GORE-TEX Motorcycle Gear for Women

 

If you ride year round, in a predominantly wet/cold environment, or are always cold, then one of these may be exactly what you're looking for. 

What is GORE-TEX? 

http://www.gore-tex.com

You may already have a windbreaker, rainjacket or snow jacket with one of these membranes. If you do, hopefully you know how great it is at keeping you dry, a little warmer and breathable all at the same time. You should also know that it needs to be cleaned in order to keep working correctly. So if your favorite jacket stopped being waterproof, it's time to toss it in the washing machine!

You should've been given instructions on the care of your garment by the manufacturer. If not, you can go to their website and see what they have to say about the matter. Keep in mind that caring for your GTX gear is crucial to the long term use and reliability of the product. 

As a motorcyclist, GTX is one of the best outdoor uses applied to what we do. Cold, wind, rain and snow are mother nature's way of telling us that we need to really gear up if we expect to arrive to our destination warmly and safely. I think the ultimate combination of this kind of comfort is a heated liner such as a WarmnSafe with a GTX lined jacket. 

As a woman motorcyclists, if you're looking for the *best* jackets and pants to keep you warm and dry this riding season, then you'll want to consider these options from the only companies making GTX gear for women right now.

And if you have any of these items, please post a comment and share your thoughts. 

Something that I love about Dainese gear is how well their gear fits. It also feels super light, as if you're not wearing much gear, because everything is designed so well. The pants have a unique fit in that they taper nicely at the knees for a slimmer fit down the leg. If you're vertically challenged, you'll find that their pants may bunch a little behind the knees but because they don't have a wider leg that they may not end up being as long as other brands. Here are the 3 gore options available for women by Dainese: 

Adina GTX Jacket

MSRP $469.95
Colors: Black, Black/Red and Black/Gray
Sizes: Euro 40-54 (US 2 -16)
Fit: Longer in the arms/torso. Fits body types with longer waists and small hips. Unfortunately Dainese hasn't really addressed the curvier body type. But it does fit well for tall/slender figures as well as women who are plus size but taller.  

Pictured above, this option from Dainese features the GTX membrane "laminated to the outer fabric provided with water repellence treatment." What this basically means is that there is no removable liner to make the jacket waterproof. However, it does have a removable thermal liner for more warmth. I can't tell you how AWESOME it is when you don't have to add a separate liner to stay dry! GTX also offers the most breathability when it comes to waterproof membranes. 

Adina GTX Pants

MSRP $299.95
Colors: Black
Sizes: Euro 40-54 (US 2 -16) 
Fit:  I tried these on last winter (below) and they feel super light. Since they have more of a skinny jean feel to them, they dont have the wider leg than some of the trouser fit pants that REVIT and other brands have. Bonus points for having 4 outer pockets that are actually useful. These should be a bit warmer than the Galvestones below. 

P. New Galvestone GTX Pants

MSRP $299.95
Colors: Black
Sizes: Euro 40-52 (US 2 -14) 
Fit:  These should fit much like the Adinas, but I haven't tried them myself yet. I believe they're a little less expensive due to the difference in shell construction (seems like a lighterweight material), no hip armor and a thinner thermal layer. My guess is that these are for moderate winter temps (i.e. Bay Area) vs. the Adinas (i.e. Minneapolis). I have a sneaky feeling that they fit a little different as well.  I'll try to scope them out at the DStore and update this post when I have a chance. 

 

 

They have changed so much since I became familiar with the brand ~7 years ago. Last October, the first GTX option was introduced into their line for women. They realize how much the market is changing and that many women are going this route (myself included). The fitment has changed considerably as well.

 

If you tried to buy their gear 2 or 3 years ago and weren't able to wear it because of the way it fits, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the changes they've since then. Now, the overall fitments are shifting to an American woman's body, with the benefit of European styling, construction and design. A really great combination for many women seeking real gear for their real curves. 

 

The Legacy jacket and pants are the only offerings so far, but as the market grows, I hope that they'll keep watching and listening to what women riders need and want. 

 

For more info about this outfit, see my recent blog post here which include my first impressions and more pics. Look for a review on this outfit before end of this month. 

 

 

 

You may or may not know that Held makes some of the best riding gloves on the market. Made in Germany, these gloves are the best of the best. In the motorcycle world, you're either a Held lover you're a Racer lover (I'm the latter).  

 

Not only does Held make great gloves but they also make great gear. Here's what they have to offer:

 

Held Davina

 

MSRP $599.99; on sale for $399.95
Colors: Black, Gray/Red and Gray/Black
Sizes: US M-XXL
Fit: Unfortunately I haven't seen this one in person. If the fit is anything like their men's jackets, and it appear similar, it's a longer 3/4 length than the others above. I'm also going to speculate that the shoulders aren't too narrow but average in terms of width. It looks like they no longer have any XS/S sizes (which I'm not surprised by, given the way average clothing sizes are growing in this country) and the size availability depend on the color options. It doesn't look like they offer any gore pants just yet.

 

Held Tortona

MSRP $899.99; on sale for $629.95
Color: Black
Size: Small 
Fit: Unfortunately I haven't seen this one in person, but one thing that sets it apart from any of the other jackets, as well as why it's priced so much higher is because it features a GTX pro shell textile, laminate mix. Since I haven't seen one with my own eyes, I can't really say for sure. But I think it sounds comparable to a Klim Latitude Jacket. And, from what I keep hearing, Klim is coming out with a women's line next year. Anyone else hearing what I'm hearing?

