DarienLight Motorcycle Jacket #261

My Darien Light is great for those warmer days, allowing a good flow of air while maintaining adequate protection. Worn with the AD1 pants- great on an english summer's day - you never know when the rain will fall :) -bobby klee Thursday, October 16, 2008

Well made and good attention to details (like all Aerostich products). It is very light weight compared to a Roadcrafter or Darrien. Almost like a super duty rain shell (that breaths). Its perfect for layering in the colder weather and is also outstanding in warm-hot temps with the thinner fabric and great venting. I also have the DL pants which are also excellent. The D.L. jacket and pants are perfect for me and the weather conditions in the Mid-West during riding season (cool-hot humid temps w/rain showers).

Sizing/fit notes - The sizing tool recommended an XXL, but it was way too big. I wear a 48R in the Roadcrafter and the D.L. XL was just right in the chest and arm length even with a polar fleece. For personal preference, I had 3" removed from the bottom to make it less skirted (more like a Roadcrafter jacket). The pockets are more shallow and I lost the bottom draw string, but it was easy/cheap for a local sewing shop to do without moving any zippers or major tear ups. -Richard King Thursday, October 16, 2008

Well, writing that the Darien Light is a perfect jacket is kind of boring, but here goes anyway...

First, thanks to Aerostich for understanding that Velcro is best used sparingly. After fighting like a madman to open and close the vents in my old Olympia AST jacket, the Darien Light is literally a breath of fresh air. The main jacket zipper is reinforced with lots of Velcro, but opening and closing that part of the jacket is a gross-motor movement, which is an ideal application for Velcro.

I really love the little touches, such as not using Velcro to secure the collar tab "closed," but instead using a simple tab loop. It's those little things that add up.

Also, the photos on the web site don't do justice to the Desert Sand color on the Darien Light. The color is a very attractive off-white. For those who want to be visible, but aren't ready to commit to Hi-Viz, the Desert Sand color is a perfect compromise.

What else... Well, one thing to keep an eye on is the cuff zippers. The material inside the cuff "wants" to get stuck in the zipper, so after a lot of patient training, the zipper now closes without ever getting caught.

I really compare my first Aerostich jacket to a Sig Sauer pistol: It's just so right that it's a pleasure to use! -Thomas Mullin Thursday, October 16, 2008