Opinions? Joe Rocket Yamaha Champion Mesh Jacket

[Capn Ron]

Yeah...it's hot down here in Los Angeles.  Not Las Vegas Hot...or Phoenix hot, but hot enough at times that I want some mesh gear.  Both jacket and overpants that would NEVER give me an excuse to not wear them on a hot day.

So, in an ideal world, I'd be able to try everything on at my local motorcycle shop.  Check it for fit, features and most importantly...protection!  After all, that's why we put the stufff on in the first place.  Trouble is, most places only stock a few jackets and you end up running all over town to try to get educated.  I saw an AlpineStars thick leather jacket with shoulder, elbow and back protection...and was so form fitting that I felt like I could slide at 100MPH and just shake it off!  It was $500 and would be too hot.  So, I looked at an AlpineStars mesh jacket and it was rubbish.  Thin foam pads in the elbows, no cinch straps to tighten the arms, armor (if you could call it that) that shifted all over the place and no reinforcement in high-wear areas during a slide.  It became pretty clear that even within the same manufacturer, you can find an outstanding jacket, one that I wouldn't EVER trust and some that are in between.

I'm still researching, shopping around and looking for feedback.  Has anyone tried out this jacket from Joe Rocket?



I like the look...it's mesh...it's not black (cooler) and it's reasonable...around $215.  When I say reasonable, it's not $130...which would be difficult to make anything that hits on all points that cheaply.  Seems like I *should* be spending $200 and up on a jacket.  I would be upgrading the back protector straight away as most of the included ones are sub-par.

Once I figure out a mesh jacket with good protection, I'll start looking for overpants.

Any opinions out there?

Cap'n Ron. . .

[aviationfred]

I wear Joe Rocket mesh gear. I have not tested the jacket and pants against the road...... I really do like the light weight and the airflow on hot days. IMO the Joe Rocket gear will not protect like leather, but is way better then denim.





Fred

[Flynt]

Any opinions out there?

Check Motoport, especially the testimonials.  Most there agree it is the only mesh with protection better than leather.  They have some interesting info there about the more common polyester mesh products (A-Star, RevIt, Rocket, etc)...  basically they melt into your skin on a slide IF they hold together on impact (most rip open when you hit the ground).  Reading this scared my off wearing my A-Star Airflow gear.

I have their Kevlar mesh jacket and pants with "Quad Armor" and am delighted with quality and custom fit.  It is not cheap at all, but comes with a great guarantee (repairable or they replace for life) and is the coolest (temp wise) high quality gear I have worn.

Frank

BTW - they are in San Marcos, so you could go over to see there gear live and get it fitted if you buy.  It is custom gear and they have a great sizing guide and fitment procedure, but I still had to send mine back once for some adjustments (free of charge, but took another couple of weeks).

[markmartin]

Any opinions out there?

I'm using Olympia gear-- Air Glide jacket and pants.   They've held up well in the last 4 years of use.  I've attached  a couple of links below.  They use Cordura and also CE rated armour --hard foam at the joints--just some soft padding at the hips.   The jacket and pants are well vented on hot days.  When it gets hot enough, I wear shorts under the vented pants.  It all sounds good and feels good but nothing is crash tested so who knows?  You mentioned that you still had a friction burn on your elbow despite your armoured jacket.  I've been tightening up the forearm straps on mine since you mentioned that so thanks. 

http://olympiamotosports.com/category/catalog/mesh-tech/
http://olympiamotosports.com/features/

[fj11.5]

Hmmmm friction burn you say,,, I have a great one  one my forearm about 4" long,  no mark on the agv leather jacket on that area : but scuffed the cuff ,, oh and the jacket is the vented / armoured style bloody hot in summer, even with the winter liner removed

[jscgdunn]

And the color matches the silver bullet

[spsmith_fj1200]

I have two Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 mesh jackets and wear them in the Northern Virginia summers on all of my motorcycles.  I also have an older Joe Rocket hybrid jacket (textile mesh for the chest and back and ventilated leather on the sleeves and shoulders) which survived a crash.

I looked at the mesh jackets at Cycle Gear and was not impressed.

[Capn Ron]

I have two Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 mesh jackets and wear them in the Northern Virginia summers on all of my motorcycles.  I also have an older Joe Rocket hybrid jacket (textile mesh for the chest and back and ventilated leather on the sleeves and shoulders) which survived a crash.

I looked at the mesh jackets at Cycle Gear and was not impressed.

I've heard of the hybrid jackets (leather/textile) and may look into those!  There is a Cycle Gear just down the road from me and they carry about every brand you can think of.  I was expecting a tiny store with just their store brand "Bilt"

I also just found a place about 50 miles from me that has three models of Joe Rocket.  I'm going to do my due diligence and if they're rubbish, I'll pass.  I have heard consistantly good reports on the Phoenix 5.0 jacket though.

Cap'n Ron. . .