Any reports on the Cycleport mesh

[Barabus]

Any reports on the Cycleport mesh? A lot was sold at WFO. I know Toecutter loves his. I was expecting to see a lot of glowing reports. That kevlar mesh seemed just the ticket for the hot weather. What is the feed back? I need to add some gear to my closet this Christmas to make me a true gear whore! The Cycleport or Johnson Leathers are on the tops of my list to add to my Areostich two piece.

 

[twowheelnut]

Leathers in safety green? Thweet! :lol:

 

[Barabus]

Umm, something like this with the T Pro armor that comes standard!!

 

[GunMD]

Umm, something like this with the T Pro armor that comes standard!!

Looks like one of those black and white cookies.

 

[MCRIDER007]

Any reports on the Cycleport mesh? A lot was sold at WFO. I know Toecutter loves his. I was expecting to see a lot of glowing reports.

I bought a Kevlar Mesh Ultra II suit at WFO-6 and had been planning to write a glowing report after I had broken it in and had some more experience in different temperatures. The bottom line is that I now have a Aerostitch 2 piece Roadcrafter, 2 Teknic jackets, 3 Firstgear Jackets, and 5 riding pants (including a new Fieldsheer 4 season mesh pants) that are obsolete. The Cycleport suit is a bit bulky and hot (in warm weather) when you are walking around but once on the bike and moving all is forgiven. It has very good air flow, even in the seat, although the body armor in the knees and thigh area does restrict air flow in those areas. I don't think there is anything else that even comes close to the protection it provides.

 

[SMC]

I flew out to their factory in California and Wayne the owner took my measurements. I have both the Kevlar mesh jacket as I live in Texas and the police pants.

I took a 4200 mile ride in June to the west coast and back via Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and back through Texas. I purchase the rain liner and had it in case of wet weather. Rode through 170 mile sand storm, Mohave Desert, fog so thick I had to wipe my face shield every half minute and over several mountain passes over 10,000 ft. Temperatures encountered ranged from 40 degrees to 110.

The kevlar jacket worked flawlessly and I was comfortable in it by adjusting from just a shirt under the jacket to a thermal undershirt and the waterproof/windproof liner added in when the weather got chilly.

My comfort factor was pegged knowing that if I went down, the kevlar in the jacket and pants would give me more tear and scuff resistance then leather and the stuff has more armor coverage then any other jacket or pants I have ever owned.

The Kevlar mesh jacket really does let a phenomenal amount of air circulate considering we are sitting behind a full fairing with a pretty good sized windshield.

I always have my camel back with me and it is filled to the brim with chilly ice water to keep me hydrated even though I venture through places like Mohave and I don't overheat.

I have no reservations recommending their clothing for the best protection around.

 

[tag2501]

I have the 3/4 mesh jacket and pants. THey've held up really well over two years of use in Texas heat. There is great airflow, although the chest and thigh armor does reduce it a bit. It still flows more air than anthing I've worn except Vansons full mesh jacket. I have no worries on protection. In warm weather rain, I don't bother with the liners - the cooling is great. In cooler weather, long sleeves and jeans under the gear does the trick. I've worn fleece or the liners under the mesh in around 50 degree weather, although at that point, depending on your fairing protection, you might be better off with non-mesh gear.

I just ordered a shorter version of the jacket as I think it will be a bit more comfortable, plus it has the full circumference zipper to connect to the pants. The custom build time is down to about two weeks now, so it seemed a good time to buy.

I'd highly recommend over any other mesh gear in terms of toughness, longevity and protection. Proabbly better than many leathers also.

 

[Jackson]

My mesh jacket and pants arrived yesterday, delivered by Fedex Ground. I wore it today for a 2 hour trip, so these observations are based on very limited exposure to the system.

It is bulky and heavy, more so than my First Gear, uh, gear. If for some reason on a trip you were not going to wear it and had to pack it on your bike, it would be hard to find enough space for it. But, all good riding gear is bulky. It is stiff, but during the seminar at WFO it was explained that you could put it in a dryer with a shoe for 2 hours on no heat, and it will be more flexible. I will probably try that.

