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BMW Comfort Shell Suit: The best all weather riding gear in the world?

I have been using the BMW Comfort Shell Suit for the past few months, actually since late last fall and been meaning to do a review of them. But consider this just a quick mention, until I get to do a worthwhile write up for truly an excellent riding gear.

I love wearing leather jackets, specially Vanson, but leather is simply not practical for commuting, or for long trips. In the Northeast the weather plays a different tune everyday. The saying goes, if you don't like the weather, just wait a day. We are almost in June and it's still chilly and rather wet out.

Finally I found a textile suit that I prefer more than wearing leather for commuting and this is no small thing.

For those of you who know me, I am very careful endorsing any product because I don't want to lose your trust.

But the new BMW Comfort Shell Suit is that good.

The suit is 100% typhoon resistant let alone ordinary rain. Mix it up with BMW's Allround total waterproof boots and ProSummer waterproof gloves and you'll feel not a single drop of rain as I have hit many many days worth of massive downpours with this particular riding gear.

The suit requires no bothersome waterproof liner, it's not heavy, nor is it a typical dorky textile style. It's styled for Sport bikes, the outer shell is already waterproof but breathable, even though it has 4 massive zippers to cool you during warm summer days.

It comes standard with a complete BMW top grade armor system. The jacket comes in all black or blue and the pants only in black. I have the all black suit.

I have put at least 10 to 15K miles on this suit in all kinds of weather and it's simply a knock out product. Extremely impressive. Ride it for dry days or for wet days without the need to carry extra bulky liners.

The Comfort Shell Suit is a premium riding gear from BMW, so, it's not inexpensive, but it's really worth every penny.

I'll have more to say about this with personal pics later.

Here's the jacket in Blue:

Can confirm this……..not that I think Shiva’s statements need confirmation.

Been using a Comfort Shell for the last 8 months and it really does what they claim for it to do. Even the pockets remain completely dry as a result of a zip system that almost seemed sealed once closed.

Especially popular with us when space is at a premium (which is almost always)…..no need to carry the space eating rain coat with when using the CS.

Quite acceptable in hot conditions (not extremely hot) as well as the fabric reacts to conditions.

Pricey but good quality

Must be good, but i'm still Rukka fan.
Now they make suits from elastic cordura, which should fit a little like leather. That is very pricey thought. I bought new suit over year ago, which i had change to use only about 1000km, but really liked it. I just notice, there is like cushion in but also.

Eka, I can see why you like to wear Rukka, they make the most expensive gear. I see some of the gear costing 3000 Euros... Yikes! You're such a connoisseur... I like that... S

Another rainy ride with the temps hovering in the high 40s. The Comfort Shell Suit as usual remained completely dry. Of course a waterproof suit won't work too well if not matched with waterproof boots and gloves. If you are wearing sub-par gloves you'll hands will get wet and your whole body will feel wet because of it, same is true with boots.

Also, waterproof gear that's not breathable in my opinion is totally worthless, because they make you sweat so much that you'll feel worse.

The solution is breathable, waterproof gear, from top to bottom. If you manage to use such a gear that's also good for dry riding, then you are set, because no matter what the road or the nature throws at you, one suit can handle it all.

Comfort Shell Suit delivers on all points. It's a great riding gear that can easily work through 3 seasons, Fall, Winter and Spring and also part of the Summer. When the temps hit high 80s and 90s, only fully perf apparel such as BMW's Venting Machine, or fully perforated lightweight leather jackets should be considered. But any other time between high 30s to low 80s the Comfort Shell Suit can't be beat.

It keeps you dry without causing you to sweat, and when the road is dry and warm, you can unzip 4 large front and rear vents. Also, the fabric itself tightens in cold weather and opens up in warm to allow more air to flow through it.

I also wear GoreTex boots and gloves. This combination makes for a very comfortable all weather riding gear. Although I have several pairs of boots and gloves, the GoreTex ones have become my top choice for commuting.

As mentioned, I use BMW Allround boots and BMW ProSummer gloves. All totally top notch and 100% waterproof while being breathable.

