So far, I like the feel of this jacket. I'm also happy with how it looks (which is always a concern). It's a light weight, spring/summer jacket that is perfect for the 60s weather San Francisco is having this week. Yay! After 20+ days of rain in March, I'm sooo ready for Spring. I really like the detailing on the cuffs, which fold back like french cuffs.
I'll be trying another size to get the fit perfect so I can review it so stay tuned.
It's common practice for manufacturers to cycle out and discontinue certain pieces of gear every 3-5 years, depending on how well that item is selling or how popular it is in the market. Unfortunately 3 of my favorite women's gear from REV'IT is being discontinued, so you'll find these all on clearance if not completely gone from your local dealer. I urge you to try and find them if you can!
1)Zip Pants. Unisex, waterproof overpants perfect for commuting. Especially fits a curvy figure up to a Size 16 (XXXL) and can be found in SHORT. (I found these to fit women far better than men for some reason) Scuderia West has already sold most of them, if not all of them to make room for an updated version called The Axis WR pant. Last I saw there were two size XXL on the clearance rack. Revzilla only has a few sizes on clearance left as well.
2) Axis Pants (Replacement for the Zip). One major difference with the new Axis is that they start an XS, not XXS as before. The XS will probably fit a women's US 4. I tried on a Small and it fit like a size 6. Another improvement is the addition of a 2-way side zipper, which does make it easier for you to take them on and off without taking off your boots. I have to do that for the Zips and was happy to do so, given how wonderfully they fit.
They also appear to have added additional elastic at the waist to make for a more adjustable fit. I always thought that the Zip pants fit women better than men, and I still think that's the case, however not for petite women. The Zips used to come in XXS, which fit down to a Size US 2, perfect for petite frames. But they've pushed the sizing up, and as a result they've made the cut a little more generous for a curvier body. I know that many plus sized women have issue finding gear, but so do super petite women. For many women who are a size 0-4, it can be difficult to find anything affordably priced to fit. The "sweet spot" so to speak for sizing is size 4-12. If you fall within these numbers, it's pretty easy to find something in your size.
A couple other changes that they've made with the Axis:
3) Allure Jacket and Marryl Pants.
You may recognize WarmnSafe heated liners if you’ve ever seen First Gear and their line of heated liners, which are actually WNS liners. Hopefully the name gives you an idea of what they had in mind. Keeping you warm and safe! The less distracted you are by how cold you are, the more you can focus and concentrate on riding. The minute you start shivering is a sign that you're cold. If you find yourself coming home after a ride, and are so cold inside and out that it takes a good 20-30 minutes for your body temperature to come back up, it might be time to consider heated gear. Or maybe you don't find your winter textile to be warm enough, with all the added layers you're wearing, in addition to your removable thermal liner.
Even if the temperature is only 50 or 60 degrees, if you're doing any sort of distance on the freeway, you also have wind chill to deal with. It can be manageable if you're just riding a few minutes across town. But as soon as you jump on the freeway to get to work, school or wherever, it's going to get cold fast. If you're a year round rider like me, you probably love to ride as much as you can. Wearing a heated liner gives me the freedom to ride to on days that I never would have considered before. I currently don't have a winter textile jacket and have been relying on my Ignition, which is primarily a spring/summer/fall jacket. Having a WNS has allowed me to stretch this jacket to temperatures as low as 45 with wind chill. I'll be honest, when I rode in that temperature on the freeway (on my way to Hwy 35/Skyline/4corners!) it was cold. But I didn't feel so cold that I needed to pull over. And it was never so bad that I couldn't get warm after getting off the bike. I could just feel the wind counteract the heated liner. I wouldn't recommend buying a heated liner to 'convert' your summer jacket to a winter jacket if you're riding in any temperatures below 50-55 degrees.
You know when wind starts to go down the front of your jacket and chills your core to the bone? Thank god I never felt that. I was just warm enough to stay above that and make it all the way to my destination.
