I am determined to order BL suit, in grey/black combination. Unfortunately, the jaket is no more available, so I buy the new model, with old pants, being at 50%.
From the comments, I only fear about too short collar hight, but I hope to be ok.
I have the possibility to return the gear if it does not fit .
Thank you for your advise.
Ovidiu

Firstly both suits Badlands/BMWR3 are bulletproof, the big difference between the two is how they protect you from the rain, the Klim gear having an outer GoreTex layer while the R3 has an inner removable layer. Both are expensive, but you will get your money’s worth as these suits last for years of hard use.

I don’t see a problem with matching a grey jacket with black pants as long as you will be happy with the color difference for the lifetime of the suit, anything between 5 and 10 years, maybe longer depending on use and care.

While the Badlands/R3 are top of the range, the Overland is classed as a mid ranged suit and there is a quality difference in the materials. However I don’t see any real problem in matching Badlands jacket with the Overland pants even if you intended to ride the Dakar Rallye. Both the Badlands & Overland pants wear loose (like most adv/touring pants) so I would recommend extra knee protection either way given the higher likelihood of an off while riding any off tarmac route. I think the key difference of the Badlands jacket & Overland pants is that the jacket might outlive the pants as the jacket is more rugged. But in my experience over the years my jackets receive more wear and tear than the pants, so the BL jacket and overland pants may be a good match. I’ve not seen or worn the Overland gear however so I can’t be sure on this, my opinion on the Overland gear is only based on others experience and reviews I’ve read.

If you’re ok with that then fire away, you would not be alone in matching the BL jacket with the Overland pants, others do. One word of advice on this if you can not try the gear on before you buy, talk to the supplier first before you buy to be sure they accept returns/exchange in case the fit is not correct. Kilm gear is made for the American market, some people in Europe don’t fit well in the Klim gear when it comes the chest, arm, leg length. Your supplier should help you on this so give them a call. The last thing you want is an indestructible suit that does not fit properly as it will be uncomfortable, annoying and can distract you from your ride as well as not function properly.

Hope this helps,

Denis

First of all welcome back to motorbikes

If you’re worried about being too hot rather than too cold then you will probably find the Rukka way too warm in summer even without the lining. This gear was designed by Finns with the very northern European market in mind.The Klim Badlands has far more venting to keep you cool, you then just layer up to suit yourself in winter etc. So let’s just take the Rukka off the list for now.

The Badlands (new and old) are freaking bullet proof, but you should fully understand what it is. For the average or leasure rider these jackets can easily be considered overkill. The Badlands will certainly outlive your Tiger with normal use, and possibly you even if you live to a ripe old age. The Badlands for example really is designed for heavy duty wear in all weathers on all terrain, day in and day out for a very long time. When you buy into this level of gear it really is for a round the world, overland, hard trail expedition.

But, as with all things you have to make compromises. This gear is heavy, for example the weight and the thickness of the heavy duty material on the Badlands makes it not nearly as comfortable as say the Rev’it Defender suit so you need to take this into account. The newer Klim Badlands has even more venting and is a little lighter than my version, but even with all that venting you can’t ignore the fact that it is a heavy duty, hard wearing product with a full Gore-Tex shell so it’s going to be very warm in summer no matter how many vents they add.

All all-in-one Gore-tex shell suits will, by nature be warmer than their removable layer counterparts. So be sure you can accept this before you buy, the Badlands heavy duty cordoba material adds extra weight into the mix too, so I’d say this might be something you may consider for two reasons. Firstly, as you mentioned, you feel the heat very easily, as do I. I find the Badlands very hot once the sun comes out and temperatures climb above 18C. It’s fine once you’re on the bike moving fast and the air is flowing, but you won’t be walking around interesting villages in this gear for long. On hot days I find myself opting to wear lighter gear unless I know I’m going trail riding.

I bought this gear for it’s ability to ride anywhere in any weather and because I clock up far more milage than the average leasure rider. And I’m always on a bike, I don’t even have a car licence. I also spend a lot of time during the summer as a tour guide in France, Spain, Alps, Pyrenees, inc some fairly hairy trails etc which makes the use of a heavy adv shell suit a better choice over the layering system suits. So while I’m not going to ride around the planet there is still a fair chance I’ll wear out the suit within the next 8 years or so as I’ll be spending so much time outdoors in this gear it’s likely it’s the UV rays that will eventually do the gear in as much as wear and tear. At the end of the day I choose this suit as a tool to do a very specific job.

I don’t know how much mileage you intend to do per year, but unless you intend to effectively live in the Badlands suit I’d have to wonder if you’ll get your money’s worth out of it, especially if you end up buying a lighter, cooler suit for summer which I suspect is likely to happen.

