Product Review in American Motorcyclist

I was very bad about updating this blog last year, so I’m going to do a few posts to get caught up on a few notable things that happened last year. One of them was doing a product review of VNM Sport Gear for American Motorcyclist magazine.

vnmproductreview

Trying on GoGo Gear

This afternoon I rode to Tacoma to visit NW Motor Scooters to check out their LA based GoGo Gear line of protective gear. Go Go Gear claims: Motorcycle and scooter jackets no longer have to be unattractive! Harley Davidson or Vespa, motorcycle or scooter, biker men or women, scooter girl or guy, GoGo Gear brings fashion to protective, armored, abrasion resistant riding gear and accessories.

Naturally, I was curious. Protective gear for women that’s functional and looks good?

I tried on their Military Jacket (liked it a lot!), Trench Jacket (didn’t quite work for me) and Hologram Jacket (I’ll let you decide for yourself). :P All jackets had solid armor in the back, elbow and upper arm area (all CE approved). The armor in the shoulders didn’t quite fit snugly on any of them. Their size 6 was slightly bulky on me especially in the shoulder area, so I tried a size 4, which was a bit snug in the arms, but I like my jackets tight so that it doesn’t shift in the event of a crash.

Speaking of crashes, my biggest concern was of course how well these designer jackets would hold up in worst case scenarios. The jackets are made with either 600 or 1000 denier cordura, which is then covered up with the nicer material – wool, knits or acrylic. This appears to be in keeping with the specifications of the average, mainstream motorcycle jackets out there. I could see myself wearing one of these jackets for in city low speed riding when the option might be to skip gear altogether, but I definitely wouldn’t make any of these my main jacket for either touring or dual sport riding. I can’t imagine how long this elegant designer wear would hold up on a wet, muddy ride. I’m also a gear nazi and I wear only the best protection I can buy – dual layer mesh kevlar custom made by Motoport (not big on looks but very functional).

My other concern was the hip length of the jacket which is fine for scooter riding, but might be awkward for swinging a leg over a motorcycle. Fortunately they had a Kymco 250cc motorcycle on display, which I sat on, and the jacket seemed to be fine and the length didn’t appear to get in the way. They did after all ride motorcycles wearing those big great coats back in WW2. :)

To summarize, I didn’t buy any of them, but I *am* tempted to get the Go Go Gear Military jacket for casual around town riding. With a $375 price tag though, I’ll have to think about whether I’d rather spend my money on one of these or that retro RevIt jacket that I was eyeing a few months ago.

Here are some photos of me in some of the coats that I tried. This one was my favorite by far.

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Click below to see the remaining images.

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Gear List

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the gear I bring with me for a long roadtrip.

RIDING GEAR
Motoport mesh kevlar riding jacket (GP2)
Motoport mesh kevlar riding pants (Ultra II)
Motoport Aero-Tex liners for jacket and pants (waterproof/windproof/breathable)
Gerbing heated vest (with on/off switch)
Techniche Evaporative cooling vest and tie
Arai Quantum2 helmet
Daytona Lady Star GTX boots
Held Akira gloves
Lightweight silk balaclava

LUGGAGE
Cortech Sport Saddlebags
Ortleib Rack Pack (Large – 45L)
REI waist pack (camera, gps)
Camelbak bladder and backpack (water+ice)
Roadgear Tank Map Holder

TOOLS
Bike toolkit
Pliers
Chain lube (travel size)
Genuine Innovations tire patch kit
Slime air compressor
3/8 ratchet with sockets and extensions
Nitrile gloves
Duct tape (wrapped around ratchet)
Electrical tape
JB Weld
Zip ties
Rag

ELECTRONICS
Mobile Phone
GPS – Garmin Zuo 550
Camera – Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28K
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7
Helmet wireless intercom system –
Cardo Scala Q2
iPod

CAMPING
REI Quarter Dome Ultralite T2 2-person tent
Marmot Teton women’s sleeping bag
Big Agnes Sleeping Pad
REI TiWare Nonstick Titanium Pot
REI TiWare Mug
Propane stove and tank
Spork and spatula
Salt/peppers/spices shakers
Small jars of oil and small container for garlic paste
Small vial of soap, scrubber and rag
Fire starter
Spade

CLOTHING
Fleece
REI balaclava
Microfiber base layers (top and bottom)
Crocs
Ex-officio moisture wicking underwear
Wool/moisture wicking socks
Sunglasses

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
Length of neon orange rope
Emergency blanket
Glow stick

PERSONAL ITEMS
Liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Divacup
Hairbrush, hair ties
MSR Ultralite Pack Towel
Woolite/Tide travel sized sachets
Contact lenses, solution, glasses
Band-aids, painkillers
Eagle Creek cubic container for it all

MISCELLANEOUS
Leatherman
Whistle/compass
Petzl headlamp
Earplugs
Sony tripod
Camera filters
Protein bars
Business cards (mini-cards with email address and blog URL to hand out to people you meet out on the road)

FOOD AND DRINK
Protein bars
Nuts
Fruit
Coffee juice
Flask

SUPPLIES
Siphon
Gloves
Cooling vest
Extra face shield
Slime air compressor
Winter gloves

PARTS
Clutch lever
Brake lever
Gear shifter
Headlamp
Spark plugs
Fuses

BOOKS
MOA Anonymous book
Journal and pen
Maps
Guidebooks