Home / Site Map / My Harley Blog /
Main

Klim Latitude Jacket Review

Date:
By Wom Battle

My well worn Harley-Davidson Road Warrior textile jacket has been showing signs of decay and leaking a bit lately.  It's had a good run and seen many many k's but the time has come to replace it.  

I've been considering something a little more hard core because of the increasing kilometres I've been riding and a wider variety of conditions.  Getting gear the right size for me is always a bit of an issue so research based on requirements and fit led me to Klim.  Research on their product line led me to the Latitude Jacket as the potential winner for my needs.  Yeah, yeah, hardly the norm for a Harley-Davidson fanatic like me, but I remain unrepentently function over form driven (although I did get the black one not the grey :-)).

I found a stockist, AdventureMoto.com.au, in Dural (Sydney's North) and rather than risk the $649.95 by ordering online I took a drive to their warehouse to try a Latitude Jacket in the flesh.  The extra large was the size for me.

These jackets are more commonly used by Adventure Riders, so I expected it to be a little longer in the front than a general road jacket (because Adventure Riders often stand up) and it was.  Not a biggy for me because I'm tall anyway.  The jacket is heavyish, because it's solid, had armour on the elbows and back, lots of waterproof zipped vents for hot weather and is marketed as "guaranteed waterproof".  Just the trick for me, I don't like to get changed on the run when I'm riding.  The advertised specs for those of you who are interested are;

  • GORE-TEX® 2-LAYER PERFORMANCE SHELL
  • GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY®
  • CE-RATED INTEGRATED ARMOR SYSTEM
  • 840D CORDURA® LAMINATE EXTERIOR USED THROUGHOUT
  • HIGH-MOBILITY ACTIVE FIT PATTERNING
  • MAX FLOW VENTILATION: 5 PORTS
  • 2 ARM AND 2 PIT ZIPS INTAKES
  • 1 BACK EXHAUST
  • 6 EXTERNAL POCKETS [2 LONG CHEST “MAP” POCKETS, 3 CARGO POCKETS, 1 SLEEVE I.D. POCKET}
  • 4 INTERNAL POCKETS [2 ZIPPERED, 2 OPEN STASH}
  • 1 SECRET INTERNAL POCKET
  • MESH COMFORT LINER
  • JACKET-TO-PANT ZIPPER INTEGRATION SYSTEM
  • ZIPPERED WAIST/HIP EXPANSION PANEL
  • ADJUSTABLE WAIST CINCH STRAPS
  • 2 SLEEVE ADJUSTMENT STRAPS
  • LINED COMFORT COLLAR
  • VELCRO ADJUSTABLE WRIST CLOSURES
  • INDUSTRIAL GRADE 3M SCOTCHLITE™ REFLECTIVE PANELS AND TRIM

 I bought one.  So, how does it perform? Fantastic.

I had occasion to be wearing it on an iron butt ride a short while ago that saw me riding in freezing conditions and heavy rain through Tamworth, Armidale, Guyra and Glen Innes a short while back.  It was so cold the morning we rode through Guyra it reportedly snowed.  The jacket let no water in at all!  My only criticism was that cold air did get through the main front zipper, it wasn't as protected as I expected.  I was concerned water might follow it, but not on that occasion.

From there we headed north east through Nimbin to Tweed Heads and the day warmed considerably. I didn't get to the point where I needed to open the vents and the jacket remained comfortable (allowing for it being a little bit stiff because it's new). There was no sweaty "rubber suit" feeling that you often get in waterproof gear which was really nice, so I guess it ticks the "breathable" box just fine.  I've yet to try it in hot conditions and will let you know.

The length of the front of the jacket would probably annoy riders of sports bikes / sports tourers or other bikes that require you to lean forward to ride.  The Harley-Davidson Road King and my other bikes don't require that so it didn't bunch up annoyingly.  I've ordered the pants to go with it, when they arrive I'll also let you know how they go.

 

Disclaimer: This non commercial website and its content is not affiliated with or associated in any way with the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Harley-Davidson Australia, the Harley-Davidson Owners Group® or any Harley-Davidson® Dealers in Australia.  The use of the terms Harley-Davidson, and Road King® are unavoidable because that's what I own and ride.  This website,  called "My Harley Davidson" , and any opinions or comments expressed herein are purely about my Harley-Davidson Road King ownership experience, a truly great experience at that. I have no intention whatsoever to infringe on any trademarks or copyright ownership of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company or anyone else.


March 2024
S M T W T F S
     1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
      
<
March