You also mentioned abrasion resistance and protection compared to the Rukka. I’d not worry about that simply because you are living in the UK where roadside furniture, cars, lamp posts, trees, traffic lights, walls, kerbs etc is statistically far, far far more likely to stop you long before the abrasion resistance of sliding down a road will. If, God forbid you were to have an accident I’m afraid it’s blunt force trauma that’s far more likely to do the damage. When it comes to abrasion resistance the leather one piece is still the best kit, but unless you’re doing high speed track days then you only really need a good level (Level 2) of abrasion resistance which most mid range textile suits (e.g. Rev’it Defender) provide.

When it comes to the likes of the Rukka or Klim suits I’d not like to think what speed you’d have to achieve in an off where you’d likely damage those suits let alone destroy them. And not to forget the difficult fact to face that it’s likely to be a wall or tree that will inevitably stop forward momentum. So, while the Rukka/Klim gear uses top of the range armour as standard, the lower standard armour that comes with mid range gear can be replaced with the higher spec armour very cheaply. I think the Rev’it gear takes D30 Level 1,2 or 3 armour.

Good to note though, the latest version of the Badlands not only has more venting but it also has superfabric on the elbows, forearms, back, knees etc for even more abrasive resistance. So if you were to decide on the Badlands the latest version is the one I’d be going for because of the venting. I’m not sold on the superfabric however as it has a downside. It’s an abrasive agent itself, so if any of it rubs against your bikes shiney paint job (e.g. knees on tank) it will destroy it. Again, there are pros, cons and compromises to everything.

All things considered are you absolutely certain you need a heavy duty and highly technical shell suit? If it were me in your position I’d be looking something like the Rev’it Defender which is far cooler and much much lighter in summer. It’s also far easier to live with if you want to do any walking about off the bike, sightseeing and the like. The outer cordura fabric is shower proof and does not become too heavy after a serious soaking. And in hot weather the waterproof layer can be removed unlike the Badlands where it’s permanent. The layered suits are still the most popular for good reason and not just because they are cheaper to manufacture.

With the money I’d save on the defender or similar suit itself I’d use the savings to buy some extra safety gear to seriously protect me against a bikers most likely enemy – blunt force trauma. The fact is that even with the Badlands and the like the armour used within the garment is not going to save you from injury if you hit an immovable object at speed be it a road or a wall. Another problem I’ve found with all suits is with the pants in that the knee armour is unlikely to be in the right place when you really need it.

Since writing this article I’ve given up with the knee armour inserts alltogeather in both my Defender and Badlands pants and now use stand alone knee pads (https://www.planet-knox.com/product/defender-mtb-knee-pads/). And I am far from the only one now making this choice. The armour in modern suits is far superior to anything that was about 10 years ago, but this format “placed within a garment” has its limitations no matter what it is made of and there is no getting around it. And in my view it’s questionable at best in pants where armour is too free to move about and not necessarily being in the right place when you need it.

That’s why MX riders don’t even bother with in garment armour and opt for stand alone, fitted armour. This type if armour is now becoming far more popular (mostly due to new materials and levels of comfort) for road riders. It’s a direction I’m now leaning towards as “safety wise” it’s becoming the best option for both off road and urban riding where blunt force injuries are the norm rather than road rash. The older I get the more time it will likely take me to recover from an injury, and older injuries now seem to be coming back to haunt me every winter so I’m always looking at the newest and best ways to protect myself on our ever busier and built up roads.

If you are particularly safety conscious have a look at the following just to consider the options and cost
https://www.planet-knox.com/product/urbane-shirt-for-under-motorcycle-jackets/
https://www.planet-knox.com/product/venture-shirt-motorbike-gear/
https://www.planet-knox.com/product/trooper-mtb-shorts/

The benefit of armour directly attached to the body, besides the good level of impact and abrasion protection is that you can turn even a mid range or mesh touring gear into something very protective in the event of a spill. I don’t say a great level of impact protection because no form of armour plates/cups etc can shield the shock your internal organs receive during a blunt force impact to the torso. To date the best form of armour protection I believe is the inflatable vest, the latest one being this which will protect internally as well as externally – http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/227916

So what I’m suggesting, if safety is a strong concern, as a possible option is to separate the armour / protection issue and get that sorted. Then choose the weather protection in the form of the most comfortable riding suit that has a good (not necessarily the best because attached under armour will also provide this) level of abrasion resistance and durability. The Rev’it Defender suit is very comfortable and versatile, it’s got very good abrasion resistant (superfabric) and mesh panels as well as big vents for summer riding. The armour is adequate in places and sucks in others needing upgrading without question, made bullet proof with the use of Knox/D30 gear made affordable by the lower cost of the suit. The only downside is that waterproof layer is separate and not built in as in a gore-tex shell which can make it a bit of hassle in hot showery weather. The upside is that it’s far lighter in summer than any gore-tex shell suit.

