The Breakdown
Pros
Cons
First Impression
My first impression of the Olympia X Moto 2 jacket was very good. The first thing that I noticed when I opened the box was the quality. Excellent material, awesome zippers, refined stitching. This jacket looks awesome and the quality is undeniable.
I took the jacket out of the box and started checking it out. The outermost layer has the zip-in backpack with a built-in water bladder.
The Outer shell itself is very good quality Cordura fabric. The outer shell features built-in shoulder, elbow, and back armor.
The inside layers feature a laminated rain jacket and thermal layer.
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Outer Shell
The Outer shell is constructed in 500 and 2000 denier Cordura® fabric. The entire jacket features quality YKK Zippers throughout. It features a Mega Vent Panel System in the chest, back, and arm position. The Shell features removable CE approved Motion Flex armor in the elbows and shoulders area.
The back of the shell features a removable CE approved Motion Flex articulated back protector. The Shell features cool mesh airflow lining throughout. It has lots of adjustability in the collar, cuffs elbows, and waist. The collar features comfort neoprene. The shell features an 8” connecting zipper for the matching pants as well as side waist adjuster straps.
The outside of the jacket features 3M scotchlite® reflective detailing at the front, sides, and back. There are eight storage pockets and the shell also features an oversized waterproof back storage pocket. The shell also features an integrated zip-off backpack that includes a 2-liter hydration bladder.
Rain Jacket
The second layer of the jacket is an AquaRes™ laminated rain jacket that can be worn over or under the main outer shell. If worn inside, the rain jacket zips in and becomes a liner within the protective shell. The rain jacket features a stowaway hood with a rubberized neck gator. 3M reflective piping is located at the front, sides, and back of the rain jacket. You also find side entry pockets as well as an interior pocket for storage.
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RevZilla
Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing
Amazon
Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing
Thermal Layer
Finally, the innermost layer of the X Moto 2 Jacket features a removable full sleeve thermal layer with Thermolite® insulation. It can be zipped into the main shell or the rain jacket depending on the weather.
Zip-Off Backpack
The X Moto 2 Jacket also features a zip-off integrated backpack. The backpack features an integrated shoulder harness system as well as a 2-liter hydration bladder.
Riding with the Jacket
My first impression of riding with the jacket on was an undeniable feeling of safety. The jacket is very comfortable to wear and the armor is extremely well positioned.
It was 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) when I tried the jacket for the first time. I was not cold at all. I wore the jacket with all of the components. The thermal liner did a spectacular job at keeping me warm. In fact, It was perfect while riding, but a bit too warm to wear inside.
The following day, I wore the jacket and the matching Olympia X Moto 2 pants while I was conducting a review of a Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS. It was 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) again, but it was raining. I rode in the rain for almost 3 hours and I was amazed at how dry I was at the end. I was not cold while riding except for my hands as my gloves were inadequate for the weather. I made a point of placing some tissues in various pockets to see if any of them would get wet. None of them did.
The jacket moved very naturally with my body while riding. I did not feel constricted at any time. I did feel extremely grateful that I was wearing such good gear during this ride. I did find that the collar of the jacket was a bit thick and my helmet seemed to rest on it a bit. It was not uncomfortable, but it did require me to make an added effort to conduct proper shoulder checks on the bike.
Final Impressions
This jacket is amazing. I highly recommend the Olympia X Moto 2 Jacket to anyone who is looking for an all-around riding jacket. The versatility of this jacket will be greatly appreciated for anyone who rides in different conditions. The multiple layers, the copious amount of storage and the CE rated armor puts this jacket at the top of my favorites.
The safety aspects of this jacket give you peace of mind knowing that you have a very high level of protection should you find yourself in an emergency situation.
At the time of this review, the retail on this jacket was C$ 719.99 US$ 479.99
Disclosure: Please note that I was provided the Olympia X Moto 2 Jacket Free of Charge for this review.
Pros
- Excellent Materials
- Outstanding Build Quality
- Extremely Versatile
- Loaded with Safety Features
- Good Visibility
- Comfortable, Warm, & Stylish
Cons
- Collar is a bit thick
- Jacket is a bit heavy with all layers and backpack
Specs
- Manufacturer: Olympia Motosports
- Price (When Tested): $ 479.99
- Alternative models & colors: Fatigue-Grey/Pewter, Pewter/Ivory, Pewter/Neon-Yellow
- Sizes: SM – 4XL
- Review Date: September 2018
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RevZilla
Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing
Amazon
Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing
Nice review, nice jacket! Olympia has done a good job of finding a market niche just below the top-end brands. The unanswered questions for me for the X Moto 2 are hot weather suitability (pun), ease of use, and flapping on the highway.
Flapping is fatiguing over the long haul, but some looseness is required for ventilation and to leave room for liners or layers. It’s a trade-off, and it varies by brand. If you ride mostly off-road, loose is fine and flapping isn’t an issue. The X Moto 2 has waist adjustment, which is a big help.
Ease of use refers to the adjustment of vents and the deployment of the external rain jacket. The better jackets minimize the amount of time spent on the side of the road fiddling with gear. You have to pay and pay to get maximum ease-of-use, including built-in exterior goretex, waterproof zippers, and vents that can be adjusted while riding. The X Moto 2 lacks sleeve vents, but the front vent panels might be adjustable from the saddle. The rear vents would seem to flow a lot of air. The separate rain liner presents the usual roadside challenge. If the jacket fabric gets wet, it’s going to stay wet, possibly over night. It’s probably treated fabric, which does help.
Customers who already have a hot-weather jacket and a carry-along rain jacket don’t need the (expensive) ventilation and breathability of a 4-season jacket.
The Moto X 2 seems to be aimed at the FirstGear Katmandu jacket, for folks who’d rather not spend $600+.
Ken, first, trhanks for your supplemental comments, with which I tend to agreee. I have used and still use some Olympia products, and concur they are first rate.
My only point of departure is your closing comment about target market being the mid-range FG Kathmandu ($350 list). Actually, the closest FirstGear product would be [have been] their TPG Rainier jackets ($499 list), or even the Kilimanjaro at $399, but where it outshines both of those is removable liners. Both of those are waterproof (they really are, DAMHIK), but the ‘tech liner’ for warmth or stand-alone light jacket duty, no longer appears available. [It came integrated with my 2010 Rainier(s), but obviously somebody saw an opportunity to make more $$.]
But back to the Moto X2, to me the one downfall, which you mentioned, is the lack of sleeve vents, which I find to be extremely useful on the [2010] Rainier, but otherwise I like the concept of multiple adaptability modes the Olympia jacket provides via differing ‘liner’ uses, esp. the ability to use rain ‘liner’ externally. [Hint: that versatility iswhy I haven’t considering replacing my ‘old’ Rainiers, and made sure to score a back-up when they went on close-out several years ago.]
It has 2 mesh panels in front and 2 in the rear, as well as 2 mesh panels in the arms. These can be opened or closed with 2 zippers and folded away. I’m sure the mesh panel covers can be unzipped on one side only, providing a vent for more draft control.
Olympia makes very rugged and well constructed riding gear, and the use of genuine Cordura is a big plus. I have two of their jackets. I had an issue with the mesh jacket, which was handled promptly, the customer service is outstanding. I know we all live in various climates, but it would good be good if this included a hot weather review.
Hi Terry,
I have had a chance to ride with the jacket in weather that was a bit warmer… about 60 degrees F. Not what you would call hot by any means, but warmer then when I did the review… I rode with just the Cordura jacket. I removed the rain liner and heat liner. the jacket was very good in this weather. I am looking forward to next summer to try out the vents… Thanks for your comment.