First Gear Kilimanjaro Jacket - likes and dislikes?

[hppants]

It's past time for me to include a textile jacket in my riding wardrobe. I've got an opportunity to buy a F/G Kilimanjaro jacket gently used for a very good price. Of course being the cheapskate that I am, if I don't like the jacket, it's not good for me at any price.

My concerns:

1. Never had a 3/4 length jacket. Pros? Cons?

2. Does anybody know if this jacket has the ability to be zipped to my F/G pants?

3. I'd like to get an idea of the temperature range with this jacket. Of course, I won't be wearing it during "mesh months", but in the Spring/Fall, we get days that may start out around 40 and warm up to 75. With the vents open, will I still be uncomfortable in the 70s?

4. Waterproofness? No jacket is gonna keep you dry in a frog strangler shower, but what about in the typically moderate "we can keep riding in this" kind of rain?

5. Hardware? Snaps, Buttons, zippers, etc. Good service?

6. Sizing - if you have this jacket, would you say the sizing follows the norm? Run large? Small?

Any other comments?

Thanks.

 

[BullCBX]

I LOVE mine (and it’s even been crash tested). The 3Do armor functioned very well and other than some light scrapes, the jacket is still functional after a low side get-off on my Goldwing. I do not have issue with the ¾ length. I typically unzip the lower portion to keep the jacket from riding up, but that is more due to my “large” size and no fault of the jacket. I commute to work here in Atlanta most days on the bike and find the venting works well. The vents under the arms really help. Have been caught in many a rain storm in the afternoons heading home and the jacket has done a great job of keeping me dry. Depending on the year produced, they can run about 1 size large. This happened I believe in the 2013 retail season. This was noted on the Motorcycle Gear web site when I purchased mine. Not sure if the sizing is still running that way, but just wanted to let you know.

 

[hppants]

Very helpful, BullCBX - thanks for this write up.

I suppose I could contact F/G and see how to identify which years' jacket I'm looking at (re: sizing).

 

[Geezer]

I wore one for a few years. I agree with what BullCBX said. It really is waterproof, on the outer shell, so you stay warm and dry.

My only complaint is that it does not breathe much. It is warm on a sunny day and the fabric does not let air through. The vents are helpful, but it is not cool.

I have since switched to an Olympia AST. This is also a 3/4 length jacket. It has all of the benefits of the Kili, and the outer shell is a heavier fabric, so it should be at least as good in a crash. It also lets some air pass through, so even though the fabric is heavier, the jacket is not as hot on sunny days.

 

[n7myr]

I like 3/4 jackets so it was on my list of I want that jacket

It will zip to pants

40-70 range will be fine. top end will need liner removed and vents open. the vents work very well

It will keep you dry. I have been in many storms and have stayed dry where jacket is concerned

zippers and snaps seem to be good, mine all still work

I agree with the size on newer versions. 1 size larger than normal.

I have several jackets and 9 out of 10 times I grab it. I have no complaints with mine at all.

my advise try it on and if it feels like home. go for a ride if it feels weird throw it back and pick something else then go for a ride

 

[Twigg]

I wanted the First Gear Kili, but ended up with Olympia Motorsports, items I have been very happy with.

Then we needed a jacket for my wife, and she was the beneficiary of a "pay it forward" item from Lisa Landry. I figured if it's good enough for Lisa ...

Jodie loves the jacket and I have to say that the build quality and general feel is awesome. It is on its second owner and still looks great .... and I doubt it spent much time in a closet with its previous owner.

 

[FJRay]

I'm on my third one and have nothing bad to say. I use a gerbings liner and don't have to turn it on until the temp gets well below 40. I bought one of the yellow ones when they first came out and it faded fast so it's now my snow plow jacket. I stay dry in all but the very worst storms like the one that drowned WFO in Park City. My wife also has one.

 

[puppychow]

Waterproof abilities of Firstgear jackets is great. I have worn it in storm cells in Nevada and it kept my upper body completely dry. Snaps, buttons, zippers etc were also top-notch.

I was/am disappointed in the toughness of the outer shell of Firstgear jackets. The D3O armor functions very well in a crash, but the outer fabric WILL melt away and will not hold up in a crash. Mine was a spill at about 35-40 mph and the jacket melted away in the places that it met the ground.

My advice, look for something which is at least 500D cordura, at the very least look to see if there is Kevlar material layered under the synthetic shell in the areas most considered to be high abrasion areas in a crash.

 

[Fred W]

One thing to consider about the 3/4 length jackets is you get some bunching in the front due to the forward riding position. That is why some models of 3/4 length jackets have the rear longer than the front. On my Olympia AST and Aerostich Darien I have to roll the front up and under to get it to fit smoothly. Have never owned a Kilimanjaro so I do not know if that jacket has that issue.

 

[frankenfeejeer]

I wear the FG Kili as a winter jacket. With the zippers being in the chest, I found it doesn't breath very well with the fairing and windscreen of my feejeer. Otherwise, fantastic jacket with excellent customer service based in the Texas.

Summer jacket is an Olympia, which has full length zippers down the sleeves. Perfect for the hotter days.

 

[Fred W]

FYI... the latest version Kili has moved the vents from the chest to the top of the shoulders and pit zips. Also rear vents moved from one horizontal to two vertical vents. I had the same vent config in a Fieldsheer Quantum jacket ant it worked pretty well.