If I had a proper winter textile jacket (without mesh or ventilation) I would've had better wind protection, which is what I was sorely lacking. So I ended up turning up my mounted temptroller ALL the way up! When I'm riding around the City, even in 40s, I never need to turn it up that high. There's just not enough wind chill. Typically I have it turned up halfway at the most. It actually heats up tremendously fast. I have a mounted troller and it gives me full adjustable controls. It only takes about 5 minutes to get to the level of warmth I need. I’d say that from the moment you turn on the troller to when it starts to generate heat is about 2-3 minutes. Its heavenly!
I typically wear a US 4, so an extra small was perfect for me. It should fit snugly so you can feel the heating elements. Typically you don’t want to wear a super thick layer underneath your WNS (ie wool sweater). I wear a long sleeve shirt and its all I need for the most part. On that cold ride to Alice’s, I wore my Schampa Skinny shirt which also helped me survive the chill. I’m able to layer this with my Ignition's wind / water liner as well, although I wish i didn't have to. But its the only way I can stay dry when its raining or foggy.
I found the jacket tapers nicely around my waist and then go out a bit over my hips. The sides also have stretchy panels so there's a little room to um, grow after a hefty lunch. Its not too long and not too short either. I’m able to wear them comfortably with my overpants, which do come up a little higher in the back. Since the side of the jacket is a little higher it makes it easy to tuck the back into my pants a little bit so I can zip my jacket and pants together when its chilly out. (less wind going up)
There’s also a heating element all the way around the collar, which totally makes a difference. I don't even feel the need to wear a neck warmer, except on 40 degree long rides. It zips up a little high, right at the point where looking down feels a little uncomfortable. But, how often do we ride while looking down anyways? (Never!)
It lays pretty flat under my leather collar. It feels a little too tight for me so I usually leave my top button undone unless I’m really cold. I think if I were riding something upright like a Suzuki DRZ, I wouldn't notice it as much.
And when I tried on the Dainese Xantum, i found it to fit perfectly under that collar too. I think this jacket would fit under any textile or leather comfortably, the only problem I've had is sometimes the wires on my right elbow come up a little high and rub against my elbow armor. A quick shuffle and shimmy with my sleeve and it goes back to where it was.
As far as the wires, there are three zippered pockets with cables. The first is on the left pocket. It's only about 4 -5 inches long. And when you're not riding with it connected to the small cable coming up between your seat and gas tank, you can tuck it back in the pocket.
On the inside of the left pocket is another smaller zippered pouch, for a portable heat troller if you dont want to be connected to the bike. This would make it convenient to wear during other outdoor activities.
Finally each sleeve has a small 3-4 inch zippered pocket if you ever decide to get heated gloves and that way you can plug the gloves into the jacket then plug the jacket into the bike. Im not sure if a portable troller is powerful enough to heat both at the same time.
I only have the jacket so I’m connected to the bike via a single mounted troller. Since my battery is under my seat, I ran the line from the battery, under the frame, along the left side of my frame under the gas tank to the underside of my left front fairing. I then mounted it to the left of my instrument panel, where a small hole already exists, presumably for aftermarket accessories. Installation took about 20-25 minutes, once we figured out where to mount the troller. I didn’t want to drill a hole in my bodywork at the time, but I may move it for easier access.
Yes, you will have to connect yourself at least once to a cable but its soooo worth it when you're riding in 30-40 degree weather and you arrive toasty and warm to your final destination. I could see how short trips here and there wouldn't warrant heated gear but for any long trips, or longer commutes (~30+ miles each way), a heated jacket in that kind of weather is a must.
After you have heated gear, you kick yourself for not investing in it sooner!
And heated gear isn't just for drivers. if you're a passenger and you find yourself always cold, you'll never be with a warmnsafe.
I will post photos as soon as I get back from Washington DC.
Ahhh, Winter. It's that time of year again. I have never had the pleasure of using a heated jacket. I hear that these mythical garments can change your riding life. If that's the case, I wish I would've thought of getting one years ago. I guess I'm just a sucker for punishment.
