Klim or Rukka or?

[supercommuter]

Finally decided it's time I renewed my aged textiles.

I need something that is 100 percent waterproof so I have been advised GoreTex laminate is the way forward.

That said I was told that all the GoreTex laminate stuff is done in the same factory? So will the dainese kit be just as good? I like Dainese.

Klim looks popular with the RTW boys, I see a lot of scooter riders with rukka kit on in London (oddly worth more than the moped they are riding).

I bought some Klim gloves a few weeks back and they are very well made.

Should I just be looking for the best fit GoreTex laminated kit as it's all much of the same or there pro's and cons to each brand. Looks like £1500-1800 should get me a good set of textiles

Thanks

[supercommuter]

Thanks vonhosen, this is what I refer to with the goretex laminate (it is just what the guy called it in the dainese shop) and refer to the normal goretex as a liner, so the gear still gets soaked.

With regards to the bin bag, I have been stopping and putting waterproofs on for years now and just want something that I can ride in the worst of storms without getting wet.

Anyone use Klim gear?

[supercommuter]

shoestring7 said:

vonhosen said:

Goretex Pro is the Goretex to get but it's more expensive.
With Goretex Pro the membrane is bonded to the outer layer of the garment, other versions it is fixed as the inner layer.
What this means is that with Goretex pro it beads off the outer layer & the clothing doesn't get sodden & heavy because the water doesn't reach the thinsulate (etc) filling. The cheaper versions water gets into the thinsulate layer & will get sodden & heavy (even though you remain dry inside because of the membrane on the inside) as a result they then also take longer to dry out.

The good thing about Rukka is the 5/6 year warranty which they have honoured well in my experience. But you are paying for it through the initial price. I also personally tend to find Rukka a good comfortable fit.

Any half-sensible drop-linered/Z-linered motorcycle clothing will have insulation under the membrane, so protected from the rain. However even with the DWP (waterproofing) coating on the outside that everyone uses, eventually the outer layer of the jacket (outer layer of cordura + re-inforcement) will get water logged (aka "wetted-out"), and you'll be left with a 70mph breeze blowing wet material against a thin membrane, which is then separated from you only by some insulation and your clothes.

You have to ask yourself if avoiding this on the occasions you have to ride in heavy, prolonged rain are worth the ~£1000 additional cost of a laminated jacket. For a lot of people the answer is no, but if you're a long distance commuter, courier, instructor etc, then it probably is.

BTW Halvarsson are introducing a cheaper laminated jacket, AFAIK it'll be available in the UK around Easter: https://jofama.se/mcsm/product/wolf/

SS7

Regular 240 mile round trip for me, so I am happy to take the amount on the chin as there is nothing more annoying then being soaked for 2 hours each way.

I will look at Halversons

[supercommuter]

SAS Tom said:

Berw said:

Gortex is a brand, so all gortex fabric is made by the same process to a std, it wouldn't be made in one plant, gortex is then sold to the garment industry and each manufacture makes his own clothes. Saying all cortex is made in one place is like saying all woolen clothes are made in one place, Gorex was the first commercially available breathable waterproof, today there are other brands as good, (don't ask me to name one off the cuff) it is easy to make something waterproof, bin bags do that, the issue with gortex is it breathes so you don't get soaked by your own sweet and condensation like you would with a bin bag. big issue for things like climbing ski gear, not such a big issue on a bike (for me0.
Go to Thailand in a rain storm loads of people use bin bags as a waterprrof, they work great,

The above isn’t true.

Goretex pro clothing is made in Goretex factories using the designs of the respective companies. There are 4 factories in the world that make Goretex Pro clothing so there is a high possibility of the motorcycle clothing being made in the same place. When Goretex Pro is returned under warranty it goes to Goretex in Austria to be tested/repaired. Not the specific manufacturer. Even when the issue isn’t membrane related e.g failed zips.

As someone who owns, sells and is regularly trained on this stuff I haven’t found a single reason why certain brands can justify the extra cost of their clothing over competitors. Rukka and Klim are very fashionable at the moment in the segment. Are they any more/less waterproof than the competition? No. Are they any more/less reliable than the competition? No. Are there other features from those brands that people prefer? Yes.

There may be a certain jacket that suits you better as obviously there are differences in the designs. That coupled with the best fit would be your best choice rather than specific brand.

