Noru Kaze Vented Textile Jacket Review: A Lightweight Summer Mesh Motorcycle Jacket
Commuting on a motorcycle, or motorcycling in general, is much better in the summer because there’s more daylight and you don’t have to layer up to combat cold weather. The unfortunate part is summer can bring excruciating heat which can really wreak havoc on motorcycle riders that choose to go All Gear All The Time (ATGATT). Something like a leather motorcycle jacket or non-vented riding jacket can cause riders to sweat profusely or overheat. Thankfully, modern technology and better materials have brought us to the point where riders don’t have to suffer in blazing heat. Instead, with riding gear like the Noru Kaze Vented Textile Jacket, riders can allow passing air to hit their core and arms while still feeling protected from hits and slides.
The majority of the chassis on this jacket is comprised of super light, open weave polyester mesh which allows the wearer to easily expel body heat when at a stop and feel the benefits of flowing wind when riding. With the chest, back, and arms all mostly made of polyester mesh material there is plenty of airflow throughout the jacket to help with sweating/body moisture. While the exterior is comprised of a courser, more durable material, inside the jacket is a silky-smooth mesh liner. The liner makes it easy to slide in and out of the jacket while also allowing full airflow. Additionally, when adding water or dousing the jacket with water ahead of an extremely intense riding session, the wind pushes the droplets to the body for an enhanced cooling effect.
More than just keeping riders cool, this vented motorcycle jacket provides riders with protection from slides and impact. Aside from the open mesh nylon areas that compose the majority of the jacket, the other sections—integral in the event of a slide—are comprised of 600d durable polyester panels. These tough panels can be found on the shoulder, elbows, wrists, waistline, and collar. In the unfortunate event of an impact the Kaze motorcycle jacket is outfitted with padding in key zones such as the shoulders, elbows, and along the upper portion of the sleeves. Located in the lower back portion of this motorcycle jacket is a padded kidney belt area which can help protect the rider when bumped from behind by inattentive vehicle operators.
Serious motorcycle gear fans will appreciate that there is CE approved armor in the forearms and shoulders. Held in mesh pockets topped with Velcro closures, the armor in these four locations can be removed for those that want an extremely light motorcycle jacket. Taking up a good portion of the back of this jacket is a large memory foam comfort panel. Although it is not CE approved, the pad can be removed and upgraded with approved armor if desired.
Minimal but still effective as a safety precaution for low light and nighttime riders, the Kaze has reflective piping that runs from the upper arm pits to the neck area on the front. Spanning across the upper back and shoulders is a matching strip of piping to catch rear headlights.
Sizing for the Noru Kaze Mesh Motorcycle Jacket is available from XS up to XXL with color options limited to all black or hi-viz yellow and black. For a more tailored fit and to customize the jacket to suit a variety of body sizes and preferences, the jacket offers elastic adjustments with snaps on the upper sleeve and lower forearm. Both areas offer two snap positions so that users can make the adjustments as tight or loose as needed. Further refinement can be found in the sleeves and the sides of the waist where there are Velcro adjusters to cinch or loosen the jacket.
Comfort and convenience-wise, the Kaze has a neoprene collar for a soft feel around the neckline. Down below, the zipper area has a flap of Velcro that can be put in place to cover the zipper to help protect the bike surface while also keeping the jacket closed when the zipper is all the way down. Storage shouldn’t be an issue as there are the traditional side pockets with the contents protected by zipper closures and a Napoleon pocket that offers the same.
For riders that like to prevent their jackets from riding up their back when hunched over or when the wind catches it, this Noru motorcycle jacket has a 6" piece of material with a zipper attached to it on the bottom rear so that users can connect the jacket to their riding pants.
Loaded with features, when looking at competitive vented motorcycle jackets such as the Fly Racing Flux Air Vented Jacket, the benefits of the Kaze are numerous. For example, the Kaze has more padding/neoprene around the neck and more adjustment points on the arms. The Flux lacks the amount of reflective piping that the Kaze has. And aside from having less adjustment points on the arms, the points are anchored to the sleeve and don’t offer the same comfort as elastic straps. The key difference between these two vented motorcycle jackets however, is the price. Even at its retail price of $119.99, the Kaze is still anywhere from $10 to $25 less expensive than the Fly Racing Flux—depending on which color Flux jacket you compare. If you are able to get the Noru Kaze Jacket at its extremely low promo price of $69.99, then it’s not even a question of which jacket to choose.
