Practical test of textile jackets up to 200 marks

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Practical test of textile jackets up to 200 marks

Practical test of textile jackets up to 200 marks
Still very tight?

No, this question is not aimed at the men from the fire brigade, but applies to ten inexpensive textile jackets in the MOTORRAD practical test.

Uli Holzwarth

03/11/1999

Windproof, breathable, variable and comfortable – textile jackets made of abrasion-resistant high-tech fabric with an integrated functional membrane have established themselves as an alternative to leather in recent years. In the slipstream of this success, clothing catalogs are now even promoting items from the textile entry-level class as full-fledged motorcycle jackets. Ten of these under 200 Marks advertised as waterproof had to prove in a practical test by MOTORRAD whether they were actually up to the demands of the tough everyday motorcycle life.
At first glance, one does not see the low price of the cheap homes. You can’t come up with a climate membrane or abrasion-resistant upper material, but with a removable inner lining, protector pockets, high-closing, softly padded collar and at least two spacious outer pockets, you don’t have to make any serious compromises in terms of equipment. In view of the price range, the workmanship is okay. The Takai Course by Hein Gericke, Gotz Insize Protection and the Louis outdoor touring jacket also score with their pleasant and high-quality outer material, which stands out pleasantly from the plastic look of the other test subjects.
The abrasion resistance and thus passive safety do not benefit from this: Regardless of whether the upper material is Taslan, Koslan, Oxford nylon or nylon, it is always a synthetic fiber mesh based on polyamide; the different names only refer to the different types of thread crossings. And the tear and abrasion resistance of nylon is not as good as that of Cordura, which is used in more expensive textile jackets. It certainly cannot be compared with Kevlar-reinforced high-tech fabrics such as Keprotec or Dynatec. From the point of view of passive safety, all of the jackets tested are therefore only suitable for bikes to a limited extent. As experience from earlier tests by MOTORRAD shows, the protective effect of the retrofittable CE protectors, which are even standard in Schuh and the Takai Course by Hein Gericke – what use are they if they slip or even get lost due to the rapidly tearing material? MOTORRAD therefore excluded passive safety from this test.
Unfortunately, some models also had problems with their actual task, wind and weather protection. This starts with the unsatisfactory fit of some jackets, which look good in the catalog, but were obviously not tailored for a rider sitting on a motorcycle. Result: The sleeves are too short, and the jacket puffs up in the chest area and tends to flutter. The Buse Lucca, Hein Gericke’s Takai Swipe, the Louis textile touring jacket and, extremely, the Gotz model showed these symptoms. Only the Hein Gericke Takai Course and the Polar Schuh impressed with an optimal fit. The Polo Transit occupies a special position: with its very thin outer material and extremely generous cut, it is only really suitable as an over jacket.
In the crucial 20-minute test cycle for water resistance (see box on page 161), the Polar shoes and the Takai Course were also ahead: They were tight, as were the two Louis jackets and the Eurox Texox. The other test specimens embarrassed themselves with more (Buse, Gotz) or less (Motoline, Polo, Takai Swipe) strong water penetration.
Ultimately, only the perfectly fitting, absolutely waterproof and well-equipped Hein GerickeTakai Course and the also very comfortable Polar shoe were able to convince at least as wind and weather protection, closely followed by the Eurox Texox. When it comes to passive safety, however, even with the top riders, if the worst comes to the worst, it cannot be ruled out that the biker will be painfully reminded that he has saved in the wrong place with one of the inexpensive textile jackets.

shoe

Provider: Schuh, Telefon 06851/89010Model: PolarPrice: 199 MarksSizes: XS to XXXLColors: Black, Black / Blue / Yellow, Black / Green / Red Upper material: Nylon Features: Removable thermal lining with fleece insert in the kidney area; four outside pockets, one inside pocket; Waist adjustment; Front zip, labyrinth with Velcro and press studs; Neoprene cuffs on sleeves; CE protectors on shoulders, back and elbows; reflective piping and logo on the upper arms both lower outer pockets with little water ingress Comments: Very comfortably cut jacket with long sleeves and a high collar; warmest lining in comparison; Waist adjustment by circumferential belt prevents fluttering even at high speeds; good equipment, decent workmanship ((rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: highly recommended

