New Riding gear- be prepared

Surviving the elements is a part of motorcycling and over the past few years I have endured more than my fair share of cold, wet, miserable weather....but kept on riding, at times protected and other times finding the limits of my riding apparel. Often riders must balance function within a budget and that can create problems on the road in comfort, spirit and safety.
I am excited to say I have a new gear sponsor, Gamma Powersports. They are the Canadian Distributor for Tourmaster Gear Epic Series.

 After checking out Tourmaster, at the Calgary Motorcycle Show back in January, I was very impressed with the quality and features of their jacket and riding pants. Much better weather protection than my old jacket/pants combo I wore last year. Not to say negative about my old gear but it was just not up to handling some of the weather extremes one faces, on long extended trips, as the stuff I was wearing was more for warm weather, occasional touring or day rides. While most times I was dry and comfortable I do recall several days of being chilled to the bone no matter what combination of layers I tried.

This Tourmaster gear should solve that with waterproof outer shell. No more stopping to put in a rain liner, just do up the zippers and keep on going. It also has a quilted liner that zips in for warmth, waterproof outer pockets, a rain hoodie that keeps water from entering your jacket down your neck, built in kidney belt and more. The jacket also has many vents for flow thru air cooling on hotter days.

I also have 2 pairs of Tourmaster gloves (one for warm weather and one for cold) both of which are waterproof. Add to that my Tourmaster Synergy electric liner jacket to keep me warm and it can double as a light, casual jacket for when I am off the bike. With its heated collar and full sleeves it will be so much better at keeping me warm than my old electric vest, which came up short on heat on some of the colder days. The synergy has an adjustable thermostat I can dial in comfort on many levels thus ensuring comfort and safety on long travel days. I have been known to do 9 hours+ of riding in a day, weather be damned, so I am looking forward to having this in my riding gear.

Not only will I be able to handle almost any riding condition but I can do so by taking less clothing along.
As you know space is at a premium when travelling by  motorbike, so anytime I don't have to pack bulky items I win more space for other items. Silly things like socks, underwear and maybe some luxury items that are just for me.

I used to pack 3 types of gloves (hot weather, regular, cold/wet)  but now I will be taking 2. The Scarab Winter Glove by Cortech and Tourmaster Dri-Mesh (both distributed by Gamma). Again, I have saved space and have more versatile hand protection plus both are waterproof. I even tested them under running water as I had to satisfy my own curiosity.

Even though I had some great waterproof touring boots they were were starting to show the signs of 3 seasons of hard use and were getting a bit ragged from their 66,000km life.
Gamma came thru yet again with their Solution Waterproof touring boots. A nice looking boot with great protection and they are comfortable for walking, something that is important when checking out scenic stops along the way. I like the simple clean lines which makes them good looking when wearing jeans. Of course the only jeans I take along are Draggin Jeans.  Even when dressed casual you should not let down your guard against road rash should something go wrong....like meeting a duck ass driver that runs you off the road. During the course of the 2011 season I will go into more detail on the jacket, pants, gloves and their features on The Planet Tour episodes so stay tuned.

So why am I telling you, the reader, about all this? Simple, I wish to use my trial and error, of not having the proper gear or buying too little gear for long distance travel, to help you choose wisely. By giving you real world feed back I hope it helps you choose the best gear within your budget and needs.
Stay safe out there and check out our new YouTube Channel with our latest episode.