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89-300ce

89-300ce

Well-known member
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Joined
Feb 13, 2011
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Wpg Man Cdn
So riding season is over for me. This was my first year with the wing and it's proven itself to be capable and reliable. Most of my riding was in town and day trips but next year we will extend our range into over nighters and probably a couple of longer road trips. The bike is ready but I have to gear up.

I just bought a tent, Mec Wanderer, based on the excellent write-up of another winger.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dusty-boot ... 0003/show/
https://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/forum9/70637.html

I set it up at home and the design is fantastic. I used to canoe camp with a Campfire/Mason tent and really like to be able to look out of my tent when I want to and the vestibule /door design allows that.

We have some high quality synthetic sleeping bags which compress down very well so I'm set there.
We also have a couple of 1" thick thermarests but I'd like to supplement them with something thicker. I was thinking of the Big Agnes insulated air mattresses. Anyone have experience with these?

Since we will be two-up storage will be critical. I was thinking of getting this tank-bag in a strap mount.
https://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/catalog ... 45_31.html
Anyone tried one?

I was thinking of adding a kit that converts a sleeping pad to a chair.
https://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_ho ... endocument

I was thinking of strapping the sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and tent to the trunk rack. Is this doable? Is there a rack bag that would work? Stuff sacks?.

We won't be cooking and we'll be heading for a motel at the first sign of rain. Any other gear suggestions or tips?

I've been using my old leathers and surprisingly the pants still fit, but the jacket is pretty snug around the arms and chest. I'm racking my brain on what to get. Leather or textile. 3/4 or short. I'd like a 3/4 leather like the old Dakar jackets from Hein Gericke but it would be way to warm in summer and likely take up the whole trunk to store. A textile like the Tourmaster transition would be more versatile but I'm not sure how safe I would feel without leather.
https://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/tourmast ... -2-jacket/

Any ideas, suggestions on a good touring jacket set-up. I already have a good rain suit which I shouldn't need to take along if I go with the Tourmaster. Realistically if it's raining heavily I would probably hole up in a motel so even leather would be good.

Thanks
Jorg
 
Textile with armor supposedly provides better protection than good leather. I've been looking at them a while. These days good heavy leather is hard to find and expensive if you can find it. I'll be following this to see what you choose and your reviews of it.
 
mcgovern61":a7xgav29 said:
I really enjoy camping! Here is my youngest (2 years ago now) out on a bike / camping trip.

viewtopic.php?p=286#p286
Click to expand...


Wow, that's a huge tent. I'm guessing it's the black duffle on the rack?
000_0012.JPG


I'm guessing the air mattress took up a lot of room?

I test loaded the bike last night and found that tent and sleeping pads fit nicely on the trunk rack with room left over. The sleeping bags and pillows, one of each in a compression bag, strap nicely onto the aftermarket saddlebag lid rack/guard and will make excellent arm rests for the wife. I'm going to try and make all my camping gear strap onto the racks and leave the trunk, saddlebags, and tank bag for clothes, tools, rain gear, etc.

I think I can take everything we will need along but still have to figure out what goes where and how to get access to items underway. I wish the saddle bags had liners I could easily remove and bring inside when we stay at a motel.

Jorg
 
89-300ce":1xhnbcny said:
Wow, that's a huge tent. I'm guessing it's the black duffle on the rack?

I'm guessing the air mattress took up a lot of room? Jorg
Click to expand...

Yes, the black duffle is the tent (4 person), the air mattress fit in the trunk with other stuff real nice. All of the other gear was spread throughout the bags and the fairing. As you see the bike in the picture, everything is all packed in! (Still had plenty of room for more!)
 
I've heard goo things about the Transistion, but never used one.
My winter jacket is a Belstaff Challenger. I've ridden in it and a Under Armor cold gear shirt down into the 20s. Hands were frigid, but the core was warm.
If you're looking for a jacket to do all, seasons, this isn't it. It's a late fall/winter/early spring jacket.

My summer jacket is a TourMaster Cortech Intake. Been very happy with it for approaching 5yrs now.

Guess you've got pants covered, so I'll save that info till requested.

(corrected link url)aapple
 
Wow. Nice jacket. I love the styling esp. in black. Would look right at home on a vintage wing. I think the good textiles have the most versatility of any single jacket out there.

I've been looking and looking and I think the reality is that a single jacket can't do it all. Unfortunately I've been on trips where I've hit 90+ temps with blazing sun (prairies), subfreezing with sleet (mountains), and endless frog choker rain (coastal) in early summer. I like to travel in off-season whenever possible to avoid the crowds so I'll likely run into this range of conditions again.

I've been thinking of a layering system much like I use for most outdoor sports but with the twist in that it needs to be able to deal with impact and abrasion. My thinking goes something like this,

Safety
- armored leather is still the best choice when the rider meets the road.

Space
- the jacket you wear takes up the least space in the pack

Rain
- tough to beat a good re-enforced PVC rainsuit and they pack small.

