Price $233
I am very happy with this jacket. It is as advertised. There are a couple of things that could be improved though. First, the liner is primitive. It is 100% PVC and has no insulation. Once you put it on you will get steamy. The upside is that it is 100% waterproof. I use the quilted, waterproof liner from my Olympia Motorsports jacket with the Alter Ego jacket and it is a great combination for cold or wet weather. If the Alter Ego came with a liner like this it would be faultless except for...
After the outer solid panels are removed (along with the main zipper) the zipper on the mesh jacket will unzip itself at speeds above 40 MPH. I'm not sure why there is no snap closure or even velcro to keep the zipper from being pulled down from the wind on the front of the jacket. I am going to sew a velcro closure at the top to prevent this. It;s very aggravating and will unzip in less than a minute at highway speeds.
The lower arms and complete torso and back are removable to make this an almost completely mesh jacket. The only solid material left is from the elbow to the shoulder. It is really nice. Tons of airflow and the armor is still there. I'm not sure there is a better jacket for hot weather.
There are two "slash" vents on the front of the shoulders that can let some air in for those transition times when you aren't ready to remove the panels but it's not really cold anymore. Very nice feature.
With the panels on it is good into the mid/low 70's. With the jacket and a "real" insulated liner mid/high 60's are no problem. These estimates are sunny day, at speed, with little or no fairing protection. Adjust as necessary.
I have looked at the Rev'it Cayenne jacket ($499) and to me the only significant difference is the liner issue. I hope Joe Rocket steps up and includes a waterproof and insulated liner in the future. It would be worth a few extra bucks.
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