New Gear For Socal Riding (Stich Vs. Motoport)

[Stucky]

I've decided to sell my car and go strictly to two wheels. I've already been commuting on the bike for the past 3 months, so the car just doesn't get used anymore and the wife has a car for emergencies. I've been using my two piece leathers for five years now, and it is just time for something easier/nicer for the day-to-day grind. I'll take some of the cash from the car sale and purchase top of the line riding gear.

I've read so many threads on advrider and VFRD regarding the Stich vs. Motoport debate (specifically 1 pc. Roadcrafter vs. Ultra II Air Mesh Kevlar 2 pc), but I've yet to discern the best answer for my location and riding. People seem happy with both, with Roadcrafter complaints focusing on the warmness in high temps and Motoport complaints on the inconvenience of multiple layers. I'll be commuting daily (40's in the winter to 80's in the summer), but my weekend trips extend from the mountains to the desert (40's to 110's). Contrary to popular belief it does rain in SD, particularly in the winter so rain gear is a must. I could wear my current Frogg Toggs with the Motoport or the Roadcrafter has built in Gortex. I'm not concerned with protection as both suits meet my personal expectations.

So do I go with the convenience of the 1 pc Roadcrafter and sweat it out in the heat? Or do I go for the coolness (temp wise, definitely not style wise) of the Ultra II, compromising by using liners and Frogg Toggs? This is a huge amount of money so I really want to ensure I make the best decision. I'm sure I would be happy with either, but if there is a chance of finding the perfect all-season riding suit I'm willing to spend the effort researching!

P.S. One benefit to the Motoport gear is I could just ride up to their location and get measured at the factory. Could potentially save a lot of $$ on shipping.

[Guest]

Stucky,

I put around 50,000 miles on my Roadcrafter before upgrading to Motoport Air Mesh. I have about 10,000 miles on the Motoport. I ride to work year round where temperatures range from low 30’s to high 90’s, including rain and dark. In my opinion, the Motoport is better in every way except convenience of putting on and taking off. I purchased all of the available upgrades in armor, visibility and cold/wet protection. Here is my personal comparison:

1. Temperature Range. Motoport is warmer than the Aerostich on cold mornings and much cooler on hot afternoons. Wearing the Aerostich was a test of endurance riding home when temperature were around triple digit. Motoport has been completely comfortable for all temperature ranges.

2. Crash Protection. Motoport crash protection is much better. Fabric does not burn away with pavement contact and body armor stays where it needs to stay. Motoport quality of body armor is also better in both coverage and resistance to impact.

3. Rain Leakage. Motoport has no rain leakage whatsoever. Dry and warm when I get to work. Aerostich would leak around the crotch during rain storms. Its ability to shed water also seemed to deteriorate and I always had a damp feeling after riding in the rain.

4. Comfort. Comfortable fit is about the same for the two, although Motoport is custom fitted with tight tolerances to hold the armor in place. The Aerostich is comfortable because it is loose.

5. Visibility. I can tell that people see the Motoport by the way they give me space at night. Just before I bought the Motoport I was almost killed by a truck that crossed the double yellow line into my left turn lane to pass a slow car. He mistook the two headlights on my VFR for a car in the distance. That would not have happened with the way the Motoport reflective strips light up at night.

6. Convenience. Aerostich is much more convenient to put on and take off. If convenience is important to you, you may want to think again about the accompanying rain/cold weather undergarments for the Motoport. It takes less than a minute to put on, but still not “zip it and go”.

7. Cost. You get what you pay for. Both these products are excellent and on target for price/value.

[BonusVFR]

Have you been over the Motoport factory in San Diego? Worth a trip before you make a decision. I have a two piece Stich but would consider the stretch Motoport if I did not have my Aerostich rig.

[Stucky]

Great points! It is great to hear from someone who has experience with both products. I do have a couple of questions though.

1) You say the Motoport is actually warmer, and I find this surprising. Is this comparing the Roadcrafter with liner to the Motoport with both waterproof and insulating liners?

2) I'm not sure I agree regarding the crash protection. Yes Cordura can melt, but I feel like Aerostich knows that and doubles up on key impact areas (plus wear a cotton base layer so your skin and suit don't fuse). I also dislike that a lot of what Motoport advertises is tension strength, not abrasion resistance; it just seems misleading. You mentioned that you use the quad armor, but I would likely go with the tri as it is much cheaper and seems less bulky.

3) Regarding waterproof-ness, I don't think I would use the Motoport liners as I think they are overpriced. I would probably just use my Frogg Toggs and base layers. Also, I think Aerostich addressed the "stich crotch" issue a couple of years ago with a slight design change. I have also heard that the waterproof-ness of Roadcrafters is very dependent on annual maintenance of the seems.