My current favourites are the Rev’it Poseidon and Dane Sealand. My only issue with the Dainese you have mentioned is that as far as I am aware they still have released a Goretex Pro trouser to go with their jacket which is odd.

A few brands are now releasing their own laminated membranes. These are very good and usually around half the cost of Goretex Pro. They aren’t as good, nor do they have guarantee of Goretex but if you don’t want to spend so much money then it’s a good option. It does depend on the membrane of that manufacturer though as anyone could laminate a bin bag and call it a laminate.

This is exactly what I was told.

And yes, they don't have a GoreTex Pro trouser which is a 'biggie' for me. It is a shame!

[supercommuter]

kurt535 said:

If you can do it, maybe consider goretex overs on a fleece and then your leathers?

best over trousers i have ever worn were for use on a boat. not glamorous but they work every time. Topside, I use a sale sourced goretex shell which is easily washed so it continues to work with an xl fleece underneath and then my furygan leathers. i ride all weathers too bar snow and ice!

also, isn't the rukka safety legend exactly that-a legend? Im sure someone told me their stuff isn't labelled up as approved PPE

Edited by kurt535 on Friday 12th January 13:22

I have done it all mate. Leathers, textiles, goretex over layers, cheap overlayers, heated kit, fleeces, jumpers, base layers, long johns, rain jackets etc

For me it is about speed of gearing up and un-gearing including how hot and pissed off i get squeezing into 17 layers.

It is time for me to drop a few quid on some textiles. I wear a Keis heated jacket into work and wear that when out and about at lunch as it looks fine as casual ware as well. So I want to couple some high end fully waterproof textiles with it and my already existing goretex boots and Klim goretex gloves.

[supercommuter]

vee5 said:

supercommuter said:

I have done it all mate. Leathers, textiles, goretex over layers, cheap overlayers, heated kit, fleeces, jumpers, base layers, long johns, rain jackets etc

For me it is about speed of gearing up and un-gearing including how hot and pissed off i get squeezing into 17 layers.

It is time for me to drop a few quid on some textiles. I wear a Keis heated jacket into work and wear that when out and about at lunch as it looks fine as casual ware as well. So I want to couple some high end fully waterproof textiles with it and my already existing goretex boots and Klim goretex gloves.

I think I was in the same place as you. Resisted top quality laminated gear for a long time as the cost was horrendous. But since taking the plunge I honestly wouldn't go back to non-laminate UNLESS I was only riding in constant temperatures with reliable rain/no rain. In other words not the UK....

From experience, the Klim stuff is very good and has excellent ventilation. The Rukka stuff is very good but doesn't have great ventilation. I went with Klim initially as I was off on a big adventure trip and their Badlands kit has an excellent cut for standing on the pegs (although I think they do also sell more road orientated suits now). The Klim suit has performed faultlessly regardless of rain/snow/sun, and the cut is boxy enough that I can get a heated jacket under it for long trips in very cold weather.

Later on I wanted a laminate suit that had a road riding cut so I bought a Rev-it suit which is more comfortable on a road bike than the Klim and also when walking about in it. The Rev-it suit has also performed faultlessly. When I say faultlessly I mean that neither suit has leaked and nothing has broken. Both jackets developed a small tear on the lining by the internal pocket and in both cases this was resolved quickly and efficiently by the manufacturers appointed repair agents.

I love that laminates are a single outer layer so quick to put on and no dicking around putting on/taking off other layers as the weather changes, they don't become sodden in the rain and they dry off quickly, so it's not as heavy or cold as non-laminate textiles (which make a big difference on long days). Ventilation was important to me and both suits have plenty for all but the hottest UK days. If you are going to spend a lot of time riding in temps over 30 it would be good to look at options with more ventilation.

Yep, only a few years ago I was doing 40k a year and it was infuriating getting wet, especially when I got into the office and my bks were soaked for most of the day. Had enough now, so pulling the pin and forking out.

I am going to try on Klim, Rukka, Dane (if i can find it), Rev IT and Dainese (although still no laminated pant). See where I end up.

Will update when purchased, thanks all.

[supercommuter]

2wheelsjimmy said:

Anyone one on here got an Aerostich R3. Quite like the idea of an all in one. But wonder how it is in use.

Obviously they get great reviews online. But being USA based, kind of hard to return, would like to try really.

That's what put me off. I'm bulky haha