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sarnali2 · 10-31-2007, 11:33 AM

I've owned my Aerostitch Darien suit for a year now so I can give a four season review, Basically it works very well in all weathers. The jacket has 5 zippered pockets, including one on the right sleeve that's handy for a cell phone, two handwarmer type pockets in the chest and an inside velcro'd secure pocket, you can haul a LOT of stuff in there...The pants have two slash pockets in the front and one velcro'd pocket in the back.

Protection is provided by the quality Goretex material itself, armored pads in the shoulders, elbows and knees which actually fit in the right place to do some good and an available and highly recomended spine pad that also velcro's in. There's also two or three thicknesses of lined fleece jackets that zip in depending on how cold your area is likly to get. The jacket is cut roomy so even with the liner in place you can still move around, in the summer the loose fit aids in air flow so it's a well thought out compromise

This summer with temps in the 90's for a short while I wore the jacket with the vents open and was fairly comfortable when moving. Got a little warm sitting in traffic but that's going to happen anyway. Wearing the pants over a pair of shorts was fine if in 70's and 80's but did get a little clammy if it was warmer, again that applies to any riding gear.

It'd be nice if the side zippers on the pants had some type of lining, at least in the upper section where you could get some air through them without totally compromising their abrasion resistance. The same thing with the jacket. If you zip the back zipper all the way open there's no material that spans the gap. If you got off there's a pretty big area open to abrasion, What I did was open both sides and leave a three or four inch section in the middle zipped closed to maintian some kind of structural integrity. A kind of mesh lining in that area would give me a little more confidance.

The real test came during the fall and winter where it's cold, wet and dark. Here the reflective material across the back, on each side and on the lower legs gives a pattern you can see for a mile, add the available Hi Viz Lime Yellow material and even the blindest cager is going to see you.

Unlike the Roadcrafters suits that can leave an wet crotch, the Darien jacket and pants stay dry in some pretty serious downpours and stay warm without electrics form the mid 30's on up. This mornings ride in was damp fog and 35* degrees on an unfaired bike at speeds upto 70 or so and while I wasn't sweating, I certainly wasn't cold either. Factor in the very high quality stitching, excellent fit and the fact that alterations and repairs are availabe for the life of the suit it's a pretty good investment. It's also Made in the USA which counts for a lot in my book anyway, and you have a pretty dam* fine piece of gear. Expensive, but in the climate I live in with moderate temps and plenty of wet and changable weather it works much better than leather most of the time.

I give it a good 5 out of 5 stars, highly recomended.

Kenneth_Moore · 10-31-2007, 11:38 AM

How much moola did you invest in that suit, Snarli?

sarnali2 · 10-31-2007, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

How much moola did you invest in that suit, Snarli?

all in all with shipping and the spine pad it was just under $1000.00, pretty much what you'd pay for a comparable high-end leather suit

seruzawa · 10-31-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarnali2

The real test came during the fall and winter where it's cold, wet and dark. Here the reflective material across the back, on each side and on the lower legs gives a pattern you can see for a mile, add the available Hi Viz Lime Yellow material and even the blindest cager is going to see you.

"What was that we just ran over Mabel?"

Kenneth_Moore · 10-31-2007, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarnali2

all in all with shipping and the spine pad it was just under $1000.00, pretty much what you'd pay for a comparable high-end leather suit

DAY-YAM!!! How many chicks have you picked up wearing it??? It better be in the double digits dude! Road rash isn't THAT bad...just wash down the percocets with Vodka before the debrisment starts...

sarnali2 · 10-31-2007, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

DAY-YAM!!! How many chicks have you picked up wearing it??? It better be in the double digits dude! Road rash isn't THAT bad...just wash down the percocets with Vodka before the debrisment starts...

Honestly dude, what young hottie can resist a bald middle aged fat guy in a filthy yellow riding suit on an equally filthy bobbed Superglide.....

"one at a time ladies, there's enough for all of you, heh heh heh.."

Cheesebeast · 10-31-2007, 12:08 PM

Are you certain that hi-viz is not a magnet for the opposite sex? There are several species that follow this reproductive strategy. Peac*ocks, for instance. And warblers. Not that Sarnali is a warbler, but if he was, and he had hi-viz on then he would be a total warbler SEX MACHINE.

"We can't stop here!! This is Cougar Country!!"

SmokeU · 10-31-2007, 01:02 PM

I suppose the MO filter filters out pea**** eh?

12er · 10-31-2007, 01:30 PM

My wife has been sporting her Darian gear for 6 years now. Tried to get her a roadcrafter but she didnt want to look like a power ranger as I do (fashion over form). So she ended up looking like Mrs. Claus instead (red jacket, black pants). She loves it and has stayed dry and toasty behind me in many o squall when I ended up with a damp crotch. We have compaired it to a friends BMW riding gear and we prefer the Darian. BMW is supposed to be as or more abrasion resistant but the fabric is so thin and flexable, I want a little more stiffness distributing any impact and the darian provides that. There is break in with Aerostich products, but thats a good thing. Little stiff the first few rides but then conforms to you nicely. I wont buy or recommend anything else. Buying a couple cheaper suits in search of one you like will easily run you more than just biting the bullet and buying a Darian or Roadcrafter and not looking back. My roadcrafter is fading to the lovely pink (50k CA miles and counting) but is still in tip top shape, though I forsee a new 2 peice in a year or two, for the rainy days.

