Helmet for hot conditions and loads of dirt roads
For Australia and Africa we wanted something a bit more ventilated, as the Arai Tour X4 is rather hot when riding tricky gravel roads in hot weather.
Martin rides motorbikes since he is 14 years old and therefore owned several types of motorbike jackets and pants. He did his South America trip in Kevlar jeans (something he would not recommend to anyone after his 6 month trip) and therefore knows exactly what he wants or doesnt want in motorbike gear.
Xenia started her motorbike riding career with a lot of frustration, as it was very hard to find any women gear that fit her. Beeing a bit over average hight (1.73 meter or 5.8feet) and with curves, she tried about 30 different jackets and pants and ended up buying male cloths which did not fit perfect but at least had the right amount of protection.
After riding for several years with our old gear and knowing that we would go on a big trip, it was time to dig deeper and find something that actually fits, with good protection and great in all kind of weather situations. It was clear, that we need GORE-TEX® cloths, as we knew both how annoying it was to always take off or put on rain gear (if it is inner or outer layers, both is not really practical). Good venitlation was important too and therefore we spent some time searching for the right brand and found KLIM, a brand that was not very famous in Europe and even less in Switzerland.
Lucky us we found out, that there is a shop only an hour drive away from our place, where we could go and try out if it would be the right thing for us. Even luckier for us was that Marc, the owner of MMD Adventures, is an amazing guy, with loads of knowledge, even more patience for all our questions and therefore we bought two fitting KLIM suits right away.
After riding with them over 45’000km we had the chance to upgrade them to the latest Badlands and Artemis suits. Find all the review below.
IMPORTANT: To maximise wear comfort of a GORE-TEX® suit it is very important to wear good underwear to transport the sweat to the vents. Therefore we never ride without our functional underwear!
KLIM Overland Review
Martin thought he would buy the Badlands but finally went for the Overland because of the light weight and the price. In general the whole suit is very light and well ventilated, which makes riding offroad or in hot palces very comfortable.
Usually Martin has troubles finding jackets that are long enough for his arms, as he is tall (1.84 meters or 6.1) but slim and therefore most jackets are either too big or have too short sleeves.
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
In general Martin is very happy with the Overland pants. They fit, are long enough and well ventilated.
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
Conclusion
After some crashes and nearly every day riding in all kind of weather condition (snow and sand storms, from minus 15 degrees up to 45 degrees, torrential rain), the suit is still in very good condition. Martin is really happy that he went for the Overland suit and never regretted it.
Improvments on latest model
The Overland suit got replaced by the Carlsbad, which has vents in the sleeves and also brings a jacket to pants connector.
KLIM Altitude Review
Xenia decided to go for the first Altitude suite, even if the second edition was already available. There were a couple reasons for her to do this but most important was, that the vents and pockets somehow made more sense to her than in the second edition.
The Altitude jacket fits really great, has a nice length and is adjustable on the waist and the hips, which makes it even more comfortable to wear. Xenia has a size LG, which is a bit on the bigger side if she is only wearing a t-shirt but as we were riding in very cold conditions it was good to have some extra space for warmer layers.
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
The Altitude pants are not tight pants but thats exactly what Xenia was looking for, as the pants need to be comfortable in all kind of riding positions as well as pitching the tent or going for a short walk. The fit is really good and adjustable with side straps, in case you loose or gain some pounds during the trip. The leg lenght is really good too and is adjustable as well (on the new generation suits, the pants come in different length sizes now).
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
Conclusion
After some crashes and nearly every day riding in all kind of weather condition (snow and sand storms, from minus 15 degrees up to 45 degrees, torrential rain), the suit is still in very good condition. One velcro on the jacket came off pretty early and the main zipper is sometimes a bit stuborn but otherwise everything is fine. Regarding waterproofness the jacket is great but the pants are not waterproof in the crotch area when there is very intense rain for a longer time. As you sit in a puddle of water the GORE-TEX® stretch panel in this area seems not to be able to hold up with it after a while. As most people don’t ride for a long time in torrential rain, this might not be very important to most riders.
Improvments on latest model
Nearly all those negativ points were heard by KLIM after many women insisted to have bigger pockets and bigger vents on their cloth and now there are even two different suits for women by KLIM, the new Altitude and Artemis.
KLIM Badlands Pro Review
The new Badlands Pro – Klim has promised better and lighter and also delivered!
The jacket no longer feels heavy and stiff. It is equipped with more and better protectors than the Overlander so it is logically still heavier, but the combination of protection and comfort is unbeatable.
Normally Martin has problems to find a suitable jacket, because these are often not long enough for his arms. With his long (1.84 meters) but slim stature, jackets are often either too wide or the arms too short. The New Badlands Pro is slightly longer at the arms than the Overlander and thus also protects the wrist in weather and falls.
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
Martin is more than satisfied with the pants. They offer more protection and the same comfort as the Overlander trousers worn before.
