Are black riding jackets appreciably hotter than lighter colors when riding in the summer?

I'm getting an Aerostitch one-piece roadcrafter soon (one's on the way for a test-fit), and I'm still debating colors. I like the looks of the black suits, but vs. something lighter like grey, how much hotter is it going to be when riding in the sun in the NorCal summer?

For reference, my current gear medium-blue leather 2-piece suit from AXO Racing. Styled for street use more than race use. But it's a pretty dark color, and it definitely warms up in the sun. But it has a very thin lining, so heat (and cold) go right through it.

This is great on the cooler days, as the sun feels good when I stop at a light. And, accordingly, it sucks on a 90degF day in full sun.

Any ideas on how same/different a dark aerostitch is going to be?

 

I have two red textile jackets and one black perforated leather jacket.
The black jacket feels much warmer in the sun. Enough so that it would probably be uncomfortable in traffic.
When moving, it is not that bad and I often wear it on 85 degree days. I usually switch to a Mesh textile above that.
Even though I like hot weather, I think a riding suit that is worn over a shirt and jeans would be much more comfortable in the lighter color.

 

The Aerostitch suits are much warmer that the Aerostitch jacket/pants combos. Darker colors absorb, lighter colors reflect. Aerostitch tops have vents too.

Aerostitch has zip together combos and bibs that zip to the pants.

If memory serves many or even most tracks require one piece leathers for roadracing. One does not wish to be caught pants down at the ton.

 

If you do get a black one, and it is perforated, get a set of Under Armor Heat gear. So long as you are moving, regardless of how hot it is, the feeling is actually cool. It doesn't help a whole lot when you are stopped in traffic. One of my three suits is a mostly black and grey perforated. It is warm no doubt but certainly tolerable. But here, we don't often get warmer than 35C. (95F). And when it does, park the bike and drink beer. Don't like beer...drink whiskey sour...don't drink alcohol at all? Good Host Sweetened Iced Tea or Real Time Lemon Aid quenches the thirst about as good as anything. And you can add vodka or gin to it if you have a change in your life.

 

The one-piece aerostitches are track-legal. An ex-coworker of mine biffed it at Laguna Seca at 120mph in a one-piece. He was in better shape than the bike was (front tire blow-out, mid-corner). Instant low-side and then slid off the track into the gravel.

I'm definitely looking for a one-piece vs. the two-piece suits, and just not sure on the black.

 

And for those that aren't familiar with the suits, they're cordura 500 with ballistic nylon in over the armor and in other high-abrasion areas:

Roadcrafter One Piece Suit - Roadcrafter - Aerostich Suits :: Aerostich/RiderWearHouse Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear

 

With all the suggestions, if dress in time exceeds commute time it ain't all that much fun. The upside is that one is very stylish especially if the label on any garment is on the outside.

Anybody got a VFR tat? Don't let the harleydoods get ahead for the love of God!

Not a clue what track legal is (??) . One piece leathers for racing as opposed to "track" days. Took a couple of laps on an Aprilia at Laguna wearing the top half of an Aerostich, Jeans, boots, gloves and a helmet. We were behind the Aprilia dude who was moving right along. Each track will have different "rules" .

 

I had an all black Aerostich 1-pc and I liked it. Was it hotter than a lighter color? Yes, a bit, but really only when standing still. I just didn't like their other color combinations much so went with all black. It wasn't so hot that I couldn't live with it and here in Colorado you don't get stuck in a lot of traffic jams. So I really was only sitting still at stop lights and rest stops. I would wear less underneath in the summer and that helped.

 

I got a Hi-Viz Aero suit for my commute. Since there were maybe 20 headstones at various locations for the deceased on the shoulders of that road, me felt that I needed every advantage against gravel trucks and sleepy cagers. Cool thing is all the bugs I gots on mine, when them Aero suits are new they look kinda dorky. Had a red two piece back when I was living in the rotten Garden state known as NJ. Ebayed it though.

White is definately kewler than black. Had a white riding jacket for about ten years down here before my belly expanded. Now, I wear a perfed out black Vanson. No tawk about being a label snob.

