‘Pricey but pretty much perfect!’
Tested by Simon Relph for seven months
Klim motorcycle kit is notoriously expensive, but that’s because the company pride themselves on quality and attention to detail. The Klim Carlsbad jacket and trousers are a great example of this.
The two-piece is aimed at the off-roader and this latest set has improved ventilation, abrasion resistance and protection over previous Klim gear.
The bulk of the jacket is made from FPL400 fabric, with areas such as shoulders and elbows reinforced with 630D
Cordura. Both jacket and trousers are very comfortable and leave you feeling free to move about on the bike, while staying dry thanks to the Gore-Tex performance shell.
The trousers and jacket are easy to put on and take off thanks to the adjustable cuffs and bottom hem on the trousers, which are quickly secured along with the collar’s Velcro fastening, ready for the off.
The jacket is equipped with chest and arm vents to the front, and two exhaust vents to the rear. If this is not enough, the main zip can be lowered and both sides of the collar can be clipped back in place using the tabs. The trousers have similar vents, two at the front and two to the rear. One thing to remember, is to do them back up if you are riding through large amounts of water… always a shock on a warm day.
Storage is not a problem, with grand total of 14 pockets on the jacket; eight external and six internal. Klim seem to have thought of everything. The trousers have just two zip-up pockets on the front, with Velcro flaps.
Protection is taken care of by D30
CE Level 2 armour in both jacket and trousers, at the elbow, shoulders, hips, knees, and a back pad. The armour is very flexible, so it goes almost go unnoticed when being worn. All the armour can be easily removed if needed, plus a kidney belt can be threaded through the back of the jacket (via two zips either side of jacket lining) if it is your preference to wear one. Really well thought out kit that’s holding up well so far.
Quality Value www.klim.com