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
The loop to hang up the trousers is slightly undersized and therefore it is hard to hang the pants at the handle bar to dry (important to us as we mostly camp and therefore have no hangers to hang up the cloths).
Conditions
In those past 9 months we covered 21’000km through Australia. We had from rainy 12°C to dry 39°C. We drove from highways to small difficult 4×4 tracks with water crossings, gravel and sand. We also got off the bike a few times involuntarily.
Conclusion
The jacket as well as the trousers are really great. Although they offer significantly more protection than many other suits on the market, the comfort does not come too short. KLIM has also put all their experience and knowledge into the third generation Badlands Pro suit, thus creating an absolute high-end product for the demanding rider.
So to speak the noble knight’s armor for the adventure rider who occasionally drinks a cafe at Starbucks, but therefor takes an additional loop through 5 countries.
The Badlands Pro is definitely the best suit Martin has ever worn. It offers maximum comfort and protection, from low to high temperatures and no layer has to be pulled over or under when it rains.
Alternative
If you have troubles with the rather high price of this suit you will find joy in the simpler and lighter KLIM Carlsbad.
KLIM Artemis Review
Xenia was very happy with her old KLIM Altitude but saw a lot of potential for improvement. With the new KLIM Artemis, a women’s suit that was developed for the woman as “the rider” and actually responds to the needs. That means a lot of protection with high comfort and usfull bags and ventilation.
A lot of effort was put into the third ladies model. It was researched from scratch what such a ladies suit should be able to do. With this knowledge and the experience of KLIM the Artemis was created by women for women!
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
Xenia is more than happy with the pants. With the 4 big vents and the 2 big pockets those are great looking and functional pants.
Here some of the most important feautures:
Some points that could have been better:
Conditions
In 9 months we covered 21’000km through Australia. We had from rainy 12°C to dry 45°C. We drove from highways to small difficult 4×4 tracks with water crossings, gravel and sand. We also got down some times involuntarily.
Conclusion
The women of KLIM have designed a really great suit! The shortcomings of the earlier models were all fixed here and it looks and feels really good. The Artemis is definitely the best suit Xenia has ever worn. It offers maximum comfort from low to high temperatures and really great protection. The vents and pockets are a huge improvement to the former suits.
Alternative
If you have troubles with the rather high price of this suit you will find joy in the simpler KLIM Altitude
Ever wondered what Mr. and Mrs. Motorbike wear under their fancy motor cycle clothing? Everyone that experienced a long motorbike tour in different temperatures knows that cotton is the worst enemy of a motorbike rider. You sweat more and therefore chills out faster because cotton stays wet for quite a while. Therefore functional underwear does the trick. It cools you down if you are too hot and warms you if you are cold. Apart from that it doesn’t smell bad as quick as cotton cloth, which is quite important if you are on a long tour and have no possibilities to wash your cloth that often (your fellow human beings will be grateful as well).
We carry quite a bit of motorbike underware with us but would not want to spare one part. Of course if you only ride in very cold or in very hot climate you won’t need as much for sure. On our trip we have everything from -15 degrees up to 45 degrees and therefore have to have cloths for all conditions.
To get the maximum comfort and performance from your Goretex suit, KLIM has designed the Aggressor, which is available for different temperature levels. We decided to buy the long sleeve tops for Australia, as the sun is really agressive and it is better to be covered.
Positive
Negative
Conclusion
The Aggressor -1.0 cools you down noticeably even under the jacket at high temperatures. With its long sleeves, it transports sweat to the vents in the suit and thus considerably increases the comfort of the entire suit. The Aggressor -1.0 helps you to bear hot temperatures better. Physically less stressed you are longer and better focused on what we like to do best – motorcycling!
Important though
On our long tours through the Australian Outback water and showers were very rare. The long sleeve Aggressor had helped us to protect our jackets from sweat, sun cream or sprays against mosquitos or flies. So the jacket has to be washed less and does not get destroyed by chemicals.
This underware brand is not the cheapest but we really would not want to miss it. It does not smell and is not itchy at all. Xenia can’t wear any merino wool because of an allergie so we had to find another high quality underware brand. Have a look at their webpage to get more informations on their specialized products.
Thanks again to Marlies and the team of Hess Motorrad for the great help!
Not something we planned on buying but we are very glad that we did! We always thought that cooling vests are heavy, bulky, not working and just a gimmik, but after we saw them in the shop we decided to give them a try. On our trip through the Pyrenees we took them with us and could test them in temperatures between 33 and 37 degrees. What a relief!!! They really cool you down and the size and weight of them is really not a big deal.
We mostly carry our cooling vests in a small dry bag and if we know that the temperatures are gettin really hot we either fill the dry bag in the morning with water or just water them while on the road.
Without them we would have struggeled a few times alreay on our world trip where we had more than once temperatures over 35 degrees.
