Hi, I'm going to Italy for the WDW this summer. I need a new 2-piece suit and considering the Dainese Lagune - but not sure whether to choose perfed or non-perfed. What is your experience with Southern Europe in summer? Riding to Italy, it would probably be nice with a non-perfed for early mornings and late nights but when there or sitting in back-up traffic on the autobahn and for the occasional city ride through, I imagine that the perfed would be more comfortable. What would you suggest to cover both in one trip? Too cold on mornings and evenings getting there or too hot mid day? I'd appreciate hearing from your experience. Rex
I ride in perforated leathers over here in summer and winter and never found them to be a problem even in winter.... in summer they are a godsend when you get moving....
Here in the Dordogne no one wears leathers. We wear blow through armoured jackets. When it is cool in the mornings a thin wind and waterproof over jacket is fine. I would think that Italy would be very similar temperatures.
Same here, perf. leathers summer and winter. Foul weather I use an over-jacket, my Dainese perf. jacket has a zip in/out thermal lining for when it's really cold. I have a wind stopper under shirt thing I picked up in Aldi that is great for early mornings and easily removed once the sun is up. On tours in Spain and Sth of France the perf. leathers are a god-send so long as you keep moving.
Some of my French biker mates think that I am not a typical UK biker because I am not clad from head to toe in leather, usually black, in the middle of summer when the bike cops are in shirt sleeves.
I find that a bit scary, sure they have decent training, they're out there all day and yes it's hot, but FFS what happens when they have an off at anything above walking pace. Maybe looking cool is more important? Do the authorities provide good medical and life cover for them?
The Gendarmes are part of the military and I believe that the short sleeved shirts hark back to the cavalry days. People like to protect themselves against anything these days but they do not weigh up the protection that all the leather affords them against the risk of dehydration from wearing it. I wear a helmet because the law says that I have too. I also ride in tee shirt and shorts sometimes in the summer, that is my choice. If I was worried about the danger then I would not ride a motorcycle in the first place. I see many people smoking and their risk of cancer is probably much higher than my risk of falling off. I'll bet that the bike cops even have a glass of wine with their lunch too.
I did Mugello in a one piece and it was hotter than the sun. Mate broke down and had his bike in a workshop overnight. I rode him to the workshop and back in jeans and t-shirt and it felt like the best journey ever. Perforated and take armoured jeans!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I suppose it comes down to the fact that touring Brits can put up with a week of being somewhat sweaty for the sake of retaining the level of protection that they normally have, feel pretty naked and exposed without it. If you live there and spent a lot of time on the bike then you probably naturally find a cooler way to ride, be that mesh armour vests or riding in shorts, T shirts and flip flops. All a matter of personal choice, and acceptance of the consequences, at the end of the day.
Thanks for your helpful input, everyone. I bought a perfed 2-piece zip-together leather suit for the trip.
I had an RG500 when I lived in Napoli in the 90's. I couldn't ride it in the summer as it was just too hot and I couldn't ride like the locals who were in shorts with their helmet hooked over their elbow. Minimum I would have leather jacket, gloves, helmet and jeans. Amalifi coast ride was always a blast Salerno, Positano, round via Sorrento and back to Naples via Pompeii....mama mia!
