Earlier on this week my package from Bimoto, which contained a Dainese New Neck Goretex, and Odessa pants arrived and just begged to be reviewed. The Dainese New Neck Goretex, is quite a mouthful but its fitting (if you pardon the pun) as it’s quite a jacket! Typical Cordura jackets have kept riders dry, yet become waterlogged and heavy when riding in the rain. The Goretex jacket doesn’t allow the water to penetrate easily, instead just sliding off of it.  The Odessa pants are Goretex lined as well with a stretchable fabric around the knees for versatility.   Another great feature of Goretex, is just how fast it dries when you get it out of the rain. Previous Cordura offerings could take overnight to dry out, while the New Neck Goretex and Odessa pants can be bone dry in an hour or two.

Taking safety seriously

The Neck Goretex incorporates the Dainese neck-4 system. This extra “articulating neck protector” allows extra support with added wind pressure. This technology allows the neck muscles to relax on those longer motorway journeys. A very good idea for a jacket aimed at the sport touring crowd. While taking a little bit of getting used to, once you are it will be hard to go away from it. The Neck-4 system, is just the tip of the Goretex iceberg though, with thermoformed articulating shoulders, removable composite protectors, space for back protector, and enough reflective bits to make you the popular one on halloween. Elbow, and high crash areas are all lined in D-STONE, which appears to be a synthetic leather material.  In all honesty I removed the small neck system addition after riding with the jacket for awhile.  While its a good idea, it seemed to annoy me a little bit.  I could be alone, but found the jacket to be exceptional without the neck “doohickey”.

The Odessa Pants combine a Schoeller Ranger, Texas, and Goretex fabrics to keep you safe while riding.  There are soft inserts for the hips and removable composite protectors for the shins and knees.  A few different Dainese pants have the shin protectors, I really like this added level of safety in a motorcycle pant.  This jacket and pants combo is all about the long SAFE ride.

You are a sexy, sexy man….

Style and fit is something that has always been in the italian realm of thinking. This jacket and pants are no exception, they’re classic and excellently fitted with just a tiny hint of racetrack attitude. Nobody will mistake you for Mr. Rossi on your K1200GT, VFR, or whatever you ride, but it’s not your father’s sport touring combo either. Although sticking to the traditional motorcycle black, the jacket has a smattering of grey as well as three red Dainese symbols which really stand out.  Meanwhile the pants are bit more subdued being all black with only the word “Dainese” across the legd.   As one of the most comfortable jackets I have ever worn, a nod has to be put towards the excellent and newly designed liner which turns an almost summer jacket into a competent winter riding companion.

The answer is all in the details….

Waterproof zippers, 2L Misano fabric, spring loaded buttons, and a gaggle of “tech” like names make this one of the most technologically advanced jacket Dainese had ever produced. The fabrication process in this jacket is entirely new, and has Goretex bonded directly to the main fabric in the jacket. This process eliminates the need for a third layer making the jacket lighter than previous touring offerings, yet retaining its durability.

With the “sport” in sport touring in mind, there insn’t a single area on the jacket that can’t be zipped or tightened down to prevent any flapping at higher speeds. The waist can be brought in or out via adjustable velcro and reflective straps, as well as an extended collar that can be velcro’d in place to prevent any of your precious neck exposed to high speed wind flow. I personally find that the collar can become a bit scratchy on the bare skin of my neck. This could also be that I’m a bit soft though….

The jacket offers respectable storage options, while you might need to leave your 1980’s Motorola 8800X brick phone at home. There is one inside pocket with the liner in, and two outer waterproof pockets. These outer pockets feature a horizontal zipper with two buttons each. There are no pockets on the chest area of the jacket, which is what makes that area of the jacket fit so perfectly well. I think the ommission of chest pockets was a good idea in keeping with the theme this jacket has been striving for.

The Odessa pants are no slouch either, while paling a bit in comparison to all the features of the jacket, they do their job perfectly.  They have two waterproof pockets, and an adjustable waistband, as well as a really slick zipper to go over your boots.  The outer fabric on the Odessa is different than the Neck Goretex, and I found after prolonged wet weather riding, the Odessa pants dried twice as fast!

Monogomy? No way, all the pants want a piece of me.

The New Neck Goretex has the standard two piece zipper which allows it to “mate” with almost any set of pants in the Dainese collection. Zipping a set of Goretex lined Dainese pants can turn this jacket into a fully fledged and ready to continent (or suburb) cross touring suit. Sticking your tongue out at the dark scary rain clouds has never been this fun!  For this review we chose the Odessa pants, but the sky is the limit. So if you decide to wear your Mekong leather track pants with your spiffy new touring jacket, we won’t judge you.

It’s not all shiny though…

I believe this is one of the better high end jackets out there, but isn’t probably the top one. While the fit is exceptionally comfortable, and probably more so than any other touring jacket I have worn. I feel (more a hunch than anything that I care to prove) that the abrasion resistance, while more than adequate is still a small bit below the BMW Streetguard 2 jacket. This is more a theoretical than a real life deterrent, as both are more than equipped to keep you safe in any “off” at legal or even somewhat close to legal speeds. If you’re planning racetrack speeds, then you really should be looking at a one piece leather racing suit. The only other small “niggles” are the scratchiness of the collar when done up fully, as well as the somewhat stff arms (although I feel over time they will most likely work themselves in).  The pants on the other hand, are magical.  They feel a bit bulky when standing around shooting the breeze, yet come into their element on a motorcycle and its one less thing to worry or even think about while you’re riding.

Wrap it up chatty Cathy!

Is this Goretex combo right for everyone? Unfortunately no. Dainese size small to begin with, so some people no matter how hard they try will not squeeze into it. Not that you may not fit, but the idea is to fit how the jacket was intended to make use of all it’s benefits. The fit is good for the avergage, and just a bit rounder than average person. Above that standard then the BMW cut will be alot more comfortable. The jacket retails at $750.00USD,the Odessa pants are $379.00 USD while not the most expensive offerings in the shootout, it still deserves to be thought about and test fitted if possible. Bottom line is, if they fit, there is not much reason to not buy them.

There’s also the “cool” factor. This italian touring combination will make you the worship of all other riders, you will be faster, you will turn in extra late, you will get the hottest pillion girls, and you will make your friends generic touring suits jealous. Well maybe that’s all far fetched, but the Italian styling makes you forget reality and craft your own.