To choose the right helmet is an important thing for motorbike riders, because it should not only protect you but also fit your head form perfectly. Because of this you should really wear a new helmet for a while and test it before you head off into a big adventure. Some helmets start to give you painful headaches after two or three hours of wearing, something you won’t feel in the shop.
For Australia and Africa we wanted something a bit more ventilated, as the Arai Tour X4 is rather hot when riding tricky gravel roads in hot weather.
Features
Delivery scope
Negative
Info
It is the safest helmet KLIM has produced to date and soon a KLIM Krios with koroyd will also be produced!
Features
Delivery scope
Negative
Info
The F5 Iron Red comes now with a black outer line which helps against reflections from the sun and probably will stay a bit cleaner than the white one.
Difference
The big difference to the F5 ECE: Parts of the conventional inner shell were replaced by koroyd welded tubes. Koroyd is one of the latest aviation technologies. This allows even more ventilation and 48% better dampening in the event of an impact. Here you find a video about it.
Conclusion
With the very light weight, and the many vents the F5 is one the lightest and best ventilated helmets on the market. With the new FID-LOCK® system KLIM also offers a super fast locking mechanism for the helmet strap, which we really love. The antibacterial and moisture absorbing inner lining and strap padding are easy to remove and can be machine washed. The googles opening on this helmet has been enlarged to have an even bigger field of view in combination of the KLIM Viper Pro Googels. This is a huge safety advantage for us, especially in road traffic.
What is really great is that the helmet is adjustable with the face mask and the liner. We use them in colder weather and/or heavy rain. They make this helmet even better, as it is not only limited to very hot temperatures or gravel riding.
In short, this is the best helmet we have ever worn. It proved its strength on the gravel roads of Australia. Lots of air due to ventilation, with minimum weight and maximum comfort and a great field of vision.
For Europe and other places with more rain, cold weather and paved roads, we like to have a helmet that is not too loud and still offers the option to ride with goggles.
Xenia went for the Arai Tour X4 already in the beginning of her motorbike career and of course it has to be black. She wears a size S, which weights about 1620 grams. Martin needed a new helmet and also went for the same one (size M with 1680 grams).
That’s why we chose Arai Tour X4 helmets:
Another great point:
Lens
Delivery scope
Negative
Conclusion
Great goggles to wear with super wide field of view. The lenses never fogged up and are almost scratch-free even after a whole year of use. The smoke gray lens was just right to ride in bright daylight like in Australia. Even at night, the lens offers sufficient vision and does not necessarily have to be replaced with the clear lens.
These goggles are a must for the KLIM F5 helmet!
Because we love to ride gravel roads and are often on the road if the temperatures are higher we love to ride with MX goggles instead of a visor. The great thing is that we don’t have to remove the visors if we ride with the goggles. This is great because if we change from gravel roads to a highway we can just switch back to the visor in case it is too loud or it starts to rain.
We chose the Fox AIRSPC day Glow Green goggles because they fit into our helmets, have a nose protection (great against sun burns and flying stones) and an anti fog lens. We changed the original straps and use now Quick Straps, which are great to put the goggles on the back side of the helmet if we need to.
We carry sometimes up to three different gloves, depending on where we are going and what we are doing.
These gloves are fantastic and we bought them in matching colours with our suits. Martin has them in grey and Xenia in red.
Positive
Negative
Conclusion
A reasonable and light summer glove that is very durable constructed. It offers a lot of grip and feeling. The use of Smart phone, GPS or photo camera is not limited. The Mojave glove is our first choice as a riding glove even in colder wather as we have heated grips. It offers a great feeling on the bike, specially for gravel roads.
The SIDI Adventure boots have a great reputation amongst adventure riders. Before the trip we rode with the very comfortable IXS Road Boot but we knew that we needed a bit sturdier shoes for our trip. Therefore we looked around and found the SIDI Adventure boot. We both ride with those shoes since Augsut 2016 and for well over 62’000km.
Things we love about it
Negative
Conclusion
For us the SIDI is the perfect overlander boot for people who like to go into gravel but don’t want to miss out on some comfort. We have no issues of walking a little while in those boots to have a look at something or pitch the tent in them.
Signs of wear
This is our list of cloths which we carry next to our riding cloths. We sometimes have a bit less or more, depends if we are in very cold areas or very hot or if we just needed to replace things.
Top layers
Bottom layers
Underware
Shoes
Other things
Top layers
Bottom layers
Underware
Shoes
Other things
You like our content and would like to give something back? Check out our support page. Thanks so much already and keep the rubber side up.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this website are affiliate links. This will bring no extra costs to you, but it will help us to go a little further. Thank you for supporting us!
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
OKWe may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.
Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.
These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.
Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.
We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.
We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.
These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.
If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:
We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.
Google Webfont Settings:
Google Map Settings:
Google reCaptcha Settings:
Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:
The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:
You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.
Privacy Policy