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Klim, Expensive but still a fan boy


Idarex

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Hi all , riding in Klim Latitude jacket and Dakar pants ,since 2016 , both enduro and travel conditions . 

Latitude jacket even if it comes as a touring oriented and not off road has been proven to be my favorite, kept me dry after hours of showers . Dakar pants is perfect for enduro riding and is a rugged pair of pants. mine has seen over three years of enduro in extreme and mild conditions . not waterproof though. 

As far it concerns helmets i always choose Arai , heavy but well balanced , perfect fit and handcrafted shell.   

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I did not know Klim was made in China.  I thought they were bought out by Polaris?

 

The quality is amazing.  Dakar pants and jerseys feel like they will last forever unlike most dirt bike/enduro jerseys and pants.  I recently got the Mosko woodsman pants and fubalisk jacket.  I've been using the jacket as a shell hiking in the snow.  I am pretty happy with the quality.  The arms are freakishly long (or my arms are stumpy) and the neck is too tall in front.

 

Bear spray always reminds me of an old joke:

 

"They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance, so they won’t be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them, which might cause a bear to charge.  Visitors are told they should also carry a pepper spray can just in case they encounter a bear. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear’s sensitive nose and it will run away.  It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear droppings so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat. Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur.  Grizzly bear scat tends to contain small bells and smells of pepper." 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Idarex
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On 11/24/2020 at 7:33 PM, DORTx2 said:

Is Idaho that dangerous that you have to carry a gun while riding around on the bike? That is absolutely insane to me.

No worries Dortx2 Idaho is very safe.  If we ever ride together, you'll never know I'm packing.  I only posted it  up here in the hopes that other CC riders would offer me better suggestions than what I'm currently doing.

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1 hour ago, Idarex said:

No worries Dortx2 Idaho is very safe.  If we ever ride together, you'll never know I'm packing.  I only posted it  up here in the hopes that other CC riders would offer me better suggestions than what I'm currently doing.

Hey fair enough! Whenever the border opens up again I'll be routinely taking the bike down to Oregon so maybe we'll make that happen one day.

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On 11/25/2020 at 7:57 PM, Dudumas said:

Hi all , riding in Klim Latitude jacket and Dakar pants ,since 2016 , both enduro and travel conditions . 

Latitude jacket even if it comes as a touring oriented and not off road has been proven to be my favorite, kept me dry after hours of showers . Dakar pants is perfect for enduro riding and is a rugged pair of pants. mine has seen over three years of enduro in extreme and mild conditions . not waterproof though. 

As far it concerns helmets i always choose Arai , heavy but well balanced , perfect fit and handcrafted shell.   

 

20201023_152626.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

@Idarex Looking back at your experience so far with the GTX boots. Any additional thoughts to date apart from the sole? It's been quite difficult to find real world use reviews. 
I am currently looking for new boots, but with so many options it's hard to make a choice.

 

My hesitation with the GTX boots is that they don't look like they protect much? (I am only evaluating based on online images), in particular what makes me gravitate towards them is that duality possibility and comfort they advertise, but not willing to sacrifice safety.  Any thoughts? 

 

Similarly, regarding comfort. I was also entertaining the REV'IT! Expedition H2O Boots, but desisted due to the lack of real world reviews.

 

Until now, the Sidi adventure 2 are taking the lead while I anxiously wait for my Badlands Jacket as it makes its way across the USA! :classic_happy:



 

_
una.brisa | 

 Filling hearts with smiles, of love, of enthusiasm and tears of joy, and (from time to time) changing the world  

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8 hours ago, una.brisa said:

@Idarex Looking back at your experience so far with the GTX boots. Any additional thoughts to date apart from the sole? It's been quite difficult to find real world use reviews. 
I am currently looking for new boots, but with so many options it's hard to make a choice.

 

My hesitation with the GTX boots is that they don't look like they protect much? (I am only evaluating based on online images), in particular what makes me gravitate towards them is that duality possibility and comfort they advertise, but not willing to sacrifice safety.  Any thoughts? 

 

Similarly, regarding comfort. I was also entertaining the REV'IT! Expedition H2O Boots, but desisted due to the lack of real world reviews.

 

Until now, the Sidi adventure 2 are taking the lead while I anxiously wait for my Badlands Jacket as it makes its way across the USA! :classic_happy:



 

The GTX are very comfortable and the lace system is amazing.  The lace system makes them very fast and easy to put on and very fast and easy to take off.  It also equalizes the pressure across your entire foot.  These boots are very well made and I don't think they will wear out as little as I use them.

