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REV’IT Ladies Airwave 2 gear
By Marcia McGuire #206242 A ROAD TRIP
THROUGH THE
northern California redwoods reminded me of the critical role our gear plays in our adventures. I met a Belgian motorcyclist who had some- how convinced his boss to let him take a year’s sabbatical during his surgical residency to ride through the Ameri- cas. As our conversation ended, we made plans to cross paths again in Seattle. The next day he sent me a message:
“Had an accident.” He told me of the hit-and-run, the helicopter flight and of his broken foot and leg. “But my skin, it’s perfect,” he said. Per- fect, because he always wears his gear. On my return trip I stopped
to visit him and while there to make his hospital room a lit- tle less sterile, we sewed a string of little Belgian flags to celebrate the upcoming Euro- Cup games. Summer seems to be the
time that riders are less inclined to wear gear, but considering all the warm-weather options avail- able, it’s an unnecessary risk. REV’IT’s new version of their Ladies Airwave 2 jacket and pants is so light and com- fortable, I feel like I’m not even wear- ing gear, and these products prove it’s possible to design women’s gear offer- ing both protection and comfort. I’ve worn the Ladies Airwave 2 gear
in temperatures ranging from the mid-60s to the mid-90s. Yes, Seattle can have 90 degree days. On the cool end of that spectrum, riding on the freeway felt like the air conditioner was blasting; while on the hot end, the airflow swept through, keeping me comfortable. Sitting in stop-and-go traffic was
30 BMW OWNERS NEWS September 2016
The mesh is made of REV’IT’s proprietary PWR shell material, which is designed after Cordura. One hundred percent polyamide yarns, durable in terms of tear and abrasion resistance and featuring a high melting point, make up the PWR shell. Inherent in any mesh is a reduction of the performance qualities. However, REV’IT tests its fabrics to meet the CE abrasion standard, mesh included. The armor is a mix of REV’IT’s CE pro-
tection. The back’s slot is prepared for the SEESOFT CE level 2 back protector though it does not come with the jacket. The elbow, knee and shoulder armor are Knox LITE CE level 1, and the hip armor is SEESMART CE level 1. The knee protection is adjustable to multiple positions. Knock on wood, but as I have become a
warm, but no different than sitting out in the sun without gear. The gear doesn't work if the airflow is blocked, however. I have a taller windscreen on my BMW G 650 GS, so on the same mid-90 degree day in the peak heat, I swapped bikes and took my windscreen-less Yamaha XT250 out and noted that the Ladies Airwave 2 absolutely did its job. The solid fabric of the Ladies Airwave 2
is made using high density polyester yarn, and at 600D, it is highly abrasion resistant.
better rider, the less I test my gear to its CE standards. I will say that with all I’ve put my other set of REV’IT gear through, the Indigo jacket and Tornado pants made of the same fabrics and the same armor as the Ladies Airwave 2 (though different hip armor), the gear, and myself have held up remarkably well. While wearing REV’IT gear during my early riding days, I tipped over dozens of times on asphalt, made countless graceful and not so graceful dis- mounts during my RawHyde off-road class, and went down during a long slide on a stretch of ice. All these mishaps left me able to pop right back up and keep going with my gear showing no wear. The hip protection covers
more surface area on the Tornado pants than on the Airwave 2s, and the fall on ice left me with a dime- sized bruise; I suspect that, depending on how one falls, with the Airwave 2 hips there might be a little more residual evidence than a dime-sized mark. Design-wise, the mesh covers the full front and back of the
jacket, the underside of the arms, and the front and rear of the legs. There are two zipped pockets on the front of the jacket, and an inside pocket on each side. The pant has two vertically zipped pockets. My iPhone 6 in its large OtterBox Defender case just fits in the front jacket pocket. There are horizontal reflective strips across the pecs and lower back and vertical reflec- tive strips on the lower side of the legs. The waist and cuffs on the pants and jacket can be adjusted as well as the bicep sleeve, and the jacket and pants can be zipped together. There are zippers from the ankles to just below the knee. Instead of a snap, the pants close with a slide button design. I was not a fan of the neck closure, which
does not have a hook or snap to keep it open; however, it did not flap, so it was not
member tested
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