Hein Gericke

Provider: Hein Gericke, Telephone 0211 / 98989Model: Takai CoursePrice: 149.90 MarkSizes: S to XXLColors: yellow / black, blueOuter material: PU-coated Taslon nylonEquipment: Removable thermal lining; four outside pockets; two inside pockets; Waist adjustment; Front zipper, labyrinth with Velcro; CE protectors on shoulder and elbow; Back protector can be retrofitted; reflective logo on the upper armsWaterproofness: jacket and all outer pockets are absolutely tightNotes: Close-fitting, yet very comfortable cut with pleasantly long sleeves and a high-reaching collar; Hard protectors fit exactly, hardly noticeable; stable, circumferential waist belt, lowest tendency to flutter in the test; good equipment and workmanship; Width adjustment at the hem with Velcro could be improved; Outer material pleasant to the touch ((Rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Highly recommended

Buse

Provider: Buse, Telephone 02471/12690Model: LuccaPrice: 199 MarkSizes: XXS to XXLColors: black, black / red, black / blue, black / yellow, black / sandOuter material: Coated Oxford nylon Features: Removable thermal lining; four outside pockets; three inside pockets, one of which is in the lining; Waist adjustment; Front zipper, labyrinth with press studs; Foam pads on shoulders, elbows and back; CE protectors can be retrofitted; reflective piping on the backWaterproofness: water penetration at the collar and along the front zip as well as in the area of ​​the waist belt; all four outer pockets draw moisture over the cover strips. Comments: Well-equipped and properly processed jacket, which is only mediocre wearing comfort with relatively short sleeves and a collar that does not reach high enough at the front; cut relatively tight under the armpits, puffs up in the chest area, but does not tend to flutter excessively; relatively thick inner lining ((rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Conditionally recommendable

Hein Gericke

Provider: Hein Gericke, Telephone 0211 / 98989Model: Takai SwipePrice: 139.90 MarkSizes: S to XXLColors: black / gray, black / blueUpper material: Oxford nylonEquipment:Removable thermal lining; four outside pockets, one inside pocket; Waist adjustment; Width adjustment on upper arms; Front zipper, labyrinth with Velcro; Foam pads on shoulders, elbows and back, CE protectors can be retrofitted; Crotch strapWaterproofness: Slight water ingress in the area of ​​the front zip; one outside pocket damp Comments: fit only satisfactory, wearing comfort impaired by sleeves that are too short and collar that does not reach very far; Jacket puffs up in the chest area and, despite the width adjustment on the upper arms, flutters at higher speeds; Crotch strap reliably prevents sliding up; passable processing; Thin, not very solid-looking outer material ((Rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Conditionally recommendable

Gotz

Provider: Gotz, Telephone 07476 / 933150Model: Insize ProtectionPrice: 199 MarkSizes: S to XXLColors: black, black / red, black / blueOuter material: Teflon-coated Oxford nylon Features: Removable thermal lining; four outside pockets; three inside pockets, one of which is in the lining; Waist adjustment; Front zip, labyrinth with Velcro and press studs; Foam pads on shoulders, elbows and back; CE protectors can be retrofitted; Cordura reinforcements on shoulders and elbows; Connection zipper for trousersWaterproofness: Strong water ingress on both sleeves in the area of ​​the elbows, damp area on the front zipper Comments: Limited wearing comfort due to unsatisfactory fit: jacket much too short, as well as the sleeves, waist adjustment is too high, wider chest area leads to fluttering at higher speeds; Collar does not close tight enough; Comfortable outer material, acceptable workmanship ((rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Conditionally recommendable