BrowningBAR · 10-31-2007, 01:52 PM

I ain't sure why y'all are wearin' all dis stuff. I just put on a leather thong and off I go. The scar tissue has built up from so much road rash over the years that my forearms and thighs can deflect a .22 at four paces.

10-31-2007, 11:33 AM	#1
sarnali2 Aging Cafe` Racer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sittin' down by my window, lookin' at the rain. Posts: 8,132	Gear Review...........Darien Suit I've owned my Aerostitch Darien suit for a year now so I can give a four season review, Basically it works very well in all weathers. The jacket has 5 zippered pockets, including one on the right sleeve that's handy for a cell phone, two handwarmer type pockets in the chest and an inside velcro'd secure pocket, you can haul a LOT of stuff in there...The pants have two slash pockets in the front and one velcro'd pocket in the back. Protection is provided by the quality Goretex material itself, armored pads in the shoulders, elbows and knees which actually fit in the right place to do some good and an available and highly recomended spine pad that also velcro's in. There's also two or three thicknesses of lined fleece jackets that zip in depending on how cold your area is likly to get. The jacket is cut roomy so even with the liner in place you can still move around, in the summer the loose fit aids in air flow so it's a well thought out compromise This summer with temps in the 90's for a short while I wore the jacket with the vents open and was fairly comfortable when moving. Got a little warm sitting in traffic but that's going to happen anyway. Wearing the pants over a pair of shorts was fine if in 70's and 80's but did get a little clammy if it was warmer, again that applies to any riding gear. It'd be nice if the side zippers on the pants had some type of lining, at least in the upper section where you could get some air through them without totally compromising their abrasion resistance. The same thing with the jacket. If you zip the back zipper all the way open there's no material that spans the gap. If you got off there's a pretty big area open to abrasion, What I did was open both sides and leave a three or four inch section in the middle zipped closed to maintian some kind of structural integrity. A kind of mesh lining in that area would give me a little more confidance. The real test came during the fall and winter where it's cold, wet and dark. Here the reflective material across the back, on each side and on the lower legs gives a pattern you can see for a mile, add the available Hi Viz Lime Yellow material and even the blindest cager is going to see you. Unlike the Roadcrafters suits that can leave an wet crotch, the Darien jacket and pants stay dry in some pretty serious downpours and stay warm without electrics form the mid 30's on up. This mornings ride in was damp fog and 35* degrees on an unfaired bike at speeds upto 70 or so and while I wasn't sweating, I certainly wasn't cold either. Factor in the very high quality stitching, excellent fit and the fact that alterations and repairs are availabe for the life of the suit it's a pretty good investment. It's also Made in the USA which counts for a lot in my book anyway, and you have a pretty dam* fine piece of gear. Expensive, but in the climate I live in with moderate temps and plenty of wet and changable weather it works much better than leather most of the time. I give it a good 5 out of 5 stars, highly recomended. __________________ "Carpe` Throttelum -Loud Suits Save Lives" "All the BMW riders in the room, I want you to leave. Now. Out. "

10-31-2007, 11:38 AM	#2
Kenneth_Moore Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: VIsiting the GIft Shop in the Pit of DIspair Posts: 7,118	How much moola did you invest in that suit, Snarli? __________________ www.kennethmoore.org

10-31-2007, 01:52 PM	#10
BrowningBAR Snuggles Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: In a really, really, really old farmhouse Posts: 4,364	I ain't sure why y'all are wearin' all dis stuff. I just put on a leather thong and off I go. The scar tissue has built up from so much road rash over the years that my forearms and thighs can deflect a .22 at four paces. Last edited by BrowningBAR : 10-31-2007 at 02:02 PM.

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10-31-2007, 12:08 PM	#7
Cheesebeast Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: At the end of a quiet country lane Posts: 274	Are you certain that hi-viz is not a magnet for the opposite sex? There are several species that follow this reproductive strategy. Peac*ocks, for instance. And warblers. Not that Sarnali is a warbler, but if he was, and he had hi-viz on then he would be a total warbler SEX MACHINE. "We can't stop here!! This is Cougar Country!!"

10-31-2007, 01:02 PM	#8
SmokeU Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: pet**...pet...pet** Posts: 1,865	I suppose the MO filter filters out pea**** eh?

10-31-2007, 01:30 PM	#9
12er Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: SF Posts: 2,702	My wife has been sporting her Darian gear for 6 years now. Tried to get her a roadcrafter but she didnt want to look like a power ranger as I do (fashion over form). So she ended up looking like Mrs. Claus instead (red jacket, black pants). She loves it and has stayed dry and toasty behind me in many o squall when I ended up with a damp crotch. We have compaired it to a friends BMW riding gear and we prefer the Darian. BMW is supposed to be as or more abrasion resistant but the fabric is so thin and flexable, I want a little more stiffness distributing any impact and the darian provides that. There is break in with Aerostich products, but thats a good thing. Little stiff the first few rides but then conforms to you nicely. I wont buy or recommend anything else. Buying a couple cheaper suits in search of one you like will easily run you more than just biting the bullet and buying a Darian or Roadcrafter and not looking back. My roadcrafter is fading to the lovely pink (50k CA miles and counting) but is still in tip top shape, though I forsee a new 2 peice in a year or two, for the rainy days.