Dainese CarveMaster 2 Women's GTX Jacket

2 of the 6 vents. This one I'm wearing IS the color above described as "Black/Frost Grey/Red" 

Damn you Winter. The minute I got this jacket a week and a half ago, our temperatures started to plummet. But good thing I'm headed out to California this weekend for a week of sun, family and riding! The Dainese CarveMaster 2 GTX is their flagship women's winter jacket, featuring a removable thermal liner and a removable down collar. It also features 6 vents which will help push this one into 3-4 seasons although it doesn't offer fully direct venting.   

What this means is that behind the mesh is the Gore-Tex membrane which is meant to keep you dry. You won't feel the air directly to your body because the membrane is in the way. It definitely helps in warmer weather than not having them at all, but it's not as effective as other jackets which offer direct vents such as Klim. 

What does stand out about this jacket is the fitment, it's very sport oriented. If you ride sporty bikes like me, then you know how hard it is to find touring jackets that fit us on the kind of bikes that we ride.

This jacket is very fitted, and slim so when you do ride in a more aggressive position, it won't be baggy around the chest/waist. I HATE jackets that are baggy and loose especially in the body. Because when I lean forward, I need my jacket to stay out of my way (much like the cars/bikes around me :P)

I can't wait to give it a spin in California's "winter" which is um, 60 Degrees during the day and low 40s at night. I'll be headed to Walnut Creek (just 30 minutes East of Berkeley) for a week to see my family and friends. But I'll also borrow a couple of different bikes while I'm there so I can visit some of my favorite roads again. 

And then I pray the weather lightens up enough when I get back to some reasonable 40s so I can actually take this jacket for a spin here in Philly. 

Stay tuned to my Instagram and Facebook feeds for more photos next week. 

Just a huge "Thank you!" for your fit guidance and...

Just a huge "Thank you!" for your fit guidance and recommendation on a jacket. I had so much trouble finding something with good protection, Gore Tex, and a cut that fit me. I took my first winter ride two weeks ago with the Zima! I really appreciate your reviews and attitude.  

Summer Women's Motorcycle Jacket for a Petite Frame

Hi Joanne,

I came across your blog doing research on motorcycle gear. I love how informative and thorough your writing is -- please continue sharing your insight and wisdom!

A friend of mine rides a Harley cruiser and we'll be taking a 2 hr road trip in a couple weeks. I'll be the passenger and I want to be properly geared up. I was thinking about getting the Rev'It Ignition 2 jacket, but am wondering if you had recommendations for other jackets, considering that I don't know how frequently I'll be on a motorcycle (this will be my first ride!) and I will most likely always be the passenger :)

My info is:

1/ 5'7" / 125ish

2/ bust -- 34 / waist -- 28 / hips -- 36

3/ I'll be Colorado in a couple weeks and it looks like that weekend is going to be in the low 90s, eek.

4/ What I'm concerned about is that the chest area will fit ok -- I'm pretty busty (32DD) but have a small back and narrow shoulders so ideally the jacket would need to fit my shoulders well and not be too big. I am also looking for a jacket that's not going to ride up too much when I sit.

Have you tried Ugly Bros denim? There's some versions that have kevlar woven in. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that brand if you're familiar?

I look forward to hearing from you!

best, amy

At your size, I don't think the Ignition 2 is a good option. It's *very* busty. I would actually recommend this jacket because it's longer, 3/4 length and without the waterproof/windproof liner (one liner keeps you warm and dry) and it's ventilated for hot weather. Comes in silver too. I'd go with a size 34. It's better for you than other mesh jackets due to the combination of fit/features that you need.

Rev'it Levante $299: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-womens-levante-jacket

If it's going to be 90, I recommend 2 things:

1. Wear a baselayer, something to moisture wick and help the gear breathe better: http://gearchic.com/2013/08/22/what-are-baselayers/
2. Wear  a sportsbra to compress the girls a bit if need be. The sports bra will also be more comfortable on a hot, long trip over a traditional bra. A running / workout bra is great. I wear a simple Gap Body one that's light and super comfy. I'm a 32D bordering 34C myself.

Rev'it and other companies make other mesh jackets, but this one hits all the points you need; bust fit, narrowness in shoulders/arms, length, coverage, etc.

The Maven will simply be too Hot. You need mesh and breathability. Keep in mind that the Levante is also a breathable mesh, not an open weave mesh like you see on other jackets. So it'll still breathe really well but not as direct as traditional mesh. Check out my cohost's review of the jacket here: http://gearchic.com/2013/07/10/revit-levante-jacket-review-by-advgoddess/

As far as denim jeans, haven't heard of that brand. My favorite is Rev'it because they offer Hip And Knee protection. It's very rare when someone offers us both! Body armor is as important as abrasion resistance, so hips and knees are a must. These offer both, as well as Coolmax lining which should help in the heat, and the denim is weaved with Cordura so it's not just regular denim with panels for reinforcement. Revit says that their lining is stronger than Kevlar, and more breathable. It's certainly softer, that's for sure. I'm very tempted to get these to commute to work with myself. I don't do riding jeans because none of them so far have offered hip and knee armor and I don't like riding without hip armor. The fit is fabulous and true to waist size. They fit like a nice bootcut jean. My only issue with them is that the legs are really long, I have a 28.5" inseam and the knee armor pockets are almost an inch too low in riding position. :(

Rev'it Broadway: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-womens-broadway-jeans

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.