Hi Ineos Forumites,
Given the Grenadier is being packaged with a Belstaff wax cotton jacket, a garment that traces its' pedigree to the earliest off-road and adventure motorcyclists, it seems only natural that a discussion about motorcycle gear should occur, and sure enough it already has over in the "Costs in America" thread.
So - let's let this be a place to talk your preferred kit! Tell us your style of riding and how you've got yourself braced for the elements, what you like and don't like. I'll start us off:
Type of Riding: ADV Touring/Daily Driver
Helmet: Fly Racing Trek helmet - it's got a nice beak for off road touring/sunshine that doesn't catch the wind too badly, and it's quite affordable for its certifications. It's due replacement but I've got no complaints other than it's a bit heavy. I'm in the market and am eager to hear what folks like.
Jacket: Klim Latitude. Should have bought a Klim product to begin with, as I've been chasing a good rain solution for a long time. Before this, I owned a Triumph Kalahari jacket, which lasted me a couple of years but was never waterproof despite claiming it would be. I loved how it could go from very cold temps to very warm temps so easily though - it was very climate versatile. But you needed secondary rain gear, so I tried rubbers (to hot), Frog Toggs (too fragile) and some North Face rain pants and jacket (which proved to work best but weren't designed for this application - the jacket had a hood that had to go under the helmet and it was just awkward). Eventually I decided to put Klim's "Guaranteed to keep you dry' to the test...5 years later, I'm dry as a bone. Up top, anyway.
As to why I picked the latitude, I know Klim have some stuff that is more "adventure chic" with things like pockets and hydration bladders and such, but anytime there's a protrusion on a riding jacket it's a spot for concentrating an impact, so I prefer to try to keep my jacket smooth and pockets empty -- that way if I go off, the load is spread out over my body, and not all going right into my ribs because of the SPOT device in my pocket. I use a hiking hydration bladder when its needed and worth the risk, but not every day.
Pants: Triumph Kalahari pant. Super comfortable because like the jacket it goes from cool to warm very easily. But not waterproof. My torso is comfy, my legs and bottom area are soaked, so I'm constantly reminded how good I could be if I only got my stuff together and shelled out the coin for the Klim pants. Someday.
Boots: Alpinestar Scout - Good boot for the money, I like them for the balance of protection and walkability. They are - you guessed it - not waterproof despite claiming otherwise. I am on the hunt for replacements of these as well.
Looking forward to hearing what you all use!
Given the Grenadier is being packaged with a Belstaff wax cotton jacket, a garment that traces its' pedigree to the earliest off-road and adventure motorcyclists, it seems only natural that a discussion about motorcycle gear should occur, and sure enough it already has over in the "Costs in America" thread.
So - let's let this be a place to talk your preferred kit! Tell us your style of riding and how you've got yourself braced for the elements, what you like and don't like. I'll start us off:
Type of Riding: ADV Touring/Daily Driver
Helmet: Fly Racing Trek helmet - it's got a nice beak for off road touring/sunshine that doesn't catch the wind too badly, and it's quite affordable for its certifications. It's due replacement but I've got no complaints other than it's a bit heavy. I'm in the market and am eager to hear what folks like.
Jacket: Klim Latitude. Should have bought a Klim product to begin with, as I've been chasing a good rain solution for a long time. Before this, I owned a Triumph Kalahari jacket, which lasted me a couple of years but was never waterproof despite claiming it would be. I loved how it could go from very cold temps to very warm temps so easily though - it was very climate versatile. But you needed secondary rain gear, so I tried rubbers (to hot), Frog Toggs (too fragile) and some North Face rain pants and jacket (which proved to work best but weren't designed for this application - the jacket had a hood that had to go under the helmet and it was just awkward). Eventually I decided to put Klim's "Guaranteed to keep you dry' to the test...5 years later, I'm dry as a bone. Up top, anyway.
As to why I picked the latitude, I know Klim have some stuff that is more "adventure chic" with things like pockets and hydration bladders and such, but anytime there's a protrusion on a riding jacket it's a spot for concentrating an impact, so I prefer to try to keep my jacket smooth and pockets empty -- that way if I go off, the load is spread out over my body, and not all going right into my ribs because of the SPOT device in my pocket. I use a hiking hydration bladder when its needed and worth the risk, but not every day.
Pants: Triumph Kalahari pant. Super comfortable because like the jacket it goes from cool to warm very easily. But not waterproof. My torso is comfy, my legs and bottom area are soaked, so I'm constantly reminded how good I could be if I only got my stuff together and shelled out the coin for the Klim pants. Someday.
Boots: Alpinestar Scout - Good boot for the money, I like them for the balance of protection and walkability. They are - you guessed it - not waterproof despite claiming otherwise. I am on the hunt for replacements of these as well.
Looking forward to hearing what you all use!
But you have only one head gor sure 
