Harley-Davidson Motorclothes Sully 3-in-1 Jacket Review

Some of the stuff in the Harley-Davidson Motorclothes catalog is too good not to wear, whether you ride a Harley or not. Case in point, this Sully jacket, possibly named for Tom Hanks’ character in the movie of the same name. Harley fixed me up with one when we went to Daytona in March to ride a couple of its new machines (Street Rod and Road King Special). I didn’t wear it while I was in Florida since my wardrobe was, as always, meticulously pre-arranged, but I have worn it quite a bit since then, when I’m able to get it away from a woman friend who keeps trying to steal it.

Really the part that keeps turning up missing is the super comfy and fashionable polyester fleece hoodie that comprises the 3-in-1’s base layer, and can be unzipped and worn by itself. There’s a drawstring to snug the hood up, and thumbholes in the sleeves to keep the hands warm and encourage the wearer to break out in random Stevie Nicks songs. The hoodie’s shiny outer surface I guess is what makes it “windproof”. For the warmth it provides, the hoodie’s not bulky at all, and with it in place the Sully’s just right for riding in temps that dip down into the 50s. Or walking around at night when it’s colder, i.e. camping or urban trawling.

Later, when things hot up, the hoodie zips right out to make the Sully a really swell hot-weather jacket. The outer shell is made of heavy-duty nylon, front and back, with polyester mesh panels along the sides that let a lot of air in and out. Off the bike, guys like Tom Roderick can even zip the sleeves off to show off their guns and tattoos. I have neither, so my sleeves stay on.

It’s probably not the world’s most protective jacket if that’s what you’re after. There’s very light padding in the shoulders and elbows. Stronger CE-approved lightweight body armor is also available for the elbows for $25, H-D part number 98071-05VR.

Overall, the Sully is super comfortable for riding, very flexible thanks to the accordioned, action-back shoulders. Plus, it weighs about half as much as a typical leather jacket. There are zippered handwarmer pockets on both the hoodie and the outer jacket, along with a zippered breast pocket on the right side of the outer jacket that has a port for your headphone cord to pass through, also one more big breast pocket on the inner left for maps and do-rags and whatever else Harley people carry.

There it is, the Sully’s not super warm nor waterproof nor especially protective, but it is a highly versatile casual riding jacket if you’re after a lightweight jacket that’s uh, highly versatile and warm enough for warmish climes like SoCal and Florida – and heck, why not the rest of the country during the summer? It’s also pretty dang fashionable if you’re an H-D fan. How much would you expect to pay? For $265, the Sully’s a great all-around jacket to have in the closet.

H-D Sully 3-in-1 convertible mesh jacket