B
ballisticexchris
Guest
Testing out my new Klim badlands Pro gear. This gear is the real deal and fantastic!! You really get what you pay for. It is full on triple layer Gore Tex with D3O armor, and a bunch of zip open vents.
Yesterday I did a simple 260+ mile morning - early afternoon loop around Temecula, Hemet, Anzo, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Morongo Valley and back home to Fullerton. The temps ranged from 100-110 degrees for close to 200 miles of the ride.
Mine are the black pants and hi viz black/dark grey jacket. At over 100 degrees I was very comfortable as long as the bike was rolling. I was a bit apprehensive on how well it would vent in the desert. In the start of the morning I opened up all my vents, clipped open the collar, and closed the cuffs on the sleeves. I wore my Racer full gauntlet gloves over the cuffs. When heading out from my buddies shop in Morongo Valley the temps were pushing 110 degrees. So I slipped on my short Fox moto gloves and fully opened up the cuffs putting them over the gloves. This gives a nice bit of extra airflow up the sleeves and though the jacket. BTW I call BS on the light grey gear being cooler. Main thing is staying hydrated and letting your body sweat keep you cool.
Another thing to note is the venting when riding standing. WOW!! This is where the venting works best. Of course I'm riding a Super Tenere so having a windscreen and winglets cuts down the airflow when seated. The jacket feels a little "puffy" and "crunchy" when going from standing to seated. I still have not messed with the kidney belt or bottom drawstring. I have been told by the Klim rep that this Textile stuff breaks in with time. This is a big step up from my Joe rocket leather jacket for street and EVS pressure suit for dual sport.
I figure riding the extreme heat was the best test for this gear. I'm already confident that it will work really well in the cold and wet. Reason being is because I've had the Klim Stowaway Gore Tex jacket and inversion gloves for years. I have ridden in sub freezing snow to cold pouring rain with just the jacket and gloves over my riding gear. They work like a charm. I can only imagine how well this gear will work in the wet and cold.
Reason I got this gear is to have the very best protection as possible. I also wanted something you don't have to fiddle with zip in rain liners, pressure suits, etc. Very simple to wear. Just put on pants and jacket and ride. I'm just a regular guy who want's to enjoy day rides with a few multi day trips.
Lets talk about fit. I'm 5'9". This is down from my original 5' 11" due to broken bones over the years. I weigh in right at about 200 lbs in street clothes. I wear a Columbia 38" hiking pants and have about a 30"-31" inseam. So the 38" regular pants are a perfect fit with plenty of adjustment in each direction for layering. I'm a 44-45" chest and wear the large jacket. I have a bit of a gut and wear XL tee shirts.
Both jacket and pants are just loose enough to be comfortable to move around in. The jacket has plenty of room for layering. Yesterday I was just wearing a single moisture wicking shirt underneath. For underwear I have moisture wicking boxer briefs and lycra bike shorts.
If you fit this or any good high end riding gear it's important to form yourself in a riding position or mount a bike in the store. If you stand up straight and stretch your arms over your head your elbows and shoulder will get pinched with the armor. This stuff is designed for riding in standard position or riding standing. This is not fun casual wear for off the bike. It is most comfortable when in the saddle. If you ride a Harley with ape hangers you will have to rethink your gear.
I suggest to anyone to try on lots of different brands of gear before purchasing. I'm not too thrilled with the fact Polaris owns this company. OTOH, as a consumer, if it fits good and it offers good protection that's what counts. BTW the warranty is really good. I'm lucky enough to live right around the corner from a major distributer of this product (https://motorhelmets.com/collections/klim). The Klim reps are at the shop weekly and there is just a few day turn around for any tears, broken zippers, snaps etc.
Yesterday I did a simple 260+ mile morning - early afternoon loop around Temecula, Hemet, Anzo, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Morongo Valley and back home to Fullerton. The temps ranged from 100-110 degrees for close to 200 miles of the ride.
Mine are the black pants and hi viz black/dark grey jacket. At over 100 degrees I was very comfortable as long as the bike was rolling. I was a bit apprehensive on how well it would vent in the desert. In the start of the morning I opened up all my vents, clipped open the collar, and closed the cuffs on the sleeves. I wore my Racer full gauntlet gloves over the cuffs. When heading out from my buddies shop in Morongo Valley the temps were pushing 110 degrees. So I slipped on my short Fox moto gloves and fully opened up the cuffs putting them over the gloves. This gives a nice bit of extra airflow up the sleeves and though the jacket. BTW I call BS on the light grey gear being cooler. Main thing is staying hydrated and letting your body sweat keep you cool.
Another thing to note is the venting when riding standing. WOW!! This is where the venting works best. Of course I'm riding a Super Tenere so having a windscreen and winglets cuts down the airflow when seated. The jacket feels a little "puffy" and "crunchy" when going from standing to seated. I still have not messed with the kidney belt or bottom drawstring. I have been told by the Klim rep that this Textile stuff breaks in with time. This is a big step up from my Joe rocket leather jacket for street and EVS pressure suit for dual sport.
I figure riding the extreme heat was the best test for this gear. I'm already confident that it will work really well in the cold and wet. Reason being is because I've had the Klim Stowaway Gore Tex jacket and inversion gloves for years. I have ridden in sub freezing snow to cold pouring rain with just the jacket and gloves over my riding gear. They work like a charm. I can only imagine how well this gear will work in the wet and cold.
Reason I got this gear is to have the very best protection as possible. I also wanted something you don't have to fiddle with zip in rain liners, pressure suits, etc. Very simple to wear. Just put on pants and jacket and ride. I'm just a regular guy who want's to enjoy day rides with a few multi day trips.
Lets talk about fit. I'm 5'9". This is down from my original 5' 11" due to broken bones over the years. I weigh in right at about 200 lbs in street clothes. I wear a Columbia 38" hiking pants and have about a 30"-31" inseam. So the 38" regular pants are a perfect fit with plenty of adjustment in each direction for layering. I'm a 44-45" chest and wear the large jacket. I have a bit of a gut and wear XL tee shirts.
Both jacket and pants are just loose enough to be comfortable to move around in. The jacket has plenty of room for layering. Yesterday I was just wearing a single moisture wicking shirt underneath. For underwear I have moisture wicking boxer briefs and lycra bike shorts.
If you fit this or any good high end riding gear it's important to form yourself in a riding position or mount a bike in the store. If you stand up straight and stretch your arms over your head your elbows and shoulder will get pinched with the armor. This stuff is designed for riding in standard position or riding standing. This is not fun casual wear for off the bike. It is most comfortable when in the saddle. If you ride a Harley with ape hangers you will have to rethink your gear.
I suggest to anyone to try on lots of different brands of gear before purchasing. I'm not too thrilled with the fact Polaris owns this company. OTOH, as a consumer, if it fits good and it offers good protection that's what counts. BTW the warranty is really good. I'm lucky enough to live right around the corner from a major distributer of this product (https://motorhelmets.com/collections/klim). The Klim reps are at the shop weekly and there is just a few day turn around for any tears, broken zippers, snaps etc.