I'm in the market for a winter jacket and have narrowed down my choices between the Sand vs Dragon jackets. At most I will use this jacket as a three season jacket since I have a Tarmac Air for hot weather riding. I do like the hi-vis yellow feature but I'm not sure how I feel about a 3/4 length jacket. The only other knock against the Dragon is that I might not be warm enough during Dec-Feb. From reading customer reviews, it seems that the Sand jacket is warmer than the Dragon, but it costs considerably more. I would like to stay w/Rev'it primarily because I have their Tornado pants. I'd appreciate any feedback about the pros and cons of both jackets.
Cheers!
No real FHE with Rev'it... though I want!
Regarding the length - is there a shop near you where you can try one on and sit a bike? I don't think the longer jacket will be a real problem and it affords you more overlap from jacket to pant. IN the chilly weather it's that gap that I find to be where I get the most cold air leaking in.
No gaps and water-/windproof layer is all you need.
Rev'it will NOT disappoint you [thumbsup]
Just get at least one size larger, they're small.
I got the dragon a couple weeks ago, really like it. It's only 50s here where I live now, so no real cold weather experience, but good so far!
Quote from: Sad Panda on October 12, 2011, 06:09:30 AM
No real FHE with Rev'it... though I want!
Regarding the length - is there a shop near you where you can try one on and sit a bike? I don't think the longer jacket will be a real problem and it affords you more overlap from jacket to pant. IN the chilly weather it's that gap that I find to be where I get the most cold air leaking in.
Makes sense to try it on while sitting on a bike. Btw I think I live about 5 mins from you since I live in S. Arlington also. I guess there's always Coleman Powersports up the street.
i have the dragon, got it during the rev'it sample sale. i'm about 6' and 190-200lbs and i wear a xl if that helps you with sizing. i wear a 44 reg suit, but i wear a 56 in rev'it jackets if i want to fit a forcefield sub4 under it.
the nice thing about the dragon is that the inner jacket can function as a completely separate jacket from the outside. there is a outside jacket, a waterproof jacket, and then a thermal layer under that. so if you really needed to, you could toss the waterproof layer into a backpack and bring it along to wear under your air jacket in case it rains.
cant say how warm it is, it hasnt gotten cold enough for me to test it with the thermal liner yet. but it's not just a vest, it's a full sleeve jacket.
it does not have a full wraparound zip for your pants, just a 7 inch in the back, but that's fine for what it's made for. i really dont expect too many people bringing it to the track.
and for worse weather, a 3/4 jacket is just the way to go. i like the way the sportier jackets look too, but when you're freezing your butt off and the wind is leaking in by your waist and neck... you really dont care how it looks, you just want more coverage ;)
overall i would reccomend it as a second jacket for the winter and bad weather unless you're a serious tourer. at that point the sand would probably hold up better. and, personally, i feel that rev'it does the best textile gear right now, way better than dainese and a*'s. leather is on par, with a edge to dainese, but textile is def better.
Quote from: thought on October 12, 2011, 06:07:28 PM
i have the dragon, got it during the rev'it sample sale. i'm about 6' and 190-200lbs and i wear a xl if that helps you with sizing. i wear a 44 reg suit, but i wear a 56 in rev'it jackets if i want to fit a forcefield sub4 under it.
the nice thing about the dragon is that the inner jacket can function as a completely separate jacket from the outside. there is a outside jacket, a waterproof jacket, and then a thermal layer under that. so if you really needed to, you could toss the waterproof layer into a backpack and bring it along to wear under your air jacket in case it rains.
cant say how warm it is, it hasnt gotten cold enough for me to test it with the thermal liner yet. but it's not just a vest, it's a full sleeve jacket.
it does not have a full wraparound zip for your pants, just a 7 inch in the back, but that's fine for what it's made for. i really dont expect too many people bringing it to the track.
and for worse weather, a 3/4 jacket is just the way to go. i like the way the sportier jackets look too, but when you're freezing your butt off and the wind is leaking in by your waist and neck... you really dont care how it looks, you just want more coverage ;)
overall i would reccomend it as a second jacket for the winter and bad weather unless you're a serious tourer. at that point the sand would probably hold up better. and, personally, i feel that rev'it does the best textile gear right now, way better than dainese and a*'s. leather is on par, with a edge to dainese, but textile is def better.
