Rev’It is a Dutch company that offers a full line of motorcycle clothing, the tag line for which is “Engineered Skin.” The Rev’It Ignition motorcycle jacket is designed to cover a lot of bases, including the typical sport-touring environment. It’s a hybrid, with a shell that mixes both leather and textile. Part is 1.2-1.4mm cowhide, part is Pampas leather, the silvery parts are Dymax mesh fabric and there’s also Schoeller stretch material.
Despite the mesh, the Ignition is designed for three-season use with the accent on versatility. For the cold, its two liners seal very effectively. Inside, against the shell, is a full-sleeve three-layer liner that’s made of waterproof and breathable Hydratex with a wind barrier on the forward-facing side. Zipped to it is a vest-style 3-ounce thermal layer.
With all its layers in place the jacket kept me comfortable till the temperatures dipped down into the 40s, at which point I could feel the cold coming through. At the other end of the spectrum the thermal vest zips out easily, and the wind-blocking effect of the full-sleeve Hydratex liner was still very much in evidence without it. The only caveat is that while the Hydratex liner is warm, it doesn’t breathe that well and begins to feel clammy in warm weather.
When that happens, undo the 15 snaps that secure the inner liner so now the air can flow more freely. Still, the mesh blocks some air, and the arm vents are largely ineffective slits. For these reasons, the Ignition functions better as a cool-weather jacket than it does in the heat. With that said, however, it offers a much better range of temperature than a standard jacket without its features. Reinstalling the Hydratex liner will take several minutes, and its thermal liner easily zips right in.
Though stylish, the Ignition is not as convenient to wear as I would wish. Rather than a zippered gusset, each cuff has a large flap that snaps into place to take up slack. They do not open as wide as needed, and now the flap must be stuffed inside your gloves. Rather than a multi-adjustable hook-and-loop tab at the collar, there’s only a non-adjustable snap that was too tight even for my pencil neck. Finally, the European sizing seemed small. The 50 should correspond to an American 40, which I wear, but was tighter than I wished.
Overall, the Ignition is a clever means of dealing with the vagaries of temperature, and does so quite successfully. It kept this wearer comfortable from about 45 up to about 90 degrees. However, some little details, in an attempt to be perhaps clever or new, just got in the way. The Rev’It Ignition jacket sells for $399.95.
For more information contact Rev’It! USA, Box 1964, New York, New York 10156; (888) 681-0180; www.revitusa.com
