Olympia Moto Sports MotoQuest Guide Jacket and Pants Review
Over the years that I have been riding, I have worn many
types of clothing. As with many people,
when I first started riding I was young and foolish as well as poor so it was Levis and a light jacket
or windbreaker. As I got older and in a
better space financially, I started looking into actual riding jackets and have
had several. It was a hassle trying to
pick a jacket for the riding that I was going to be doing that day especially
if the temperatures where going to fluctuate much or if there was a chance of
rain.
Fast forward many, many years and it was time to invest in some new riding gear again. My goals for the new wear where to be for true multi-season riding as well as be able to handle anything that the day ride or touring trip might have in store for me. I ride several different styles of bikes including cruisers and adventure so it needed to work in lots of scenarios. After looking at a large range of companies, decided to give Olympia Moto Sports a try. http://olympiamotosports.com/
The package I went with is the MotoQuest Guide Jacket and Pants. This “system” was designed with the help of a motorcycle touring company called MotoQuest. If it was good enough for the extreme conditions those guys ride in, it should cover my needs just fine.
First off, please take time to look at Olympia’s site as they have done a good job of explaining the features of their lines and there is a detailed video that shows just about every option they have within these systems. http://olympiamotosports.com/product/motoquest-guide-jacket/
I keep mentioning their “system” because each piece can be used individually or together as a system.
Fast forward many, many years and it was time to invest in some new riding gear again. My goals for the new wear where to be for true multi-season riding as well as be able to handle anything that the day ride or touring trip might have in store for me. I ride several different styles of bikes including cruisers and adventure so it needed to work in lots of scenarios. After looking at a large range of companies, decided to give Olympia Moto Sports a try. http://olympiamotosports.com/
The package I went with is the MotoQuest Guide Jacket and Pants. This “system” was designed with the help of a motorcycle touring company called MotoQuest. If it was good enough for the extreme conditions those guys ride in, it should cover my needs just fine.
First off, please take time to look at Olympia’s site as they have done a good job of explaining the features of their lines and there is a detailed video that shows just about every option they have within these systems. http://olympiamotosports.com/product/motoquest-guide-jacket/
I keep mentioning their “system” because each piece can be used individually or together as a system.
The quick features for the MotoQuest Jacket and Pants are:
*Outer shell constructed in 500 and 2000 denier Cordura®
fabric
*MVP Mega Vent Panel System at chest, back, and arms
*Rain liner jacket can be worn over or under the outshell
*Soft shell Thermolite insulated wearable liner jacket
*Removable CE approved Motion Flex armor at elbows and shoulders
*Removable CE approved Motion Flex articulated back protector
*Cool mesh airflow lining
*Custom Fit detailing at collar, cuffs, elbows, and waist
*Comfort neoprene framed collar
*3M Scotchlite® reflective detailing at front, sides, and back
*8” connecting zipper for pants
*Eight storage pockets plus interior cell phone pocket
*Integrated zip off back pack includes 2 liter hydration bladder
Oversized waterproof back storage pocket with zip closure. When you purchase this set, you actually get 3 jackets and two sets of pants and a hydration pack. The main jacket with the CE armor, a thermal jacket that is designed so that you can just wear it as a nice normal coat and your high-vis rain jacket that you can wear over or under the main jacket or with any other jacket. The pants include the CE main pants and the high-vis rain pants that again can be worn over or under the main pants. In addition, the main jacket and pants transform into mesh riding gear as well.
*Outer shell constructed in 500 and 2000 denier Cordura®
fabric
*MVP Mega Vent Panel System at chest, back, and arms
*Rain liner jacket can be worn over or under the outshell
*Soft shell Thermolite insulated wearable liner jacket
*Removable CE approved Motion Flex armor at elbows and shoulders
*Removable CE approved Motion Flex articulated back protector
*Cool mesh airflow lining
*Custom Fit detailing at collar, cuffs, elbows, and waist
*Comfort neoprene framed collar
*3M Scotchlite® reflective detailing at front, sides, and back
*8” connecting zipper for pants
*Eight storage pockets plus interior cell phone pocket
*Integrated zip off back pack includes 2 liter hydration bladder
Oversized waterproof back storage pocket with zip closure. When you purchase this set, you actually get 3 jackets and two sets of pants and a hydration pack. The main jacket with the CE armor, a thermal jacket that is designed so that you can just wear it as a nice normal coat and your high-vis rain jacket that you can wear over or under the main jacket or with any other jacket. The pants include the CE main pants and the high-vis rain pants that again can be worn over or under the main pants. In addition, the main jacket and pants transform into mesh riding gear as well.