The XL waist length jacket is huge around the chest (probably 8-10" too big), and annoyingly puffs out, and the shoulders ride up and sometimes scrape against the bottom of my helmet when I turn my head, unless I pull the jacket down. The jacket does not zip up all the way to my neck. It seems to be fitted for a 24" neck. In cold weather that could be a bit of a problem, but it's fine in hot weather. I also got the thermal and the wind/water-proof jacket liners, but I have not tried those yet on the bike. Maybe I should have ordered a L rather than an XL, but I was fitted for the XL at WFO by the Cycleport rep, so I'm not sure if a L would be better or not. The sleeves had to be shortened---I don't know if it's returnable.

The armor in the back of the jacket is, for me, uncomfortably hot. The temp. today was around 80, not extreme, and after riding for 20 minutes, I stopped and removed the back armor. I have no plans to put it back in. But, I did the same thing with the mesh First Gear jacket I have. With that jacket, the back armor made my back sweat even on a cold day. Larger vent holes in the back armor would be more comfortable, and fewer people would then toss it.

On the pants, the full lenth zipper on the legs is covered by a narrow Velcro flap. I'm sure this makes it more secure in a get-off, but it's kinda annoying to have to un-Velcro it to operate the zipper to put the pants on and off. The price you pay for good protection, I guess.

The pants have no rear pockets. I'll have to get used to carrying my wallet in a front pocket. The front pockets are too low on the leg for my short arms. I have to bend over to retrieve anything from the pockets. The pockets have an internal seam remanent that sticks up from the bottom for about an inch. This makes it hard to get coins out; you have to search on both sides of the material which is sticking up. Coins tend to disappear in the corners too. A small coin pocket inside or outside of the large pocket would be nice.

A lot of the above is nit-picky--- not serious problems.

On the plus side, the quality of design and workmanship is very good. And at WFO I was convinced by their rep. that there is no finer gear available. I hope I'm not gullible, since I spent almost 1 large on the stuff. Good gear is expensive, but so is skin.

I also ordered a thermal liner for the pants, but they forgot to send that. I called, and they said they'll send it out.

In summary, after only a 2 hour ride, I am pretty satisfied with the pants. If I had a better fitting jacket, I would be happy with that too.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Well it's apparent the P T Crusier group :wub: the stuff. But then again yer on the left coast, The Land of Fruit and Nutsacks Where appearance is everything :dribble:

Odot?

What say You?

:jester:

 

[madmike2]

Any reports on the Cycleport mesh? A lot was sold at WFO. I know Toecutter loves his. I was expecting to see a lot of glowing reports. That kevlar mesh seemed just the ticket for the hot weather. What is the feed back? I need to add some gear to my closet this Christmas to make me a true gear whore! The Cycleport or Johnson Leathers are on the tops of my list to add to my Areostich two piece.

Okay, Barry, here is my report:

I've worn it every time I ride. I came the looong way home from WFO: Park City East on 1500, North to Bear Lake and to Hailey, ID the first day. Second day up through the Sawtooth, East and thropugh Hells Canyon to Baker City and finally to La Pine, OR. 3rd day South on 97, West to Yreka and down Hwy 3 to 299 to Redding (very HOT @ 102+ degrees), spending the night with some friends in Red Bluff. Finally home to Elk Grove via Hwy 45 to I-5, also in 100+ degree weather. All of this to qualify my comparison to the First Gear Kilimanjaro Air and Air overpants I wore on the way TO Park City.

The CyclePort gear is bulkier and a bit warmer than the First Gear. IMO the padding/armor in the CyclePort mesh gear blocks some of the air passing through. However, it was never so warm that my MiraCool Vest didn't kep me cool and comfy. So the mesh gear passes enough air to make the cooling vest work.

