Adventure Touring Unpacked - Sean’s Riding Gear
Motorcycle Clothing Review - BMW Riding Gear
As you all know we recently returned from a 7500 km tour around Eastern Europe. For the trip my entire riding gear was updated, having had the same gear for many years I was reluctant to change everything just before this epic adventure, as I wasn’t sure how it would perform. I would never recommend any product that I wasn’t happy with so here are my truthful thoughts of my riding gear after using it for 7500kms on the Heading East tour.
System 7 Carbon Helmet
Okay so with Helmets you just have to try them on and see what fits you best. I’ve toyed with the idea of a modular helmet for a while as taking pictures, paying for fuel and even drinking water have started to become a task! However the helmets I’ve tried have all been too loose‑in order to achieve that new lid hamster face, I would have had to have a hat that was all round too small. To my relief the System 7 actually fitted me well, it pinched the cheeks and didn’t put any pressure on my forehead but as I say everybody is different so go try for yourself.
Another question you might ask yourself is ‘can I ride an Adventure bike without the adventure style helmet complete with peak?’ In short yes, you can! I will admit adventure hats do look cool and if worn with goggles are great for ventilation however most of the time I was on the road with my visor down. At times I missed having a peak to block the sun out, but very rarely was the sun too strong for the integrated sun visor. What I definitely didn’t miss about the peak was the constant strain the wind pressure puts on your neck and the additional noise that comes along with it especially at higher speeds.
Being made from Carbon and weighing in at less than 1.5kg it was really light ‑ especially for a modular hat. 7500km over 3 weeks had claimed the lives of many insects along the way, stuck and baked to the visor each day, however despite constant cleaning it remained relatively scratch free. Paired with removable washable linings and a solid build construction I have high hopes that the System 7 Carbon helmet will serve me well for tens of thousands of more Kilometers.
Rallyepro Jacket
Too hot, too cold, uncomfortable? If you experience any of these whilst touring the chances are it’s down to your suit. This is a very important piece of equipment to choose so you need to get it right. Reasons I was drawn to the RallyePro Suit are, firstly I didn’t want a suit that did everything, personally being too hot is worse than being too cold and in the past I’ve had water proof suits that were great in the rain but too hot and sweaty in the heat regardless of how breathable the fabric is.
The RallyePro is mostly made for summer/Autumn as it’s not waterproof due to its large ventilation areas on the chest, sleeves and shoulders, having said that the occasional light downpour didn’t soak in so the fabric is resistance to water and the front pockets are waterproof. For heavier rainy days the RallyePro comes with its own waterproof over jacket and trousers made of Polyamide which I had to use a few times and I have to say I did stay dry. The over trousers are easy to put on with boots as they have a zipper all the way up to the waist. I really liked the option of adding these outer layers as it enables you to also control your temperature as well as being waterproof.
Rallyepro Trousers
As a rough guide at 20‑30+ degrees I would ride with all vents open and I was very comfortable, at around 15‑20 degrees I would close the vents to stay warm and then anything under that putting the wind/waterproof outer layer on made a big difference. I think for temperatures below 10 degrees a down jacket or the heated vest might be a good idea. As a bonus I actually used the outer layer as a jacket on its own in the evenings when walking around town which is handy when trying to save space. Both the main jacket and the outer layer have large and small pouches on the back which can be used for a hydration pack.
From a safety aspect as you would expect you get protectors at the Shoulder, Elbows, Back, Hip and knees and the latest ‘NP Flex Pro’ as the names suggests gives you a lot of movement which is really appreciated if your spending all day getting on and off the bike. As well as being comfortable and not restrictive in movement the Elbow and Knee protectors are adjustable to ensure they stay in the correct place. The waistband is adjustable too, which again keeps them up when you unzip the jacket for walking about. A feature I really liked was the built in back straps so you can wear your jacket on your back, perfect for when it’s hot and you want to take the jacket off without carrying it.
I wore this suit for at least 8 hours every day for 3 weeks in various temperatures and weather conditions and I was really impressed, it is the most premium adventure suit in the BMW range and it really feels it. A suit purchase can be costly so there are many factors to consider even including color. What’s great about the RallyePro is that it is black and doesn’t have any colors so you don’t have to worry about matching it to your bike as it will go with everything and will never look dated which is just as well as equipment of this quality will be lasting for many years.
Size ‑ EU50
Gravel Evo Boots
So I wanted a boot that offers lots of protection, is breathable, waterproof, provides grip on all surfaces on and off road and most importantly is comfortable to walk around in –is that too much to ask. Oh and it’s gotta look good too. I went for the BMW Gravel boots as they fit somewhere between a full Enduro boot and a trainer type boot. They fit high enough on the leg so you can put your waterproofs on top without any risk of then rising up and funneling water onto your foot whilst providing extra shin protection. They have decent grips underneath as you would expect from the name and I like the quick fasten buckles which are fully adjustable to get the right fit whether you prefer to ride with your pants inside the boot or over the top. Reinforced ankles and gear shift toe pad provide additional protection and durability and a Gore‑tex membrane to help keep the water out.
So how did they preform? Well I did the customary 5 meter walk around the shop before concluding all seemed well and that you never know until you really use them. After 7500km of riding and many city walks in them I can confirm they are the best boot I have ever had! They are rigid enough to provide support whilst being soft enough for comfortable gear changes and walking around cities and towns without blisters or walking like you have ski boots on. In hot weather they were as breathable as one could hope a leather waterproof boot can be and in colder temperatures kept the wind out –for temperatures less than 10 degrees I would recommend a thick pair of socks for some extra warmth. I Encountered some heavy rain and they did indeed keep my feet dry which was impressive as I never expect any gear other the plastic bag they come in to be truly waterproof. Overall I can say with ease that I totally recommend these boots for anyone that wants an all‑rounder that does everything well and after 7500km of constant use they still look like they’ve come straight out the box so I’m confident I will have these for a long time to come.
Pacedry GTX Gloves and The Gloves Rallye
Yes I take 2 pairs of gloves, as should every rider on tour. Firstly I’ve had a pair of RALLYE gloves for the last 6 years and they have only just started showing signs of wear, so I went with them again. They are a lightweight glove which gives you great throttle and clutch control whilst offering superb ventilation. I paired them with the Pacedry GTX for those rainy days. In short they are waterproof, windproof and breathable. I started using them more towards the end of the trip when the days got colder and all the way down to 10 degrees they kept my hands warm. Anything lower and I might consider switching to a winter glove but for an all season glove they were great. I took the the size 12’s and they fitted, well, like a glove.
Pacedry GTX Gloves
The Gloves Rallye
Overall I was very pleased with all the gear that I had for this trip. As we are in our suits most of the time it’s important that it does everything we need it to do. After the trip all the gear still looks like new and we had no issues with the functionality so I’m confident that the gear will serve me well for many years to come.