4) Comfort; I'm very nervous about working with Motoport as I've heard both good and bad regarding fitment. It sounds like I can get good fitment with either product, but it is unlikely on the first try, and you have to be conscious about how you deal with Wayne at Motoport.

7) Cost; I can't believe I'm going to spend over $1k on a single piece of gear! I hope it lasts a long time.

Have you been over the Motoport factory in San Diego? Worth a trip before you make a decision. I have a two piece Stich but would consider the stretch Motoport if I did not have my Aerostich rig.

I have not been, but if I go with the Air Mesh Kevlar I will definitely be getting measured at the factory. There are just too many horror stories regarding self measurement and Motoport.

Also, I should clarify that I am considering the stretch Kevlar. I've read it is much more comfortable.

[Cogswell]

I can't speak to Aerostitch, but I did purchase a stretch kevlar Motoport suit last spring. If you call they will send you a sample of both the stretch and air mesh materials so you can get a better idea of the fabric's feel and colors and they will also send you samples of both the regular and the quad armor. I can't add much to the foregoing as far as function goes - but I will say that the fit of the suit is directly proportional to how well the measurement instructions are followed. Be sure to use a helper and find a cloth tape measure that a tailor uses - they're cheap at a fabric store - it will be very difficult to get accurate measurements with a carpenter's tape measure or a ruler. I was unsure about the positioning of the knee armor, so I took photos of me seated on the bike and emailed them to him to look at which helped get that just right. If you measure exactly, the jacket is going to fit snugly through the chest and waist - mine is tighter than I would like, tho Wayne told me that it's necessary to keep the armor in place if you fall. He also went on to say that the armor will break in as body heat softens it and it takes your shape. I found that to be true, though I wouldn't mind an additional inch in the waist of the jacket - however the stretch of the material makes up for that. I got the quad armor which initially made me feel like I was wearing football pads, but I acclimated to it and now it feels normal. The quad armor is pretty substantial, though I have no real world 'test' of it and hope not to. It took about a thousand miles of riding to get used to it, but now I'm fine with it. I also got the sacrum (tailbone) armor, which at first I hated - I rode without it at first, but Wayne told me to stick with it and ride with it for a while - I would get used to it . . . and oddly enough I did. I don't even notice it now. I put about 5,000 miles on the suit and feel good riding in it.

There are numerous threads on Adventure Rider covering this topic if you want to do more research - just do a keyword search and you'll find quite a bit on it. Best of luck on your decision.

[wera803]

I had a Stich for a while and it was way too hot in Georgia for me to wear every day so sold it and got the Motoport Ultra II. The only thing I wish I could change about the suit was to get fitted at the factory. I knew someone local that had a suit which I tried on. The jacket was a XL and the pants were a L, both were too tight for me. I could get into it and ride with it, but without any liners. I discussed this with Wayne and told him I was pretty sure I would need a XXL jacket (what I commonly wear in other garments) and XL pants. After giving him all my measurements, he sent me a XXXL jacket and XXL pants. I sent the jacket back for the right size, but didn't send the pants. I can be difficult to fit in the legs (tree stumps) and didn't want to end up having too small of pants since I would be putting them over dockers, jeans, etc. After 5 years, they still feel like they are too big and I wish I would have at least tried on a smaller size for comparison. The jacket fits well.

Once you get used to putting on and taking off the Motoport, it doesn't take that much longer than the Stich. I have it down pretty good now. I've worn it every ride since I bought it, so it probably has 30k-35k miles on it now. I wear it from 30 degrees to 105 degrees. For all day riding in the 30's & 40's, I will also wear my Gerbing's electric liner, but I have only needed to do that once. Normally I don't ride for 10 hours straight when it is that cold.

The guy I know that has one ended up going down with his before I bought mine. He hit diesel fuel in the road and low sided at 40 MPH. There was some scuffing on the one arm, but didn't look bad. He sent it back to Wayne and he told him if he slid in that exact spot 3 more times, then send it in and they would fix it. Until then, it would be fine. I was pretty impressed on how little damage was done to the suit from a slide. I'm sure the Stich would have been worse off (fixable, but still worse off).

Not sure if you plan to use your Frog Toggs under the Motorport or over it. I did end up getting both the rain and thermal liners. Normally I do not attach them to the jacket or pants and just use them as a layer. Depending on the time of the year, I wear the jacket liners in the morning and take them out for the afternoon ride home. I only wear the pant liners when riding in the rain or if it is in the 30's and I will be on the bike more than an hour. For the short ride to work in the morning, I don't bother with the pant liner. Since the liners go under the suit, you don't have to worry about touching something hot like you would with a rain suit (if you wear it over the suit). You also don't have to worry about the rain suit flapping in the wind. I also find it much easier to put a rain suit on, then the Motoport suit instead of trying to get a rain suit on over any type of suit with padding.