I wore my new mesh gear (Ultra II Kevblar jacket and UltraII Kevlar pants) on the dual-sport ride with Orangevale FJR to Calaveras Big Trees where we met James Burleigh and Silent. The pictures in the ride report show me on the KLR and some of the pics have my gear thrown over the bike or on the food locker. It IS some bulky stuff to tow away. I'd consider carrying a Kryptonite cable and padlock and stringing it through the arms of the jacket and locking it to the bike. I've used that method when I locked my Kilimanjaro "over" the bike to hide the electronics when we went in to eat...so its nothing new to me.

Is it as easy to use as the FirstGear stuff? Not at first, but to me, this was expected because of the higher level of protection I now enjoy. I could tell from the "test fit" that the gear was slightly more bulky. It is a bit more cumbersome to put on (the velcro tabs on the legs) and I zip the left leg closed when storing it because it keeps the velcro from attacking the liner. I can stow the pants in a side case, but they fill it where the FirstGear pants only took about 2/3 of a side case..

Would I go back to the FirstGear as a replacement for the CyclePort? A resounding, NO! I am so used to putting this gear on and actually "feeling" the difference that I would not return to any "other" mesh gear. I was amazed at how "light" the FirstGear clothing felt when I got it back after WFO. The pants feel like "nothing" in comparison, though the Kili feels as heavy as always.

I've not had an opportunity to use the rain or insulated liners. A couple of mornings it was in the high 40s-low 50s so I did wear a sweatshirt under the gear on my 20 mile commute and that was sufficient for me.

I hope this helps.

 

[Capt. Bob]

I have the Ultra II pants and jacket. They are bulky and take up a good deal of storage space so to get around that, I leave them on. The jacket is big up top but when sitting on the bike, it gives a wide range of movement. Air flows very well considering the large amount of armor in both. The pants give you a nice (?) bubble butt appearance when walking around but fit very well when riding. I have liners for both but have yet to use them. I also popped for a zipper in the pants to connect the jacket. When zipped, it functions like a one piece suit that is rather easy to ingress and egress. Can't comment on the protection factor (yet) but that was the main reason for my purchase. It ain't the look you get from tight leather but I don't believe they were trying for that. I'm curious to see how well they perform in the rain.

Capt. Bob

PS..... the dryer method does work but be prepared to put in a little more time than 2 hours.

 

[NightShine]

I've had the cycleport Air Mesh II jacket and pants since last summer. It works well in the heat, in the cold (see post) and in the wet. Rode down from the SF bay to the LA area last February with rain following me all the way. You don't notice how well the rain liners breathe until you realize that you're not clammy at all after hours in the wet!

If I'm riding into changing conditions and I don't care to get wet or cold, it's just a few minutes to doff the suit, don the liners (by themselves, don't bother to snap them into the suit), and then re-don the suit. No extra gear to carry, so that offsets some of the bulk.

I scored another set of these from Wayne at WFO for my passenger. You can wear the gear into a quick meal stop and just park the jacket on the seat next to you. Or for a more leisurely stop over, an adjustable, eight-foot 3/8" cable lock:

lets you easily secure two pants, two jackets and two full face helmets to the bike.

And ask Wayne to sew on stout hanging loops to the inside neck of the jacket and waist band for storage convenience.

 

[rublenoon]

I've rode this season with the kevlar air mesh pants [last years Christmas gift ] and I love them. Riding experiences range from 40°F & rain to 102°F & sunny over the course of 6000+ miles todate. Once broken in [about 2000 miles] the comfort become very good [mainly stiffness goes away]. Summer riding kit is to wear them solo using the tight fit feature over the boots. Winter riding kit is summer + wicking &/or wool leggins to comfort. Rain liner in or with frogg leg cover over them works fine too.

Minor picks: there is heat/sweat behind armour, but a simple dangle of the leg into the air flow and one gets a chill in those areas, so it evens out. Also, one does have to learn to live with velcro that attaches to everything.

All together I'll rate them 95% great. I'm hoping Mrs. Claus has a air mesh jacket in her bag this year!

ride safe

rublenoon

 

[JohnB]

It looks like everyone here who has this stuff has the "air mesh kevlar" and not the "4-way stretch kevlar" variety which they advertise as stronger (from an abrasion standpoint) than leather. Asside from the increase in airflow, is there a difference in the protection factor (abrasion resistance) between the 2 varieties? Does the mesh offer less protection?

