Joe Rocket Recon [Mesh] - thoughts?

Prime · June 9th, 2011, 08:25 AM

Hey all, I'm looking to start building my collection of gear before I get my bike. So as for the jacket, I'm looking at the Joe Rocket Recon [Mesh] for several reasons.

First off, being deep in south Texas, the summers are absurdly hot and humid, so good ventilation of a mesh is a must. Secondly, the Recon has 600D material covering the entire length of the arm as well as shoulders (as opposed to the Phoenix that only covers the forearm and shoulders - not upper arm). So in case of a spill, there is a bit more durable material between me and the asphalt. Third, it has adjustable snap closures on the bicep and forearm. This I think is a huge plus, as I'm not the most built guy to fill out the jacket completely, and this will keep armor in it's place. Fourth, and probably less important, it has an integrated safety reflective vest built in, in case of emergency. Now this is just a bonus, as I'm not in the armed forces, I have no need of this for on/off base commute. Just thought it would be nice to have in case of emergency.

Now then, does anyone have any first hand experience with this jacket? The best mesh gear my local shops could muster was the Phoenix 5.0.. Or does someone have a recommendation of another brand/model jacket that would fit my first three requirements?

Gracias,
Oliverio

ricochet08 · June 9th, 2011, 12:58 PM

looks good to me

besure to check ebay incase you can find the same jacket cheaper. and please pay attentionto the return policy :P

Moldbuster · June 9th, 2011, 02:06 PM

Good on ya for gettin geared up!

I've heard very mixed results with JR gear. Alternative and better (more protective) options?

http://www.revzilla.com/product/revit-turbine-jacket

Or if you prefer a custom fitted product and need paranoia Level 2 gear like the Safety Tzar plus want a ton of options...
http://motoport.com/_product_35442/A..._Kevlar_Jacket

You didn't mention pants. You aren't going to wear jeans are you? No...let me reprase that...I AM the safety Tzar after all...

YOU AREN'T GOING TO WEAR JEANS...ARE YOU.

Jeans suck as protective gear. "Kevlar" Jeans suck only a little less. You need proper riding pants.

If you don't have pants, why not consider getting a full suit? Get the matching Rev-It Turbine pants to make it a full outfit in a light color. Throw the liner on when it gets wet.

If budget is tight, there is a very good deal to be had on the Teiz Lombard V3 1 piece suit... but you will have to wait on it as demand is very high.

If budget isn't a consideration, you can get a matching set of Motoport GP-2 Air Mesh Kevlar pants to match the above linked jacket. Be prepared for a custom measurement routine which is more involved than buying off the rack.

By the way...regarding armor...the snaps on the JR gear aren't going to do much to keep it in place during the high G stresses of a crash. With looser mesh gear, there are three schools of thought when it comes to armor...

1). Hope. Hope it stays. Pretty please?
2). Wear it. Get wearable armor. Drawback to this is that it is more money and warmer.
3) Use BIG armor. The armor in the looser fitting Motoport gear is HUGE and covers way more surface area. If you have a get-off and things move around, you are still covered. For example...the elbow armor in my Kevlar Ultra Trek suit extends from below the shoulder all the way to my wrist. It is so wide that it covers literally 1/2 the circumference of the sleeve and wraps around your arm. If the garmet moves during a crash you are still very likely o have coverage. You pay a premium price for all this safety goodness.

A side note...some companies are going to more flexible, conforming armor like the Motoport Tri or Quad design or the German built Sas-Tec Rev-it offers as standard or an upgrade. The thought is, the more it conforms, the more likely it is to stay in place.

Prime · June 9th, 2011, 06:50 PM

Thanks for the tips guys. You gave me a lot of homework to do Moldbuster! Haha. Yes I am contemplating pants, I figured if I get the Recon, I can buy the joe rocket phoenix 3.0 pants. The Rev'It jacket you mentioned also has it's matching pants too. Budget is definitely an issue, sub $1000, as I still don't know how hard I'll get hit by the dealers once they get some 250's in stock.. If I can get a good deal on the bike, I can splurge on gear. We'll see I guess. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll research them more in-depth.

Moldbuster · June 9th, 2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prime

Thanks for the tips guys. You gave me a lot of homework to do Moldbuster! Haha. Yes I am contemplating pants, I figured if I get the Recon, I can buy the joe rocket phoenix 3.0 pants. The Rev'It jacket you mentioned also has it's matching pants too. Budget is definitely an issue, sub $1000, as I still don't know how hard I'll get hit by the dealers once they get some 250's in stock.. If I can get a good deal on the bike, I can splurge on gear. We'll see I guess. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll research them more in-depth.

Well...if the total gear budget is $1000, that eliminates the Kevlar gear. If...on the other hand, the budget for the pant and jacket is under $1000, you are in there!

And remember...good gear will last you many bikes.

In my area, the dealers are selling 250R's at list and they have some stock now that the second season shipments are in. You can also go used...

Prime · June 10th, 2011, 04:48 PM

I've contacted all the dealers up to 5 hours away from me, none of them have any in stock at the moment, one even said he hasn't had any in over a month and a half... I am giving used bikes a chance, but again everything up to 5 hours away from me is either freaking expensive, damaged, or both... One guy was actually asking for $4,400 for a 2008 with 2,xxx miles....

Honko · June 12th, 2011, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moldbuster

Well...if the total gear budget is $1000, that eliminates the Kevlar gear. If...on the other hand, the budget for the pant and jacket is under $1000, you are in there!

And remember...good gear will last you many bikes.

In my area, the dealers are selling 250R's at list and they have some stock now that the second season shipments are in. You can also go used...

