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KLIM NEWS. -
KLIM NEWS.
Hi-Vis Latitude Jacket | Inside Look
Since I began riding longer miles it seems that I was forced to choose between form and function in my riding apparel. I knew that the Klim Hi Viz Latitude suit would offer supreme performance but I had no idea how awesome it would look until I opened the shipping box. Pulling the jacket out, I knew that the wait was worth it. This suit is beautiful and the craftsmanship is even better. It's not unusual for a new suit to feel like you're donning a cardboard box; Klim's apparel feels like you're putting on something custom made for you. It bends and curves in all the right spots. Great pockets and a very soft but secure collar are wonderful. As a rider who spends long days in the saddle, the pants construction is amazing. They are made to be most comfortable while sitting - what a concept!
I ride a Suzuki DL650, a small, matte black bike that, even with extra lighting, made me feel invisible to other drivers on the road so I was holding out for a Hi Viz suit. Some of the Hi Viz on the market make you look like a smoke jumper in a forest fire; not this stuff. I love the color and the grey inserts and pants really look sharp with it. A ll these years wearing black, i t's amazing to me how much cooler the grey fabric is in the sun.
Having a suit that looks good is a bonus but it's not the most important thing to me. The first time I wore the suit was one of those early Fall trips to the northern Nevada desert where you get every kind of weather: heat, cold and rain, so it was a great test run. Pants legs and sleeves don't ride up, the jacket doesn't bind while reaching for your bars, the venting will blow you away (pun intended), and in a rain storm kept me completely dry, even on a bike with very minimal protection. I'm sold.
To sum it up: this stuff was definitely designed by people who take their riding seriously and it shows.
By Lisa Landry
IBA
