This review is based on having used this product for approximately 400 km of highway riding.
Size: Small (ordered based on my measurements & manufacturer sizing chart and I would say it was true to fit for me - arm length also perfect). When standing in an upright position, the jacket seems to "puff out" in the should blade area. I am presuming this is to accommodate the riding position since once the riding position is assumed, the fit is great. There are stretch panels that run along the side of the jacket as well to help with a nice snug fit. As is explained with any heated gear reviews/product info etc, you want the liner quite close to your body so a lightweight garment should be worn under the liner rather than something too thick as otherwise the warmth will not be felt as well/adequately.
The best way I can describe this product is that is borders on being...umm....ok I'm gonna say it...orgasmic. Yes indeed, I am not sure that there is much that can beat the sensation of being enveloped in warmth when cruising along at 100 km/hr + in temps below 12 degrees Celsius (~ 53 F). I have no other words that can adequately do justice to explaining the pure pleasure of this...ok I think you all get the idea now! When the heat cranks up I seriously want to sing for joy lol.
The added bonus to this purchase was that I ordered it directly from Warm & Safe and got a great price on it via the Outlet Clearance. As use of the jacket requires a heat troller to be installed on your bike, I also ordered the "Single Remote Control" heat troller. I was tempted to order the dual version since I do plan on getting the heated gloves as well at some point in time (the gloves can plug directly into the jacket liner via plug ins that come out of the sleeve cuffs) but I decided to cheap out and get the single (which was also on clearance) in the interim since I wasn't sure if this whole "heated gear" thing was for me...if you've read my intro on this jacket I am pretty confident that it most definitely is so in retrospect I am thinking that I do wish I had ordered the dual. The only difference with the dual is that it would afford the option to heat the gloves at a different temperature than the heated jacket so I will see what I think once I take the plunge and get the gloves...I may be quite fine with the single. If not, I will just go ahead and order a dual :).
So why did I go for the 65 watt jacket instead of the 90 watt? Well, to sum it up: 2 reasons. 1) As I already mentioned, I wasn't entirely sure that "heated gear" was for me so this was most certainly a bargain price to try it out first, and 2) My ride is a CBR250 so based on the calculations I could find online, I figured the 65 watt would provide me with more than enough warmth for my riding needs (I am not going to be riding in anything less than 4C/39F and on those colder days, it will only be the commute to work rather than touring around for the ride) without taxing what my ride could afford me in terms of the wattage my 250 could generate. Loosely, it was looking like something along the lines of 340 watts @ 5000 rpms before factoring in headlight, turn signals, brake light usage etc etc, so this would leave about 150 watts (?) for heated gear. Now as I want heated gloves as well (about 20 watts) I felt more comfortable with a bit more "cushion" factor that the 65 watt jacket would offer.
The troller install was a breeze considering I am a total noob when it comes to doing such "electrical" type things. I mounted the remote control using the velcro fastener provided although I may alter/mount it elsewhere. It works ok where it is - not much room on the CBR250 for mounting add-ons. I watched the YouTube Warm & Safe Videos a couple of times and off I went with the successful and painless install.
Seriously, if you ever ride in cooler weather....get one. You will not regret it.
If you found this review to be helpful or useful, please Connect & Follow me on Facebook!
No comments:
Post a Comment