motorcycle parts_Sand Jacket Review

REV'IT! Sand Jacket Review

Summary:  The new Rev'it Sand jacket is the 2010 replacement for the popular Rev'it Off-Track jacket.  It has rugged good looks, excellent fit and "professional" styling details that make it an excellent choice for all-weather, all-season use.

Background
motorcycle parts news,I described the new Rev'it Sand jacket in a 2010 Rev'it clothing update I wrote after a visit to Rev'it U.S. headquarters in New York, back in November of 2009.  The Sand jacket that was available for the photographs during that visit was a prototype that was nearly ready for production, but the Sand jacket is now available at Rev'it retailers.

The Sand jacket is a replacement for the Rev'it Off-Track jacket, which was a popular choice with Adventure Touring types and others and was sort of a street-based version of the Cayenne Pro. 

The "Pro" in the name apparently signifies the position the jacket holds; the Cayenne Pro is the Rev'it technology leader and although it may not look all that much different from the Sand jacket, hard-core Adventure-Tourer and off-road riders are willing to pay for the best.

For the other 98% of us, the Sand jacket should do just fine, thank you.  Which doesn't mean that a Cayenne Pro isn't something to lust after; just that the Sand jacket should very nicely fulfill just about any requirement that can be dished up by the vast majority of motorcyclists.

Rev'it Sand Jacket Features
At the risk of redundant redundancy, I'll repeat some of the differences and improvements noted in the First Look before describing the Sand jacket in detail.  Part II of this review will describe the new Sand pants that are a perfect match for the jacket.

Zippers
I don't remember having difficulties with the zippers on the Off-Track jacket, but apparently some owners didn't care for the coiled-loop zipper style.  Rev'it now uses the YKK Vislon zipper, which features specially molded large zipper teeth that look like they mean business. 

The YKK Vislon zippers are designed to be self-cleaning to prevent jamming when the teeth get dirty during those off-road rides on your F 800 GS.  An additional benefit is that these "low-torque, low-effort" zippers are very easy to use and they operate smoothly.  They can be found in the front of the jacket, on the placket, in the vents and on the sleeves,

The Vison zippers make it very easy for the owner to open and close the new-style front vents with one hand.  While that may sound like something that should be a requirement on a motorcycle jacket, it's definitely not the case on many other jackets we've reviewed and this has always puzzled me. 

A front vent zipper that requires two hands to operate is not a good idea for motorcycle use.  But, with too many zippers, one hand has to hold the jacket material while the other struggles with the zipper pull.

Now it may sound borderline silly to wax poetic about something as mundane as a zipper, but this is a good example of the Rev'it attention to detail we've mentioned in reviews of many Rev'it products.  Someone actually took owner feedback and thought about how the jacket will be used in the "real world" and figured out a better solution. 

The ease with which the zippers work is also emblematic of other design features on the Sand jacket.  For example, the very first time I put the jacket on, I noticed how much easier it was to use the lower front pockets.  Those two pockets do not have a waterproof zipper underneath the pocket flap.  The flap simply folds over and is secured by hook-and-loop.  So I can reach down, open a pocket with one hand and make a deposit or withdrawal with less drama than is usually the case.

Another very subtle feature that, had we not worn dozens of other jackets during webBikeWorld reviews, probably would have been missed.  But it again points to the way the Sand jacket was designed for real-world motorcycle use.

That said, there is one issue that is a side effect of the new low-torque zippers, but you'll have to wait until I get to the section describing the venting system on the Sand jacket to learn more!

Pockets
As I mentioned in the First Look, owners asked for larger front pockets.  Not only are the front pockets of the Sand jacket easier to use, they're larger -- a full 23 cm wide and 15 cm deep, not counting the folded-over internal flap to keep out moisture.  The front pockets are "patch" style, with large pleats on either side which allow overstuffing if desired and they appear to have a water-resistant lining.

The large chest vents can also be used as pockets in a pinch, but they provide excellent ventilation, so it's probably not a good idea to load them up with Snickers...uh, I mean Power Bars.

Inside the thermal liner is another deep pocket at the left side, this one is 17 cm deep and secured by a zipper.  The jacket shell has a similar pocket in the same location.  The jacket has a huge rear pocket along the bottom hem; this one measures about 36 cm wide, it's 20 cm deep and has two separate pleats. 

You could probably stuff an entire bedroll in there!  Actually, it will hold either the separate water-resistant liner or the thermal liner or both.