One benefit I like for the hot weather is to just wear Under Armor under the suit. With the mesh, you get a lot of air flow, top and bottom. Then when you stop for lunch or whatever, you can remove just the jacket and keep the pants on.

I was so happy with the suit I ended up finding a used one on Adventure Rider last year for my GF. It was 1/2 the cost of my suit when I bought it new and looks like it was used very little.

[Stucky]

Great feed back WERA803. I had read some of your threads on here when you were considering switching to the Motoport and I'm glad to hear you are still happy with your decision. I know in GA it was a little easier decision as you see 90's and 100's more often than I will. I've worn my two piece leathers (perforated jacket) out to the desert for years, and while it is uncomfortable, it is doable. Thus, I'm wondering if the better decision is to go for the Stich for commuting and stick with the leathers for fun. Then my only dilemma would be that when I do extended trips in warm climates I would have to suffer in the Stich.

If I go with Motoport, I am thinking of only the jacket and pants. For colder weather I would just layer underneath, and for the 30's and 40's I was considering buying W&S heated jacket and pant liners. The liners are pricey, the VFR already strains electrically, but it just sounds soooo warm and nice . I hadn't considered trying to stuff the Frogg Toggs under the suit for rain, and I'm not sure they would fit. Although if it could be done, it sounds better than having them flap around in the wind. I have always worn them over my leathers.

Thanks all for the details regarding your experiences. I'm still undecided, but leaning towards the Motoport. Maybe I'll pick up the liners, grab my rain suit, and ride up to Motoport and try stuff on. Still need to sell that car first though .

[Guest]

Great points! It is great to hear from someone who has experience with both products. I do have a couple of questions though.

1) You say the Motoport is actually warmer, and I find this surprising. Is this comparing the Roadcrafter with liner to the Motoport with both waterproof and insulating liners?

2) I'm not sure I agree regarding the crash protection. Yes Cordura can melt, but I feel like Aerostich knows that and doubles up on key impact areas (plus wear a cotton base layer so your skin and suit don't fuse). I also dislike that a lot of what Motoport advertises is tension strength, not abrasion resistance; it just seems misleading. You mentioned that you use the quad armor, but I would likely go with the tri as it is much cheaper and seems less bulky.

3) Regarding waterproof-ness, I don't think I would use the Motoport liners as I think they are overpriced. I would probably just use my Frogg Toggs and base layers. Also, I think Aerostich addressed the "stich crotch" issue a couple of years ago with a slight design change. I have also heard that the waterproof-ness of Roadcrafters is very dependent on annual maintenance of the seems.

4) Comfort; I'm very nervous about working with Motoport as I've heard both good and bad regarding fitment. It sounds like I can get good fitment with either product, but it is unlikely on the first try, and you have to be conscious about how you deal with Wayne at Motoport.

7) Cost; I can't believe I'm going to spend over $1k on a single piece of gear! I hope it lasts a long time.

1. In response to your questions above, I do find the Motoport warmer, but as you noted, it may be because the Aerostich is well washed and used whereas the Motoport is fairly new. I wear long underwear, denim pants, turtleneck, wind blocking vest and neck wrap under both a Roadcrafter and Motoport. The Motoport has both the waterproof and insulating liners. With an ambient temperature of 32F, the wind chill is probably in the teens or lower at 65 mph. For a 25 minute ride to work, I haven’t found heated gear other than grips necessary. It is cold in both the Aerostich and Motoport, but tolerable.

2. At lower speeds, I believe that both the Motoport and Aerostich will protect against road rash. At higher speeds though, Aerostich is not as resistant to melting as Kevlar. You can find pictures and independent documentation attesting to this.

2. The quad armor is bulkier, especially the sacrum protection. For me personally, feeling well protected is comfortable.

3. I also considered Frogg Toggs, but am glad I got the waterproof underliners. They conveniently attach to the inside and I leave them in until temperatures exceed 70F. As you said, a new and well cared for Aerostich may perform as well as the Motoport in the rain.

4. I took my own measurements, albeit carefully, and did not have any problems with the fit.

[BonusVFR]

I suggest going to MotoPort not so much for sizing but to here "the Story" on the gear. Take a couple of folks with you and setup an appointment to hear Wayne talk about the benefits etc. I went wtih a bunch of ST guys and was impressed. Several started the ordering/sizing process right there. I have held off so far but may opt for the Stretch version jacket this year. Although recently, I have been reviewing KLIM jackets as well.

