aerostich roadcrafter suit.

[Boonedawg]

Wow, I just ordered a suit from Aerostich, 3-4 weeks the lady told me...damn I didn't expect that.  She said they had about 50 suits on back order... hell these things are a $GRAND plus, I guess I'm just amazed in this economy that they would have this type of back log. 

Who else here rides with one and are you satisfied and or do you have suggestions for comparable products?

[Ziggie]

Get the two piece and get both back pads.  The bigger pad is hotter but very comfortable (too hot for 85F riding).

[JetJock]

Had a set for about 15 years at least. Still wear it (jacket mostly; pants not so much). Still looks good and they offer a repair service if you ever need it. I bought mine in Duluth MN by riding up there, trying stuff on and etc. Rode home with it.

It's a nice riding suit and I've used mine plenty.

That said, if I had to do it today, I think I'd opt for one of the premium touring jackets from First Gear or Tour Master. They've got pretty nice stuff, great quality, lots of colors, etc. at a better price.

[Roadhound]

I've been a Roadcrafter fan and owner for almost 20 years. I recently purchased my third 2 piece. There is nothing like them, not even close. I've looked at other suits but nothing has the performance, the versatility, and ease of putting on and taking off. Never having to do the one legged hop on the side of the road,
getting into a rainsuit, Priceless!!!

[Boonedawg]

thanks for the replies,  I did opt for a two piece as a friend I snowmobile with wears the two piece on his bike.  I did a gray color with black ballistics.  I wanted to go all black but figured the heat trade off for the gray was worth the "cool" factor.  I ordered the soft hip pads, back pad, and the "extender zipper piece".  Sounds from all the research I've read and the comments here they are TOP SHELF!  Can't wait.

[MizzouMike]

I have the two piece Darien and love it, but I would like a one peice roadcrafter too.

(My darien shrank in the closet over the winter....)

[koval68]

There is no question that Aerostich has a good product and many happy customers, but their designs are outdated and out of style. They need some young,talented people in charge of their new designs. For that reason, I just bought Rev'it 2 pc. and not Aerostich. IMHO.

[Pfloydgad]

I know Aerostitch is by far the best out there. But.
I have been looking at the Tour Master Centurian, and i have to say, for $360.00, it looks pretty darn nice. I have even tired both on, the Aero and the Cent. And my frame isn't the easiest to fit, but i have to say, the Cent. was hands down more comfortable, easier to bend and sit, and it appeared to have a better vent system then the Aero.
The price of the Aero was $1200 for my size, the Cent was $360.
I would very much suggest, you find a TM dealer, and try one on, go out and sit on the bike, roll around on the floor, sit, squat, jump, and crawl. I think you will be impressed.
JMHO, ride safe all.
Greg

[Walker18]

Well, that's a boatload of moola.. With that in mind, why not entertain Kevlar? Toughest and most durable material available..
http://www.motoport.com/
I've not heard much about it on this forum, but highly praised for it's durability with a top notch customer service dept.

[enumclaw]

I'm 6'-5", had mine custom fit.  That makes them better than the others, imo.  It's comfortable up to 85°F, and down to around 35.  Below that the Gerbing liner gets plugged in, and above 85, well, I just keep moving.   

[COG-528]

I happily wore a two piece, Red & Black, Roadcrafter for 17 years. But I ultimately decided not to replace it with a new Roadcrafter after my encounter with a deer in 2009.  My reason for not getting another Roadcrafter was I wanted a really bright Hi-Viz jacket and the Aerostich Hi-Viz is not that bright.  I couldn't justify the financial hardship to buy another Roadcrafter if I could not get exactly what I wanted.  I do miss the pocket layout of the Roadcrafter and the fit.

After taking a lot of time (6 months) to look at and try on a lot of other riding gear I eventually saved a nice amount of money by going with the Transition Series 2 jacket to go with  HT 2.0 Air Overpants I had bought, immediately after destroying my Roadcrafter, to go with the Mesh Jacket I had won the prior Winter.



Because I bought pants and jacket from two different manufacturers the connection zippers run in the opposite directions on each garment so I can not zip them together.   I need to find someone with a heavy duty sewing machine who can sew the zipper strip from the jacket on to the pants.

[nosaint7]

Well, that's a boatload of moola.. With that in mind, why not entertain Kevlar? Toughest and most durable material available..
http://www.motoport.com/
I've not heard much about it on this forum, but highly praised for it's durability with a top notch customer service dept.

+1 I've got the AirMesh Kevlar pant.  I'm 6'2" with a 36" inseam - Off the rack anything always too short.  The knee/shin pad is even long enough to help keep my shins from getting bar-b-q'd.  Will be getting the matching jacket in the fall (current Tourmaster still in good shape).

[JetJock]

(My darien shrank in the closet over the winter....)

Nah. It was all the weight-training you did to develop 6-pack and maybe 12-pack or the always popular full-case abs.

[JetJock]

They need some young,talented people in charge of their new designs. IMHO.

Andy Goldfine, the owner and mad genius behind Aerostitch might not agree. (I know him to talk to.) But yeah, the current jacket looks exactly like the one I bought 15+ years ago. Trendy it ain't.

