The first set of proper “riding gear” I acquired came to me by chance. I had taken a job with Touratech, and had arranged a tour of the Dirt Fish Rally School in Snoqualmie, WA – what they hoped might become the home of an off-road riding school sponsored by the brand. It was January, and if you’ve ever visited the Pacific Northwest that time of year, you’ll know how cold, wet and windy it can be. Outside sat a BMW F650GS Dakar, ready for me to ride. Up until that time, what I considered “riding gear” consisted of an old leather jacket I purchased in Italy, jeans and brown leather boots… Oh, and an auto-sport helmet I’d had for years. Picture that? Yea, I looked ridiculous. When I stepped outside the office, clad in the aforementioned, everyone laughed. “You’re going to ride in that?” I shrugged. Paul, the General Manager, walked me back into the office, opened a hallway closet and sorted through the plethora of “riding gear” that was stuffed inside. When we finally left, I was wearing a pair of old GORE-TEX pants that were two sizes too big, and a jacket with more pockets, zippers and liners than anything I’d seen before. And while it didn’t fit, or look good, it did keep me dry and warm during our after dark freeway ride in near freezing temperatures.
From that point on, the idea of gear became a bit more appealing to me. After I sold my old Kawasaki street bike and bought a dual-sport, I started spending my weekends exploring the forest service roads east of Seattle, riding to and from in inclement weather. I acquired a jacket and pant combo made by KLIM, which like a lot of adventure riding kit, it was armored, waterproof––and ugly. But when the weather turned from bad to worse, I was always dry and sometimes warm, which is essential. Fast forward a few years, and I was introduced to ICON. A brand I had always associated with Squids on sport bikes, ICON was attempting to bridge a gap between the gear-less and the ATGATT’s. Their ICON 1000 line, a collection inspired by the apocalypse, included some wax cotton coats, leather gloves and breathable over pants, all of which came equipped with D3O armor. We wore an assortment of this stuff on our month long motorcycle trip to Mexico, as well as during the infamous Barstow-to-Vegas dual sport ride. The gear provided us with plenty of protection, and was handsome both on and off the bike. But when we returned to Washington this past January, reality set in. Waxed cotton looks cool, but won’t keep you warm…or dry.
Enter ICON Raiden. Prior to its arrival, rumors swirled about the internet; A complete line of adventure gear was forthcoming! Honestly, the wait was excruciating. Many a wet, cold ride came before we acquired our kits. Unlike the aforementioned equipment I’d worn prior, ICON’s Raiden gear looked good! With a built-in long sleeve Thermolite liner, seam sealed zippers, storm collar, HYCOR waterproof chassis and plenty of pockets, the Raiden DKR jacket has not only kept me warm and dry, but allows me to omit the layers I’d otherwise be forced to wear. Both the DKR jacket and pants also include D3O armor, which as you may know, has become the industry standard. Additionally, the jacket includes a water pack routing system and three exhaust vents, both of which will help keep you cool when the weather isn’t, well, like Washington.
The fit is fantastic. True to size, I’ve worn a small in everything ICON makes, Raiden kit included. The pants, albeit meant to fit over whatever you’re wearing, are not as big as you might imagine. Some people have complained the over-pant is excess, and would prefer an in-boot style setup. I disagree. The ability to wear what you want underneath allows you to keep the Raiden kit packed away for when it’s appropriate, and doesn’t force you to walk around looking like an astronaut. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, ICON’s new Raiden gear is tough. During a recent week-long ride on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, everyone involved had more than one off-the-bike experience. All of which ended upright with a smile. No damage done.
So if you’re looking for some proper riding gear, something that’s waterproof, protective and halfway handsome, I’d recommend taking a look at ICON’s new Raiden collection.
