Jacket opinions: Dainese Zen, or A* SP-1 or GP Plus

brain21 · 10-31-2012, 05:28 PM

Looking at leather jacket options, and currently have it narrowed down to:

Dainese Zen (Cycle Gear exclusive)
Alpinestars SP-1
Alpinestars GP Plus

I am looking for 2-3 season gear. I will not be riding in the middle of winter or in much bad weather. I will be riding in spring, fall, and summer.

Being in Georgia, I'm really not sure how any of the 3 will perform in the summer here in terms of being too hot even with the perf (opinions on that would be great too).

Which would you get and why? They all seem to be pretty equal as far as I can tell, and I can get either one of the ones that I am looking at for around the $200 price point (and the Dainese comes with the wave back protector).

The SP-1 does have a small race hump in the back, and seems to (visually) have the most/best perforations, but otherwise can't find anything that differentiates it from their GP Plus.

The SP-1 *supposedly* uses the same quality leather as their SP-1 race suit
The Dainese apparently uses their "crust" or lower-grade leather

Original retail price the SP-1 and GP Plus both seemed to be right around that $429 MSRP, while the Dainese was $499.

That's about all the info that I have so far on these.

Thanks!

termlifed · 10-31-2012, 06:39 PM

I have the zen evo and live in GA. How convenient for you, eh? Its a good jacket. Rode in the summer with it on just about daily and it was never an issue. Would get a little warm at lights but was a non issue as soon as you got moving. The only time It ever got too hot was a day i accidentally left the liner in...that was hell, but you wont do that will you? Wrecked in the jacket 4 times(front, back, and sides have all slid on pavement.) and its still holding up great with very minor repairs(a couple patches on the forearms). I tell people that if this jacket were to be destroyed in a wreck, I doubt I will be around to care. My only complaint is that they didn't perf or add much of that stretch material that flows air in to the arm areas. Not major but would have been a nice addition.

brain21 · 10-31-2012, 07:24 PM

Thanks for the info! Yeah I read some complaints about not enough stretchy stuff in the Dainese jacket, the use of the "crust" leather and couldn't find really any review or comparison info on the A*s jackets (just the STG videos, which are basically enhanced features lists).

I was able to find a lot of positive reviews on the Dainese w/ minor complaints about things like it not working for short gloves other than Dainese, but that doesn't bother me. Just very little info on those A*s jackets. Probably because there are just so many A*s jacket models out there....

Anyway, so far leaning towards the Dianese as I have read good things about the cooling as compared to what I read about the perf (or lack thereof) in the GP Plus.

MegaManX · 11-02-2012, 01:24 AM

How can you get the jackets so cheap?

brain21 · 11-02-2012, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegaManX

How can you get the jackets so cheap?

Clearance/closeouts, Craigslist, eBay, and friends.

The Dainese is from a craigslist ad ("like new" and looks it from the pics). I'm meeting him this weekend to try it out.

The GP Plus - there is one in my size lightly used on eBay, ditto on Craig's List.

The SP-1 Closeout/Clearance - sizes are limited, and in my size I can only find it in blue (which would be my last choice, but that's still fine), and I've seen those from $162 brand new. You can check out the various big sites (STG, CycleGear, Revzilla, Motorcycle Superstore and others) and you can look it up on amazon.com and look under "New and Used" and see other vendors' clearance items there.

For example, I got my Alpinestars SP-1 gloves, brand new, for $51 on Amazon used and new. And the store I bought from had it in their own website in the clearance section for $5 more than they were selling it through Amazon. They only had 2XL for that price, but that's my size. Some other vendors had them in other sizes from $55 and up.

But, if you can find your size, and you are flexible on colorways, you can get some really fantastic deals on brand new stuff on closeout! Remember it's winter time and the jackets I'm looking at are Perforated leather.

One of my local stores has 1 Alpinestars Indy on closeout for $299 (Revzila had them in a few sizes a month or two ago for $250, which is a great deal on an Indy), and my local store has the GP Plus Air mesh jacket brand new on closeout for $129. I would have bought that one as an extra if it were either my size, or small enough for a female. Unfortunately I think it was a size too small or large for me, I can't remember.

termlifed · 11-02-2012, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brain21

Clearance/closeouts, Craigslist, eBay, and friends.

