More Gear, Part 2!

All right friends,

Continuing on from the previous post, here's a review on my new RS Taichi Armed All Season Jacket.  I ordered a Japan Medium, hoping to everything under the sun that it would fit my tiny body.  Just for reference, I'm about 5'3" with a slim but somewhat muscular build (for my size anyways hehe).  Put the jacket on and it fit very well and was extremely comfortable!  It is a textile jacket, also waterproof, and is very warm with the liner in.  It comes standard with two chest protector hard plates, and CE shoulder, elbow, and back protector.  The elbows and shoulders meet EN 1621-1. The back protector is EN 1621-2, though I haven't been able to find if it was level 1 or 2.  Most likely level 1 is my guess.

The Front!

Certain things I'll touch on, it's got quite a few buttons, straps, zippers, etc for getting just the right fit. That will also help keep the armor in place a little better, in the case of a crash.  It's got vents for warmer days, and a nice soft liner for cold days. The material feels pretty durable, enough for the purpose I'll put it through. I opted for a textile jacket instead of a leather one, as much of my riding is done in cooler, or wet climates, or for commuting or town riding.  I may occasionally take it on the highway, but then again, I'm not a highway hooligan and more or less stick to the speed limit, or normal flow of traffic.  The warmth/waterproof component is what made it a more viable option.  Days which are warm and sunny, I'll wear my leather suit anyways!  Power ranger up!!

The Back!

The back of the jacket has some motion panels, making it easier to stretch and reach.  There is some nice design on the jacket, and some reflective panels for night riding.  There are some foam padded areas, and you can see the two zipper vents.  The inside of the jacket is nice and plush up near the collar.  This is much nicer than my Icon jacket, which has literally burned my neck when I do head checks.  I have a small scar on my neck from that jacket.  This jacket has a higher collar, and is plush.
There is an internal pocket for your phone or wallet, and pockets for the chest protectors.  The jacket is  so nice I just want to wear it indoors too!

Inside View..So Warm!

One small gripe with this jacket is the back protector.  It does cover the majority of my back and shoulders, but it ends about 2-3 inches above my butt, which means the spine is a bit exposed there.  I'm not sure if this is normal with slip in back protectors, but I figure it must be.  If you want a full blown back protector, a strap on protector will probably be a better option. Besides that though, this jacket is wonderful.  Even though it's a textile, if you go sliding on your back or chest, and the fabric wears away, you'll still have some decent armor in the way of you and the ground.  Don't quote me on that, but it seems logical ;)

Here's me with all my waterproof gear, minus helmet and gloves!

I do wish I could have gotten the jacket in the white and black combo with green screen printing, but I wanted this jacket soon and STG did not have it in stock sadly.  But on the bright side, black will hide the dirt a bit better!!

Next up, I have a Cortech tank bag coming in.  I'll review that when it gets here, and when my helmet comes in, I'll go for a ride with all this new gear and write a followup!  Thanks for reading!

- Pandabear

P.S. My friend came over and showed me how to adjust my brake lever, which ended up being very easy!  The stock setting was set to pretty far out so my little hands had a hard time quickly reaching the brakes, and covering was impossible.  Simple push the brake lever forward, turn the silver knob to a higher number (I maxed it out to level 6) and voila, brake lever is much closer!  Now I can cover the brakes easier in traffic!!  Always be aware and ready for evasive maneuvers and emergency stops!