Heat
- the vents systems in leather and textile jackets rely on air movement of which there is little on a faired wing. Mesh would be the most comfortable behind a fairing in 90+ temps.

Cold
- A windproof shell with insulating layers beneath would be ideal

So I think I'm looking at an armored leather jacket with lots of mesh in non-critical areas that I can supplement with a rainsuit on top and is large enough for insulated layers underneath.

So far I've found these two jackets
https://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/ja ... acket.html
This jacket has zip out panels at the sides and inside of arms that reveal mesh for air flow.
https://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/ja ... acket.html
On this jacket the entire front and rear panels zip off to reveal mesh for ventilation. This would be the coolest but I'm not sure how safe the back would be in a slide.

Style wise these jackets look to be geared more for sportbikes than I'd like so I will keep looking to see what else is available.

Jorg
 
Can't comment on those jackets specifically, but I will give a big thumbs up to Motorcyclegear.com. Used them many times and never had an issue. They've been willing to exchange several items where the size didn't fit quite right either.

I wore that Belstaff jacket on my '83 Aspy a few weeks ago as the temp climbed into the mid 80s and I was quite warm by the time I finished my 20mi commute home. Just not enough air moving behind that fairing.
Now if I could just get it be that calm when it's cold outside :mrgreen:
 
I ride pretty frequently with my TM Intake jacket. It's full mesh safe the shoulders and elbows where the armor is.

Even with that much mesh, it gets pretty warm in the heat. Vastly better than the solid jacket, but still warm.

My main gripe with mesh gear is they always include a liner and claim that makes it a 3-4 season jacket. I suppose it works well enough, but its not a replacement for solid gear.
If I get caught out in the cold with my mesh gear, I put on my rain suit. It does a much better job of adding warmth than the liner.
The Intake comes with a full rain liner, and a quilted insulated liner that zips into the rain liner. Does better than most mesh gear in the insulation area, but still not idea.

I've heard the TM Transition is a good one. Its only waist length though, sounds like you're more interested in the 3/4 ones.
 
The Transition does seem like a good jacket but it sounds like it will get too hot even with all the venting, and the venting eventually allows water leaks in during extensive rain.

I agree with the mesh being cold, that's why I'm looking at jackets where the mesh is normally covered by removable panels. The JR Sonic jacket has mesh at the sides and inside of the arms with the back, shoulders, and outside of the arms still covered with leather.
SP32-20111121-115046.jpg
The JR Super Ego would be the coolest jacket with the panels removed but you only have mesh holding the back protector, and I don't think that is a good idea.
SP32-20111121-115204.jpg
SP32-20111121-115226.jpg
If you could remove only the front and sides of that jacket I think it would be ideal. You would have all the low risk areas mesh, the high risk areas leather, and CE armor at the impact points. With the leather panels in place and a liner you could ride into cooler weather although, like you say, a rain jacket would be necessary in cold weather. I think I'll be bringing along a a purpose built rain suit in any case so I might as well use it as a wind shell as well. Not stylish but who cares?

Jorg
 
That 2nd JR jacket is a nice concept.
I suppose a rider-worn back protector would be the solution to the flimsy one that JR includes in it.
 
You're right. That would be the only way I would trust that jacket with the panels removed. I think they droped the ball on that design. Unless the mesh is a lot tougher than I think (CE standard lists 4sec. abrasion) I would expect the back protector to be gone in no time if you are sliding on your back.
 
89-300ce":1qxqzvon said:
1TallTXn":1qxqzvon said:
According to https://www.joerocket.com/catalog/index.cfm/234/110/Leather_Jackets/Super_Ego_[hybrid] The jacket isn't CE rated. Not even the armor. They only list it as "dual-density" whatever that means.
Click to expand...

I think dual-density foam is what I have in my couch cushions. That just figures. The two jackets I like are the only ones without a rating on their armor. Guess I'll keep looking.
Click to expand...
At least you'll be comfortable when you fall off! :smilie_happy:

You're looking for a "convertible" jacket, preferably leather, right?
I know more about the textile gear than I do about leather, but I'll take a look around. Work is really quiet this week :lazy:
 
Yes, I think convertible leather/mesh is what I'd like. There are a lot of nice vented leather jackets but I don't see them working well behind a goldwing fairing. And like you say, a fixed mesh jacket won't work well once the weather cools.
 
I don't know a lot about jackets, bought this one locally at cycle gear, about $150.
IMAG0023.jpg


It has a removable liner which helps in the summer but when cold even with the liner I'm cold so I wear layers under. Tshirt, shirt, and long sleeve flannel and I'm comfy up top along with a full face helmet.
My legs get cold so I'm looking for insulated jeans.
 
Glad you found something you like!

I had the "joy" of crash testing a FieldSheer MeshTex jacket back in '05 and can say it held up well and the (optional) CE armor did a great job of keeping me safe.
My jeans didn't do nearly as good of a job...

I hope you never have to use your gear for anything more than deflecting bugs/rain and questions from those that don't understand why we ride.
 

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