 

I don't recommend them for protection.  I originally bought them for a moto ride through the Andes and Amazon.  All dirt and gravel roads but no hard enduro.  For that they worked great.  I got on the plane in my riding gear with one back pack carry on and my helmet.  The GTX were the only shoes I had for several weeks and were warm enough for Andes glaciers and not too hot at sea level in the Amazon basin.  Also they kept my feet dry and they were great for hiking or going out in town in the evenings.  The GTX boots paid for themselves on this one trip in my opinion.

 

Yesterday I wore the GTX boots on a snow/ice/mud hike with a GF and then met 2 of my sons at a pub after.  The boots were at home in both environments.

 

I would not wear them dirt riding.  They have very little real protection for hard riding and they are medium height.  Today I only use the GTX boots for hiking with GFs or getting to a trail head to XC Ski.  I primarily use dirt bike boots for any riding that involves off road and street bike boots if I'm primarily on road.  The GTX boots aren't really either.

 

I test rode a friends Tech 7 boots and I'm going to switch to those for ADV riding.  Everide the youtuber has a vid explaining why he doesn't want ADV boots on his group rides anymore and he prefers people wear motocross boots.  Just my opinion but I tend to agree with him.  I prefer my motocross boots to any other boots for riding and so will switch to the Tech 7 Enduro Drystars as soon as I can budget them in.

 

Hope this helps!  -EP

 

 

Edited by Idarex
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  • 4 weeks later...

Assume you guys are talking about the Adventure GTX boot? There are 5 different GTX models of boot. I am currently riding with a pair of Forma's. While they are comfortable and super easy to walk in, they do leave a little to be desired IRT protection if you get into the gnar. I wear Gaerne's usually off road and while they are okay to walk in, they sure protect alot better so I see why some guys are going back to MX stye boots over ADV boots.

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Well I guess I'm a fan boy now.

I ride daily on a 100km round trip to work and do a two or three day adventure or Enduro ride each month.

I've ridden enduro with Klim Dakar pants for over 10 years now averaging 3 years each pair.

When I started adventure riding I tried cheaper brands which didn't perform as expected and then I managed to buy a used set of Latitude jacket and pants.

Now I have supplemented the jacket with a vented Induction jacket for summer with a Forecast jacket in case it rains. 

Just recently added a pair of Baja S4 gloves and have bought a pair of adventure GTX gloves for when it gets cooler.

 

Yes its expensive BUT it does what it says it will do, it fits really well and it lasts a long time. I reckon I would have gone through two or three of the cheaper brand jackets by now and not had the rain and crash protection that I know I have with Klim.

 

Edited by tramsnod
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  • 1 month later...

So the consensus seems pretty clear here. I'm in the market and torn between the RevIt Sand 3 jacket and the Carlsbad. Features are very similar aside from Gortex in the Klim and liners in the Sand 3. I'm not a fan of liners or soaking a jacket leaving a liner to keep you dry. Have I made my decision?

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2 hours ago, Amani said:

So the consensus seems pretty clear here. I'm in the market and torn between the RevIt Sand 3 jacket and the Carlsbad. Features are very similar aside from Gortex in the Klim and liners in the Sand 3. I'm not a fan of liners or soaking a jacket leaving a liner to keep you dry. Have I made my decision?

I’ve owned both Rev’it and Klim jackets, they’re both great. Currently I’m in the market to replace my Badlands jacket and as much as I want to like the Sand 3 I just can’t get past the liner. Maybe if I didn’t live in Rain City Vancouver the Sand  would be a viable option.

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I have a sand 2 and will upgrade to a carlsbad this spring. 


I loved the revit but tired of always bringing rain suit. The rain liner are too hot so I never bring them and since it’s a liner you jacket will get all wet. Better with a rain suit

 

I hated the pants, not enough ventilation but they improved it with the sand 3-4. Still better on the carlsbad.

 

good luck!

Edited by Insane rider
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On 6/22/2020 at 11:46 PM, Idarex said:

IMG_3983.jpg

 

also.....very nice decal work! Klim gear looks great and see a lot of people wearing it and loving it... I'm on the cheap side so haven't had the chance 😛 

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  • 2 months later...

I’ve had several KLIM gear products on my wishlist on their site, since Labor Day of last year. 
 

The products in the color and sizes are always out of stock. I was looking at the Carlsbad line. Lighter and cooler (maybe) than the Badlands Pro. 
 

I called my BMW Motorcycle Dealership sales contact to see what he can get in stock. Pretty much only the Badlands Pro in my size and colors. So I told him I’m ready to order it. 
 

Just waiting for him to return from his BDR trip to give him payment info. 

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I like KLIM but just can't see paying that much.

I ordered an A.R.C. Battle Born Adventure gear from Rocky Mountain, very impressed, well made, very versatile, really a great suit for fraction the cost of KLIM equipment.

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I went down in Los Angeles last 4th of July on the fwy. 
 