Lucky you

TXJ · June 13th, 2011, 12:15 PM

+1 for REV'IT turbine. Revit makes quality stuff, well worth the price IMO. I just wish they made some of their sets (Turbine & Sand mostly) in high viz.

June 9th, 2011, 08:25 AM	#1
Prime ninjette.org member Name: Oliverio Location: McAllen, TX Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): None yet Posts: 20	Joe Rocket Recon [Mesh] - thoughts? Hey all, I'm looking to start building my collection of gear before I get my bike. So as for the jacket, I'm looking at the Joe Rocket Recon [Mesh] for several reasons. First off, being deep in south Texas, the summers are absurdly hot and humid, so good ventilation of a mesh is a must. Secondly, the Recon has 600D material covering the entire length of the arm as well as shoulders (as opposed to the Phoenix that only covers the forearm and shoulders - not upper arm). So in case of a spill, there is a bit more durable material between me and the asphalt. Third, it has adjustable snap closures on the bicep and forearm. This I think is a huge plus, as I'm not the most built guy to fill out the jacket completely, and this will keep armor in it's place. Fourth, and probably less important, it has an integrated safety reflective vest built in, in case of emergency. Now this is just a bonus, as I'm not in the armed forces, I have no need of this for on/off base commute. Just thought it would be nice to have in case of emergency. Now then, does anyone have any first hand experience with this jacket? The best mesh gear my local shops could muster was the Phoenix 5.0.. Or does someone have a recommendation of another brand/model jacket that would fit my first three requirements? Gracias, Oliverio

June 9th, 2011, 02:06 PM	#3
Moldbuster ninjette.org member Name: Kevin Location: Bellingham, WA in the Nice COOL Pacific Northwest Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Limited Ed Posts: 103	Good on ya for gettin geared up! I've heard very mixed results with JR gear. Alternative and better (more protective) options? http://www.revzilla.com/product/revit-turbine-jacket Or if you prefer a custom fitted product and need paranoia Level 2 gear like the Safety Tzar plus want a ton of options... http://motoport.com/_product_35442/A..._Kevlar_Jacket You didn't mention pants. You aren't going to wear jeans are you? No...let me reprase that...I AM the safety Tzar after all... YOU AREN'T GOING TO WEAR JEANS...ARE YOU. Jeans suck as protective gear. "Kevlar" Jeans suck only a little less. You need proper riding pants. If you don't have pants, why not consider getting a full suit? Get the matching Rev-It Turbine pants to make it a full outfit in a light color. Throw the liner on when it gets wet. If budget is tight, there is a very good deal to be had on the Teiz Lombard V3 1 piece suit... but you will have to wait on it as demand is very high. If budget isn't a consideration, you can get a matching set of Motoport GP-2 Air Mesh Kevlar pants to match the above linked jacket. Be prepared for a custom measurement routine which is more involved than buying off the rack. By the way...regarding armor...the snaps on the JR gear aren't going to do much to keep it in place during the high G stresses of a crash. With looser mesh gear, there are three schools of thought when it comes to armor... 1). Hope. Hope it stays. Pretty please? 2). Wear it. Get wearable armor. Drawback to this is that it is more money and warmer. 3) Use BIG armor. The armor in the looser fitting Motoport gear is HUGE and covers way more surface area. If you have a get-off and things move around, you are still covered. For example...the elbow armor in my Kevlar Ultra Trek suit extends from below the shoulder all the way to my wrist. It is so wide that it covers literally 1/2 the circumference of the sleeve and wraps around your arm. If the garmet moves during a crash you are still very likely o have coverage. You pay a premium price for all this safety goodness. A side note...some companies are going to more flexible, conforming armor like the Motoport Tri or Quad design or the German built Sas-Tec Rev-it offers as standard or an upgrade. The thought is, the more it conforms, the more likely it is to stay in place. __________________________________________________ Safety Tzar. You WILL wear PROPER gear...and you will LIKE IT!

June 9th, 2011, 06:50 PM	#4
Prime ninjette.org member Name: Oliverio Location: McAllen, TX Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): None yet Posts: 20	Thanks for the tips guys. You gave me a lot of homework to do Moldbuster! Haha. Yes I am contemplating pants, I figured if I get the Recon, I can buy the joe rocket phoenix 3.0 pants. The Rev'It jacket you mentioned also has it's matching pants too. Budget is definitely an issue, sub $1000, as I still don't know how hard I'll get hit by the dealers once they get some 250's in stock.. If I can get a good deal on the bike, I can splurge on gear. We'll see I guess. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll research them more in-depth. __________________________________________________ No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter, truly slide.

June 10th, 2011, 04:48 PM	#6
Prime ninjette.org member Name: Oliverio Location: McAllen, TX Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): None yet Posts: 20	I've contacted all the dealers up to 5 hours away from me, none of them have any in stock at the moment, one even said he hasn't had any in over a month and a half... I am giving used bikes a chance, but again everything up to 5 hours away from me is either freaking expensive, damaged, or both... One guy was actually asking for $4,400 for a 2008 with 2,xxx miles.... __________________________________________________ No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter, truly slide.

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June 9th, 2011, 12:58 PM	#2
ricochet08 ninjette.org guru Name: Ross Location: St. Louis Join Date: Aug 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2007 ninja ex500, 2010 Ninja 250r, 2004 zzr600, 2003 CBR600rr, 2013 Ninja 300...in that order :D Posts: 266	looks good to me besure to check ebay incase you can find the same jacket cheaper. and please pay attentionto the return policy :P

June 13th, 2011, 12:15 PM	#8
TXJ Cranky Old Fart Name: TXJ Location: TX Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): 08 DRZ400SM Posts: 189	+1 for REV'IT turbine. Revit makes quality stuff, well worth the price IMO. I just wish they made some of their sets (Turbine & Sand mostly) in high viz.