The gloves are good also from high 30s to high 70s. Anything warmer you need to switch to summer gloves. The boots also get warm in the 80s, so at that point I normally wear the BMW Airflow.






The above combination makes for a (IMO) perfect 3 and a half season riding gear. Specially useful for commuting and long trips.

Hi there,

Have not been active for a couple of weeks due to a hectic schedule, both private as well as professionally
But I just wanted to share some thoughts regarding the Comfortshell, especially as my wife and I have been testing it rigorously over the last couple of weeks in all types of weather. My wife had hers for a while, but I finally decided to buy one as well.

One test was while driving a rented R1200 GS on the Tenerife island. The conditions there are a good test for the Comfortshell as the island has different climate conditions. The northern part of the islands is more mild than the south which is warm, windy and hot. In addition, the roads lead you from costal areas to high altitude drives at 2300 meter (7500 ft), far above the clouds. That means quickly changing temperatures, weather conditions, etc. But what a biker's dream!

In a nutshell our observations:

What is great?

- A really good fit!
- Aerates really very well and has additional ventilation openings which you can open/close with zippers. Funny is that my wife could open and close them for we as we were driving. Now, this is the real test for me as I sweat a lot. Even thinking about heat makes me sweat. And although not the ultimate solution it is one of the better that suits all driving conditions. And as I don't have the intention to buy specific gear for all driving conditions (one leather and one all-weather fabric suit are fine), this is great gear for me.
- Rain-proof! We tried this recently on our way back from Lodz to Warsaw and it works. And with the lack of drainage on Polish roads I can tell you you really need good raingear and good tyres
- Keeps the temperature low enough during heat and high enough while it's cold (as low as 10 C). Usually I wear only a T-shirt underneath, eventually a sweater as well. When it is colder, the wife wears longer underwear underneath, whereas I don't really need it.
- Handy pockets, keep things dry.
- Great fit and with excellent protectors. Make sure you try various sizes though to find your best fit. It took us a while to figure out what was best for us.
- Quality = outstanding (except for one detail, see below)

What we regret?

- The button of the trousers....yep! Be careful with it as it does NOT work as a button. I have seen a couple of them without the button while trying them and it is a weak point. May seem a stupid detail but can be very annyoing. BMW to resolve this asap!
- The cost.... They are expensive and I know other brands offer probably more bang for the bucks. I don't disagree on that.

Will post a few pictures shortly

Cheers!

geebee and jamie, thanks for your comments.. S

I am doing a review of this suit for a couple of publications and here's a shot that will go with my write up.

I know the suit is great in the area of climate control - but I have my serious doubts that it will hold up well in when it comes to abrassion resistance.

Sorry, but I rather sweat than bleed. The Comfort Shell inspires no confidence for me in this area. According to the BMW reps, it is rated as less abrassion resistant than their StreetGuard suits - and these aren't bad for abrassion, but they ain't great either.

I will continue to mostly use my gore-tex laminated leather suit. A bit warm (I live in a hot climate), but it has kept me dry in pouring rain for hours on end, does not soke up or absorb water, and has taken me from 100 F to 0 F in less than 3 hours with little discomfort.

Hopefully BMW will launch a new suit with the latest version of gore-tex laminated leather. Otherwise, they ain't getting my business in the touring suit area.

Second that motion. BMW's gear is too expensive. You pay for the brand.

I have my serious doubts that it will hold up well in when it comes to abrassion resistance.

I disagree with this statement.

also you can't bash something for being expensive, if that was the case you would be riding Japanese.

This is an incredible piece of gear and one of the most impressive I've ever tried. I have 7 riding suits (3 leather, 4 textile) and several boots and countless gloves (used to have a couple of dozens of helmets, now just stick to Arai), I am very careful when I make a statement about a product and I try to either nail a product or not even mention it. And I waited until I've put about 10,000 miles on it (talk about wearing something out), in many types of weather (hot, cold, wet, freezing, super hot and so on). And I know people who wear it as well on regular basis and those who have taken this suit as their only piece gear on African GS rides (no shit).