I'm close to your size since I'm 5"10, 190lbs, 46 reg suit, 32" waist. I wear an XL Air tarmac so I assume I should fit the same size for the Sand Jacket. My friend has a Vanson leather that I could borrow, but it's so damn heavy that it could compress spines. ;D
I can handle cold relatively well since I've been known to run in Toronto winters, but riding as the temp dips in no joke. Not a difficult problem to solve - just lighten the wallet.
I normally wear the Scorpion XDR Shock jacket ( the Commander jacket or whatever its called is on sale at New enough in 1 color only for $99, its a GREAT jacket, my friend has one and its identical in performance to the shock that i wear).
My Shock has gone with me through snow sleet, rain and freezing temps into the teens and a bit below with miminal layers underneath.
Im pretty resistant to cold too, so for others it might suck for me, im fine...if you are into rev it though.... i have the goretex defender jacket. yes its $799....is it worth it? i dont know because i didnt pay retail. :P
Anyway, the liner in it is 10x better than scorpion. That just menas that ill be 10x warmer! Its fluffier but takes up less room. Its softer, and overall if you are going to use it as a winter only jacket, id wear a size up. in the recent temp droping to 50s i decided to bust the jacket out and was sweating balls with the liner in. Which i kinda expected because im usually hot anyway.
The sizing of hte jacket makes it near useless for anything but winter time for me since the liner makes the jacket fit pretty well. without it, i wouldnt wear it since the armor is all over the place so take that into consideration.
I also have a womens siren (in case) thats bagged up and if rev'its non goretex gears are anything like it (which im sure they are), you are in for a treat. I absolutely love revit gear.
3/4 length will sometimes flap around a bit on a naked(ish) bike, but the overlap can be good if you are tall, esp in the rain. Make sure it has 2-way zippers if more than normal length.
I have no warmpth issues riding year-round in DC or Boston with a standard length, wind/waterproof jacket.
the rev it jackets have a tie cord inside the jacket to make sure its snug on you.
my scorpion is also a 3/4 jacket and i have no issues with it.
I've pretty much settled on purchasing a Rev'it Sand Jacket either in silver or safari, aka olive green.
how much are you getting it for? if its $500, shelling out the 300 extra for the goretex defender GTX jacket is worth it. unless you can get the sand for $300ish...
Quote from: He Man on October 23, 2011, 05:58:56 PM
how much are you getting it for? if its $500, shelling out the 300 extra for the goretex defender GTX jacket is worth it. unless you can get the sand for $300ish...
My pockets aren't that deep to afford the Defender gtx, but it looks like a serious jacket - especially with the goretex liner. I would consider the Cayenne Pro if someone could make a credible argument that it was significantly better than the Sand. On a side note, I've read that it's difficult to make an outer shell that's waterproof and breathable - sorta like my winter Arcteryx jacket. I'd be willing to put down a chunk of change(if I had it) for a motorcycle version of my Arcteryx.
$300ish for a Sand jacket would be awesome, but the only prices that I see are $469. I figured i'd purchase from Revzilla to avoid paying sales tax.
Quote from: gwjcat on October 24, 2011, 04:19:03 AM
On a side note, I've read that it's difficult to make an outer shell that's waterproof and breathable - sorta like my winter Arcteryx jacket. I'd be willing to put down a chunk of change(if I had it) for a motorcycle version of my Arcteryx.
everest gtx outer shell is waterproof and breathable. also, guaranteed by gore so if it ever leaks you can send it back.
Quote from: thought on October 24, 2011, 05:50:00 AM
defender gtx outer shell is waterproof and breathable. also, guaranteed by gore so if it ever leaks you can send it back.
Dammit, must improve my reading comprehension when I read product reviews. I won't be able to afford the Defender gtx this year, so does it make sense to purchase the Sand jacket now and sell it next year when I can afford the Defender? It kinda seems like a waste of money to me to purchase the Sand now, and sell it within a year. Maybe I should look to spend the least amount of money now and just save to purchase the Defender next year.