A couple of points about the Stich to consider re touring out West.

I have not really had a heat problem with my Stich two piece. I vent ok up to about 90 degrees. Typically the humidity is lower out West and do you really want vents when it is 110 degrees out and the air sucks the moisture out of you like a hair dryer. I just tuck a cooling vest under my stich when the temp hits 90+ on tour.

I run a heating vest or liner when it gets really cold or if I ride all day in cold conditions. These vests again save me packing space as I do not need as many layers.

On tour I do not like carrying extra gear. I already have too much crap ie camping! The Stich is nice as you do not need a WP liner or oversuit. Just ride on! In Alaska a couple of years ago it rained every day except one....we just kept rolling. Sometimes you can not pull over right away to don more gear. But I was dry in my Roadcrafter. I do treat it every year to a goretex tech wash and then some Scotch Guard coating.

[c5ip]

I've had an aerostich one piece since 1999 and put over 125K miles in it. I've ridden from 20 to 105 degrees comfortably. For me, the heat at 105 degrees was tolerable with the venting and only thing I did differnt was wear shorts instead of long pants. I, too, wash it regularly with water-proof treatment and spray it with Scotch Guard. However, it does leak in the left leg right below the crotch no matter what I do. Other than that, it's dry on the inside. Can't speak to the MotoPort but I've been happy with my Roadcrafter.

[vfrcapn]

I'd like to add a Motoport as a second suit at some point but my 2-piece Roadcrafter is still going at 10 years and still watertight with very little maintenance.

I will add I've tried on the Motoport and found it very lightweight and comfortable.

[2thdr]

Thanks to all that have contributed their wisdom to this thread, and thanks to the OP for starting it. This is a very big purchase for most of us and it's great to get the real scoop firsthand from users of the gear. Being in not only a warm, but a usually very humid climate, I will likely opt for the Motoport gear when I make the jump to this type of gear. Leather and textile is going to have to do it for another year for me...

[Guest]

Grrr... more fodder for my decision... I've been pondering new gear, and I am now about to check out Teiz Motorsports, as they are within driving distance.

Now I just have to decide, kevlar or super-fabric. More decisions.

[JZH]

I went through this process last year and ended going with what I know (Roadcrafter--my third), rather than chance it with allegedly "mercurial" Wayne over at Motoport (the idea of wearing something even more ugly than my 'Stich was also not very appealing!). I also wanted something light-weight, so it was either the Roadcrafter Light or Ultra-Light for me. I'd always had good results fitment-wise sending the suit back to MN a time or two, but this time I was going with a one-piece, replacing my "mis-matched" two-piece jacket and pants, so I wrote to Aerostich a couple of times for their sizing advice.

Ended up having to buy two suits (returned one later for credit) and sent suits back twice, finally ending up with what I wanted a couple of MONTHS later. It took forever, with Aerostich digging a 5 year-old shipping address out of its files and sending one of the suits there--then refusing to send me another one until the mis-shipped one was returned to them. That was inexcusable, as far as I'm concerned... Good luck!

Ciao,

[Stucky]

More great input and food for thought. I'm still undecided, but I'm thinking of buying some heated liners and wearing them under my leathers for the meantime. I'm still wanting to ride up to Motoport soon if anyone in SD would like to join.

[VFR4Lee]

Good info in here. Thanks for posting your experiences since I have none with these items,

and have been thinking about buying a coverall type suit.

Now if you want custom fit leathers, I'll recommend Z Custom. Love my 2 piece Z suit.

Wish they still made custom fitted boots. I really really love those.

[Duc2V4]

More great input and food for thought. I'm still undecided, but I'm thinking of buying some heated liners and wearing them under my leathers for the meantime. I'm still wanting to ride up to Motoport soon if anyone in SD would like to join.

I'm not in SD but I wouldn't mind checking them out. This weekend is spoken for but open for most of the month.

[BonusVFR]

More great input and food for thought. I'm still undecided, but I'm thinking of buying some heated liners and wearing them under my leathers for the meantime. I'm still wanting to ride up to Motoport soon if anyone in SD would like to join.

You should buy heated gear anyway especially if you are considering touring. Heated vests are good for most conditions except perhaps for sustained cold weather riding ie a Winter Trip!!!! Full liners take more juice but of course provide even more heat. I also take my heated vest for summer tours especially if I head into the mountains which I do most every tour so far.

Not sure you have heated grips yet. If you are thinking of getting them I could coordinate with you as I am going to upgrade my existing heated grips on my KLR. I could show how to do it in my garage.