That's it for now, let's keep telling dealers and manufacturers what we want/need so we keep getting more options!

 

Adventure Motorcycle Magazine

Check out this magazine. I don't read very many paper motorcycle magazines these days. But this is one of the few that I actually like reading and will be purchasing a subscription for. You can't sell dual sport riding with women in bikinis or half naked women, period. Dual sport riding is no joke. Reading about other people's adventures is exciting, inspiring and downright cool. One of my good friends, MotoAdventureGal contributes articles for them too.  

Not only do they have apps so you can read the content from your phone, but you can also purchase a digital subscription. So 21st century!

And if you're on Facebook and you don't already Like their page, I highly recommend doing it asap. They post the most amazing photos from around the world! 

AdventureMotorcycle.com

Dual sport motorcycle and Scooter sales are up.

Motorcycle Industry Council Media Relations (949) 727-4211, ext. 3027

New MIC Business Advisory & Forecast Predicts 2012 Motorcycle and ATV Sales

Trade Association Makes First Ever Sales Projections

IRVINE, Calif., March 15, 2012 – The Motorcycle Industry Council forecasts modest declines in new motorcycle sales through 2012. That estimate comes from the MIC's new Business Advisory & Forecast, marking the first time that the industry association has projected future sales.

This MIC forecast, compiled in conjunction with the Institute for Trend Research, follows an initial estimate for 2011 sales showing some growth last year.

Collectively, the dozen leading brands included in the MIC's Retail Sales Report were up 0.3 percent in 2011, compared to the year before. Fuel-efficient models did especially well. Among these brands, scooter sales rose 11.8 percent and dual-purpose bike sales were up 14.2 percent. The MIC will announce first-quarter 2012 sales for these particular brands, which represent most of the market, on April 20.

"While our market stayed essentially flat last year, unemployment numbers and stagnant incomes are making consumers more cautious about large purchases," said MIC President Tim Buche. "Even with low interest rates making this a great time to buy for many people, overall economic uncertainty is leading us to predict we'll have fewer sales in 2012."

However, Buche said, the MIC forecast assumes the same amount of sales and marketing efforts on the part of manufacturers and distributors. They can influence and increase sales through production increases, through price changes, and things such as special promotions and captive financing programs.

The MIC Business Advisory & Forecast also projects that ATV sales will decline this year. But this trend is being offset by a market shift to recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) that eclipsed 220,000 new unit sales in 2010, by some industry estimates. The MIC does not currently track ROV sales.

The forecast projects specific sales figures three years into the future, but this detail and long-range projection are only available to MIC members and are not for public distribution. Quarterly MIC news releases, with 2012 forecast updates, are scheduled for publication at the end of the months of April, July, and October.

While new bike sales remained virtually flat last year, there was positive news within other aspects of the industry. Spending on maintenance and repairs has been rising since April 2010, according to the business advisory, suggesting that the market for consumers taking care of bikes they’ve long owned, or improving used bikes they've recently purchased, could continue to improve.

Recent tire sales also reflect this trend, as well as data confirming that owners are putting more miles on their motorcycles. The MIC's Motorcycle Tire Sales Report shows that replacement tire purchases, among eight leading brands, rose 9.6 percent in 2011. Even off-highway tire sales increased by 11.7 percent last year, during the same time that sales of new off-highway motorcycles declined by more than 13 percent.

"We're seeing strong indications that riders are continuing to maintain their current motorcycles or upgrading ones they bought used, and we've recorded an increasing number of miles being ridden on American roads over the past decade," Buche said. "The interest in motorcycling is healthier than ever. That's good news for our industry over the long term and this bodes well for retailers."

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, business advisories and forecasts, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit, national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at www.mic.org.

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REV'IT Legacy GTX Jacket and Pants

Last year, REV'IT released a new two piece touring/adventure outfit for women, called the Ventura. Before then, they'd had a couple of textile outfits that were certainly travel friendly but not designed and built with the same features you would find on comparable outfits for men like the Sand or Legacy.

This year, REV'IT has introduced a woman's version of the Legacy. They've created this outfit with the ultimate female motorcycle adventure rider in mind.

If you're an avid motorcyclist and plan on logging thousands of miles next year through all of your riding adventures, you NEED this outfit. Or maybe you're just looking for a four season outfit to take you through hot/cold and everything in between.

Aside from the snazzy adventure riding look, the Legacy has a few very unique features (compared to the other products offered by REV'IT and other manufacturers):

• Cordura® 1000D ribstop with Teflon® coating
• GORE-TEX® liner
• Detachable thermal liner

What I really love is the fact that the GORE-TEX® membrane is attached to the shell (so you dont need put on an extra liner to stay dry!).  Its the one thing I dislike about the Indigo.

 

The fancy ribstop Cordura is pretty cool too. It actually rips in a zig zag fashion, vs. your typical straight line to slow down the tear.  Although I've only seen the Defender in person, I'm pretty sure that the Legacy also has a much lighter, less bulky feel to it, almost nylon-like.

Now you're probably wondering, how much is a suit like this going to cost me? Well, with all these bells and whistles, you're going to spend roughtly $1,000 for this outfit.  But how much is your body worth?