This is a guest post from Laura at One Girl, Two Cities. She enjoys being a motorcycle passenger and was looking for a new coat. Motorcycle House graciously shipped us one to review. I really like the Transition2 and Epic coats from Tourmaster, and the Transition3 improves on both. Now on with Laura’s review!
Like nearly every other woman in the world, I struggle with finding clothes that fit. We tiresomely trek to store after store, pay to tailor clothes and order clothing online with crossed fingers. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m 4’10” and weigh approximately 125 pounds. On a good day, I’m a size 6. On a bad day, somewhere in the 8 to 10 range. We love this inconsistency, don’t we??
Aside from an overly long sleeve from time to time, I usually manage pretty well with coats so I decided to try out the Transition Series 3 jacket in a women’s small size. It’s a reasonably-priced coat that retails at $188.99 and fits me surprisingly well! The sleeve length is just about right, and it fits comfortably even while wearing riding pants.
Let’s jump to my one criticism: the adjustable Velcro wrist cuffs. I have gauntlet gloves and struggled to fit them over the bulky jacket cuff which led me to attempt tucking the gloves in. Not such an easy feat either. Lo and behold, I went to adjust the left wrist strap and it completely tore off! Now, the day before I had lifted weights for the first time in about two months, so I was feeling pretty bulked up, but by no means did I feel I used excessive force with which to tighten said wrist cuff.
So… I guess I’m not sure how I feel about this. The overall jacket seems really well-constructed and has several attractive features that led me to selecting it so let’s move onto to those for now. To start, check out all these tags!
1. It’s neon yellow. Sure, it’s not the most flattering color but it’s as good as it gets when it comes to safety on the road. There are also several Phoslite® reflective strips for added visibility. And I’ll admit I do have an appreciation for shiny things.
2. It’s waterproof thanks to the Rainguard® barrier. I haven’t ridden in the rain, but Chris offered to spray me with the garden hose to test out this feature… You understand my hesitation in this, but for now, I like the fact that it should keep me dry and therefore snug and warm should the skies crack open while we’re riding.
3. The armor is CE-approved and it’s removable for easy washing. They make me look like I have shoulder pads; I prefer to leave those where they belong - in the 80s - but for the sake of safety I’m willing to make an exception. The jacket also comes with a “triple density back protector” which is pretty awesome.
4. Adjustable waist belts for a more feminine fit! Ok, so I don’t really care about looking curvaceous when it comes to riding but I did feel locked and loaded, which is the purpose of the belts. The coat also has straps that tighten at the bicep and forearm, but when Chris tried to help me adjust them, it only resulted in pinched skin. Maybe I’m more buff than I thought!
5. The liner is removable and the coat has several vents for those warm riding days. And I’d like to note that I live in Minnesota where in one day (back in 1982) the temperature has gone from 78F to 7F - that’s right, a 71-degree difference - so all these features are a must when it comes to jackets. I also like all the pockets for stashing my cell phone, some cash and my lip balm.
With all of these well thought-out features, I would recommend the Transition Series 3 jacket. In the end, I can overlook the wrist cuff problem, but it does seem like it would be better served with an elastic cuff to cut out the bulk. I appreciate the plethora of safety features the most, and the fact that the jacket is quite comfortable to wear at the same time. Happy riding!
Laura also made a video guest review of the coat too.
The coat was generously provided by Motorcycle House for review.
Company Profile: Motorcycle House has been serving riders of all types since 2007. We’re a quick growing company of similar minded riders who want to help make a difference in the Motorcycle Industry. The company was started when we realized that there wasn't a company that was passionate about riding. We’re passionate about Motorcycles regardless of what Model and Make you ride. Our company goal to help riders save money and also provide the best customer service possible. We’re tired of big motorcycle retailers that don’t understand the motorcycle lifestyle. Since we’re committed to bringing the best values and comparable products. We can use our overseas manufacturer connections, and offer necessities like Motorcycle Jackets, Chaps, and Gloves for much better prices without sacrificing our own integrity or quality. We’re always improving and looking to expand, be sure to let us know what we can improve on. There is also a company named Viking Bags which is our sister site. Viking Bags has become the motorcycle luggage authority for bikes of every type. You can see that they are producing top rated motorcycle saddlebags for all type of bikes.
A great guest post and a thorough review. Bridget has the Transition 2 jacket and, as far as I know, has no real complaints with it.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I like the post as well. I have the Transition2 and really like it. My only improvement would be to make the collar taller in the front like the epic or my roadcrafter. A scarf does a nice job as well.
DeleteBTW, nice video review!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It was fun to make together.
DeleteMy wife had the same complaint about the wrist cuffs and gauntlet gloves.
ReplyDeleteMe too on the Epic jacket. I ended up cutting them off. Such a silly design.
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