 

[Toecutter]

Does the mesh offer less protection?

Yeah, but still way more than almost all other available garments. I never heard of anybody getting road rash through a Kevlar mesh suit, but Wayne Boyer could confirm for you if you call him. 800-777-6499

Wayne told me a very interesting story of almost miraculous coincidence at Saturday's WFO banquet. He needed to find a place to change oil in his semi tractor while they were in Elko, NV, visiting his aunt. He finally did, and in speaking to the proprietor, he mentioned that he was going to end up at an FJR Rally in Park City. The gentleman mentioned that he used to own an FJR, and stood up from behind his desk, to reveal that he only had one leg, the other lost in an FJR get-off. Wayne asked what gear he was wearing, and the answer was "a pair of jeans". Not that something else could have saved him, but maybe it would have made the difference. Wayne also said that, according to research, the highest probability of impact strike in M/C-cage collisions is to the outer upper thigh area. Think about that the next time you suit up.

The emotion with which he told the story really drove home the point to me that he is passionate about M/C safety gear (due to attending funerals of fellow riders), and if he thought something else was actually more protective, that's what he'd be selling. I'm betting my life & limbs on his recommendations.

And I really hope Santa brings me a pair of those new stretch Kevlar gloves this year....after I buy her some of the pants. Seems she wants form over function, but the end result will be tight pants with even more protection.

I also plan to upgrade to their new impact-responsive padding, once it comes available.

 

[MCRIDER007]

Asside from the increase in airflow, is there a difference in the protection factor (abrasion resistance) between the 2 varieties? Does the mesh offer less protection?

There isn't an easy answer to your question since (1) the testing method used for abrasion resistance may understate how much abrasion resistance the mesh actually has, and (2) Wayne stated in his seminars that tear resistance is more important than abrasion resistance for street riding (vs track) because street riders usually hit the ground with more force but don't slide as far as track riders. The mesh pants have a layer of 1000 denier cordura under the mesh in the seat area so that area is really protected in a slide. The only thing that is important is how well the mesh actually protects you in an accident and Wayne stated that to date, no one wearing the Kevlar mesh has ever suffered a skin abrasion although a couple of riders have managed to make some small holes in the mesh.

 

[FastJoyRide]

Sylvia and I also plunged for this gear at WFO. Pricy - you bet, but what's your hide worth? And the quality makes it look like it will last for many years.

Her suit is all stretch Kevlar, and she says the pants are very comfortable up to 100F+ (as pillion behind her hulk of a husband on an FJR). Her stretch pants are much less bulky and more "immediately" comfortable than the mesh - subject only to the armour conforming to your legs which it does in fairly short order as you ride on a warm day. Wayne told us that most of the suits he builds for women are the stretch rather than the mesh.

I went for the mesh Kevlar also on Wayne's recommendation and agree with all the comments above re bulky, but the pants so far have been very comfortable for day-long riding. When we got home, a quick trip through a front loader at the laundromat got rid of many bugs and grime, and softened up my pants somewhat. We were fortunate to be able to receive our pants in Park City but our jackets are being custom built as we speak and we'll pick them up when we're in California this Fall.

I'm VERY impressed so far and hope we like our jackets as well as we like the pants. Packing space should not be an issue for us. If we're riding - we're wearing! - ATGATT yo?

 

[JohnB]

Has anyone done a back to back test of the mesh verses the 4-way kevlar in hot weather? Since the 4-way offers better protection, I'd rather get that. But, if it's so warm that I wouldn't want to use it in the Summer (NY), it would be a waste of money for me. I'd like to use it for 3 seasons but mostly Summer, let's say 70 to 95 degrees (F).

 

[Toecutter]

I also ordered a thermal liner for the pants, but they forgot to send that.

I quit using the thermal liner for warmth, as I found that polyester fleece works better in different weights, depending on temperature, and it's also fashionable when not on the bike.