Food for thought, hope I’ve not given you a new headache lol..

Denis

Thanks very much for writing this. I am just in the process of trying to decide on all this stuff after a return to biking following 10 years away from it, so a lot has changed and your article has brought me ‘up to speed’ on the latest concepts.

I just have a couple of questions (you may not be able to answer them but no harm in asking!)…

First here’s my intended use for the kit I buy (riding Tiger XC 800 btw)….

Mostly UK tarmac, with some UK ‘light’ off-road and the odd trip to European tarmac, but EU will be an exception rather than a rule.

I feel the heat very easily and usually have more trouble staying cool in the summer than I do keeping warm in the winter, even in the UK where I mostly ride (mild and wet weather for the most part).

I will be doing some winter riding but only a little. I may get a heated vest for that so the jacket/jeans combo doesn’t need to be that warm as long as it’s an absolutely waterproof outer shell.

Now my questions…

- I have been looking at the Rukka Armaxis jacket (successor to the Armas you mention). It has supposedly been slighty improved for ventilation. However, I’ve heard it’s still a warm jacket compared to many. It sounds like the Badlands may offer a lighter, cooler alternative but with the same protection. Is that right? Does it have the same level of protection as the Rukka in case of an accident, do you know (especially abrasion)???? Is the ‘shell’ as tough? This is a priority for me.

- I understand the Rukka has an inner lining (removable), which the Badlands does not have). I’m just wondering how the Rukka with the lining removed varies (weight/warmth wise) from the Badlands. On paper, once the Rukka inner lining is removed they should both just be a (similar?) ‘layered shell’.

- I see the Badlands is now being described in the shops as ‘old version’ jacket/jeans. Have you had any hands-on experience with any Klims successor model to the Badlands since writing your article?

Sorry for so many questions but I hope you won’t mind me asking anyway.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences in choosing the right kit for you. It does sound as though the Badlands is very nice clothing (but so is the Rukka). Decisions, decisions.

I think it’ll definitaley be one of those two for me.

Best wishes.

Neal

Drop me an email at denis.smyth@roadtrooper.com when you know your schedual and we’ll see if can meet up for a pint

D

David

Thanks for writing in with your own thoughts of the suit. While I only tried the suit on in the Touratech shop in Alicante I certainly never actually got to use it out on the road so I admit my opinion is severly limited. What put me off, or what worried me was all the layering (inner/outer layers) and my own experience with many suits with a detachable layering system which seems the most common. In winter I’m still fine with that but got totally fed up with this system in hot, humid and sometimes very wet conditions in places like the Pyrenees which led my opinion and arguably an overly harsh opinion of the Companero. At the time I’d also not found any reviews online of the Companero other than ones that were obviously sponsored and which failed to sell me the concept or values of the suit.

Without a doubt there is no better way of gaining a proper opinion of a piece of equipment than actually owning it and using it oneself. This review as a whole is as much about the process I went through in deciding which suit to invest in and the process of elimination to find the one best suited to my own personal requirements. The idea behind it was to hopefully help others looking for new riding gear decide on investing in something that actually matches their needs rather than what the marketing engines tell us what we should buy. With all the various options now available by countless brands it’s not such an easy thing, or at least far more complicated than it was 15 years ago when there were only a handful of brands making anything at all for the touring/adv-touring segment. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve regretfully bought gear based on brand identity or style only to quickly find on the road that what I bought may have been what I wanted, but not what I actually needed leading to money wasted.

If you have the time and would like to write a full review and your own experiences with the Companero I’d be more than happy to put it up here on this website. I’ll but it on the front page for a period and connect it to my own review as an argument against my own opinion. While I still don’t think the design of the suit is for me it’s also true that it may be exactly what someone else might need. Every biker is different whith different requirements based on siding style, location, types of roads, weather etc etc, the list is endless. Understanding all this is essential when choosing a touring suit to match everyones individual requirements. I decided on the Klim for very specific and personal reasons, and after 5 big trips I’m very happy in my decision, it’s not perfect but it was a better fit for me against very tough market competition.

I’ve no doubt many of this sites readers and any considering the Companero and looking for an honest, independent opinion would find a review by an actual owner of the Companero absolutely invaluable, so please do write back and I will post it to help our brothers and sisters to make an informative decision based on the real world use of such gear by those of us suffering from terminal wanderlust..

Thanks again,

Denis