[MAN OF BLUES]

the 2 piece Stich is as good as it needs to be for the money, it's worth every penny it costs, especially if you want it customized for fit, i.e. getting the knee pads EXACTLY where you want them, special cuts for added room and swing, custom colors and combinations, etc.
No other manufacturer will go to the extents they will to make the suit fit you right.
This includes shipping you an "off the shelf" sized combo for fit trials, so you CAN tell them exactly where to modify it (remove 2" above the kne, add 3 inches below the knee, add in the widening panels on the sides from the hip to the underarm, an inch here and there on the elbow pads, etc....) and then return the "model" to them and they make you a perfct and I SAY perfect garment.
You will not be dissapointed if you go thru that with them, they ARE customer oriented....you will not find a thread out of place, or dangling anywhere on your garment. Every one is gone over with a fine eye, a dozen times, before Shirley holds it up for you ON CAMERA IF YOU DESIRE, LIVE, as she is putting it in it's shipping box.......

yeah, that's what you get for the bucks....and you will need only one to last for many years.....unless you hit a deer.... (sorry, had to mention that one...hheeeeee Mike, deer don't see yellow, they see Blue...wrong color...)
They also offer repairs to any product they sell, and you don't get that from the folks at the "off the shelf store"

quality costs, and it shows. 

Well, that's a boatload of moola.. With that in mind, why not entertain Kevlar? Toughest and most durable material available..
http://www.motoport.com/
I've not heard much about it on this forum, but highly praised for it's durability with a top notch customer service dept.

the jacket alone, with the waterprof liner (costs extra) and all the "extra$$ to have the same features asa Stich, less the Kevlar part, runs $1042 alone...just jacket....add some pants with the same features, and you are sitting at $1689.....

and you still have 2 pieces, plus 2 liners, that need to be installed when the rain hits. If you brought them along.

[DaveO]

. hell these things are a $GRAND plus, I guess I'm just amazed in this economy that they would have this type of back log. 

i guess i am  just amazed aerostitch  can sell for that much in this economy.
You can get a compairable  or maybe even  better suit suit from other manufactures for 3-500 bucks .

[MAN OF BLUES]

i guess i am  just amazed aerostitch  can sell for that much in this economy.
You can get a compairable  or maybe even  better suit suit from other manufactures for 3-500 bucks .

yeah, tell that to the folks on the backlog waiting for them.....

2 type of people respond about Aerostich, those that own one, and those that don't.

you clearly are living in the world of the latter.
"or maybe even  better suit suit from other manufactures for 3-500 bucks .".....



and, maybe pigs launched out of a cannon can fly......

[Bert]

I just bought my first Aerostich, a one-piece Roadcrafter about 4 months ago.  I'm undertaking a 8,200 mile tour and 'needed' an all-conditions suit for the journey.  I've got Dainese leather, pretty but not good for wet or hot.  I've got BMW's Santiago jacket & pants - great for hot, until the day turns wet, then the Gore-tex liners need to be installed.  But that means a complete strip-down, easy in a motel room but awkward indeed once underway.  Once that liner is installed all ventilation stops, and it gets hot underneath quickly.  And after a long day in the rain the jacket and pants weigh about 40 lbs, all of that water is absorbed by the outer layer, not shed.


With the Roadcrafter I can wear street clothes underneath, like jeans or shorts & a t-shirt, and be fully protected.  If it gets hot, open the vents, if cold close them.  I suspect it will not be nearly as comfortable in 100+ degree weather as that Santiago.  Since I live in Portland the issue of hot has not arisen, , and I've already found out how waterproof it is, but I'm about to find out in about three weeks just how effective those vents are.  During stops along the way the suit can easily be taken on and off, useful for restaurants and restrooms.  I'll report back after the tour just how effective it worked as a multi-conditions piece of gear.


The quality, of engineering, materials, and assembly, is outstanding, every bit the equal of either the BMW stuff or the Dainese.  About $1050 with gusset and extra back & hip armor.  Excellent buying experience & exceptional turnaround when I added the gusset (yes, that's for fat people).

[PatM]

Just got mine 3 weeks ago. It took 3 weeks for delivery so I guess I ordered at the right time.
I did test it in bad weather last weekend on a 3 day trip to New Hampshire.
First impressions, it's much better than all the supposedly breathable jackets and pants I've had for the past 6 years.
My wife bought a nice Ruka jacket at half price. It still cost about two third as much as the whole Roadcrafter I have.  And she gets to ride with banana pants until she finds the matching Ruka pants at a decent price.

[T Cro ®]

i guess i am  just amazed aerostitch  can sell for that much in this economy.
You can get a comparable  or maybe even  better suit suit from other manufactures for 3-500 bucks .

While I don't own a "Stich" I've been up close to them many times over the years and have even been to the shop where they are made and I can tell you without trying to be insulting that even their "base" model suit which sells for 667 (not far off from the 500 suit to quote) is going to be hands down of higher build quality of the other suits that are surely made overseas which is why they can sell for so much less as the Stich is made in WI and that simply is going to cost more. Their next priced suit comes in at 887 and let me tell you those things are like climbing into an Abrams M1 Battle Tank as far as protection goes; my brother wore one of their suits and it did not need to be on your body to stand up and walk around it was like an exoskeleton. Also keep in mind that not only are the zippers used on a Stich of high quality even the zipper pull tabs are huge and made for pulling with the likes of your gloves on, wide strips of 3M or better brands of velcro are used over the cheap offshore variety, etc, etc... Yes you can have a suit for far less but I'm absolutely sure that when used equally and regularly that the import suit will have failures that the Stich will not.