This is an outstanding piece of gear. Period. It comes with the most sophisticated peace of armor anywhere. It's 100% typhoon proof, it requires no lining and as I said initially and it's being endorsed by others it's simply one of the best suits made for serious (overkill for the casual rider) two-wheel riders anywhere.

The suit feels very substantial. I wouldn't endorse it, if I didn't believe in it.

And it's pricey, as well it should be, it's a kick ass product. Cheers, S

caratz wrote:........BMW's gear is too expensive. You pay for the brand........

I agree but in turn you get a premium product. The Comfort Shell uses the latest of BMW protection armour. For example the back protection of the jacket consists of no less than 4 protective layers.

Anyway I was under the impression that's what you want all along

......I buy a GERMAN. EUROPEAN bike, and pay a hefty premium for it, that's what I want to get........

If I have a choise and in the event of that happening, I would like to come down in full leathers but I have seen a Comfort Shell after a crash and it came through with flying colours.

I'm more than happy with the protection offered by the Comfort Shell and find it to be a great alternative to leathers

SHIVA wrote:

I have my serious doubts that it will hold up well in when it comes to abrassion resistance.

I disagree with this statement.

You're entitled to disagree. However, unless you have independent or comparable tests on which to base your disagreement, it is nothing but opinion. You have tested the comfort and weatherproofness of the suit and your comments on the suit are helpful in providing one more source of information regarding these aspects. Information is always welcome.

However, unless you have crash tested the suit - or can publish tests on the abrassion resistance of the suit - you are not qualified to categorically refute my concerns about abrassion resistance. And I stress, abrassion resistance is the only area that I question about this suit (and just about every other textile suit in the market - it's not a beef with BMW gear). BMW's own people indicate that it is not their most crash abrassion resistant suit - and you'll understand that their comments in this regard hold more sway than others.

The suits impact protection is top notch - recent tests in a German magazine put the BMW protectors top of the class and well above CE requirements. But, when it comes to abrassion resistance, I am currently not convinced - and will not be unless I can see some independent tests to the contrary.

SHIVA wrote:
also you can't bash something for being expensive, if that was the case you would be riding Japanese.

I have no qualms with the price, this is someone elses comment. I have, and likely will in the future, pay the same or more for quality gear.

Your concern about the abrasion resistance is noted.

Out of interest, on which “independent crash test” do you base your opinion on or is it purely the comments from “BMW’s own people”? Care to publish the names and statements from those people?

I would be very surprised if BM released some protective clothing and more specific in this case fabric, under their label which don’t conform to their very strict safety standards applicable to all their other clothing.

For what it’s worth, I regard the opinion of a seasoned, highly respected and credible motorcycle journalist like Shiva very highly. Further assessment of the Comfort Shell is indeed my own opinion based on personal evaluation and usage. If anything, I think in a comparison with other similar BM clothing I have used or currently using, the Comfort Shell’s material, ranks in the top part in terms of it’s abrasion ability - granted I luckily never had to test my protective gear in a crash – the other BM clothing being –

- Boulder Jacket and City Pants
- Venting Machine
- Airflow 3
- Rally 2

Jamie,

You're misinterpreting my comments (or I have not expressed myself clearly). I am not saying that I have tests that show the suit is less abrasion resistant than some other manufacturers gear.

Not all BMW gear offers the same abrasion resistance, they are not all made of the same material. Irrespective of that, as others have said, textile suits do not (with one exception - the Halvarsson Safety) offer the same abrasion resistance as quality leather.

Shiva's comments on things he has tested or can attest to from direct personal experience are nice comments to have. However, he is not in a position to refute my apprehension based on his liking or not of the suit. Unless he has information that he has not shared regarding the safety elements of the suit, his opinion concerning the crashworthiness (from abrasion perspective) is of no value and is mere conjencture. I personally don't plan to put my skin on the line based on conjecture.

I made reference to the excellent impact protection of the Comfort Shell - and it was not based on "I tried it, I liked it". It was from a Motorrad lab test that showed the protectors reduced energy transfer significantly more than that of other manufacturers.

