When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a Joe Rocket mesh jacket that I love. It's cool in the summer with excellent airflow and it has quite literally saved my skin. Went down at 40MPH, slid for quite a ways, and no road rash whatsoever. I washed the dust out of the jacket and still use it.
As I was sliding, I literally had the thought, "Hey, this mesh stuff really works. I'm not feeling any road rash at all."
If you have a really good air blocking windshield, it can take the cool out of a mesh jacket. Without a windshield, I'm cool on my sportster in the high 80's; with a National cycle plexifairing, it gets warm in the low 70's. Even though I'd rate it excellent for protection, my Tour Glide sharknose has enough air swirl to keep me cooled; just depends on the windshield. Without one, a mesh jacket can be cooler than a short sleeve t-shirt; it keeps your skin in the shade, and seems to swirl air around my back even better. Mine's a Joe Rocket.
I have a classic leather jacket, comfortable from 37-60 degrees. A Hillside Leather/Cordura Vented jacket good for 45-75 degrees. This year I bought the HD Bar and Shield Mesh Jacket with optional Elbow and Shoulder Armor. I really like it because it came in Long. It is actually cooler than no jacket, even at 90 degrees. Under 70 it is a little cool, I would wear a long sleeve shirt, for 65. I wear my other jacket under 65.
I bought it for full price at my local dealer. I bought one for my son at 20% off form House of Harley. The armor seems sturdy, and is comfortable.
I ride with a silver Vega armored mesh. GF rides with an silver Olympia armored mesh or white HD mesh with armor. Both of us knew from the get go we did not want black.
Per the link posted, above 93* and mesh advantages depends if riding with a faring/shield or not:
This is the opposite
of wind chill; a light
breeze can still enhance
evaporative cooling but
above 93°F a strong wind
is heating the body.
"The secret to avoiding heat stroke
when riding in extremely hot weather is
to cut down the convective heat transfer
by blocking most of the wind. This can
be accomplished by using a fairing and
windscreen and/or by wearing a helmet
and riding suit that blocks the wind and
has vents to allow a lower velocity of air
to pass over your skin. By knocking the
air velocity down to about 10 mph, the
convective heat transfer is reduced by
70% and there is still plenty of air flow
for efficient evaporative cooling.
The effect of reducing the wind
Fair point there. I don't know what the airspeed is around our fairings when we're at speed, but I'd be very surprised if it's only 10mph. I've got a Madstad on my Roadie, and I get pretty calm air behind everything. But below 10mph at 80mph......I really doubt it.
Originally Posted by GooseGRMC
For me, depends on the humidity. In the south east USA, I find a mesh jacket and a long sleeve tshirt works well. IN desert environments of SW USA, I wear my Aerostitch Darien jacket with the vents closed, and a wet tshirt under it. This jacket is not air tight, but slows wind down to slow evaporation in the desert. In the SE USA, I overheat in that jacket.
It's the Gore-Tex that's making you uncomfortable. That stuff doesn't breathe well at all.
But you're absolutely right that dry heat is a different story than humid heat. I can (and have) ride all day long in a dry 105+ heat. But crank the humidity up and it's flat-out miserable.
I have this RevIt. It has armor in the elbows and shoulders. Not the back but you can buy it. It's very comfortable even in the 90° Texas heat. I got the silver and black one. A white mesh jacket would be ideal for the heat. I also have a Harley mesh jacket. The RevIt one is much cooler and has more armor.
Anyone using a jacket from leather up. I have always been happy with their price/performance
I have the "Xelement 'CF-511' Mens Black Sports Armored Mesh Jacket" that I recently bought from Leatherup for ~$60 shipped. I've only worn it a few times when the temperatures have been high 80's, maybe 90 or 91 degrees and I really like it. Of course when you're sitting still, it's hot, but when you're moving it's like you're wearing a tee shirt. I have skin cancer and I've been buying long sleeve UPF 40 or 50 rated shirts for riding that cost from $40 - $55, and they don't have any Armor in them, just sun protection.
i bought this bilt on Friday. https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/bilt-racer-jacket $79 normally $169, much cooler than my leather one. it was in the 90's here in SE Wisconsin when i tried it out for about an hour. i it worked very well. however i had to take out the 1/2" memory foam in the back it made my back sweat a lot! the other thing i do not like is the zipper pull is on the left side... they said it was European design... meh.... it is a bit awkward to zip.
I also have the Bilt mesh jacket from cycle gear. I think I paid $59, but that was 3 years ago. I wear it almost daily from maybe mid Jun to mid Sep. and it's held up fine.
I'm actually glad to hear that on the zipper. I thought I had screwed up and bought the womens version.
And I agree with the sweating in the back. But overall I'm happy with it. For the price, I feel like I got a good deal.
And I buy all my gear from cycle gear now. They have a local store so I can see what I'm getting. They have decent prices and offer a veterans discount on top of that. And they also have a good return policy. And no...I have no affiliation with them other than being a customer.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
