My Favorite Summer Motorcycle Jackets for Women

 

Summer is almost here, and living on the East Coast, I think I will have to consider something I never had to think about before, mesh textile gear.

I've ridden in plenty of hot, dry climates in California. All the way up to 100 degrees in my hybrid leather/textile jacket and pants. But with the added bonus of humidity, I don't think I'm going to survive unless I wear a mesh textile instead of leather. So here are a few ideas for jackets and pants that may help you (and me) this summer. Not only will they provide lots of breathability, but protection as well.

Dainese Airframe

The Airframe is Dainese's answer to the mesh jacket. A lean fit, perfect for longer arms/torso and narrower frames. I'm not a huge fan of how the textile and mesh are cut out on the chest but it's still one of my faves. The matching bottom to this jacket would be the hugely popular New Drake Airs. Although they're not all mesh, it is a very light, breathable, abrasion resistant fabric with large vents.

REV'IT Airwave

The Airwave suit is another kickass option for summer. This jacket fits a little more relaxed, not a full American fit but not as lean as the Dainese Airframe. I would say average, hourglass with roomier arms. The pants are cut as an overpant, with a full length zipper from crotch to ankle on both legs. The waist/hips are pretty generous too. Personally, I love the pants more than the jacket.

Olympia Switchback

The Switchback is Olympia's summer jacket, which also features a removable waterproof liner. This one probably has the most generous fit with broader shoulders and more room in the arms, but shorter sleeves. Olympia features a ton of reflective piping, so if you want the most visibility, you can't go wrong. The Airglide overpants pair with this jacket to make a great summer suit.

Alpinestars T-GP Plus Air

 

New for 2014, I *love* the way it fits. Not too tight, not too loose. Lots of breathability with the mesh panels. I just wish there weren't EIGHT logos! I understand the need for logos, but why 8? 2, 3, 4 isn't enough? Ugh, I would immediately buy this jacket but the numerous logos have me on the fence. The Oxygen Air Overpants are nice too, ventiled well but they don't offer full length zippers, just a gusset closure.

Ep. 34, Women's Moto Gear for Spring

 

Check out the latest episode of Moterrific, where we go over my favorite jackets and pants for spring (from this previous blog post). If you're looking for a new 2 piece textile to add to your riding wardrobe, or upgrade your existing one, listen up!

On our next episode, we're going to take a deep dive into Klim's Altitude outfit as well.

My Favorite Women's Motorcycle Textile Suits

It feels good to be back in the world of motorcycle gear! I've seen some really cool stuff in the past week or two, especially for women riders. So here's my roundup of year round / multi season suits that will take you from Fall to Winter to Spring, and maybe Summer depending on where you live.

Remember, your 2 piece suit can only work as well as your base layer allows in terms of breathability. And if you're not wearing a base layer, gooooooooo get some! Not only will it help your gear fit better but it'll also help regulate the sweat and keep the gear from sticking to your skin.

[button url="http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-womens-sand-jacket" style="dark"]REV'IT Sand[/button]

The Sand is a replacement for their first attempt at an adventure touring outfit, the popular Ventura. It's based off the men's version, and follows the same shell/liner system. What I loved about the Ventura and now the Sand is that the jacket shell is super lightweight. It still has the 2 removable liners but once they're out you have a well ventilated, summer jacket. The bust and arms have a fairly generous fit as well as the hips/waist with longer arms and length overall.

[button url="http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-womens-levante-jacket" style="dark"]REV'IT Levante[/button]

Although the Levante isn't a 2 piece set, I have to mention this jacket. It's more of a 3 season jacket with 2 removable layers but not the warmest jacket because of the mesh ventilation on the front and back panels. The fit profile on Levante is definitely more suited to a taller, narrower (shoulders/arms/torso) body type such as my cohost on Moterrific, AdventureGoddess. Check out her review here.

[button url="http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/fieldsheer-adventure-tour-jacket" style="dark"]Fieldsheer Adventure[/button]

I stumbled upon this outfit recently while helping one of my readers find pants. They have a nice profile to them and go all the way up to a US 18! They would certainly make a nice year round outfit, since you can remove the 2 in 1 liner. The shell is lightweight and would probably work ok in summer, depending on your tolerance for hot weather.

[button url="http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/olympia-womens-ranger-jacket" style="dark"]Olympia Ranger[/button]

The new Ranger is an updated version of the popular AST women's jacket. Still a waterproof shell, they've redesigned the jacket overall. Check out Rania's blog post about this jacket here.

[button url="http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/klim-womens-altitude-jacket" style="dark"]Klim Altitude[/button]

  

Women in the riding community have been anticipating this release since rumors of Klim developing a women's 2 piece GORE-TEX shell surfaced a couple seasons ago. It's here, and it basically a women's version of the men's Latitude. Just tailored and fitted for women. This version also has one key feature that the men's doesn't however; Adjustability to lengthen the pants a few inches! Finally something we get that men don't when it comes to motorcycle gear. These also go up to a Size 22!

[button url="http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-womens-zima-gore-tex-jacket" style="dark"]Dainese Zima GTX[/button]

 

I especially love how the front of the jacket lays flat, so to speak. Partly because of Dainese's special Mugello fabric, but also just the way they sew and fit everything together. The design is always clean and simple. I'm wearing a Euro 40 (US 4) with the liner in. Of course, you can pair this with any of the Dainese Womens Textile pants (no jeans).  The GORE-TEX is not removable, but the thermal liner is.

The Zima is one of my personal favorites. I'd say that it has an average fit. Not too narrow, not too curvy. Somewhere in the middle, but not as narrow as some of their other jackets. If you're looking for the matching GTX pant, the Travelguard (above; thigh vents/hip armor/adjustable knee armor) or Galvestones are the way to go. And of course, if you aren't interested in GTX, then there are a few other Dainese pants to choose from.

Desde La Tierra, Hasta La Tierra

At Horizons Unlimited in October, I met Erin before she and her husband left for their wild adventure from the Sierra Nevadas all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of South America via motorcycles.

She needed help finding the perfect outfit to carry her through the chilly temperatures she was about to face. And an outfit that would fit into her $500 budget. 

Although something like the Legacy GTX jacket and pants would've been perfect, they were also way out of her price range (almost $1,000). She emailed me about some used Airglide pants but after telling me that she is always cold and wanted something that would definitely keep her warm, I googled a bit and found gently used Olympia Pro Max waterproof pants on good ole Craigslist for $100 in her size. She preferred to find something on the warmer side, than the cooler, so these would work well. Excellent! 

She and her husband then visited me at Scuderia West's fall open house and we found her the perfect jacket, the REVIT Indigo.  Priced at ~$330, it fit her perfectly and best of all, met her budget and riding needs. 

Piece of cake :)

Have a safe and fantastic trip you two! 

To follow their journey, visit and like their facebook page, DesdelaSierraHastaLaTierra.