Slatin Motogear Ez-1 Superfabric Mesh Jacket
SLATIN MOTOGEAR EZ-1 SUPERFABRIC MESH JACKET
IGNITION
EVALUATION
Safely keeping you cool on those blazing-hot rides
Paul Dean
Anytime the thermometer starts edging up to triple digits, a common temptation is to ride in a T-shirt with no jacket. Bad idea. Even a minor get-off can leave you with mementos you’ll never forget. The smart move: Wear a jacket that provides as much crash protection as a conventional riding jacket but will keep you from being fricasseed in scorching weather.
Slatin MotoGear’s solution is its EZ-i SuperFabric Mesh Jacket. It combines 6oo-denier outer shell construction with high-airflow ballistic mesh paneling on the front, back, and sleeves. Impact protection at the shoulders, elbows, and forearms is via toughas-nails, abrasion-resistant SuperFabric over CE-approved Level i removable armor, all complemented by a Level 2 back protector. A gossamerthin, zip-out Reissa liner is claimed to be both windproof and waterproof.
I wore the EZ-i on several rides aboard an unfaired bike in temperatures at or above the century mark and found that the jacket allowed plenty of onrushing air to enter and exit through the mesh panels. It wasn’t even remotely comparable to air-conditioning, but the circulation of air throughout the interior made riding in blistering temps much more tolerable. I also spent equal time in comparable weather on a couple of sport-tourers—one with a tidy, sportbike-like fairing and the other fully faired. Obviously, the level of ventilation on both was reduced—less so on the former than the latter—but the EZ-i nonetheless provided welcome relief from the heat.
Southern California hasn’t seen rain in months, preventing us from testing the waterproof aspect of the Reissa liner. We did, however, zip it in place when riding in mid50-degree weather at higher altitudes and were impressed at how well it blocked the wind. The liner is a mere 0.008 inch thick and folds up into a rectangle slightly larger than a cell phone, so it’s easy to carry along.
An important caveat, however: When riding in hot weather wearing a ventilated jacket, you need to stay hydrated. The constant flow of hot air around your upper body causes sweat to evaporate at a much higher rate, and that can lead to dehydration. Carry water with you or stop occasionally to get a drink.
It’s no accident that the EZl’s MSRP is a surprisingly low $159. The company’s owner, Richard Slatin, works directly with the factory to control the design, production, and quality of his riding gear, and he then sells the products himself rather than through a third-party distributor. Slatin also has deliberately sized his jackets on the large side to fit what he calls a “more mature” rider with slightly greater “circumferential dimensions” than a typical younger rider.
Whether that’s a wise move remains to be seen.
But in a market that already serves up a fair number of hot-weather riding jackets, the EZ-i SuperFabric Mesh is a legitimate player. With its high-quality materials, excellent crash-protection features, good ventilation, and exceptionally affordable price, it offers a lot of cool for not a lot of money.
SLATIN MOTOGEAR EZ-1 SUPERFABRIC MESH JACKET
slatinmotogear.com PRICE: $159
UPS + Generous sleeve length + Ultra-soft microsuede collar + Available in nine colors
DOWNS - Bulky sleeve closures - Back protector not comfortably contoured