Louis

Provider: Louis, Telephone 040 / 73419360Model: Outdoor touring jacketPrice: 149 MarkSizes: S to XXLColors: black, black / grayUpper material: KoslanEquipment: Removable thermal lining; four outside pockets; three inside pockets, two of which are in the lining; Waist adjustment; Front zipper, labyrinth with Velcro; Protector pockets for retrofittable CE protectors; Reflective piping on the backWaterproofness: jacket and outer pockets absolutely leakproofNotes: Comfortably cut, neatly finished jacket with sufficiently long sleeves, a high-reaching collar and an outer material that is easy to grip; puffs up in the chest area, but the tendency to flutter is limited; warm inner lining; Small flaws in detail: very narrow Velcro strips on the front cover, hem width can only be adjusted with two weak Velcro straps ((Rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Recommended

Louis

Provider: Louis, Telephone 040 / 73419360Model: Textile touring jacketPrice: 129 MarkSizes: S to XXLColors: black / gray / orange, black / gray Upper material: Oxford nylon Features: Removable thermal lining; four outside pockets; an inside pocket in the lining; integrated elastic at the waist; Front zipper, labyrinth with press studs; Foam pads on shoulders, elbows and back; CE protectors can be retrofitted; Reflective piping on the backWaterproofness: jacket and outer pockets absolutely leakproofNotes: Long jacket with high, but relatively wide collar; Wearing comfort impaired by too short, tightly cut sleeves with impractical zips on the cuffs that cannot be closed tightly; wide in the chest area, but no excessive tendency to flutter; no inside pocket when the lining is removed; Ordinary processing ((rating)) MOTORRAD judgment: Recommended

Motor port

Provider: Motoport, Telephone 04451/915350Model: DragonPrice: 199.90 MarkSizes: XS to XXXLColors: black / gray / red, black / gray / yellow, black / red / blue, black / blue / orangeUpper material: PVC-coated nylonEquipment: Removable Thermal lining; two outside pockets; two inside pockets, one of which is in the lining; Waist adjustment; Front zipper, labyrinth with Velcro; Foam pads on shoulders, elbows and back; CE protectors can be retrofitted; Reflective stripes on the chest and back; Hood in the collarWaterproofness: Minimal moisture in some areas of the front zipNotes: Relatively long, comfortably cut jacket with practical long sleeves; a little far in the chest area, inflates from 120 km / h; only slides up a little at the back; Collar closes tightly, but somewhat short in the neck; warm lining; good workmanship ((rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Still recommendable

polo

Provider: Polo, Telephone 0211 / 979696Model: TransitPrice: 129 Mark (XS to M) 149 Mark (L to XXXL) Sizes: XS to XXXLColors: Black / Gray / Yellow, Red / Black Upper material: PU-coated nylon Features: Removable thermal lining ; four outside pockets; an inside pocket; Waist with integrated elastic band; Front zipper, labyrinth with Velcro and press studs, protector pockets; CE protectors can be retrofitted; Reflex piping on upper arms; Knitted cuffs in the sleeves Water resistance: easy water penetration at the collar; water penetrates through the seams of both upper outer pockets. Comments: Extremely comfortable, long-cut jacket made of very thin material; puffs up heavily on the torso and arms; starts to flutter early, not least because of the unfamiliar wide cut collar; Lean equipment, with a generous cut, it is primarily recommended as an over jacket ((Rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Still recommendable

Eurox

Provider: Eurox, Telephone 0441 / 486417Model: TexoxPrice: 199 MarkSizes: XS to XXXLColors: Black, Black / Bordeaux, Black / Red, Black / Yellow, Black / BlueOuter material: Coated Oxford nylon Features: Removable thermal lining; four outside pockets; three inside pockets, one of which is in the lining; Waist with integrated elastic band; Front zip, labyrinth with Velcro and press studs; Foam pads in shoulders, elbows and back; CE protectors can be retrofitted; Reflex piping all around; Large back pocketWaterproofness: Jacket and outer pockets are absolutely tightNotes: Well-made and practically equipped jacket with a long, comfortable cut and tightly closable hem, good wearing comfort is impaired by the somewhat short sleeves; wide-reaching collar; low tendency to flutter; thin inner lining; Jacket does not slide up ((Rating)) MOTORRAD verdict: Highly recommended

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