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Are armoured shirts the way to go?

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Burlap thong with socks and sandals should keep you warm and safe for all seasons of riding. You might get a little wet at this isn't water proof, but great protection...

Truthfully you might want to get a layers Textile jacket. There's lots out there, I use the Joe Rocket myself. On those cold mornings or nights as others have mentioned you might need a sweater. Don't forget to have some good footwear and gloves.

Avoid wearing your yoga pants on the bike. No one.. I MEAN NO ONE! Wants to see you in those.

Hope you got all the answers you were looking for.
 
It sounds like you have some budget constraints. Which is pretty normal for someone starting out. Like Paul said, it's an expensive hobby.

Given your budget have you considered used gear? You should post a thread in the main Clothing/Gear section with what you're looking for.
 
Alamode said:
Look at jackets that will allow you to wear warm clothing under with sufficient adjustment so that it fits well with both light and heavy layers. The Klim Latitude is not a cheap solution, but it's a good solution.

Take your time, do your research, ask the important questions. There's a lot of ******** out there that gets marketed as motorcycle gear. While it's often that you'll get what you pay for, sometimes you wont.
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That Klim is interesting.
At least you did not recommend Rukka made with Gore Tex and other unobtanium membranes.
 
I purchased the Rev'it Tornado Jacket in the beginning of the summer. I have various leather jackets, mesh etc... but I find myself always throwing on the Rev'it. In the summer without the liner it was nice and cool. Several times its dropped down to 12C, and I was totally comfortable with just a t-shirt and liner.

12C-30C+ is a pretty broad range. The only downfall is that the liner IS the waterproof portion (a lot of mesh jackets are like this)

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-tornado-jacket


My advice is to not cheapen out and get a quality jacket / pants / gloves. I know some people that have already been talking about putting their bikes away because its getting cooler at nights. WTF!? Quality gear will vastly extend your riding season.
 
I got my trusty old leather for night rides if it's cooler...

I got one of those scorpion jackets with the mulitple removable layers...it's basicall mesh when you remove everything, but it's got the warmer layer with collar (zip in) and it's got hte windbreaker zip in as well...plus it's armoured to boot.

If you ahd to go one jacket, it's something like my scorpion...
 
Wow, thanks so much for all the replies, just finished reading them all.

I have been shopping used, buts its difficult to find something thats in decent shape and fits me. Altough I was not looking at any mesh/textile jackets since I (wrongly) thought they were garbage. I will have a look again on Kijiji.

I commute 50km one way to work, and I plan on doing do for as many days of the year as possible. I'm not really on a tight budget, but I like to get good deals and be as efficient with my money as possible. So if I'm going to get multiple jackets I want to have a plan for what they will be even though I will only be buying one this year.
 
I'm a small guy and most used jackets I See are simply way too big. I was thinking about buying a womens jacket since there are a lot for sale. Is there any significant difference between a men and womens jacket besides style and size classification?
 
Look at the buy/sell section on this site and check Kijiji. Even sign up for Kijiji alerts so it tells you when new jackets get posted. There is also a used motorcycle apparel place in Oshawa, ReGear. Never been but it might be worth checking out. There are also motorcycle shows over the winter where some stuff is discounted. I would expect that if you put enough time in you can find something decent for <$100, maybe even around $50. Between now and April is the best time to buy anything motorcycle related.

I would stay away from womens stuff, it fits very differently. Slender waist, lots of room on the chest. I brought a friend for a ride one time and all we had was my wife's jacket so he squeezed into it. Even if it fit him right, he still would have looked a bit weird because of the shape of it.
 
No. Unless you're wearing it under a motocross jersey or something...
 
Re: Are armoured shirts the way to go?

I'm a small guy and most used jackets I See are simply way too big. I was thinking about buying a womens jacket since there are a lot for sale. Is there any significant difference between a men and womens jacket besides style and size classification?​
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Likely are cut different but the small sizes are often on discount too. Good time of year to hunt. Make sure you hunt on Ontario not just the local kiji.
 
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Paul1000RR said:
Mesh jacket is good for summer, you'll freeze at night or fall.

Leather are good for fall or cold nights, but you'll cook in 30+ weather...
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And textile system jackets, like one that I have, are good from 30c+ down to 5C. The outer layer is mesh with armour, with a rain liner and a quilted cold weather liner that can be worn under that. The pants are much the same.
 
Matty8 said:
I'm a small guy and most used jackets I See are simply way too big. I was thinking about buying a womens jacket since there are a lot for sale. Is there any significant difference between a men and womens jacket besides style and size classification?
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Some brands have more geneic cuts for men and women. Others you get tassels and paisley patterns.
 
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Originally Posted by Paul1000RR
Mesh jacket is good for summer, you'll freeze at night or fall.
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Not layered you won't. Mesh is excellent under a windproof layer as it holds warmth.

Liner takes you much lower and a rain jacket over both down to 6-8 ( depending on whether I beleive my temp gauge which I think is 2 degrees on the optimistic side.
...been there do that all the time.
The nice thing over textile system jackets is the weight difference and not so stiff. I was debating wearing the textile tomorrow to VA as I know I will be warm then but maybe too warm given the temps I'm seeing.

But then if you do not have storage space you sort of have to wear it all.
 
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Why don't people understand that armored shirts/vests are for impact protection, not abrasion resistance? All meant to be worn under something with abrasion resistance (like a leather jacket)...
 
unL33T said:
Why don't people understand that armored shirts/vests are for impact protection, not abrasion resistance? All meant to be worn under something with abrasion resistance (like a leather jacket)...
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Probably because, unlike some of us, they haven't yet learnt the benefits of abrasion resistant clothing by sliding a hundred feet down the road.
 
As suggested look at the regear store in Oshawa. Last year I picked up a brand new Joe Rocket alter ego 11.0 which has an outer shell then the mesh jacket then a rain and lastly a cool weather liner I can wear it in different configurations from 30C to about 4C with just a t shirt under it. It was about $180. Still had the original retailers tags and all.

They also have a second larger location in Lindsay, (Hwy 36 about 4 km north of 7). You can save some decent coin and still get decent gear. They carry everything from one piece suits to leather jackets, pants and chaps, to textile and mesh jackets. The selection is limited.

I am lucky i drive by the Oshawa location twice weekly so I can stop in anytime.
 
my main jacket is a dainese perforated leather which I layer with, but I also have a scorpion passport textile onesie which is amazing for cold weather and rain.

You can survive with one jacket only. As suggested previously it would have to be a mesh jacket (a really good one) with proper layering. combinging a mesh jacket with a gore windstopper base layer would take you through most weather.
 
CruisnGrrl said:
Leather with armour is the way to go. I recently did a slide, my leather jacket was chewed up my textile pants were beyond shredded. the knee was missing. if it weren't for the soft armour under i would have lost my knee, not just the pants.
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I tend to consider textile stuff to be "one crash gear." If it saves me that one time, then I'm satisfied.
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