Warm Weather Adventure Motorcycle Gear Guide 2011

As part of our ongoing Warm Weather Motorcycle Gear Guides for 2011, we've broken down our top picks for the category of ADV touring and dualsport riding. In this field, the selections were pretty easy for us considering that the criteria for this gear is so specific. Jackets and pants in this category simply have to perform extremely well in the hot weather, be highly protective, and feature technical innovations we don't see on other gear that we carry. To that end, we've limited our picks to the top three hot weather adventure combos that we carry for our Warm Weather Adventure Motorcycle Gear Guide. This is the best of what we see that's available for the 2011 riding season.

Check out our Warm Weather Adventure Motorcycle Gear Guide:

First up in our ADV picks is the standout REV'IT! Defender GTX Jacket and REV'IT! Defender GTX Pants. Released in Fall 2010 as one of the first pieces of gear boasting REV'IT!'s alliance with Gore-Tex, the Defender is absolutely packed with protective, comfort, performance, and straight-up futuristic features. While this gear is designed to perform in four seasons, the ventilation will keep you perfectly cool and comfortable on long distance and adventure rides in the heat of the summer. The Defender has two removable liners, Gore-Tex Performance shell for waterproof breathability and Exkin Air for thermal and warming properties. When removed, the multiple ventilation panels can be opened for a great amount of airflow.

From a protection standpoint, the Defender is packed to the gills. The external shell is 500D Cordura ripstop with 1000D Cordura ripstop and SuperFabric in impact areas. The shoulders, elbows and knees all tout SaS Tec molecular-level armor, a space-age material that is malleable and comfortable against the skin but becomes rigid and intelligently disperses energy in an impact scenario. All of REV'IT!'s standard features are here as well: YKK zippers throughout, reinforced stitching, and spring-loaded snaps. Comfort features like the CoolMax moisture-wicking antimicrobial mesh lining, glove-friendly zipper pulls, and multiple large pockets just add to the already terrific nature of the new Defender GTX combo.

Next up is our absolute value pick of the bunch, that packs in a ton of features and functionality but won't break the bank compared to some of the competition. The Olympia X-Moto Jacket and Olympia X-Moto Pants was released in early 2010 to great acclaim in the ADV community. Utilizing a 500D Cordura exterior with 2000D Cordura in impact areas, the X-Moto has CE rated armor in the shoulders, elbows, knees AND in the back. The jacket features a fully removable waterproof breathable liner and separate Thermolite thermal liner while the pants have a removable waterproof breathable liner pant. Designed for true four season usage, the X-Moto shines in summer once these two liners are removed thanks to the Olympia Mega Vent Panel System.

The X-Moto has huge zip-and-fold mesh-backed panels at the chest, back, arms and legs which all translate to immense airflow when riding is active and conditions are steaming. Adding to the value of this combo is the integrated backpack that includes a 0.5L hydration bladder and drinking tube. The modular nature of this jacket is highlighted by the fact that this backpack is completely removable. The X-Moto packs a ton of large storage pockets for all the cargo you need to tote, 3M Scotchlite reflective piping, neoframe comfort collar, a cool mesh lining, and pants-jacket connection zipper. There is also a ton of adjustability here, at the collar, cuffs, elbows, waist, and the bottom hem, so this outfit will be able to accommodate
riders of all shapes and sizes.

Last up in our Adventure guide is a combo that is 100% geared towards the most sweltering of hot weather conditions. The REV'IT! Turbine Jacket and REV'IT! Turbine Pants are built with mid-Spring to mid-Fall riding in mind, and are designed to flow enormous amounts of air and be highly protective. This is REV'IT!'s bombproof mesh combo as they say. The shell is PWRShell 500D and 750D with 1000D Cordura in the impact areas. The mesh itself is a tightly woven Dynax mesh that will keep the air rushing in but also offers a high degree of abrasion resistance. The armor is upgraded ProLife CE rated protection at the shoulders, elbows and knees with SuperFabric panels in impact areas. The back is upgradeable to SaS Tec back armor as well.

The Turbine Pants are even more versatile than the jacket; in addition to all the hot weather and protective features, they also have a removable Hydratex waterproof breathable membrane and can be combined with any REV'IT! waterproof jacket for multi-season riding. REV'IT! came out with this gear in response to the riders who wanted a combo that would perform well in the hot weather in terms of airflow but offer a lot more in protection than the traditional mesh gear on the market. The Turbine  will continue to be extremely popular in ADV crowd as an exclusive pick for the most demanding summer ADV rides. Also available as the REV'IT! Women's Turbine Jacket and REV'IT! Women's Turbine Pants.

Please don't hesitate to check out the full video reviews that we have for all of this gear on their individual product pages on RevZilla.com. And to see our full range, visit our Extreme Adventure Motorcycle Gear segment.

-RetroZilla

Previously:
REV'IT! Defender GTX Jacket and Pants Review
REV'IT! Defender GTX vs REV'IT! Cayenne Pro
Olympia X-Moto Jacket Pants Review
REV'IT! Turbine Jacket and Pants Review