[2thdr]

Personally I prefer the heated liner with sleeves that provides the connectors at sleeve end for heated gloves. Of course dual control (Gerbings, all of it) to control liner and gloves separately.

[VFR Capt.Bob]

Great information here. I've got a 2 pc Cortech suit that tamed the coastal cold damp weather quite nicely on the way to Laguna Seca. It's fine for cold weather riding and touring but now that I commute by bike nearly every day the easy to don and egress type one pc. suit really makes more sense.

[Stucky]

I called Motoport and I'm trying to get something set up for Saturday, Jan. 19th. Wayne hasn't called me back yet, but I'll post up if/when it is confirmed. All are welcome to join, as I'm hoping to hear Wayne's pitch and form my own opinions first hand. This isn't some sort of privat fitting. If you are coming let me know so I can relay that info to Wayne.

[Stucky]

FYI

Rather than have Wayne come in on the weekend, I have decided to just drop by this Friday (Jan. 11th) during their normal hours. Duc2V4 and others, just let me know if you are still interested in meeting.

[Duc2V4]

Unfortunately, the one day out of this week where I actually have to be at a job site, is this Friday. No worries, I was looking for an excuse to ride to SD for some riding and learning, there will be others. Thanks for the offer though.

Cheers

[vfrcapn]

I don't know how the other company's service is, but Aerostich sets the bar pretty high for any company. This was the entire exchange I had with them today, it couldn't have been easier.

I sent this email last night through Aerostich's website:

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Comment: Hello,

I have a 2 piece Roadcrafter suit that I purchased new about 11 years ago. I need to order new zipper pulls for the jacket and pants but am not sure which kits to order. I need 1) the main jacket zipper pulls, 2) both the arm cuff zippers, 3) both main leg zippers, left and right.

The suit was purchased in 2002 and is still in great condition with about 80K miles on it. Thanks

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Reply received this morning:

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Sent: Friday , January 11, 2013 10:43 am CST (GMT-06:00)

Subject: Contact Form

Hello,

I can send you those sliders free of charge, is the xxxx yyyyy zz Address the correct shipping address?

Matt

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Subject: Contact Form

Hi, yes, the address is still the same. Thank you!

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You are quite welcome!

Happy Riding!

Matt

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FedEx tracking number was sent shortly afterwards, delivery scheduled next week. I bought the suit 11 years ago...Zipper kits aren't that expensive but a company standing behind it's product with free replacement parts and shipping, after a decade of hard use, when they certainly don't need to, is priceless.

[Stucky]

Thanks again to all who shared their experiences. I did a ton of research and I have actually decided to go with the Stich. Shocking, I know . The main reason for me to go with the 1pc Roadcrafter is that the majority of on bike riding I do is commuting. Thus a simple/quick put on/take off and built in waterproofness are hugely attractive. I know the 2pc Motoport isn't much more difficult or time consuming to put on/take off, but there is just more utility with the 1pc.

I did go visit Wayne at the Motoport facility, and it is some impressive stuff. I commend Wayne for being so dedicated to safety. Motoport is often sold on two main virtues, safety being number one and breathability being number two. For my personal needs, the additional safety provided by the air mesh kevlar (compared to Cordura; I don't want to get in to the leather argument) did not outweigh its cosmetic inferiority. The Motoport can be custom fit to be slim, but there is no getting around the bulkiness of the armor. Also, I'm guessing Motoport suits look the way they do because the material is very tough and difficult to work with.

So with safety being a non-issue between the two options (in my eyes, YMMV), it came down to the breathability selling point. Yes, the air mesh kevlar is completely breathable and the air gaps are visible when help up to a light. However I live in SoCal. Summers can be in the 80's, but I've read the Roadcrafter is fine up to 90 as long as you have the vents open and are moving. For my fun desert rides I'll just wear my current perforated leather. Winters here can be in the 40's (44 this morning). Assuming I would be wearing work cloths under either suit, the Roadcrafter only requires one insulating layer, while the Motoport would require the windblocker/waterproof layer, and an insulating layer. I am looking for as slim a fit as possible, and all these layers could really add bulk.

So, with all these points in mind I ordered a 1pc Roadcrafter. Now I have to wait 8 weeks for it to be made . I hope this helps some of you make similar decisions. Everyone's decision is different as we use our bikes in different ways and in different climates. I also want to ensure all that I believe both the Stich and Motoport gear are really top notch. Wayne may be a little over enthusiastic about his gear vs. others, but you can't argue with his dedication.

I went with black on black, but considered black with hi-viz ballistics. Thoughts?