Klim gear

[Hoho]

Anyone know a brick and mortar that has Klim in stock for me to fondle? I'm in N.Bay but willing to travel.

Scuderia West has 'em. Good peeps over there!

 

[jimboFosho]

I tried on their $1600 adventure jacket. When I put that thing on, I felt like some sort of superhero. All I could do was giggle and think "damn I feel fancy". It felt like it had anything I could ever want in a jacket but for the price, I would expect it to.

If you really want to try on a their gear, BMW shops usually carry it but while I was down in Southern California, I made a stop at Chaparral. If you haven't been down there and find yourself in the area, its like the costco for motorcyclists. Tons of bikes, tons of gear, a bunch of hard parts and tires

 

[Rob]

I bought the badlands pro jacket and pants hoping for quality that should come with their price.

My first rain commute with them showed leaks from three entry points.

I double and triple checked all the zippers (even had someone look them over while I was wearing it) and it leaked again on the second rain commute.

I sent the suit back to Klim for testing. They couldn't find any leaks with their tests but "lost" my suit.

I was given the option of a new suit but got a refund. I bought another 'stich. No leaks.

I keep reading how good their gear is... my experience has been different.

 

[Archimedes]

I

On a purely practical note - why should I pay a premium for an item that doesn't cost a premium to make?

Because the value is in the design and materials, not the monkey who stitches it together. Which BTW the Chinese are probably better at than Americans at this point. The end quality of the product sold by Klim is higher than anything I've ever used/seen on the market.

If you don't want to use Chinese assembled products for political reasons, that's fine. But you're probably gonna need to throw out half of what you own then.

 

[Archimedes]

If McLaren made their cars in China I'd knock them too.

So if the car was identical in all respects to the ones built in England, you'd still knock them just because they were assembled in China?

That makes sense.

 

[NoobCorpse]

the "buy american" / where it's made argument is especially fascinating on a moto forum.. You all ride harleys, then? Buells? Zero electric bikes? What other 100% american brands am I missing?

Listening to the haters is laughable. I know guys with both aerostich suits and Klim gear. Guess what they're wearing on long / hot rides? Hint: Not the 'stich.

As for myself: After spending over the equivalent of a Klim jacket on about 6-7 different jackets (and different types - "winter" touring jackets, leather sport jackets, textile mesh jackets", etc) and all of them not fitting 100% well or comfortable, finally I pulled the trigger on a Badlands Pro jacket. It's well built, fits fantastic, and comfortable in both cold and hot weather thanks to smart venting and design. The zippers are probably the best on any jacket I've owned. Admittedly, the pants are kinda expensive for what they are, but they are of equal quality and design of the jacket, and again, they fit me wondefully- best fitting piece of gear I own. I'd buy both of them again in a heartbeat.


But hey, it's a moto forum, people will piss and moan about anything. Why wouldn't you want to spend money on quality gear?

 

[boney]

Even if it was made in 'merka, most of y'all still wouldn't buy it cause it'd be even more expensive. They go to great lengths to make a premium product that just can't be made in the U.S. due to labour costs and tooling costs of a factory. But hey let's bash something cause it's made cheaper then imported and taxed to Hell for being an import since there's no manufacturer in the US able or willing to do the work and allow for the company to still turn a profit. Also your stitch may be made in the US I bet it's materials are made from imported fabrics made in China or other third world countries y'all decry.

Last time I bought gear I went and tried on some Klim stuff. Very nice. Ready to pull the plug actually. Then I saw they were made in China. I went on over the the Aerostitch pop-up store that day and got custom fitted. Cost was not the problem, though I will admit its nice to save a few bucks. It's the labor aspect and the fact that it's perfectly okay in China to lie,cheat, steal and even kill people to get ahead in business over there. Really, you have no idea what you're getting when you buy something from China.

Anyone know a brick and mortar that has Klim in stock for me to fondle? I'm in N.Bay but willing to travel.

Adventure Designs in (I think) Fremont has a good selection on the rack. Great people and great service.

 

[NoobCorpse]

Last time I bought gear I went and tried on some Klim stuff. Very nice. Ready to pull the plug actually. Then I saw they were made in China. I went on over the the Aerostitch pop-up store that day and got custom fitted. Cost was not the problem, though I will admit its nice to save a few bucks. It's the labor aspect and the fact that it's perfectly okay in China to lie,cheat, steal and even kill people to get ahead in business over there. Really, you have no idea what you're getting when you buy something from China.

That's definitely a different principle than "not american made" and I can appreciate it. There's lots of companies to add to your list, based on that principle. but, it's an easy principle to uphold by just saying no to products made in china.

 

[boney]

That's definitely a different principle than "not american made" and I can appreciate it. There's lots of companies to add to your list, based on that principle. but, it's an easy principle to uphold by just saying no to products made in china.

Not as easy as you'd think. Some shit you just can't get unless it's from China.

