough (Kevlar).

[patrick_777]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

That depends upon what it is made out of. Some textiles are VERY tough (Kevlar).

I was just about to mention that. Icon threads Kevlar into some of their textile jackets, and there are plenty of others that do the same.

[LilNinja77]

Yes, I was aware of certain textile jackets having the kevlar in them, but couldn't remember seeing any mesh-style jackets with the kevlar. If you know of some please post it up, I was just going from my own (sometimes spotty) memory. I don't mean to sound so negative towards the mesh gear, it's definitely better than nothing and many people wear it.
Ride safe

[primal]

You know, if I can wear a leather jacket in 90+ degree weather in humid (90+%) WV summer days, anyone can. Honestly, the only time I even NOTICE the heat is when I'm stopped.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by primal

You know, if I can wear a leather jacket in 90+ degree weather in humid (90+%) WV summer days, anyone can. Honestly, the only time I even NOTICE the heat is when I'm stopped.

Well that's really not good advice. Your personal experience may not be typical of everybody.

Everybody reacts differently to excessive heat. Heat exhaustion is not pleasant. I had a bout of it when I was about 12, watching a 4th of July parade. Since that time, I am even more sensitive to heat than most people......and that was 50 years ago!!

So......everybody probably should try vented leather if you can (or racing kevlar if you can afford it) but not everybody will be able to tollerate it. For those who can't, it can be a safety and health issue, equal to or worse than falling off the bike.

[Badbob]

In the summer. I'm more afraid of heat stroke than crashing. You could do both so not over heating is a big deal for me.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Badbob

In the summer. I'm more afraid of heat stroke than crashing. You could do both so not over heating is a big deal for me.

Yea. That's what I was trying to say!

This is what I have:
http://www.power-trip.com/products.cfm?products_id=1041

About $140 from a dealer. I like it.

[primal]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Well that's really not good advice. Your personal experience may not be typical of everybody.

Everybody reacts differently to excessive heat. Heat exhaustion is not pleasant. I had a bout of it when I was about 12, watching a 4th of July parade. Since that time, I am even more sensitive to heat than most people......and that was 50 years ago!!

So......everybody probably should try vented leather if you can (or racing kevlar if you can afford it) but not everybody will be able to tollerate it. For those who can't, it can be a safety and health issue, equal to or worse than falling off the bike.

Well, there's a difference between not wearing gear for the sake of staying a bit cooler versus avoiding heat stroke, etc. Obviously if you are predisposed to heat exhaustion, etc then yes, you gotta take care of that first. My comment was aimed at those who choose not to wear gear because its an inconvenience for them in the heat, not those who are particularly sensitive to heat. Thats all I was trying to point out.

[rayzuki]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Everybody reacts differently to excessive heat. Heat exhaustion is not pleasant. I had a bout of it when I was about 12, watching a 4th of July parade. Since that time, I am even more sensitive to heat than most people

I can 2nd that. I was taken to the hospital when I was 16 for heat exhaustion. Now I don't handle the heat to well. I will be ready to pass out from the heat and my wife says she is just fine. No way can I handle a leather jacket in the summer.

[Badbob]

They do make jackets that are a combination of leather and mesh. I have a Power Trip jacket that has leather down the back of the sleeves and across the shoulders. The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't have a liner of any kind. On long summer trips I had to carry another jacket for rain or cold.