Harley Gear Review
One of the nice parts of the Yellowstone trip you all recently read, was the chance to try out some of the new Harley-Davidson gear while on the journey. Maura Thompson, from Harley Davidson's Motor Clothes division, was nice enough to offer Jen and I some gear to wear for the trip. Of course, we accepted graciously.
After a few discussions with Maura, I decided to let her pick the gear she thought was appropriate for the job. I think she made some really good choices for our particular trip, and needs.
Jen and I will share with you our honest opinion of the gear we wore.
I know the MOrons are sick of ad copy testing. I can assure you we wore this gear for many weeks and many thousands of miles, with weather ranges from 100+ degrees to mid thirties. No punches are pulled in the reviews, and since this is classically styled gear, I threw in a couple pics of a classic Harley to boot. Read on.
Men's Mega Motor Engineer Boots $140.00
Jet Gloss Helmet $139.00
No ad stuff in the review and no B.S. from me or Jen, because we never even got any promo on this stuff.
Men's Torque Perforated Gloves $45.00
2 PC ¾ Packable Jacket/Pants Rainwear $199.00
Ups: waterproof, stays put, hooded, well made, stuffable Downs: pricey rating: 4 ½ of 5 stars
Lots of features make this one a bit different than the average jacket.
Men's Nevada Jacket $460.00
Women's Trooper Boots $96.00
Women's Torque Full Finger Gloves $55.00
These are just standard, medium weight leather gloves. Gel palms for those that ride, and a velcro fastening system. These are nice for warm to cool weather, but for the extremes, there are better choices. These fit well and had no glaring faults. Ups: Well made, comfortable Downs: could use vents or more insulation for either extreme. Rating: 3 of 5 stars.
Women's Willie G. Leather Jacket $510.00
This jacket is pretty unique. The biggest feature is the zip off arms, which turns the jacket into a vest. There are front and back zippered vents, an embossed Harley logo on the back, and side hand warmer pockets. There is a high collar that is snap-down, and a zippered vest liner. The jacket isn't as warm as some, as it doesn't have a full liner, and the collar flaps a bit when it's not zippered all the way. I am used to a biker style jacket, that has an open collar, but I liked the over all fit, finish and quality of the jacket. With the versatility of the zippered sleeves, makes this a very nice jacket. Ups: Versatile, high quality, well vented Downs: Vest liner only, limited carrying capacity. Rating: 4 of 5 stars.
With the versatility of the zippered sleeves, makes this a very nice jacket.
Defiance Helmet $159.00
This is your typical half helmet. It has silver stripe flames on a black background with a bar and sheild up front. It fits good and has plenty of padding and comfort. If you like half helmets, this one is as good as any. Ups: Well made, Light weight. Downs: Less protection. Rating: 3 1/2 of 5 stars (Sean gives it 1 of 5 stars, adding: This thing offers less protection than a condom on a porcupine. It's great, as long as you've got a disposable head.)
1 PC Rainslicker III $95.00
I tested this one in a couple downpours and it kept me dry and warm. It's not as versatile at a 2 piece, but it's easier to doff and don than a 2 piece, and rolls up for easy storage. It's so nice and easy I can have a smoke waiting for George to get ready. This one is about half the price of the 2 piece also. Ups: easy entry and exit, 100% waterproof, easy storage Downs: Wear all or nothing Rating: 4 of 5 stars.
Rain Gator II $55.00
We received 2 sets of these for Jen and me. These fit over the boots to deflect the rain and road mess associated with rain. These are light and really handy to wear after is stops raining, and stops all the slop from the wet from making a mess of pants and boots. They slip on the front and velcro around the calf to just below the knee. The only trouble I had was fitting them on the boots I had. They made it, but the fit was really tight. Needed a tad more room for my big feet. Anyway, they worked and they were generally easy to get on and off without hitting the turf. They are a good addition to any saddlebag. Ups: Light, cheap, they work Downs: tight fit Rating: 3 ½ of 5 stars.
So, Harley-Davidson was nice enough to get us some gear, and I we reviewed it with honesty. We really wore this gear and tried to give and honest evaluation of how it worked. No ad stuff in the review and no B.S. from me or Jen, because we never even got any promo on this stuff. This is what the loyal MO readres wanted, and you got it here. Overall the gear was high quality and it worked. That's really the bottom line when plunking down the bucks for gear. I never owned Harley branded gear before, so these items were all new to me. We can say that all the gear compares pretty well to other manufacturers items at comparable cost. Yes, there is always cheaper, but quality shows itself in the long run. I can see where these items will really stand the test of time, and give you performance long after the cheap gear has worn out. If you like Harley gear I'd check out some of their gear before buying. If you are a Harley hater, why are you reading this anyway? Until next time my fellow Morons!
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