BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

I am struggling to ride by bike in the Australian summer. I purchased a jacket that has a removable liner, and once this liner is removed, most of the frontal area is of a mesh design. I think the issue is the great job the RT fairing does to keep the rider out of the slipstream. I just don't get any cooling flow through the jacket at all. By the time I arrive home on any day over 30C, I am completely saturated and can't get the gear of quick enough.

Our Police here in South Australia use the RT's. Before I purchased my bike, I would notice the Police riding the bikes with just a short sleeved shirt on. I often thought that unusual for the obvious safety reasons, but know I can appreciate why.

Shirt sleeves is your choice. Not what i would recommend. I must say i did ride in the 80s with just a T-shirt whilst despatch riding in London but back then amour didn't exist.
I suffer from the heat badly and have tried a few mesh jackets. Oxford was OK but still didn't cool me enough. Last summer before touring the south of France i bought an Icon Mesh AF jacket. It is lightweight with D30 amour. They aint cheap but it's the best hot weather jackets ive owned. It is just a summer jacket as there is no liners.
The link states its leather but there is no leather on or in the jacket
https://www.fc-moto.de/epages/fcm.sf/?c ... PtEALw_wcB

Bloody risky business short sleeve shirts,can substain horrendous injuries, even at low speed.I got knocked off last May by some knobber doing a u turn out of stationery traffic as I filtered past.I was dressed head to toe in full on bike gear( no cheap shit) doing about 20mph.I was nearly killed,air lifted to the Royal London and was on the verge of having lower leg amputated(saved by the great surgeon's and nurses)







Last picture was my leg 2 days ago,don't think I'm going to return to my previous job and haven't worked since the accident.
I'll be blunt.
WEAR ALL THE FECKIN GEAR,it could just save you'd life.

Nearly forgot the biggest arse ache.Bought the RT a month before lockdown was declared and as we started to come out of it I had the accident. Done about 200 miles in 3 years.The good thing that's kept me going is Steve and his Chinese bargains and the fact he owes me a coffee, good man

I rode across The Nullarbor (twice!) in 40 degree heat on a hired RT. Just used a mesh jacket, with armour fitted, summer weight gloves, boots, etc. A tad warm, but regular stops for water helped.

You might want to look at this website:-

https://www.techniche-intl.com/our-tech ... e-cooling/

Never tried them and I have no association with them. However, if it helps keep you cool and enables to still wear ATGATT, then it could be worth it.

Stay safe,

Old Foxy

On previous trips we’ve resigned ourselves to stopping every 40 mins or so and drinking copious amounts of water and then pouring more of it over ourselves, that way we remained fairly cool until it dried off after about 30 mins.

Not wanting to go through the discomfort of a similar experience again I bought a Fly Racing Cooling Vest last spring in preparation for the very hot French trip later in the summer, and true to faith it was very, very hot… 42c at one point, but guess who forgot to take the damn vest?

Here’s a video review for it anyway -




It also helps if you don’t wear cotton but rather some of the many hi-tech garments to wick sweat away from your body. This subject I know has been discussed on other threads on this forum.

Re. the mesh gear, we wear Klim Marrakesh which for us is a compromise between protection and safety, full D30 armour and 1000 denier woven Cordura throughout. Our previous gear were Rev’it mesh suits which was a bit cooler but a far looser fit, and in our opinion offered less protection.

Here’s another video to watch if there’s nothing on the TV!