That Aero suit is great for getting in and out of. Makes your bikie soOOOOO accesable its a joke.

Non-riding public will look at you like your kinda crazy and your co-workers may make up a name for you (super-chicken) but F them all.

 

an Aerostitch would be less dorky than the blue power-ranger suit I have now... Thanks for the notes on your experiences with black and white jackets. Just how much hotter is the black than the white?

 

South Florida sun will burn you another A-hole. White is keweler fer sure but not as good looking as black in my opinion. I put a foot down at an intersection once in the summer, had the white jacket on and my boot was black. I swear to gawd, I could feel the heat obsorbing into my foot.

I got a flat black Arai btw. You gota have style out there. I would never, I repeat NEVER wear a white skid lid :smile:

 

What is cool is to get the Aerostitch one piece in that green and yellow motif, a blacklight and a Karoke machine and busk at all the bike nights for spare change.

My two piece is red and black. I tried once to really measure which color was hot and which color was cool and stabbed myself with the meat thermometer I was using. It really hurt. Now I don't give a shit and as long as I don't step in a wad of bubblegum or cac when I put my foot down I am happy.

This brings up yet another question. Are white dudes cooler or hotter than black dudes or is it the other way round?

 

Funny funny stuff. Just gona be a fly on the wall for a little bit to see where this one ends up. Throw being politically correct out the window and really speak your feelings.

 

I don't know, that suit looks to be warm regardless of what color you choose. One thing I can definitely say is - make sure you understand, before you shell out any money, that suit is not in fact going to get you on many tracks. There isn't a single track in Colorado that would allow that particular set-up. May I ask: For that kind of money, why aren't you shopping for either a 1 or 2 piece leather suit? I know you've seen the Aerostitch put to the test, but leather will hold up even better. If it's heat you're worried about, that same $900 will get you perforated leathers from the best manufactorers, including Alpinestars and Dianese. Just spinning plates here, you can tell me to piss off if I missed something.

 

I agree. Way too many PCs here that should just jump out the nearest window or secondarlily be defenestrated.

 

Check out the entire catalog. Several types of Aerostitch suits and jackets including perfed leather. The clothing is made in the USA and runs large for layering and for folks who commute and are required to wear businesslike garb at work. Lots of bucks but lots of variety and good stuff.

Road racing as opposed to track days and freebies laps or rides on demo bikes requires, so far as I can find, a one piece leather suit. For get offs Aerostitch even has a page that addresses repairs when the rubber side ain't in the right place.

I think maybe a dude in flipflops , baggies and a tanktop might get a round the blocker on a Harley but a Duc dealer might have a whole nother thing in mind. Best to check IMO..

 

track legal in some clubs, my club (NESBA, the country's largest) insists on leather (1pc preferred, 2pc with 300 degree zip) for all except for intro riders (2 free sessions, then you have to join)


Black is MUCH hotter than any other color, to split the difference look for perforated ones

 

The Aero suit is decent at flowing air. My old commute was almost non-stop for 24 miles or so at what ever speed you wanted to crank your throttle to. I wore that suit on 100 degree days and basically didnt have sweated pits when I got work. Riding home it was hotter and I had some surface streets to deal with, but still dry to some degree.

I wore my one piece leathers during commutes some days just to mix it up so the cagers wouldnt see a man in a yellow suit flying by all the time :smile: I say be good to your self and get the one piece stich suit and get a nice Syed Leathers one piece race suit. Could get a Vanson if you like too.

 

Another of the "mine is bigger" Bollywood epics.. NESBA ain't a club. It's function is as an organizational body for motorcycle "track days". The requirements are standarized and posted on the NESBA website. A rider overview:


NESBA : Forms

The criteria is nearly identical with the various rider schools by folks like Pridmore, Code ect.

Buying track time ain't new by a long shot. The tire testers and car guys have been doing it for years and before that it was the LEOs like CHP at Willow.. Riverside ect.


I guess if spin is in, I am going to support Donald Trump for POTUS.


Racing whether at club level or GP has a whole nother set of rules. We might find "Chaz" Bono in a XXXlarge short Aerostich but Rossi is gonna be in leather from head to toe.

 

such a dick