PRODUCT REVIEW
For the last ten years I’ve written product reviews for half a dozen motorcycle magazines and buying guides for another. I also do product testing: evaluating and reporting back to the manufacturer. Most product reviews that are published are new releases. Such products are news and every one wants to know about the latest and the best. Some products require a bit more time to evaluate – like this one. Sure, I could have made arrangements with a wholesale grocery distributor to spend an afternoon in their giant walk-in refrigerator where a fan would duplicate riding down the highway at speed, but I didn’t. I spent a season wearing this jacket liner and testing it under actually weather conditions while riding a lot of miles.
This blog is definitely an endorsement, but it is not an advertisement. I’m including product numbers and prices from your convenience, not theirs. I’ve tested the jacket liner, but not the vest. Knowing the manufacturer I have confidence in the quality of their products, both in terms of design and manufacture, but can’t advise a rider as to whether the removable sleeve feature makes sense or not.
Another consideration is the electrical drain. The jacket liner delivers the heat, but it draws 75 watts to do it. This might prove to be excessive on some motorcycles, especially if driving lights and heated handgrips are being used simultaneously. The vest draws only 45 watts, so this becomes a technical consideration. For consistency I tested this using the simple on/off Aerostich in-line switch, but now I’ll switch to an adjustable thermostat (which I prefer).
Kanetsu Airadvantage
I own heated gear and wear it--sometimes even in July. Part of the reason is that I live in Canada and another is that I understand the meaning of wind chill. Without dragging out mathematical tables and doing arcane calculations for rates of convective and evaporative cooling I know that when wind sluices over my body at 60 mph I get chilled faster than when standing still in the sunshine. I also know that the higher you go up a mountain, the colder the air gets. When body temperature begins to drop due to being cold for much too long –which could be 15 minutes or two hours depending on the circumstances—a process called hypothermia occurs. Get really cold and less blood flows to the brain and even a very slight reduction in this oxygenated fluid causes the gray matter to start shutting down, beginning with judgment. Staying warm is about more than just grandpa’s comfort level.
One of my favorite pieces of heated gear is a ten-year old Aerostich Unobtanium jacket liner. After a decade of service it continues to serve me well, but when Aerostich/Riderwearhouse came out with an all-new version I had to give it a try. This new one is called the Kanetsu Airvantage liner, and it contains a bit more heat-generating wiring in the arms, body, and collar, but the real difference is the addition of air bladders. Air is a good insulator and it’s the principle behind thermal-pane windows, foam insulation, down sleeping bags, and air mattresses –- all of which I’m in favor of. Just like on a life vest, there’s a little blow tube that allows air to be puffed into the inflatable bladders to create a pocket of insulating air. Filling the bladders with air also has the advantage of fitting the garment tighter to your body so less heat escapes. The really sweet thing is that by plugging the electrical connection into a motorcycle battery the wiring in the lining heats up and, voila, the insulating pocket of air is now warm.
The concept works. It works so well that I either plug it in or just inflate the bladders, but not both. It would have to get very cold to simultaneously utilize both the inflated bladders AND the electric heating. For those that ride in any weather or tour long distances on a regular basis or just plain don’t like being cold, the Kanetsu Airadvantage is an improvement over conventional designs, even my cherished Unobtanium.
The Airvantage has all the features found on the regular Kanetsu, including the three big zippered interior pockets (the vest/liner can be rolled up into the center pocket for packing or use as a pillow), one of which has the electrical connector and will hold all cords. It draws 75 watts at 5 amps; the vest version is 45 watts at 3.3 amps. It is available with BMW powerlet plug, QuiConnect 2, or good old dependable SAE and a lighted switch.
Available in three versions:
#1447 Vest $227.00
#1448 zip-off sleeves for vest $50.00
#1447 Jacket liner with heated sleeves $267.00
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