The Dainese is from a craigslist ad ("like new" and looks it from the pics). I'm meeting him this weekend to try it out.

The GP Plus - there is one in my size lightly used on eBay, ditto on Craig's List.

The SP-1 Closeout/Clearance - sizes are limited, and in my size I can only find it in blue (which would be my last choice, but that's still fine), and I've seen those from $162 brand new. You can check out the various big sites (STG, CycleGear, Revzilla, Motorcycle Superstore and others) and you can look it up on amazon.com and look under "New and Used" and see other vendors' clearance items there.

For example, I got my Alpinestars SP-1 gloves, brand new, for $51 on Amazon used and new. And the store I bought from had it in their own website in the clearance section for $5 more than they were selling it through Amazon. They only had 2XL for that price, but that's my size. Some other vendors had them in other sizes from $55 and up.

But, if you can find your size, and you are flexible on colorways, you can get some really fantastic deals on brand new stuff on closeout! Remember it's winter time and the jackets I'm looking at are Perforated leather.

One of my local stores has 1 Alpinestars Indy on closeout for $299 (Revzila had them in a few sizes a month or two ago for $250, which is a great deal on an Indy), and my local store has the GP Plus Air mesh jacket brand new on closeout for $129. I would have bought that one as an extra if it were either my size, or small enough for a female. Unfortunately I think it was a size too small or large for me, I can't remember.

what store has the air mesh, I might just go grab it if its my size

No Coast Rider · 11-02-2012, 11:02 PM

I also have a Zen Evo, I love it, rode in it all summer and the liner makes it into a nice 3 seasons jacket. I wrecked in it once and it held up great, just needed a small patch on the shoulder.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Motorcycle.com Free App

brain21 · 11-03-2012, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by termlifed

what store has the air mesh, I might just go grab it if its my size

Atlanta Motor Works on upper Hembree Rd near Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta has the A* Air jacket. It is the 2010 design style, blue. Like this:

If you go in and walk in past the bikes towards the clothes, turn around a face the front of the store. To the left of the front glass doors (just to the right of the white HJC helmets on display) on that front wall, you will see the Air jacket hanging by the red/black Indy leather one, with a helmet or two, all kinda by themselves. IOW, it's not with the other clothes.

You might want to call to verify the size esp. if you don't live near Alpharetta, as my memory is a bit fuzzy on the sizes. I just remember that they were not 44/54, or I would have bought that Air one on the spot. And if it's already gone, I just noticed that I think a couple of the major online retailers (revzilla or Motorcycle Superstore, can't remember) is blowing out the same ones for only $10 more at $139.99

Royal Tiger · 11-03-2012, 09:27 PM

Dainese all the way. I have a Zen and its a great jacket. Not my favorite of my Dainese, but it's excellent and love the liner. I'll never buy another Alpinestars jacket.

Claudius · 11-05-2012, 12:35 PM

RT - why not the Alpinestars? I know that A* farms out much more of its lower rent stuff to Pakistan, etc. but the higher end stuff that competes with Dainese is all still made in Europe.

Royal Tiger · 11-08-2012, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claudius

RT - why not the Alpinestars? I know that A* farms out much more of its lower rent stuff to Pakistan, etc. but the higher end stuff that competes with Dainese is all still made in Europe.

I was wearing a full leather $500 Alpinestars jacket (TZ-R maybe?) for my crash. Granted it did well and couldn't have prevented the internal injuries and ribs breaking, but the zippers on BOTH sleeves failed and I ended up with some rash on both arms. Not major, especially with all the other injuries, but still disappointing. My Dainese gloves took a beating and other then the left pinky breaking in two places (both knuckles were broken and they had to take a section of my radius out of my forearm to screw the finger back into, and not the gloves fault) they look fine. The titanium knuckles are gouged. I look at that with pride. They cut everything off of me. Everything. But they left the gloves alone thankfully.