Aerostich Roadcrafter 1 Piece Suit

[ian]

I bought a red two piece Road Crafter suit in the mid 90s. Like it a lot although I got really wet once overseas in a frog strangler. I had washed it without using the waterproofing rinse. With the rinse, it has worked better but not perfectly in the rain.

The red had faded a lot by the time I hit a deer N of Ouray CO in 2000. The cop told me I slid 160 feet and the deer (cut in half) slid 150. The suit did not wear through anywhere except on the left butt where my jeans were a little worn but not through. Great protection-esp with bohn back protector. Bought another suit (2 piece blue) in 2000 and am very happy with it. Ian, Iowa

 

[BlueSunsetFJR]

I made the pilgrimage to Duluth last summer to "try on" an Aerostich suit. I got very lucky and scored a RoadCrafter jacket and Darien pants off the sale rack. I also lucked out that off-the-rack sizing worked for me, so no alterations were necessary. The sizes I bought did not match the suggested sizes on their web site.

A word of caution; if you ride two up and your pillion is not in a 'stich, you can pretty much count on buying another one! I again got lucky and over the winter I scored a used one piece for my wife off the 'net.

Another trip to Duluth this summer resulted in me buying the RoadCrafter pants to match my RoadCrafter jacket. The Darien pants are great, but they fit and go on like jeans. The RC pants slip on easier over work clothes. The only upgrades I did for the 'stich was adding their hip pads and a Bohn back protector.

One last word of caution; owning and wearing a 'stich will likely turn you into an ATGATT zealot. I do not go anywhere without putting on my RoadCrafter. You can stuff the suit (including the Bohn back protector) in the Givi V46 top case, so there is no excuse to not wear it.

I am in MN, so a road trip to Duluth was a no brainer. I have to limit my trips though because I always find something I need. The people at Aerostich know their products and are very helpful. When I made my first visit, the customer service rep gave us a complete tour of the place. It was obvious the pride and skill that goes into building the suits. If you can get to the factory, you will end up buying a suit (and they knock off 10% for walk-in customers).

One piece or two piece, you cannot go wrong.

Dave

 

[FLRoadking]

Just finished my first trip with my one piece Roadcrafter and echo the thougths of others on this site. Also bought mine at the store and can not rave enough about the service of the staff plus you save 10% and have free shipping.

As for sizing, I went with a differnt size than had I ordered from the catalog and also had alterations performed. Buying in store with the 10% discount paid for the alterations. I highly recommend getting the Forward Rotated Sleeve option for the FJR. Also if you have a longer inseam on your jeans than a 32 I would recommend adding the appropriate amount to the legs. Better a little long than too short.

Great suit on road. Some minor leakage in a rain storm but nothing a little sealing should not cure. The suit fits great and with an electric vest should be perfect for most weather.

The suit will feel heavy when you pick it up, but once on, it is great and you hardly feel the weight. The under arm and back ventilation do an excellent job of flowing a lot of air. Rode in weather up to 90 degrees this past weekend and it was OK to that point.

Also ordered the Kanetsu air vest and thermostat and can highly recommend those as well.

Good luck with your choice. B)

 

[Bike Effects]

I took my first short ride with my new Darien jacket on Wednesday. The temperature was between 81 and 85 degrees. With the underarm and across the back zippers open, it felt like I was riding in a tee shirt. Amazing!