Here at Motolegends, as a lot of our customers know, we are all in favour of a solution that sees a rider wearing a highly breathable, outer jacket; to then supplement it with appropriate, insulating mid-layers on the inside, and a waterproof one on the outside.
This is not the right way for everybody. For the guy with a long, year-round commute, it's probably the wrong approach. But for the fair-weather weekend rider, and for those who tour in search of the sun, layering may well be the way to go.
But if you buy into the logic of this, then we would probably suggest that, for a number of reasons, the best starting point is the Klim Marrakesh. Belstaff's Airflow jacket is not really an alternative. It's only A rated, and it just doesn't contain the amount of stretch you need to layer comfortably for the coldest conditions.
Which is not to say that the Belstaff is not a great jacket. It is, but whilst it flows a lot of air through mesh panels down the arms, and up the flanks, it is aimed at a different kind of rider. The Airflow is for the style-conscious rider of some kind of retro or custom bike. This is the guy who normally rides in a leather or wax-cotton jacket perhaps, but who realises that, in hot weather, he's going to boil. It's also the jacket for those who loves to be seen in Belstaff; and let's face it there are quite a few of those!
As a style of jacket, it shares its profile with something like the wax-cotton Crosby. But in this case the chassis is some form of Nylon. Belstaff have come up with a fancy name for the material. They call it 'Technical Nylon'. I certainly hope they didn't burn the midnight oil coming up with that!
As we have stated, the jacket rates A under EN17092 for abrasion resistance; and that's really what you would expect of a jacket that's clearly more focussed on urban riding than the open road. The jacket comes fitted with ventilated D3O in the elbows and shoulders. There's a pocket that will take a back protector.
All the other stuff is pretty standard fare. A mesh lining. Silicone coated buttons to avoid scratching the tank. A drawstring at the waist. Four external flap pockets. A largish logo on the back. A smallish one on the sleeve. And so on.
So where do we get to? Well, if you want a lightweight, highly breathable, summer jacket; if you want a longer, four-pocket jacket; if you tend to poodle rather than race; and if you're a Belstaff fan, then this may be the jacket for you.
One can never talk about Belstaff without touching on price. And at £425, the Airflow is expensive for a mesh jacket. The Marrakesh, (here he goes again), offers much greater functionality for very similar money. But this is a super-stylish jacket from a leading, fashion brand. Klim, by contrast, comes from somewhere in Idaho! The bottom line is that nobody buys anything from Belstaff if value for money is the driver. Their Airflow motorcycle jacket is expensive, but really it was always going to be!
