Canada & Glacier Road Test Route
Previously I provided an in depth review of the Harley-Davidson FXRG® Perforated Leather Jacket HERE.
My experience in the initial post was primarily from short trips around town and I was looking forward to a longer road test of the jacket. I planned to wear the jacket on an 8-day trip through the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park in Montana which you can read about HERE. More important to the jacket road test was the trip saw temperatures from 47F to 107F degrees and allowed for an extended trail while fleshing out it’s features across a broad spectrum of weather conditions. View this post is a follow up to the original review.
First off I got a chuckle whenever handing the jacket to people and watching them nearly topple over when they try and lift it. It’s not just a leather jacket – it’s riding gear and a bit heavy because of it. The nice thing is that all that thickness and weight will be between you and the road should you ever go down. And as the saying goes, ride wearing what you want to crash wearing.
FXRG Perforated Leather Jacket - Road Test
The temperature sweet spot, at least for my body type was 65F to 85F degrees. There was plenty of ventilation to help me stay cool during the hotter parts of the day and during the lower temps I would wear the removable windproof liner that features the Gore-Tex® Windstopper® technology. In fact, after a long day of riding I wore that liner out to dinner which saved space having to lug yet another fleece or light jacket on the Road King.
However, any extended riding with temperatures below 60F degrees and you experience a ‘wind chill’ effect. I found myself searching for a rain jacket to provide extra wind block from the cold. For example, our morning departure out of Banff, Alberta was 47F degrees and wet. I had a long sleeve t-shirt, windproof liner, perforated jacket and windproof rain coat. Everything was zipped high and tight. I was cool during the ride, but not too cold to function properly. This cold weather was not anticipated, but you never know what you’ll ride into.
FXRG Jacket - Under Rain Coat - Glacier Nat. Park
On the hot side of the temperature gauge spectrum… Perforated Leather is only “uncomfortable” when you’re not moving so my suggestion is never stop! With temperatures up in the mid-90F’s I was actually pleased that the jacket provided significant ventilation and helped me stay cool. Anything above 97F degrees and I don’t care how many deflecting diamond plate patterns supposedly deflect sun or how much “CoolMax” “breathable liner” you have on — it’s too damn much! I had to remove the jacket. When the temps top 100F, you experience this ‘convection oven’ effect. You really notice it riding at 107F which was the temperature in Wenatchee, WA on the day of our arrival. And the faster you ride, the hotter it feels. So, I stripped down to a t-shirt. It would not offer much protection going down, but I didn’t need to ride all day with that high of temperature. Had I needed too I would have worn long sleeve t-shirts and a leather vest.
All the zippers on the jacket from the front, sleeves and pockets worked flawlessly. I especially liked the quick access to cell phone and sunglass interior pockets. The jacket was very durable and held up well to abrasion as it was tossed about on the bike at fuel stops or in motel rooms.
In summary, the FXRG Perforated Leather jacket is a very solid jacket. It looks tough but at the same time is smooth and streamlined. It’s heavy enough for cold weather riding and has built-in blow-through venting for hot summer riding. The protective armor along the spine, shoulders, and elbows gives you added physical security if not some extra peace of mind.
Harley-Davidson is known for quality bike clothing and their new FXRG Perforated Leather Jacket delivers. The one negative that I can offer for this product is that the Mandarin collar, YKK® Finguard® front zipper takes some getting used to. When riding and with the jacket partially unzipped, the collar (does have a soft lining) had a tendency to rub or interfere with the bottom of my helmet or chin strap. I learned to fold it a bit which relieved the issue.
Lastly I want to provide a shout out to H-D and Laura for providing the testing opportunity. Thanks!
Photo courtesy of H-D and Google maps.
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