I got knocked down onto my left side and slid across three lanes of traffic. I didn’t get run over. 
 

No injury to myself and just plastic damage to my Kawasaki (rad wing, cowling, front fender). Had engine guards, panniers on, and sliders. 
 

KLIM jacket survived with barely scuff marks, no tears and the Level 2 armor saved me from injury.
 

My airbag vest deployed. I got bruised ribs from the airbag vest pressing my spare motorcycle  and house key rings in my jacket pocket against my rib cage. That was it. 
 

I don’t carry many keys in that jacket pocket anymore. 
 

I went down about 20 years ago in my Alpinestar at half that speed. Similar damage. KLIM jacket held up better and I still wear it every weekday. 
 

Money well spent IMHO. 

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On 4/19/2021 at 12:34 PM, REDHORSECA said:

I got knocked down onto my left side and slid across three lanes of traffic. I didn’t get run over. 
 

KLIM jacket survived with barely scuff marks, no tears and the Level 2 armor saved me from injury.



distracted driver lane-changed me - and ended my Super Tenere in 2018.   
As I was sliding across lanes of traffic, telling myself "be a small ball, be a small ball" hoping to NOT get hit by anyone else?
I realized,  my KLIM Badlands Pro just protected my upper body near perfectly.   -- and Klim made a lifelong customer.

When the first responders arrived, the one in charge of me said "hows your collarbone?" fine I told him, why?
"Cause this is a super expensive jacket, its barely scuffed, and if you want, I can help you out of it, instead of cutting it off you"

he rides, he knows Klim, he agrees.   simply the best.
I bought new armor, still have the same jacket.   LOVE it.

 

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On 2/17/2021 at 8:56 AM, Amani said:

So the consensus seems pretty clear here. I'm in the market and torn between the RevIt Sand 3 jacket and the Carlsbad. Features are very similar aside from Gortex in the Klim and liners in the Sand 3. I'm not a fan of liners or soaking a jacket leaving a liner to keep you dry. Have I made my decision?

I have owner both these jackets , the revit is a more substantial jacket in terms of features & pockets , its a more fitted jacket , and heavier , very well made , i ended up selling both & buying a baja with a separate down under layer and goretex cycling jacket for over the top 

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I got a KLIM Latitude suit a few years back. Wear the jacket with heavy jeans mostly, pants on longer journeys. I've had the occasion to test the Latitude on the blacktop and as others have said, it held up near perfectly. Great protection is worth the price.

 

Btw, boots are Sidi Adventures - they're great too, just a little narrow in the foot box. 

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  • 1 month later...

I just bought a pair of Klim Dakar in-the-boot pants to compliment my 10-year old pair of Klim Dakar ITB pants. Does that make me a Klim fanboy? Hardly, but I'm pretty confident these pants will serve exactly as intended and prove to be a good value.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes, KLIM got a some nice gear at a high cost, non or very few are their own constructions. Klim is a brand who sources the lowest bidder, not a constructor as I see it.

I prefer to get the same gear under another name at a much lower cost, "googling" is your friend.

As an example, I got a Klim Krios (not pro)for ~200 euro and not ~400+ euro.

I´´ve tried  some KLIM producs at my local MC-shop as they promote themn hevely, they´ve got some very nice gear, but it´s nowhere close to the price it should be.

Much like Harley-Davidsson, all name and not enough substance, I can get better gear elsewhere at a lower cost.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/25/2021 at 5:58 PM, Nik Hum said:

KLIM got a some nice gear at a high cost, non or very few are their own constructions.

@Nik Hum That is why I went with Aerostich. I have toured their factory and saw them sewing jackets together. They measured me and made my suit/jacket to my specific size, not just the generic Small, Medium, Large, & XL. They are located in Duluth Minnesota (USA), four hours north of me. The products are not cheap, but quality often costs more. Many motorcyclist make Aerostich a stop when they ride the midwest, and tour the building and talk with the people that make the products. It makes for a lot better story than saying I bought jacket XYZ off of Ebay...

 

As a side note, once my T7 shows up and I get it sorted out, I will be buying accessories from Camel ADV for many of the same reasons stated above. 

We are all tattooed in our cradles with the beliefs of our tribe

~Oliver Wendell Holmes~

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What Klim equipment are actually Klim exlusive and of a higher quiality than the alternatives?

Since I´ve got a "Klim Krios" helmet for a 1/4 of a price, and I meen the exact same helmet, it seems that Klim is just another one of the brands hiking the prices because of the name.

I´ve found great gear in India for example, sold in Europe for 4X the price, but the price hike does not make it any better.

Tell me I´m wrong. At this moment I am..... let´s say not convinced Klim is a brand I would do business with.

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