TAT Gear Review

Thought you might enjoy a mini-review of gear I got for my TAT ride in 2009.

We did 3,000 miles in a couple weeks.  
Overall what I learned is that riding gear is all about comfort versus level of protection. You can bulk up with a lot of safety gear, for example hard-shell articulated MX knee shin guards, full pressure suit, ect.  But for comfort over the long haul, I think its ok to notch it back a bit, and go for lighter gear thats easy to handle.  Of course the more protection the better, but realistically when dual sport touring, you also have to go with what is workable and practical. I think thats why a lot of DS riders use more street oriented jackets that can still offer decent protection off road.  You can also customize here and there, for example I took out the stock elbow pads in my jacket and instead wore some more substantial MSR elbow/forearm guards.  I plan to upgrade to some Klim pants with hip pads, as I have recently seen some very bad accidents involving deer, so the more protection the better!

MSR boots.
[b] The boots worked great overall no complaints. The broke in well and proved comfortable.  These boots have decent ankle protection too.  Go with alloy buckles, KosmicKLR had the cheapest Oxtar's with plastic buckles that broke off and dont have much ankle protection.  I advise spending in the $125-150 range as a minimum, below that quality and protection suffers.


MSR knee guards.  
Overall a great balance of comfort and protection.  Big hard shell articulated pads are too uncomfortable for a long trip. I got a little chaffing of my knee caps from the padding inside, but thats just because of wearing them every day for 8-10 hours. Overall I like the quality and price of MSR products.


Moab pants.  
Size 34's are tight on me so I moved a side velcro to the front to give me some room!  These performed great, got a bit of melting where the lower right leg contacted the pipe, but the heat shield was off so I put it back on.  They are quick and easy to wash.  For cold weather you really need a undergarment for insulation, as these wont ward off cold. The ventilation helps esp when you stand up and get some extra air flowing.


Mesh riding shorts.
Hands down the best money spent and they are only $20 a pair.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  Having these snuggling your sack are just incredible, thin, breathable, no seams, no hot spots.  These are so comfy I wear them like regular underwear!  Get a few pair so you always have clean ones.


Tourmaster Flex jacket.
Overall I recommend for the price, its a good DS and street jacket. Its all season and works in all heat/cold extremes.  Sizing runs on the larger side.  I have a Med but really fits more like a Large/44. I got it for $160 off ebay so the price was right.
After using this jacket a long time here is my assessment:

Up Side:
- Really works in all conditions for both dual sport and street riding.  For the price, its a jacket you dont have to fuss over or worry about getting beat up.  
- Riding in Moab heat the full venting was awesome.
- Riding in cold, with the quilted liner, windproof shell, and an electric vest under its as good as it gets!  
- Lots of good pockets to fit key items like wallet and keys if needed.
- Washes and dries very well, just wash in tub, hang to dry.  
- No tears, holes or bad zippers. It held up great to the TAT, and after cleaning looks like new again.

Down sides:
- With all the layers on, its a bit heavy and cumbersome.  
- All the zippers can be a bit tedious and make sure they are in right.  I would prefer a simpler jacket, but then its a trade off to get all the layers.
- Still need waterproof layer, so I used Frog Toggs.  
- The armor is just OK, I took out the elbow pads and ran some better MSR elbow/forearm pads that fit well under the jacket. I felt more secure.  You could even run a pressure suit under the shell if you wanted more protection.

Outer wind proof shell removed:



Scorpion helmet:
$200 retail, on blow out for $60 so I went for it!  The fit is great, very snug and the liner wicks and can be taken out and washed.  Very light Kevlar/Fiberglass shell.  Farkled with reflecto!  I put the visor back on.  Overall an excellent value, gives all needed protection for a great price.  Highly Recommended!

Good equipment review.

YamWOW! wrote:

Good equipment review.

+1

Nice to see some real world monetary common sense while gear shopping

Very helpful review!! Thanks!