Again, I'm not ragging on the suit, but I am highlighting the fact the most textiles (no matter how great their other features) are not going to offer the same level of protection as good leather. And that while the suit deserves accolades for those things one can attest too, there are others that have yet to be addressed.

No arguments from me that leather is better to crash in than anything else (might be debated by manufacturers of high quality fibers though)

However, we are specifically talking here about the Comfort Shell as the heading suggests and I was therefore merely trying to establish why you think – or that is my feeling anyway – the Comfort Shell offers less protection than other comparable (non-leather) BMW protective clothing. You undoubtedly questioned the safety aspects of the CS suit seemingly with authority and when you asked for proof in terms of tests, that the CS suit is “safe” I assumed you know something that we don’t and that you can substantiate the claim.

My beliefs are simple……

Leather is my first choice with reference to ultimate safety, If you move away from leather, all other BMW offerings are pretty much on power with each other and subjected to the same safety requirements.

My original comments stem from the title given to the thread - "The best all weather riding gear in the world?" Therefore, we are not only talking about BMW gear.

In any event, in my book, the answer is NO; simply because it does not offer the same level of abrasion protection as quality leather - and in my first post I make reference to gore-tex laminated leather as being my preferred choice. There is no trashing of the suit intended. But there is intent to make clear that it can't be the best in the world if it does not offer comparable protection as other alternatives out there - regardless of brand.

Discussions with BMW reps, both here in Spain as well as at the annual BMW meet in Garmisch, Germany last year (sponsored by BMW) confirm that this is not considered (by them) their most protective textile suit. Have they given me something in writing, no. Have I spoken to the only people in the entire organisation that think this in two countries - can't say. But, when asked point blank they always refer to the Street Guard suit as their most protective textile suit - stating that the armacor material used in the StreetGuard is their most abrasion resistant material.

So, the answer to the question is NO if you take into consideration all aspects of what a motorcycle suit is suppose to do. For those who value weather protection over other aspects, then this excellent suit may well be the best.

this is an interesting thread.

Since I am reviewing this suit for the Press, I contacted the Apparel Manager for BMW Motorrad USA about Comfort Shell.

"Comfort Shell uses some of their toughest fabrics called Dynatec which uses Dynafil.

Dynatec: Fabric made of Dynafil. Tear-resistant and extremely robust, with a melting point of 550 deg F.

Dynafil: A highly tear-resistant polyamide yarn that is even more robust than Cordura 500/700 and resistant to high temperatures."

Combine this with BMW's "lab tested best armor in the world" (pricey too) called NP Protectors and you got yourself a suit that will out crash pretty much anything in its price range while being waterproof and breathable.

I love leather and do wear it often, but there are many grades of leather, you can't say all leather is better than all textile, that's simply not even remotely true.

Super high quality, thick, racing leathers (also pricey) may surpass many types of textile, but an off the rack $400 leather jacket can't make such claim. Also, survival from a crash depends on the quality of armor as well.

So, if you have $2000-3000 leather suits, then yes, but if you are wearing off the rack variety, you wouldn't be too right by making such general statements.

The Comfrot Shell feels very robust and now we know why.

S

Make that three countries that indicate that the material used in the Comfort Shell is not their most protective. This is from BMW MOA - an interview with the Apparel and Accessories Manager of Ride West BMW.

BMW Gear: Finding the Right Fit
By Aliya Nylander #108307

Recently, while perpetually "window shopping" at one of my favorite motorcycle shops in the Northwest, Ride West BMW, I was lucky enough to share a conversation with the shop's Apparel and Accessories Manager, Bill Niwa.

Regardless of what question or topic I threw at Bill, he always seemed to have the answer when it came to riding gear. We spoke candidly about BMW gear and other brands on the market.

After a few conversations, Bill agreed to walk me through BMW's product line, discuss common questions he hears and review lessons he has learned after outfitting hundreds of riders through the years.

Q: Can you walk me through the different materials the gear is made from?
A: There are four main materials commonly used by BMW. All of them are good for certain conditions. Some riders tend to gravitate toward leather for safety, and others love the versatility of the textiles. Here's how I see it:

Leather usually gives a superior level of protection and is ideal for the speed freaks out there, or if you like having the extra protection on long-distance tours. Typically the thicker the leather, the longer you can slide before it wears through. However, it may not be the best choice for jumping sand dunes in Baja.