The Defender , sorry, EVEREST is the only jacket with it's membrane welded to the outer shell.
Water won't get inside the outer shell as with other jackets, where water will run down ON the loose membrane, often finding ways to make you wet. So, for wet conditions I think it's superior.
It's insulating capacity isn't much better than the average Goretex wind-/waterproof jackets.
IME keeping water outside the outer shell tend to be even more important for pants.
i almost got the defender gtx pants at the rev'it sample sale, but held off because they have superfabric at the knees. i heard stories of superfabric scratching fairings and paint when they come into contact with the bike. and looking at the placement of it (right on the knees), it looks like a pretty high chance of coming into contact with the painted areas of your bike.
Quote from: stopintime on October 24, 2011, 12:30:02 PM
The Defender is the only jacket with it's membrane welded to the outer shell.
Water won't get inside the outer shell as with other jackets, where water will run down ON the loose membrane, often finding ways to make you wet. So, for wet conditions I think it's superior.
It's insulating capacity isn't much better than the average Goretex wind-/waterproof jackets.
IME keeping water outside the outer shell tend to be even more important for pants.
thats the everest that has the armacore shell with built in liner, the defender has a goretex liner that is removeable.
Quote from: He Man on October 24, 2011, 08:52:44 PM
thats the everest that has the armacore shell with built in liner, the defender has a goretex liner that is removeable.
Sorry, it was the Everest I was talking about. My previous post edited.
Quote from: stopintime on October 25, 2011, 02:39:25 AM
Sorry, it was the Everest I was talking about. My previous post edited.
doh, same
Wow, just viewed the Everest video on Revzilla and it looks like it's da bizness! [bow_down] Maybe that's why it cost more than the FCRs that I'm saving for.
actually the everest will also serve you breakfast in bed and add 10hp. [thumbsup]
Okay, i took the defneder out in heavy snow/rain mix. my pants were DRENCHED in 33 degree weather.
my jacket shell was also wet. it wasnt soaked, but defintely getting there.
but i felt warm and dry and very comfortable. this goretex stuff is AMAZING!
Quote from: He Man on October 29, 2011, 12:44:28 PM
Okay, i took the defneder out in heavy snow/rain mix. my pants were DRENCHED in 33 degree weather.
my jacket shell was also wet. it wasnt soaked, but defintely getting there.
but i felt warm and dry and very comfortable. this goretex stuff is AMAZING!
damn you rode today? i got about 3-5 inches of snow around me, but the city seemed ok, just wet.
yea on the highway it was mostly watery slushy, which was fine. but on the streets it was just snow.
i got stuck in this small ditch in front of my drive way. that shit was embarrassing since i couldn't get off the bike cause i had plastic bags tied to my feet to keep them dry. i actually had to break out my knife and cut them off cause i was also to oshort to reach them :P
I have the Rev'it Sand jacket in black/safari and the Sand pants in black. I am very pleased with the quality and style. There is a ton of adjustabilty and ventilation but during the dead of summer I am bit sceptical, especially the pants as the shell is real heavy duty. In terms of warmth, I am not sure how cold you are willing to go but I am sure the low 40s are very doable......at least in my experiance. I live in Kyiv, Ukraine but I don't ride when there is snow and ice on the ground for a variety of reason [bad drivers (drunk) with crappy cars (Lada 1500 are always trying to kill me), potholes under the snow, etc.]. For sizing reference I am 5'11" and 195-200 lbs and I got both in XL and they fit great. Unless you are going to do a great deal of extreme riding in extreme conditions I think you will very satisfied with the Sand combo.
they do size up very large, i wear a L and im 5'6 150lbs.
I've been able to ride through my 1st winter with this jacket. [thumbsup] TBH it hasn't been much of a cold winter this season but I had the chance to ride several times in sub 40 degree conditions for over an hour at highway speeds. The jacket held up well and I can't say enough good things about it. I still intend on trading up to the goretex Rev'it jacket in the future but my Sand jacket has been more than adequate for me this year.