Product review – Fly Racing cooling vest

New ‘kid’ in town
We are very proud of the constant growth of the BikeBrewers team.
Recently we published the first part of the report from our NYC based correspondent Daan Stafhorst on his trip to Alaska.

To keep things in balance we wanted someone to share his adventures based in the Southern Hemisphere. We were lucky enough to have a good friend who was back moving to Brazil a little while back.

New Zealand born and a biker in every fiber of his big frame. It is with great pride and pleasure we introduce the one and only Jonathan Rattray Clarke a.k.a. ‘Captain Kiwi’ or ‘Kiwi-Moto Menace’.
His wife being a Brazilian diplomat, they have lived all over the world. When they were about to move to Amsterdam in 2017 we connected, helped him find his feet and together we set up the Amsterdam community for the Classic Riders.

Many adventures rides later duty called and they shipped all their belongings to Brazil. Once properly settled in, Jonathan replaced the Triumph Thruxton he left behind in Amsterdam, with a spanking new Royal Enfield Interceptor.

He is currently working on that bike to customize it to his taste and will share reports on progress of this build with us.

In the meantime Summer is setting in and there is riding to be done. While we are bracing ourselves for the cold, Jonathan’s first report is a review on a cooling vest.

Enjoy.
BikeBrewers editorial team

Brazil calling
Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country’s center-western region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitschek on April 21, 1960, to serve as the new national capital. Brasília is estimated to be Brazil’s third-most populous city. As my wife is a diplomat, this is the city we now use as our home base for the time being.

Riding in the heat
I am a self-confessed moto maniac, and I love living in the tropics in the middle of the savanna and love those long rides without a pre-set goal. .

After a three-year stint in New York we moved to Amsterdam. The climate of these two cities is comparable and very different from Brazil. Yet as much as I love the warmth and the endless sunshine, the heat when riding here can take a toll on your energy levels. Riding your bike in this climate you need to stay alert. Keeping it cool is not limited to your head, but you need to take care of the rest of your body too.

Keeping it cool
So I began my search for a product to help remedy that situation. After an in-depth investigation, I finally settled on a “Fly Cooling Vest“, paid my money and anxiously waited for my order to arrive.

When Fly’s product finally landed on my doorstep I was eager to give it a proper test. Was it as good as my research had led me to believe, or was it just a piece of, you know what?

Yet after my first ride out wearing the garment, I am delighted to say riding now is like sitting in my own personal air conditioner. I found the solution to my fatigue in this excellent moto-wear item. This is undoubtedly the best $49.95 I have ever spent on motorcycle apparel!

It really is a brilliant bit of kit; all I need to do to activate its outstanding cooling properties is soak it in a bucket of water, allow the vest to absorb all up the water, and put it on to wear under my mesh riding jacket.

The Fly Cooling Vest works by process of evaporation and wicking as the hot tropical air blows through my jacket to create the most relaxing and comfortable cooling effect as I ride. It even keeps me cool just standing around and chatting with the moto bros shooting the breeze, and talking bull at a lunch stop or a photo-op on the way across the savannah.

I am now geared up and ready for my task as southern hemisphere correspondent working alongside BikeBrewers buddies around the globe. I highly recommend this product if you are living in those hotter riding zones of our wonderful planet.

Off to a great start and I look forward to sharing many motorcycle adventures with all you BikeBrewers afficionados!

Product details:
Item:
Fly Racing Cooling vest (SKU #477-6023S)
Product details:
-Hyperkewl® polymer embedded fabric uses a safe and natural method to keep you cool
-Evaporative-cooling process
-Outperforms competition by keeping you more relaxed for longer due to the larger evaporative surface area
-Quick 2-minute activation
-Remains hydrated for up to 10 hours