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As for sizing, I am about 5’9” and 200# with a 36”-38” waist
with a 30” inseam. I ordered the Large
jacket and the 40” pants as I usually wear jean under the riding pants.
The first thing you will probably need to do is have the pants hemmed. Olympia provides about 6” of cuff at the bottom of the pants bellow the side zipper so they can be customized to your size. I took mine to an alteration shop as our sewing machine would not go through the leather strip in the inside of the pant legs. I was charges $70 to have both sets of pants hemmed and that included moving all of the Velcro fasteners so they function as they where designed. Just make sure they measure you when you are in a seated position as if you where riding.
I have had a chance to use every layer in this system so far in temperatures ranging from 40 to the low 80’s. One of the best features on both the jacket and the pants is what they call their Mega Vent Panel System. Essentially there are panels that unzip and can be lowered into self storing pockets, two in the front of the jacket, one in each arm and two in the back as well as one in each leg. This turns your jacket and pants into mesh riding wear for those hot days but more importantly, I was able to only bring one outfit for a day ride that started off cool and then warmed up substantially. Other gear I have worn has small vent pockets that open but nothing like this! I also had the chance to ride with the zip in thermal jacket on a 40 degree day and while it added only a little bit of bulk, it helped keep my nice and comfortable. On two occasions I have been caught in the rain. The first time I only had about 15 minutes more to get home so I did not use the rain gear but still showed up at home dry. The other time I had a chance to deploy the rain suit and not only did I stay dry but the high-vis color was a nice piece of mind to have when visibility gets low. Another feature of the rain jacket is the attached hood that you wear under your helmet that keeps water from working it’s way down your neck.
The main jacket has a 2 liter hydration pack that zips on and off with ease for those long day rides that also includes additional 3M Scotchlite reflective piping. The entire outfit has lots of pockets and adjustable straps although if you own a phone larger than an Iphone 4, it probably won’t fit in it’s intended place. I was able to use all the zippers and deploy the vent panels while on the fly even with gloves on.
The price for this set up is in the upper category for riding gear at $549 for the jacket and $349 for the pants. But remember, you are actually investing a system that replaces four jackets and three sets of pants plus the hydration pack. This style of clothing works great for me because I can wear it while riding any type of bike and is flexible enough that I don’t have to worry as much about what to pack based on the weather.
Stop by Olympia’s site for more information and to check out their other offerings including a full line for women and there are addition review on YouTube and Revzilla.com
The first thing you will probably need to do is have the pants hemmed. Olympia provides about 6” of cuff at the bottom of the pants bellow the side zipper so they can be customized to your size. I took mine to an alteration shop as our sewing machine would not go through the leather strip in the inside of the pant legs. I was charges $70 to have both sets of pants hemmed and that included moving all of the Velcro fasteners so they function as they where designed. Just make sure they measure you when you are in a seated position as if you where riding.
I have had a chance to use every layer in this system so far in temperatures ranging from 40 to the low 80’s. One of the best features on both the jacket and the pants is what they call their Mega Vent Panel System. Essentially there are panels that unzip and can be lowered into self storing pockets, two in the front of the jacket, one in each arm and two in the back as well as one in each leg. This turns your jacket and pants into mesh riding wear for those hot days but more importantly, I was able to only bring one outfit for a day ride that started off cool and then warmed up substantially. Other gear I have worn has small vent pockets that open but nothing like this! I also had the chance to ride with the zip in thermal jacket on a 40 degree day and while it added only a little bit of bulk, it helped keep my nice and comfortable. On two occasions I have been caught in the rain. The first time I only had about 15 minutes more to get home so I did not use the rain gear but still showed up at home dry. The other time I had a chance to deploy the rain suit and not only did I stay dry but the high-vis color was a nice piece of mind to have when visibility gets low. Another feature of the rain jacket is the attached hood that you wear under your helmet that keeps water from working it’s way down your neck.
The main jacket has a 2 liter hydration pack that zips on and off with ease for those long day rides that also includes additional 3M Scotchlite reflective piping. The entire outfit has lots of pockets and adjustable straps although if you own a phone larger than an Iphone 4, it probably won’t fit in it’s intended place. I was able to use all the zippers and deploy the vent panels while on the fly even with gloves on.
The price for this set up is in the upper category for riding gear at $549 for the jacket and $349 for the pants. But remember, you are actually investing a system that replaces four jackets and three sets of pants plus the hydration pack. This style of clothing works great for me because I can wear it while riding any type of bike and is flexible enough that I don’t have to worry as much about what to pack based on the weather.
Stop by Olympia’s site for more information and to check out their other offerings including a full line for women and there are addition review on YouTube and Revzilla.com
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