New kid on the block

The Rev’it! Cayenne is a seasoned veteran on the road, equally it’s at home on the aggressive back roads of any adventure.   One of the most gossiped and admired adventure-touring jackets, and the successor to the ever popular Rev’it! Cayenne, has had major reconstructive surgery.  R & D engineers have enhanced components  with laser techniques and injected logos and simmered down bulky fabrics to a reduction of laminated membranes and liners.  Rev’it asked the people what they wanted in an adventure-touring jacket and of course we expect it to be faster, better, stronger, lighter… so is this a multi-platinum mega star or a one hit wonder?

At the ends of the earth

The New Zealand importer carries an amazing stock of Rev’it!, but unfortunately the the Cayenne Pro pants were not available at the time of reviewing due to the similarities of the previous Dakar pants.  Our review will combine the Cayenne Pro jacket and Dakar pants.  From my analysis of the jacket, I expect the Cayenne Pro pants to only be an improvement from the Dakar.  Our test suit is in the basic motorcycle black with plenty of reflective options.  The black was the only one available, but I would definitely have a look at the Dark grey and green suit if it is available in your nearest retailer.  If it’s half as good as the Rev’it! catalogue portrays it, it’s nothing short of spectacular looking.  I believe that it’s important to have an option other than black for off road, it doesn’t get as dirty looking.  But, beggars can’t be choosers when you live away from the center of the universe, so black it is.

You know my methods, Watson

Inspection of this suit reveals you are dealing with the upper echelon of the Rev’it! textile contribution.  Expensive Fiocchi snaps, sturdy YKK zippers, Rev’it’s VCS venting system with taped zippers, Velcro venting on the chest, and an adjustable collar snap are the tip of the Cayenne’s proverbial iceberg.

Storage is not a problem; the Cayenne has two waterproof pockets with a zipper and two snaps each, two mesh and two slit pockets, a phone storage pocket in the liner, a document pocket, and inner pockets.  The Dakar pants have the standard hip pockets; if you’re a pack rat, this is the suit for you.

One diminutive detail I was really akin to, was the inclusion of a leather insert on the inside thigh of the pants.  This addition gives you a bit more authority to grip the tank.  Kudos to Rev’it!, as every inch and detail was run through a fine tooth comb.  Then, they probably went over it again just in case.

The fitting choice…

The entire suit is just simply comfortable.  From the relaxed feeling of the jacket to the doubled up textile seat of the pants, this suit is a pleasure to ride with.  Although I’m a Medium jacket and Medium/Short in the pants, I could not go down a size but both are loose fitting.  Some of this can be adjusted with the use of the adjustable waistbands and draw cord at the hem. While I am not a fan of loose fitting with leather, I will accept it for textile gear as long as the armor is sitting in the correct place, and it isn’t too baggy, after all it still is about protection not looking like the latest P DIDDY!

While there are no problems in the comfort department, I did find that it’s not the prettiest suit to look at.  The tendency is to be overly bulky and with no tailored fit to it:  it just sort of hangs on you.  If you are not overly concerned with outwards appearances than this baby will keep you safe from the elements.  I may be over sensitive, but I can normally find somewhere on any suit that scratches my skin.  Not this one though, the collar is comfortable, the sleeves are faultless, and the pants are almost as nice as your favorite pair of sweat pants on a Sunday.

All areas requiring movement when you ride are free with no restrictions what so ever.  There are pleated stretch zones making sure of that.  Well done Revit for making something that people will want to wear for extended periods.  The fit and overall comfort factor of this suit, in my mind gets major bonus points.

Shield and shelter

The Cayenne Pro uses the Sas-Tec protectors which are of similar nature to the next generation BMW or d3o protectors.  Compiled from visco elastic soft foam, with outstanding shock absorption values these allow for optimal for breathable textile clothing due to the ventilation openings.  These protectors surpass the required CE-values by 40-50%, are lightweight and washable.  Though not as “moldable” as the BMW protectors, Sas-Tec are the business; you will not go back to the standard composite protector after these.  The comfort level increases as well as peace of mind knowing you are using the latest in motorcycle protective technology.  Revit includes a foam like back protector with the Cayenne Pro jacket, I cannot stress enough the importance of upgrading this. The high crash areas on this jacket are covered in laminated “superfabric” which is a highly “abrasion resistant” modern textile made from ceramic.  It’s nice to see something of this excellence making it on to motorcycle apparel.  The secondary zones use Cordura, which is a textile industry standard.

Technically Speaking

The Rev’it! propaganda, (read extensive owner’s manual and supplied paperwork) has all sorts of labels and tag words to explain each component of the jacket.  The Waterproofing is provided by the Rev’it! Hydratex 3 liner.  The principle behind Hydratex is that the micro pores are small enough to keep water droplets out, yet large enough to allow water vapor to escape.  The sleeves have a Velcro strap and can go over your gloves, while the pants use a Velcro strap and zipper over your boots.  This suit is designed to keep you dry.  It works well.  The major drawback to this suit though, is it isn’t waterproof without the Hydratex liner.  This also means after prolonged riding in the rain, the suit itself will saturate with water.  The only option to be completely dry is to wear a waterproof suit over.

The thermo liner is made up of Exkin Air.  Some of the features of Exkin are: Quick drying, Light, warm, soft, Warm when wet, and did we mention warm? This is without a doubt the best liner I have ever had in a motorcycle suit of any kind.  With the liner in, the jacket has that poufy ski jacket feel about it.  Shame it’s going to have to come out for the summer!

Speaking of summer…

While the Hydratex waterproof membrane is a letdown compared to the Gore-Tex offerings in the 5 way shootout, it does allow the Cayenne to have one advantage over all the others.  Of all 5 suits tested in our shootout, this one is the closest to being a four season suit.  With the thermo liner and hydratex liners removed, and the chest, back, and leg vents opened up this suit moves a lot of air.  While maybe not as much as Joe Rocket mesh, or BMW Air Flow 2, if you don’t live in the desert this one just might make it through the summer as well.

Recommendation:

I would suggest this product for the summer, fall, winter and spring.  Very good ventilation, great in cooooold weather.  Waterproof liner, but not ideal for extended wet conditions.

Compatibility:

Rev’it! pants and jackets that contain the long back zipper and or short zip.

Durability:

Strong zippers, components, removable internal liner and thermo liner and protectors.

Conclusion:

The Cayenne Pro jacket is has a MSRP of $550.00; the Dakar pants $300.00, making the total suit cost of $850.00 USD.  This is a lot of suit for the price.  It can go head to head with suits asking double and in some areas beat them hands down.  Finding a four season suit is sort of the “holy grail” for sports touring and dual purpose riding.  To date this is the closest I have found, and while not perfect, will work for New Zealand temperatures at least.  The only detractions for a perfect recommendation of the waterproof liner, while I see the need to go that route versus Gore-Tex, it still means you have a waterlogged jacket in heavy rains, and the baggy fit.  This aside, did I mention it’s half the price of anything else in its class?