Spidi ladies 4 Seasons Evo jacket in black

Spidi tell us that, worldwide, the 4 Seasons Evo is their best-selling, ladies' touring jacket. And we can see how such a jacket would have a pretty universal appeal. It's a very versatile jacket that will work for a lot of women in lots of different situations.

 

The starting point is that it's what is known as a 3-layer jacket; but that's different to a 3-layer, laminated jacket. This jacket has three separate layers. There's the outer shell, as well as waterproof and thermal liners that can be removed. And what this means is that you can wear the 4-Season jacket in warm weather with no membrane, and no thermal layer. Indeed, in this configuration, the lady 4-Season will work really well. Put the waterproof layer into the jacket, and you will be warmer, and enjoy reasonable levels of waterproofing. The same goes for the thermal layer. Wear it, and the jacket will be reasonably warm.

 

The name of the game here is, indeed, versatility. Jackets like this are popular in southern Europe where it rains less often, but with the requisite layers, to a degree, you could ride anywhere. A jacket like this would not be up to a rigorous, daily commute. It would make for a fine, weekend jacket. And it would work well if you were touring.

 

The jacket is mid-length; it's probably the perfect length for a serious motorcycling jacket. Jackets much shorter than this tend not to keep out the rain and the cold. Jackets much longer tend to push the collar into the neck when you're on the bike.

 

The outer fabric is an abrasion resistant Nylon of some description; what Spidi calls a high-tenacity, polyamide, tenax fabric. This material is interspersed with areas of stretch material for extra comfort.

 

Under EN17092, the jacket is A-rated for abrasion resistance, which is what we would have expected. It comes fitted with Level 2 armour in the elbows, and Level 1 armour in the shoulders. There's a mechanism for supporting a back protector, and we would always propose a D3O protector with Velcro.

 

There's quite of bit of interesting detail on this jacket. Two lower, flap pockets. Two little zip pockets above the main pockets. One internal pocket. Volume adjusters on the forearms.  A drawstring at the hem. Velcro straps to cinch the jacket in at the waist. A neat system at the neck to fasten the collar. Poppers at the ends of the sleeves. And 3M Scotchlite panels for added nighttime visibility.

 

The waterproof inner jacket fastens into the main jacket with straps and poppers. The waterproofing and breathability scores for this jacket are not particularly high. They're okay, but we're not talking Gore-Tex here. The thermal layer, which can also be fixed into the jacket, contains 100g/m2 of thermal wadding. That's enough to take the chill out of a cool day, but it won't be up to a mid-winter commute.

 

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the jacket is its venting. You get two large, mesh panels on the chest. There's a huge mesh panel on the back. All these panels are concealed under flaps. Unzip those flaps, and the jacket will flow large amounts of air. You also get to reveal generous mesh inserts when you unzip the vents that run down the jacket's forearms.

 

This jacket is a manifestation of the layering principle, about which we often wax lyrical here at Motolegends. For us, layering's ultimate expression is a highly breathable Klim Marrakesh jacket worn over the appropriate insulating layers when it's cold, and beneath a Scott waterproof when it's wet.

The Klim system is superior in many ways. But the principles are the same. The main difference is that the system offered by Spidi is presented in the form of a traditional, motorcycle jacket. And if that is the look you're after, then the 4-Season Lady will serve you well.

 

But you need to be aware of the Spidi jacket's limitations. With the vents all open, and with the layers removed, the 4-Season is the kind of jacket you could wear in the warmest of conditions. You wouldn't cross the Sahara in the 4-Season, but for the hottest UK days, and even for a continental tour, the 4-Season Lady will work well.

 

The thermal inner is perfectly acceptable, but it's no down jacket. Indeed, somewhat harshly perhaps, we would term it tokenistic. Yes, it does a job; it will take the chill out of a cold day, but that's about its limit.

 

When it comes to staying dry, a separately-worn, inner jacket like the one that comes with the 4-Season will deliver waterproofing akin to a drop-liner jacket. The membrane should keep you dry, but as the membrane is not fixed, the wet stuff will, after a period of time, be able to leapfrog the waterproof layer to reach the body. In a shower, the membrane will work. In a heavy and prolonged downpour it will be less effective. But what should not be forgotten is that a waterproof membrane is also a windproof membrane, so keeping the waterproof in place will always make the jacket much warmer, as it will combat the effects of wind chill. One could, of course, always make a case for carrying a separate waterproof jacket to wear over the 4-Season in order to be able to withstand prolonged rain. 

 

One final point. Trousers. We do not offer the matching Spidi pant. We would suggest matching the jacket with a pair of jeans; perhaps some Merino leggings; and almost certainly a set of Scott waterproof over-pants. And that's partly because when you get to your destination, be it somewhere for lunch, or some other destination, you can remove your jacket in a way that you could never remove your pants. It's just a thought!