Anyone here military or at least work on a base? I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.metricbikes-superstore.com/images/mbc/milspecyell.JPG

Just wondering if it is worth it. My Alpinestars jacket is too warm in the Texas heat. I figure the Icon with a light long sleeve shirt should do the job.

Any opinions would be great. thanks.

What?? That offers no protection at all. It's designed for visibility and that's it.

If you take a tumble you can kiss your shoulders and arms goodbye.

If I can ride through Arizona in summer with full armored leathers, you can too. Suck it up!

Take a look at the "mesh jacket" thread in this area. A lot of them are made of ballistic cloth and have armor inserts. Not quite leather, but pretty good. Might as well just figure on sweating some. Think of it as a weight loss program...

If it's too hot to wear the gear, it's too hot to ride.

At the very LEAST, check out something like this...
http://www.rockgardn.com/items/body-armor/flak-jacket-flak-jacket-detail.htm?1=1&menu=armor
There might be a shirt stuffed inside of this one to show you how "meshy" the fabric is. It's what some motocross riders wear underneath their jerseys, and what I've seen a handfull of street riders wear out here in the hot ass Los Angeles summers. By no means are these "designed" for the wear and tear of a long slide along the pavement, but it's better than just a vest and will definately be cooler in summer heat than a jacket. There are many different styles varying from a tight mesh weave, to a wide mesh net like the one in the link above to some that are like a thin neoprene. Anyway, just something to consider.

I actually have one of those leftover from my motocross days. I don't think I could wear as the stench would follow me everywhere. Thanks for all the input.

Yeah, it's designed to go over your jacket, not replace it.

Visability is safety...

"tyler d" talked about this very vest here...
http://www.honda599.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1776&highlight=vest#1776

I'm military, and I can tell you that the base will frown on you just having a long sleeve shirt on under that vest...they probably won't even allow it. I have a mesh jacket for hot weather riding and I do just fine in 95+ temps...if you get too hot, just soak a t-shirt in cold water and wear it under a mesh jacket. As for the vest, I find it to be very useful since the id holder is on the chest...I usually don't even have to stop at the gate anymore since they can see my id and sticker as I'm pulling up.

Just wear tour Flak Jacket :shock:

I'm military, and I can tell you that the base will frown on you just having a long sleeve shirt on under that vest...they probably won't even allow it. I have a mesh jacket for hot weather riding and I do just fine in 95+ temps...if you get too hot, just soak a t-shirt in cold water and wear it under a mesh jacket. As for the vest, I find it to be very useful since the id holder is on the chest...I usually don't even have to stop at the gate anymore since they can see my id and sticker as I'm pulling up.

Thanks. Our gate gaurds are rather inconsistent here.