Revzilla does a great job with video gear reviews:

 

[Redfish Hunter]

One thing to consider about the 3/4 length jackets is you get some bunching in the front due to the forward riding position. That is why some models of 3/4 length jackets have the rear longer than the front. On my Olympia AST and Aerostich Darien I have to roll the front up and under to get it to fit smoothly. Have never owned a Kilimanjaro so I do not know if that jacket has that issue.

Now I don't have that problem. The easy way to keep your 3/4 length jacket from "bunching in the front" is to have a big belly which stretches the material and fills that roll of material. I am able to maintain this quite easily with my very simple lifestyle choice, Move Less Eat More. This will let your belly grow enough to fill the roll on the front of any jacket.

You will have to install a TechSpec or similar anti-abrasion device on the rear of the tank of course. You may also have to downsize your tank bag.

I have never tried the Kilimanjaro but I am currently using a FirsGear Jaunt. I ordered it on clearance from RevZilla (Love those informational videos) and it is a better quality jacket than my TourMaster Transition 3. It just fits... strange. I am okay with it but I don't love it. So far it has kept me dry but I have not ridden more than 8 or 9 miles at a time in the rain since I got it.

hppants you have to remember that in our high humidity world this type of jacket does not cool as well as a mesh one. Get Out West and the vents on this type of jacket suddenly cool you much better because your sweat actually evaporates instead of just saturating you.

 

[Fred W]

Andrew, I suspect that your belly is no bigger than my own ever expanding midsection. The bunching 3/4 length jackets seem to have more to do with the length of torso and angle of forward lean than anything else.

Looking a the RevZ video of the Kili, it looks like the front of that jacket is not as long as some others, so this may all be a non-issue on it, which would be a very nice feature. Although I like most aspects of my Olympia AST, the need to do the tuck and roll is not one of the more endearing ones.

 

[hppants]

Really good feedback on this - much thanks, friends.

The seller is a friend of mine in another State. She bought a complete consignment shop full of used gear and hasn't even gone through the inventory yet. However and BION, she also has an Olympia AST jacket in my size. She says it has some little oil spots on the bottom of the jacket, but she is going to see if they can be cleaned out. I can have either one for $100.00.

Here's a picture of each:

More thoughts?

 

[Hudson]

I still have my similar Denali jacket. It was the first one I bought. Same pros and cons as the others, but what I'll say is that since I've purchased Motoport gear, I'm done buying mid grade jackets.

The primary purpose of any riding gear is protection, and my First Gear jacket was at best a one-use jacket in case of a crash, and at worst, it would fail to actually hold up in a crash. For a few hundred dollars at retail, you get $10-20 worth of fabric, $10-20 of overseas labor, and the rest is markup.

My advice would be to save your shekels for the really good gear, and sell the intermediate gear to those who don't value the features of higher quality gear. Instead of 3-4 compromised pieces, you'll have one excellent jacket that is unrivaled in its primary job. Look around for used versions.

 

[puppychow]

Instead of 3-4 compromised pieces, you'll have one excellent jacket that is unrivaled in its primary job. Look around for used versions.

..and will outlast anything-else on the market by 3-4 (minimum) times as well.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I have an older Kolimanjaro and really like it. I mostly used it when I had my KLR, as it really is old. As well as its built though, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a new one. I actually like my jackets 3/4 length.

Also, depending on size, if you don't take that Olympia, I'll take it.

 

[maggot]

I'm on my second... they zip to FG pants, and sizing is true.

I like it and would own another. My current one will last many more years, my last one started to leak at the elbow creases at about 100k kms.

I still wear it around the yard.

 

[Morecowbell]

Really good feedback on this - much thanks, friends.
The seller is a friend of mine in another State. She bought a complete consignment shop full of used gear and hasn't even gone through the inventory yet. However and BION, she also has an Olympia AST jacket in my size. She says it has some little oil spots on the bottom of the jacket, but she is going to see if they can be cleaned out. I can have either one for $100.00.

More thoughts?

I'm on my 3rd Kilimanjaro, each one a different generation. The one in the pic is an early one, just like mine from around 2006 or so. It's a durable jacket...I put over 100,000 miles on mine before the fabric start wearing on the sleeves and shoulders. It was very comfortable, and with the liner installed and a long-sleeved shirt, I could ride with temps in the 20s. With a short-sleeved shirt, liner removed, and the vents open, I could ride up into the 90s or low 100s. The liner is a fleece jacket that zips out and can be worn as a layover jacket.

The liner is my biggest gripe with my new Kilimanjaro, just purchased a few months ago. The 1st two jackets both had liners that could be worn as a layover jacket, which is a great feature. It appears that FG went cheap on the new model, and the liner is a quilted type. It's plenty warm, but not as functional. The liner zippers have been re-arranged, so that the liner from my old jacket can't be zipped into the new jacket. I find that terribly annoying.

But the venting on the new model is greatly improved, as mentioned earlier. Intake vents on the shoulders scoop the air in, exhausting out the vertical vents on the back, along with the 'pit vents. On a 70 degree day with the vents open, it's almost chilly. Overall, it's a great jacket.