Have been lurking awhile, but thought some of you might appreciate some feedback on the BMW Coverall suit.
I've been riding a good couple of years and have realised that proper riding kit makes a world of difference. I have thus invested quite heavily in gear to fit my specific needs, which are mainly commuting and the occasional road trip (no offroading). Specifically I need kit that is durable, comfortable, waterproof, provides adequate protection and can be used in corporate environments without me looking like a power ranger.
So, through a process of elimination I've ended up with BMW Allround boots, BMW Pro Summer gloves and a BMW Coverall suit, having been through several other brands over the last 15 years. I never thought I'd actually end up like this, having always resisted the BMW branded gear as being too expensive and too 'boutique', but it appears I've been converted. Oh well, if you can't beat 'em... Anyway, this review is about the BMW Coverall suit.
I was in the market a while ago for a riding suit and finally went with the BMW Coverall suit – got it in May 2009.
Originally I had my eye on the Aerostich Roadcrafter, but there are no local suppliers here in South Africa, and I wasn’t comfortable ordering the Aerostitch without trying it in person.
With shipping it would have come to around the same amount as the BMW Coverall, which the Lyndhurst BMW dealer had in stock – so I tried it on and was impressed enough to get it. By default the suit has protectors for knees, hips, shoulders and elbows. I also got the optional back protector which is quite a decent piece of kit.
The quality is typical BMW, which is to say quite good (in my opinion) and the suit comes with a 2-year warrantee (more about this later). It’s made from a synthetic material which looks quite sturdy and I’m hoping will be good enough protection when I need it. It’s supposedly washable although I haven’t tried this yet.
It’s also quite waterproof - I've had several opportunities this summer in Joburg to test the suit in varying degrees of wet weather – from light drizzle to torrential downpours. And two seperate 8 hour rides from Joburg to Ballito and back, mostly in rain and mist. I’m happy to report that it kept me completely dry. Of course, the BMW boots and gloves played their part in this too.
It is reasonably easy to get into and out of with your boots on – I’d say this takes around 30-60 seconds, with a bit of practice. With all zips open: Hold suit with right hand, put right boot through. Grip suit with left hand, put left boot through – this is the tricky part: if your foot gets caught and you lose your balance then you are going down… Put hands in arm pockets, pull suit over shoulders. Bend over and zip up legs. Zip up torso. Getting out is pretty much the reverse of this.
I normally dress smart casual, with optional tie and jacket, and my Allround boots. I’m quite satisfied that the suit doesn’t constrict my movement or wrinkle my clothes.
I’ve been using it daily for the last 8 months, commuting through the city through our winter (4 deg Celsius) and into our summer (30 deg Celcius). It’s not lined so in winter you need a sweater, but it is fairly windproof.
Suprisingly it is not particularly hot in summer, at least not while you’re moving. Stay stationary however and you will start sweating. I ride a naked SV1000 (no windshield at all), so I sit right in the airflow – under these circumstances it performs admirably, considering the absence of airvents.
The zips are easy enough to work with the gloves on, and its got enough pockets for my purposes. There’s a little pocket on the right forearm that is really useful for storing access cards and garage card – usually I can just swipe my arm past the sensor - no need to dig the card out. The suit is fairly lightweight and is comfortable enough for short walks, and looks good enough to not embarrass you in front of corporate types – I actually think the BMW branding goes a long way to establishing some credibility. I usually fold it up and put it into a kitbag during the day.
I recently had the opportunity to test the warrantee as well - one morning at the office the main torso zipper got stuck when I was about to disrobe. Some of the zipper teeth below the pull tab had popped out, effectively stranding the zipper at the top and trapping me inside. In the process of attempting to get the teeth back together and get the pull tab back to the good part of the zip, I managed to unhook the pull tab from the zipper. At last I could get out of the suit, but soon found that there was no way to get the pull tab back onto the zip.
So I phoned Mandy at Lyndhurst BMW and explained the predicament - she suggested that I bring in the suit for repair. Somewhat disheartened I took the suit back, fully expecting a lengthy waiting period while the suit was repaired. But no, to my surprise and joy, the suit was replaced on the spot, no questions asked!
Did I mention that the zips are industrial-size? On the replacement suit I've noticed that the zippers become a bit sticky - probably due to road grime and dust. I now lubricate the zips every now and again and it makes a world of difference.
