Mesh Jackets
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 273
Likes: 2
From: Fort Worth, Texas
Mesh Jackets
Anyone here wear a Mesh jacket while riding? I just got a 1st Gear Meshtex 3.0 and wanted some opinions from you guys that wear them. What are your thoughts on them?
Thanks...
Mike
Thanks...
Mike
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 724
Likes: 0
From: Southern Most tip of Texas
RE: Mesh Jackets
I live down here in South-hot-humid-Texas and I've been wearing mesh jackets for years. Not quite sure what you want to know but I assume it's either about comfort or wether or not it protects you in a spill. Here's my take:
There is just no comparison for leather when it comes to protection from a laydown. Except for maybe textile, but that is just as hot and can keep you just as warm in the winter. Mesh let's in so much air and is very comfortable on long trips in hot humid weather. Never tried the wet longsleeve under the jacket though.....hmmm.
As for protection. I went down in a highspeed accident where I skipped and slid along the interstate for quite a while. I'm not going to get into details because I don't want this to turn into some slamfest but I was doing around 100mph when I went down. I'm just trying to give you an idea of the jackets protection. I was wearing a fieldsheer mesh jacket (picture below is similar to the one I had on. They don't seem to make that one anymore.The one I had was plain without all the lettering.) and it did it's job for what it is. It held together pretty good but started to shred up at the left shoulder pad and the protective pad flapped out (slid the majority of the way until I stopped on my left shoulder). I had a slight abbrasion that went away in two or three days but no other marks or injuries to my upper body and I flipped and slid forever.
Down here in the South Texas heat it's just very hard to wear a leather jacket full time. So what I'm saying is, it's better than wearing nothing at all, and is definately cooler than leather/textile, but won't have quite the protection.
Their prices are reasonable.
www.fieldsheer.com
There is just no comparison for leather when it comes to protection from a laydown. Except for maybe textile, but that is just as hot and can keep you just as warm in the winter. Mesh let's in so much air and is very comfortable on long trips in hot humid weather. Never tried the wet longsleeve under the jacket though.....hmmm.
As for protection. I went down in a highspeed accident where I skipped and slid along the interstate for quite a while. I'm not going to get into details because I don't want this to turn into some slamfest but I was doing around 100mph when I went down. I'm just trying to give you an idea of the jackets protection. I was wearing a fieldsheer mesh jacket (picture below is similar to the one I had on. They don't seem to make that one anymore.The one I had was plain without all the lettering.) and it did it's job for what it is. It held together pretty good but started to shred up at the left shoulder pad and the protective pad flapped out (slid the majority of the way until I stopped on my left shoulder). I had a slight abbrasion that went away in two or three days but no other marks or injuries to my upper body and I flipped and slid forever.
Down here in the South Texas heat it's just very hard to wear a leather jacket full time. So what I'm saying is, it's better than wearing nothing at all, and is definately cooler than leather/textile, but won't have quite the protection.
Their prices are reasonable.
www.fieldsheer.com
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,148
Likes: 2
From: Tulsa, OK
RE: Mesh Jackets
I wear a mesh tex 2 and like it alot.
It hasn't been hot here yet, but I expect it will do a good job of keeping me from dehydrating in the hot wind. The air circulates through it very nicely.
It hasn't been hot here yet, but I expect it will do a good job of keeping me from dehydrating in the hot wind. The air circulates through it very nicely.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 5
From: Currently the pig country of Arkansas
RE: Mesh Jackets
I've got a First Gear Meshtex 2 jacket and use it quite often...
I work on an Air Force Base and have to wear long sleeves when I ride to work, so I tend to ride with a jacket year round. During the summer months I unzip the thin windproof liner and folded it to fit into the mid-back armor pocket with the foam armor. This way it is always with the jacket if I need it for cooler riding. My jacket is silver/grey which does more reflecting the sun than absorbing it. I've actually found it is cooler with the jacket on vs just a t-shirt because the sun is not beating down directly onto my arms and I still get full air flow. However, it does heat up if you have to stop in traffic and sit in the sun over a hot motor!
Athough it doesn't have a ton of armor, it is definately many times better than just a shirt. I know a rider who went sliding on her Meshtex after dumping her crotch-rocket at 50 mph. The only abrasion she had was on her hand where she ground through a non-riding glove. The jacket and full face helmet looked like they had been caught in a grinder, but they held together enough to fully protect her.
Lastly, as Mr Wonderful said, I think the wet t-shirt underneath would be quite refreshing on a hot day. Maybe I'll use this idea to trick the wife into letting me wet down her t-shirt this summer!
Edmo
I work on an Air Force Base and have to wear long sleeves when I ride to work, so I tend to ride with a jacket year round. During the summer months I unzip the thin windproof liner and folded it to fit into the mid-back armor pocket with the foam armor. This way it is always with the jacket if I need it for cooler riding. My jacket is silver/grey which does more reflecting the sun than absorbing it. I've actually found it is cooler with the jacket on vs just a t-shirt because the sun is not beating down directly onto my arms and I still get full air flow. However, it does heat up if you have to stop in traffic and sit in the sun over a hot motor!
Athough it doesn't have a ton of armor, it is definately many times better than just a shirt. I know a rider who went sliding on her Meshtex after dumping her crotch-rocket at 50 mph. The only abrasion she had was on her hand where she ground through a non-riding glove. The jacket and full face helmet looked like they had been caught in a grinder, but they held together enough to fully protect her.
Lastly, as Mr Wonderful said, I think the wet t-shirt underneath would be quite refreshing on a hot day. Maybe I'll use this idea to trick the wife into letting me wet down her t-shirt this summer!
Edmo
ORIGINAL: Axholio
Anyone here wear a Mesh jacket while riding? I just got a 1st Gear Meshtex 3.0 and wanted some opinions from you guys that wear them. What are your thoughts on them?
Thanks...
Mike
Anyone here wear a Mesh jacket while riding? I just got a 1st Gear Meshtex 3.0 and wanted some opinions from you guys that wear them. What are your thoughts on them?
Thanks...
Mike
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 895
Likes: 0
From: Really close to Atlanta...
RE: Mesh Jackets
I wear a combination heavy nylon and mesh jacket made by Harley. I have had it about 6 years and it is holding up nicley. It has zippers under each arm to let air flow in while in the riding position. It also has four zippers on the front that allow air in. It is pretty well constructed. Have never tested it in a "spill" situation and hope not to have to. It lets the air flow nicely. I think mesh jackets are a nice alternative when it is just too hot outside. Here in Atlanta, it gets pretty hot. Not Texas hot but hot none the less...
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 278
Likes: 0
From: Lafayette, LA
RE: Mesh Jackets
I have a harley mesh touring jacket. I think its cooler than no jacket in the heat of the summer. Although it sucks at stops, when you are going, it keeps the sun off you, and hence cooler than with no jacket. I tend to wear it on long journeys. Around town, even though I know its safer, there is just too many darn traffic lights and in the heat of the louisiana summer, its just too much.
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