 

[JimE]

Complaining about the stuff being made in China makes about as much sense as me as complaining that the illegal immigrants and labor from the Central Valley "take" all the construction work in the Bay Area. Those guys fill vans with workers from Stockton where it's way cheaper to live and come out to San Jose to work. I can't compete if I want to live here. So I find a different niche to fill where quality is the number one job over production. Way it is. Complaining about containers shipped over from China is the same thing. It's a global economy folks and it's here to stay. You do get what you pay for most of the time. There will always be folks who try to pass off crap as good stuff saying the same thing but you learn to discriminate. I like my Klim stuff and can't compare to Aerostitch just because I haven't owned any. I did my homework and am happy with the purchase. I'm sure I can buy crap stuff made right here in the USA just as easy as overseas. The difference is that in the US market the good stuff is actually available because there's a market for it. Try getting good stuff in China. You'd have to import the made in China good stuff from the USA because nobody carries it!

 

[Hank Wong]

Aerostich Roadcrafter light is out-sourced to Vietnam.

 

[boney]

So, what model Harleys do you guys ride?

You're assuming, incorrectly, that not buying something from China equates to only buying stuff from the US.

 

[slowblood]

I would compare my Klim Badlands vs my RevIt Sands.
$800 vs $400.

Is it worth twice the price? Yes.

Froze my ass over Tioga Pass in a rain storm in the RevIt. Bought the Klim on that same the trip, sent my RevIt home. Felt great in the Klim for the next 3 weeks on my trip.

I still use the RevIt for short rides around town. It's lighter (less protection) and more convenient. The Badlands is bulkier but better for outta town rides.

 

[Reli]

Are there any TV's not made in China?

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I pulled the trigger on the full Badlands Pro jacket and pants and I don't regret it. THe pants are a little baggy but I bought them a size larger so they'd fit over work pants.

Got to test them in the rain and I stayed 100% dry. LOts of pockets. Kidney belt, chest and back armor...good venting. My Tourmaster stuff kept breaking so I figure I'm good for the next 5 years at least. I supplement it with a visibility yellow airbag vest.

 

[Lunch Box]

I completely understand avoiding Chinese goods, and I do that in most things. The primary reason for this is that the quality is often poor. There are, however, exceptions. Klim is absolutely an exception. If a local company made something that met my needs I would certainly lean towards buying it. That said, I have yet to pay full retail for anything from Klim. Closeouts on last year's stuff or lightly used from ADVrider have served me well, thus far.

 

[Ogier le Danois]

So, what model Harleys do you guys ride?

Both my current motorcycles were produced in countries that have similar laborr, environmental and ethical standards. Germany and Japan.

It is impossible to avoid 3rd world produced goods for everything, as that is the way of the world.

However, when one is dropping large sums of money for gear, there are other brands out there that are made in countries that have humane working conditions.

Belstaff, Aerostitch, Daytona, Vanson (since 2012) among others.

If you are shopping entirely by price you are going to get 3rd world produced goods. I was pretty pissed off to find that Rukka has moved most of their stuff out of Europe and into 3rd world countries.

 

[NoobCorpse]

If you are shopping entirely by price you are going to get 3rd world produced goods. I was pretty pissed off to find that Rukka has moved most of their stuff out of Europe and into 3rd world countries.

So wait, I'm confused - is Klim overpriced BMW rich guy poser gear, or cheap quality China-made crap? or both?


Principles of outsourced labor aside, my Badlands pro a very well-made, high quality jacket. Best riding jacket I've ever owned.

 

[moto-rama]

It means something to me.

Quality is not my beef. Offshoring jobs from countries that respect labor laws and actual have a middle class to evil empires that allow their workers to be exploited is the issue. Every item we buy that is manufactured in the 3rd world is another nail in the coffin of the West.

On a purely practical note - why should I pay a premium for an item that doesn't cost a premium to make?

Fuck Klim.

Finally, the voice of reason. Ok, time to zip up my 'stich.

But, for the sake of argument.... there are countries that have labor conditions that are deplorable, and in some cases that would include the good old USA. There are few choices for gear and bikes that are 100% supportive of the US economy. But it will pay in the long run if people support the countries and companies that treat their workers fairly.
Strengthening those will mean that others may follow that model, thus improving workers conditions for everyone. If you follow the decline of union membership here in the US, it closely mirrors the decline in "real dollar" wages, lowering the overall wage standard for the whole country.

On the other hand, I bought a 2001 Ford Escape, happy to find what seemed to be a well-made, union-built car. A few years later, a few thousand miles after the warranty had expired, it stranded me deep in the Bechler Wilderness, with a bad tranny.

I replaced it with a Toyota, and aside from a few issues, it's been solid. I am guessing it will still be running at 300K. So there are those considerations, too. No one should be obligated to buy junk, just because it says Made in USA on it.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

It's well made, gets great reviews, looks good and costs about the same as similar gear. I honestly couldn't care less where it's made.