Gear Review: BMG Belstaff Adventure Jacket

At this year's Progressive International Motorcycle Show, I picked up a Belstaff Adventure Jacket from the Paul, the CEO for British Motorcycle Gear aka BMG.  I wasn't really shopping for a new jacket but I had seen this model before and was interested in it. But since I'm tough to fit, I was hesitant to order from overseas; so I was glad to see the BMG/Belstaff at the show.

The fit of the Adventure Jacket is definitely a different cut from most, more on the narrow side with long arms.  Which means, it was perfect for me! I still needed an XS to keep all the armor in place.  

The styling is adventure-esqe but not too over the top. 

Hard plastic nubbins help the jacket slide in case you have a get off. 

Reflective badges and piping for visibility.

I am a complete sucker for little details like this.   A cool rubberized Union Jack and contrasting stitching!

Stash pocket on the right forearm. 

ID or badge pocket on the left forearm.

Waterproof chest pocket. 

Unlike most forearm vents, these actually work! 

Nice big exhaust vents on the back. 

The collar has as soft neoprene style material that almost feels gel filled. I found it pretty comfortable however, it was a bit tight.  

Some sort of grippy material that helps keep the jacket from riding up. 

Standard zipper for zipping your trousers together with your jacket.

Rear pouch and kidney padding.

I found the Knox armor small and loose around my scrawny arms so I swapped in the armor from my BMW jacket.  With a little trimming, it fit perfectly! Some serious protection with the NP armor.

The zip off sleeves (still not sure what the benefit is) work as pit vents when you partially unzip them. The new version does not have this feature.

Bottom zipper for the hydration pouch. 

The super sexy thong strap helps keep the jacket in position when you ride standing up and also has the potential to attract new friends at truck stops and other questionable areas. 

Summary: 

I found the Belstaff Adventure Jacket to be a great spring, summer and early autumn jacket. It works well with a layer underneath for chilly mornings, then breathes well when the temps rise. The light weight material moves a fair amount of air but still gives you a sense of protection, unlike most mesh gear.  The arm vents really help, the shoulder vents on the other hand, not so much.  But that might be due to the NP armor blocking the air flow.

The cut is very easy to wear and doesn't feel restrictive or overly bulky.  I did get to test the crash protection, however it was while practicing slow speed u-turns.  The material held up well and the NP armor and memory foam backpad worked great.   I'm rough on my gear.  I throw it around, wad it up and birds poop on it.  The Adventure Jacket showed no signs of weakness, with minimal loose threads or spots of wear. There are plenty of great design details all over the place.  The rubberized Union Jack, contrasting stitching, zipper garages and useful pockets stuck everywhere.  (Except the cell phone pouch, a bit small these days.)

If you have happen to see their booth at a Motorcycle Show, check out the Adventure Jacket. It's a good, real world and realistic budget alternative to the high dollar KLIM and BMW gear.  However, you might want to upgrade the armor or wear an armored pressure suit to get the best armor placement.