So all in all, I’m quite happy with the suit and warrantee that goes along with it.
I've been riding a good couple of years and have realised that proper riding kit makes a world of difference. I have thus invested quite heavily in gear to fit my specific needs, which are mainly commuting and the occasional road trip (no offroading). Specifically I need kit that is durable, comfortable, waterproof, provides adequate protection and can be used in corporate environments without me looking like a power ranger.
So, through a process of elimination I've ended up with BMW Allround boots, BMW Pro Summer gloves and a BMW Coverall suit, having been through several other brands over the last 15 years. I never thought I'd actually end up like this, having always resisted the BMW branded gear as being too expensive and too 'boutique', but it appears I've been converted. Oh well, if you can't beat 'em... Anyway, this review is about the BMW Coverall suit.
I was in the market a while ago for a riding suit and finally went with the BMW Coverall suit – got it in May 2009.
Originally I had my eye on the Aerostich Roadcrafter, but there are no local suppliers here in South Africa, and I wasn’t comfortable ordering the Aerostitch without trying it in person.
With shipping it would have come to around the same amount as the BMW Coverall, which the Lyndhurst BMW dealer had in stock – so I tried it on and was impressed enough to get it. By default the suit has protectors for knees, hips, shoulders and elbows. I also got the optional back protector which is quite a decent piece of kit.
The quality is typical BMW, which is to say quite good (in my opinion) and the suit comes with a 2-year warrantee (more about this later). It’s made from a synthetic material which looks quite sturdy and I’m hoping will be good enough protection when I need it. It’s supposedly washable although I haven’t tried this yet.
It’s also quite waterproof - I've had several opportunities this summer in Joburg to test the suit in varying degrees of wet weather – from light drizzle to torrential downpours. And two seperate 8 hour rides from Joburg to Ballito and back, mostly in rain and mist. I’m happy to report that it kept me completely dry. Of course, the BMW boots and gloves played their part in this too.
It is reasonably easy to get into and out of with your boots on – I’d say this takes around 30-60 seconds, with a bit of practice. With all zips open: Hold suit with right hand, put right boot through. Grip suit with left hand, put left boot through – this is the tricky part: if your foot gets caught and you lose your balance then you are going down… Put hands in arm pockets, pull suit over shoulders. Bend over and zip up legs. Zip up torso. Getting out is pretty much the reverse of this.
I normally dress smart casual, with optional tie and jacket, and my Allround boots. I’m quite satisfied that the suit doesn’t constrict my movement or wrinkle my clothes.
I’ve been using it daily for the last 8 months, commuting through the city through our winter (4 deg Celsius) and into our summer (30 deg Celcius). It’s not lined so in winter you need a sweater, but it is fairly windproof.
Suprisingly it is not particularly hot in summer, at least not while you’re moving. Stay stationary however and you will start sweating. I ride a naked SV1000 (no windshield at all), so I sit right in the airflow – under these circumstances it performs admirably, considering the absence of airvents.
The zips are easy enough to work with the gloves on, and its got enough pockets for my purposes. There’s a little pocket on the right forearm that is really useful for storing access cards and garage card – usually I can just swipe my arm past the sensor - no need to dig the card out. The suit is fairly lightweight and is comfortable enough for short walks, and looks good enough to not embarrass you in front of corporate types – I actually think the BMW branding goes a long way to establishing some credibility. I usually fold it up and put it into a kitbag during the day.
I recently had the opportunity to test the warrantee as well - one morning at the office the main torso zipper got stuck when I was about to disrobe. Some of the zipper teeth below the pull tab had popped out, effectively stranding the zipper at the top and trapping me inside. In the process of attempting to get the teeth back together and get the pull tab back to the good part of the zip, I managed to unhook the pull tab from the zipper. At last I could get out of the suit, but soon found that there was no way to get the pull tab back onto the zip.
So I phoned Mandy at Lyndhurst BMW and explained the predicament - she suggested that I bring in the suit for repair. Somewhat disheartened I took the suit back, fully expecting a lengthy waiting period while the suit was repaired. But no, to my surprise and joy, the suit was replaced on the spot, no questions asked!
Did I mention that the zips are industrial-size? On the replacement suit I've noticed that the zippers become a bit sticky - probably due to road grime and dust. I now lubricate the zips every now and again and it makes a world of difference.
So all in all, I’m quite happy with the suit and warrantee that goes along with it.