Cordura 500 and 700 are familiar and affordable choices for many riders and most riding gear manufacturers use it somewhere in their clothing lines. It is versatile enough for nearly all climates, especially when complimented with a waterproof membrane. It is a great all-around fabric that works well for commuters, touring and dual sport riders alike.

Dynatec is a material widely used in BMW gear that is extremely tear-resistant (up to 50% higher than Cordura 500) and is highly breathable. Riding suits made from Dynatec are more versatile for those riding in hotter climates. The added strength also gives an extra level of protection at higher speeds.

Armacor is a combination of several familiar materials including Cordura 700, Kevlar (which is woven within the Cordura) and Gore-Tex. Next to leather, this material offers the best abrasion resistance in the BMW textile line and rivals most anything available on the market for strength, durability and weather protection. Weather protection is also optimized because the Gore-Tex layer is directly bonded to the inside of the fabric which means it dries quickly and absorbs less. Armacor is used only by a few high-end gear manufactures due to the cost involved. But if you want the very best in textile fabrics, this is it! BMW takes it one step further and adds their UV "cool" technology. This permanent treatment actually reflects UV rays, helping you stay cooler when the temperature rises. Armacor is found in BMW's Streetguard 2 Suit - definitely my next purchase!

Q: Walk me through BMW's gear and what you personally recommend.
A: Sure. I can't speak for all climates, but for the Northwest, our bombproof touring and commuting suit is the Streetguard 2 Suit. It's a two-piece, waterproof, Kevlar-reinforced best friend when it comes to the cold and rain. Stronger materials than that popular mail order one piece many BMW riders already own, this suit rivals the best of the best when it comes to technology, safety and versatility. This would definitely be my recommendation to anyone who rides year-round, unless of course you live somewhere a bit warmer than Seattle.

For warmer climates like Southern California or Atlanta, the Santiago would be on the top of my list. Nearly as strong, the lightweight Dynatec shell breathes very well has vents galore. Both of these suits continue to be our top sellers. For a bit less money, the Commuter 3 suit is also hard to keep on the shelf and definitely offers the most bang for buck.


The full article: http://www.bmwmoa.org/features/rightfit.htm?pg=1

I think that Rukka suits are also very good protection wise. I use the SRO jacket and trousers.

http://www.rukka.com/lfashion/rukka/ruk ... pand=1.6.7

hdf, thanks for getting this info. it's a good read. I'll make sure the US Apparel Manager sees this and she can verify the dealer apparel manager's comments, just for my own sake, but it seems like very informative general comments.

However, it still doesn't mean that all leather is better than all textile. LOL

It does mean Dynatec is better than Cordura and better than light weight leather, but may not be as good as racing leathers, but combine that with BMW's excellent armor, I think we can safely say that Comfort Shell is one heck of a protective garment.

But this has turned into a very informative thread. Very cool!!!
S

rukka gear maybe the most expensive, so, they better be protective. I know Eka wears them and he's survived a few crashes...

I agree, Rukka makes some nice gear too.

Right now I'm in the market for a new touring suit and on my list are these two suits made from a new version of gore-tex laminated leather. I understand that Dainese, Alpinestar and BMW may be putting one out with the same material in the near future. I hope they do before I make my choice - the more options I have the better. The only contenders right now are:

RUKKA'S LANCELOT





AEROSTICH'S TRANSIT

I'd say that from a practical point, the Stich is good, but I wonder how watertight their seams are.

Aesthetically, Rukka looks better, but then you can't wear it on top of regular clothing....

Bear in mind that the protective pads in a Stich aren't EEC homologated. You might have to change them if you have to have a TUV like approved thing. I didn't do it in my Roadcrafter.

I read about Rukka's new waterproof leathers in RIDE mag, I think they go for $4000... Apparently it's a great concept, but not fully ready for prime time yet...
Here's a scan of the article: