JR Meteor 5.0 jacket and Ballistic 5.0 pant

I'm thinking these will be my next moto-gear purchase, what sayest the VFRd collective?

[image: user posted image]

[image: user posted image]


I've tried on both, in size L and they seem to fit really decent with or without the jacket liner.

I have owned the pants with the Ballistic 5.0 jacket for about a year. The quality and finish of the pants is good. I've been is some pretty heavy rain and stayed dry. The liner is not removable, so I wear then as over pants in the fall and winter, and just pants in the warm weather. Only complaint - and this is a problem I have with any off the rack item - even the talls are a couple of inches too short in the seated position.

Overall - fing02.gif

Dave

I like the JR gear but I think it, for some reason, has a rep as "cheap" gear, dunno where that comes from, but just an impression...

I've run their Alter Ego jacket with Ballistic/Phoenix pants combo for years. Unfortunately the Alter Ego pants did not come out until a year or so after I bought the two pants, but I'm planning on adding a set to my collection, this Alter Ego stuff really makes it easy to pack and travel without extra gear. I also have their Sahara Vest and a couple pairs of their gloves.

My experience has been favorable, everything seems to hold up well, fits decent, looks good, etc. The Alter Ego is nice on a trip as obviously you can change it around as conditions change.

I did have a problem with the zippers breaking on the jacket, however I sent them off to JR and they repaired them with what appears to be sturdier zippers. I also make sure I periodically apply zipper lube (available at boat stores) to keep everything moving freely.

I'm not a big fan of their "Dry Tech" liner though and hardly ever use it. In this climate that liner becomes a sauna suit. I prefer to use either my heated liner or a thermal liner I have from another jacket depending on the conditions. My father uses his DT liner all the time, but he's up in Wash DC, so go figure.

I like the Ballistic jacket, the ability to have all those vents are real nice, however I have a 3/4 lenth heavier jacket loaded with vents and pockets for cooler/longer rides, so I don't really need one of these. The Alter Ego works in almost all conditions I run in....

The Ballistic pants are hot and I find I don't need any more heat than what these offer, if anything, they get too hot and I tend to sweat pretty good underneath them... I think though its the (non removable) dry tech liner underneath that's the culprit. My understanding is that the AE pants allow one to remove the DT liner which would be nice...

Obviously I wear mostly mesh type gear down here but I'm toying with adding another mesh type jacket to the mix and I really like their Reactor 2.0, mesh with vented leather overlay, real nice fit with good looks...

Good luck, YMMV...

i have those pants, they're fantastic. comfortable, warm or cool if you unzip them. we're not exactly tropical here in alberta and i rode with shorts underneath on the weekend.

I've had a pair of the 5.0 pants (used them with a 3.0 jacket) for a little over a year now and recommend them with a couple of reservations. I used them daily for over a year, and they are a great easy-on/easy off overpant - the zippers have held up great to all kinds of abuse. JR stuff gets a bit of a bad rep, but I've never had any issues with it, even the older 3.0 jacket. The pants started out 100% waterproof, but now they are somewhere around 90% - I do get the dreaded wet-crotch now if I'm out in sustained heavy rain. I also like that the JR stuff is available in tall sizes, which is critical to a tall, skinny fella like myself (still too short when on the bike, though). The armour in the pants is pretty light duty stuff (the hip armour is a joke) but it does make the pants quite comfortable to wear. As others have mentioned the pants are very warm, to me they are uncomfortable to wear over street clothes for extended periods at anything over 70 degrees. Wearing shorts underneath will help a bit, but the problem is they don't breathe well. Ofcourse, running the zippers partially open is another option, but that's not a good option in the rain, and likely compromises the protection afforded by wearing them in the first place.
Basically, they are my preferred winter riding get-up but for warmer, drier times I picked up a set of lighter coloured, vented Olympia cordura pants.

HTH

Sean