Alpinestars Vika - First Impressions

  

Finally, it's here. Is it living up to all the hype? Kind of. 

The Vika by Alpinestars is a fashion leather with armor and a precurved fit. It's a little better than something you'd buy at the mall because it has the armor and a slightly better fit in riding position.

So far I'm neutral about it. It does fit well (although I had to wear a 44 for the jacket because my shoulders were too broad for 40, which I fit in the GP Plus) it's a little 'bunchy'. Not sure if that's because of the leather or because I'm not quite the tall, thin body type that this outfit was made for.

If you're long and lean on top I think this will fit you much better than me. I've only worn this with Betty, in a full upright riding position. It feels comfortable up here but I don't think it'll be as comfy on my SV650s, which is really forward leaning.

The pants seem short, even for my inseam (28.5"). Although, keep in mind you never need your riding pants to reach your full inseam, like you would casual pants. Otherwise, they'll be dragging on the ground when you walk.

It's a really light, thin leather so I wouldn't wear it on the freeway since it's barely keeping me warm at 60 degrees. I also would be weary if I crashed at high speed.

Full review coming after a 100+ more miles riding in it... 

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!

 

What I Do

More often than not, people ask me what exactly it is that I do. I help women like Nicole figure out what gear she needs, what fits, what doesn't and what she should look for as she gets herself back up to a healthier weight. Nicole, you rock and I hope I was able to help point you in the right direction.

First Impressions, REV'IT Legacy GTX Textile Suit for Women

 

Looking for the best 2-piece, textile, women's motorcycle suit, ever? I think we may have a winner. 

REV'IT Legacy GTX Jacket
MSRP $549.99
Sizes Euro 34-48

 

REV'IT Legacy GTX Pants
MSRP $449.99
Sizes Euro 34-48

I just rode in this outfit for the first time last weekend on my way to the Horizons Unlimited Annual CA Traveler's Meetup. 

I've never worn GORE-TEX on my motorcycle until now. All I can say is AWESOME. Simply fantastic. Both pieces of the Legacy feature the breathable, waterproof, windproof material as a layer that is already sewn into inside of the shell so you don't need to zip anything in or out to stay warm or dry. And contrary to popular belief, it doesn't make you hot! It breathes so well and keeps you comfortable no matter what the external temperature. 

When I left San Francisco last Thursday afternoon, it was ~85 degrees. It was definitely toasty, but between that and my Klim layers, I was super comfortable. It's true, GORE-TEX really does breathe. 

By the time I rode into Cambria, it was 50-55 with windchill. I took Highway 1 south most of the way (which also took 7+ hours) and when you drop into San Simeon, the valley opens up and it gets Cold, fast. The cross winds are horrendous and the marine layer kicks in after sunset. It wasn't foggy, thank god (although there's nothing quite like riding twisties on the side of a cliff in the cold, wet fog, in the dark. Which I haven't done in a few years) but it was windy and certainly chilly at low 50s. Whenever I ride down this way, I HAVE to pull over and layer up, or turn up the heated liner almost all the way in high winds. 

I always suspected that wearing a GORE-TEX lined jacket would block the wind but I had no idea how much. My comfort zone is short, very short. With the Legacy, I was stunned at how comfortable I was.

I've never found any jacket to provide some sort of happy medium for my temperamental self. Until now. 

Stay tuned for a full review after the next rainstorm. I can't wait for it to pour so I can test the waterproof-ability.  

Link to full description and specs. 

 

Update 11/5/2012

I experienced a wet ride home last week and was able to do a little bit of rain testing (city riding, ~low 50 degree temps, no wind). So far so good! Came home warm and dry. :) Stay tuned for more updates and a full review.