Review: Rev’It! Zip Pants

Rating: 8/10

Opinion: Does exactly what it is aimed to do. Nothing but the basics: keeps you dry, fits like motorcycle gear should fit, offers abrasion resistance and knee armor, and with decent styling.

Approx Miles Used: 3,000

MSRP: $159.99, Comes in Short and Long sizes.

So, you ask, such a high rating for the baseline model of this manufacturer? Well my rating is based on what this type of pant is intended for: everyday riding. I would not want to take these to the track or through the dessert, but for a base riding pant these function really well. One of only a few pants offered in long or short sizes, the Zip pants have a slim cut to them. Whereas most pants would fit me in a L, I had to go up to XL to accommodate the extra weight I’ve been toting around lately. This is a good thing though. Once on the bike, they feel comfortable and secure, making me confident that the CE rated knee armor will stay in place and do it’s job in a get off. They also include an 8″ zipper to connect to a jacket, which happens to match perfectly with the Olympia GT air jacket, and I suspect it will work with most of the Olympia line of jackets with the short zipper option.

Waterproof? The REV’IT!  Hydralining® membrane does a great job on those not so dry commutes to work. I’ve ridden in only a few rain storms with these pants, but they’ve always kept me dry. With no real venting to speak of, the pants did alright in most temps up to about 85 degrees. Around that temperature things would get a bit uncomfortable. With enough layers, I wore these into the low teens and was ok with them. They’re hardly a winter pant though, but they’re good down to about 40 with just jeans underneath. As with most things written on comfort in temps, these experiences may vary greatly on an individual basis depending on your ability to handle the hot and cold.

Fit? Well, like I mentioned in the beginning, these pants fit slim. I wear about a 36 pant, with a 34 inseam, and the XL Long size Zip pants fit great. Initially, I picked up the XL, but once on the bike the knee armor was just way too high up on my leg. No real adjustments in the armor made me exchange for the longer size. Everywhere else, the slim pant really inspired confidence in it’s ability to stay put. I can’t tell you many times I’ve tried on textile gear and thought, damn this is way too loose. One item some might not like though is the leg zipper. Most overpants come with a full length leg zipper to make it easy to get in/out of. Frankly, I never really found it a big deal to slip off my boots to get these pants off. However, if you despise the occasionally one leg balancing you might want to think twice using these as commuter pants.

You sold them?! Yes, in my infinite wisdom I sold these on the ADV boards. My reasoning being that soon the hot, humid New England weather would roll back in and I would be miserable in this all black oven. Well, weeks of cold and wet weather have me regretting getting rid of these pants. I’m coming to find that the simplicity and practicality of the Zip pants is hard to find at a reasonable price. The trade off for ventilation seems to always come with the sacrifice of a simple waterproof solution. The huge variety in the type of riding I do make it virtually impossible for any one piece of clothing to it all. Even the textile jacket I’ve come to enjoy so much uses liners.

Bottom Line These are a quality pant that will keep you dry, connect to your jacket, and don’t look ridiculous. I purchased these on discount, and I’d buy them again in a second for the $140 I originally paid for them. At $160, it’d take me a few extra seconds, but I’d still buy them. Rev’It!’s products keep impressing me with their quality and functionality, and these zip pants definitely deliver.

If you don’t have it yet, look into Comprehensive Insurance coverage

First, I’d  like to say that I’ve been an insurance agent for a little over a year now, and it always shocks me after a theft or break in of a vehicle when people tell me they have liability only on their vehicle.  Then, on the other end of the spectrum, folks will say ” I’m not sure what I have, but I’ve got Full Coverage,’ not even knowing what that means. Many people pay in the neighborhood of a thousand dollars or more for their auto or motorcycle coverage, so it’s a wonder that folks know so little about something they spend so much on.

What I would really like to get across is the relative inexpense of carrying Comprehensive coverage, or “comp”, and the benefits it provides. Now, just so everyone knows what we’re talking about, lets define Comprehensive coverage:

Comprehensive insurance provides protection for a car, motorcycle. or other vehicle  in the event of damage by something other than a collision with another vehicle or object. For example, it would cover events like theft, fire, broken glass, and more.

Now that we know what it’s for, let me make my case as to why you should consider having it on your policy. Many people often lump Comp coverage in with collision coverage, which is often much more expensive and makes the insurance seem very expensive. What many people don’t realize is that most often you DON”T need to have both comp AND collision. Sure having “Full coverage” (or in other words a policy with Liability, COMP AND COLLISION) is nice to say, but if you’re looking for a cheap policy and were thinking about going with liability only, here is why you should consider comp coverage.

On it’s own, comp coverage is often very inexpensive. Don’t believe me? Take a look at your insurance policy declarations and the breakdown of cost per coverage, or call your agent to ask how much the comp on your vehicle costs. Better yet, I’ll use myself as an example. On my motorcycle, I have a $250 deductible, and I pay only $85/yr for comprehensive insurance (It will be even less in the near future). Assuming someone steals my bike today, without the comp insurance I would be out $2,500 or so. However, subtracting my $250 deductible from the $,2500 the insurance company would give me for the bike, I would have to have the policy for over 26 years before I would have paid more for the comp coverage than that cost of the bike! Now I doubt I’ll have this bike for 20+ years, but lets say I plan to have it for 5 more, but it gets stolen in four. Now it’s only worth $2,000, my deductible is still $250, and my rate  for the coverage has flatlined at $85. Paying the $250 deductible and the $340 over the four years for coverage, I would still net $1410  of the $2k I get for the loss! On my Cage the value is even greater; For the less than $1,000 I would pay for the coverage and my deductible for7 years, and I’m covered for a value of almost $10,000!

If your car or motorcycle are older and your record is fairly clean, you’re likely to have even lower rates for comp, even with a low deductible. My point is, it doesn’t hurt to consider! Ask your agent or check online to see what the difference is to add comp to your policy, and if you already have it see how inexpensive it can be to go to the next lowest deductible! Jodie went from a $250 deductible to a $100 deductible for $6 more per year!! Save yourself some grief, make sure you’re covered!

Is it spring yet!?!?

2008 Comes to a Close

Well 2008 was a big year for us. I feel like this year really gave me a lot of perspective on life, and how I want to live it. I bought the Bandit, which has been nothing but fun and brought us on many a memorable trips. I’ve learned a lot about motorcycles and riding, and I hope next year I will learn twice as much and see twice as much too!

Today I went on my last ride of the year. About 30 degrees and quite gusty, but a beautiful sunny day. I’m participating in a challenge to ride at least 20 miles each week through the winter, and so far so good. Heated grips and gloves have made this possible in these cold temps, and I hope to stick it out for the duration of the winter.The shot above is actually from last week, same temp, much worse road conditions.

We hope everyone had a good year, despite all the financial turmoil, and we wish everyone a happy, healthy, and exciting 2009!

Enjoy the ride!

Here’s a link to some of my favorite photos of 2008