But after one too many rides freezing my arms, chest and upper body off, it's definitely time to put an end to needless suffering. It's also perfect timing since I've entered the winter riding season without proper winter gear. I can't wait to try out a heated liner underneath my leather/textile hybrid jacket, which is definitely better suited for spring/summer/fall riding seasons vs. winter.
So why bother getting a heated jacket liner anyway? I live in San Francisco and luckily, we don't have a frigid winter like most of you across the country do. (Side Note: San Francisco weather is completely opposite of what the weather is like for cities just 10 miles north, south or east of here. In the summer, while everyone outside of San Francisco is enjoying the summer temperatures, I'm freezing my butt off from the marine layer that blankets the city. Foggy, windy, cold. Fast forward a few months to October and we finally get the mild, fairly warm temperatures (70s). Then, throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas through New Year's and into spring, we are a good 10 degrees warmer than the inland areas. Again, due to the marine layer. So, moral of the story is, visit San Francisco in September/October, NOT June/July).
However, there's a little something called Wind Chill. Riding on the freeway at night from say, San Francisco to Walnut Creek (where my family lives) in winter can actually be quite cold. The temperatures easily dip down into the 40s inland (my definition of inland: anything ~20 miles north, east or south of San Francisco). Add wind chill to that and you've got a heinous temperature of at least 25 degrees to deal with. *whimper*
I'm a firm believer that the right gear improves your ability to ride in so many ways. Heated gear can definitely do this too. Anytime something distracts you from the act of riding, it can make you far more vulnerable to an accident. Just like someone in their car talking on their cell phone pulls them away from the moment, so can thinking about how cold you are, or how uncomfortable you are while riding your motorcycle.
How many times have you gotten home after a very chilly ride, unable to get warm until you've either: a) stood under a hot shower for 20 minutes or buried yourself under a pile of down comforters to get your body temperature back up to normal? That's a sign that your body temperature was probably starting to drop and you need something more than your textile or leather jacket to keep you warm. Well, I have something that's going to help.
I am excited to announce a referral program in conjunction with Warm and Safe heated gear to all GearChic readers (men and women!). To take advantage of this amazing pricing on heated liners for WarmnSafe, you must send an email to Rose Kincart and tell her you saw the post on my blog. Below is the pricing on Women's heated jackets, pants, gloves and the heat troller. You can't get this pricing on their website or through any other retailers. You must contact Rose directly and mention Me in order to benefit from this pricing.
WarmnSafe recommends that wearing a high performance base layer like Klim or any high moisture wicking material will help keep you warm and comfortable as well. NO Cotton! Wool really is the best option. Smart Wool fabrics like those made from IbexWear and Ice Breaker are as soft as cotton, breathes and performs better than cotton.
For additional pricing on other products on their website, you can email her for that information as well.
Happy Riding, hope this helps keep you Warm and Safe. :)
Gen-4... *New Soft Heat Panels (no wires) Gen-2, Gen-3 …*The Generation 2 & Generation 3 are identical in quality, design, weight, thinnest, in ALL WAYS except the Generation 3 is a MICROFIBER Polyester. The difference is the material we use. the Gen 2 is a breathable non-coated Nylon Taffeta. The Gen 3 is a wind stopping, water repellant, wicking, breathing microfiber. *Designed to be worn over a single layer of clothing like a basegear, a t-shirt or other lightweight garment. A protective outer jacket should always be worn over it. *Keep in mind what other accessories draw from your vehicle–refer to your owner’s manual for its maximum amperage output.
Gen-3, Gen-4... *Form fitting, close fit for optimum heat transfer to body. Made of Spandex® fabric allowing full range of movement for any activity and fits easily under your outer garments.
Mounted, Portable or Remote... Single or Dual *The dual versions allow you to control the heat levels on the liner and gloves separately, highly recommended.
Riders or Passenger (both Waterproof)
You must send an email to Rose Kincart and tell her you saw the post on my blog for “Special Pricing” or contact Rose @ 623-204-8043.
View all products at www.warmnsafe.com.
