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ICON riding jackets,few questions

14K views 34 replies 11 participants last post by  Razzle 
#1 ·
I currently ride with a shift offroad jacket which works fine but doesnt fit the style of the FZ-09 and is hot.
I am looking at the Icon overlord type 1 or contra jackets.I am leaning towards the overlord as it has more protection and i like the looks.
Any fellows riders have experience with these two jackets and what are the pros and cons?? Thanks!!
 
#2 · (Edited)
In terms of protection they are both about the same, with the same armor package and the same ballistic nylon in the impact zones. The main difference between them is that the Contra will be a lot more well ventilated (the venting on the Overlord textile jacket is only so-so) and has a much more relaxed fit. The Overlord series has a different fit pattern that is designed more with sportbike riders in mind. It has a more form fitting fit to it and there is a precurve to it that the Contra doesn't have, so it will feel more supportive in a tuck, but be more uncomfortable off the bike. That being said if you are looking at Icon and can spare the difference I STRONGLY recommend upgrading to either the Sanctuary jacket (basically a Contra but with race-grade leather in the impact zone, MUCH more protective) or the Overlord full perforated leather jacket. And if you're not willing to spend that much I'd look to brands other than Icon because you can get a proper leather jacket which will be very good in heat due to perforations and be WAY more protective for about the same price from other brands.

EDIT: For only a little bit more than those textile jackets you're looking at you can get either of these leather jackets. Although not high end, they will be infinitely more protective and due to being full perf vent just as well.

Speed and Strength Top Dead Center Leather Jacket - Black from SportbikeTrackGear.com - Also available in red and blue. Choose this one if you want a more relaxed fit similar to the Contra.

Speed and Strength Top Dead Center Leather Jacket - Black from SportbikeTrackGear.com - Also available in black/white/red, black/white/silver, black/white/blue. More aggressive/race fit, similar to Overlord.

AGV Sport Breeze Perforated Leather Jacket Black from SportbikeTrackGear.com - Very muted/old school styling. Also available with red, blue, or orange accents. More relaxed fit, similar to Contra.

If you are dead set on sticking with Icon as a brand go for the Sanctuary jacket. http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=36287 Available in a bunch of colors. You get a discount for ordering over the phone from STG because their sales reps can undercut advertised MSRP.
 
#3 ·
Agree with weaponzero, i've never seen anything icon makes that is good quality.

$450 gets you an astars jaws leather jacket which is far superior than anything icon imo

Sent from my phone and my autocorrect sucks
 
#4 · (Edited)
STG will get you a massive discount on that. And the new GP Plus R is $50 cheaper than the Jaws and just as good (just no removable liner). I got it for $339 OTD after the phone rep discount.

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=36423 I just ordered one =D

Here is the Jaws

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=36428

For all intents and purposes they're basically the same jacket except the GP Plus R vents a little bit better and the Jaws includes a removable thermal vest liner.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Their helmets are pretty good, although I wouldn't own one as my ONLY helmet. In the US many track day orgs require the use of a SNELL certified helmet and don't honor the Europe equivalent (which is what Icon uses). I would want a 100% TD legal helmet at least to keep around. That being said, their gear is another matter entirely. They're not bad per se, it's just that they tend to cater more to people who put form before function and are willing to pay a little bit of a premium for it.

EDIT: I wouldn't recommend having a textile jacket as your only/main jacket. Keep one around that's strictly for use in the kind of weather conditions your leather jacket isn't well suited for (cold temps/rain) but that's about it. Trust me, leather is the way to go. And you don't have to spend that much more to get a leather jacket.
 
#9 ·
I only wear leather when I going for a ride just to ride. Most of the time I am commuting, or riding between jobs sites, I can be on the bike for 3 or 4 hours a day.
Textile jackets, no matter on the brand, ARE disposable. One decent crash, and they will be toast. Leather will last more than one crash (usually). However, since I have been riding for close to 20 years now, I am on the bike far more often than I fall off. Textile jackets are so much lighter and easier to walk around in off the bike. It's a trade off, and I accept it.
I use a dianese air frame, and a dainese gator evo goretex. If you choose textile, get one with the best armour (including back) as you can - the armour will protect you once the textile wears through. Yes, personal experience, and no, no road rash. The jacket sacrificed it's life for mine. Wasn't that nice of it?
 
#11 ·
I have 2 textile jackets: A Cortech one that is waterproof and has a very substantial thermal liner, and a Dainese one that is heavily ventilated. If I'm commuting to and from work, I'm wearing one of these two jackets. For anything else, though, I put on my "nice" jacket. I think textile can be a more practical choice for people who make a lot of short jaunts on their bike (commuting, for instance), purely because of the many ways it can give you to prepare for whatever mother nature might throw at you. But for pleasure riding leather is just SO much better. And the way it holds you in the riding position and supports you is something I consider to be a performance upgrade for the bike because of what it does for your body position in cornering.
 
#10 ·
I have two Icon Leather jackets and have been happy with both of them. I have a motorhead which i have had for years, and an overlord perf. it vents well, and has decent armor (especially if you swap in the d30). I am not a fanboy, I shop around and am not afraid to drop good money on my gear...but the overlord did a good job for a perf jacket.
 
#12 ·
I can agree in that I am not one of those people who discounts Icon gear on principle. I will happily try out their leather, just not their textile. The lowest I would go (in terms of Icon gear) is their Sanctuary jacket which is a textile/leather hybrid with the D3O armor. However I would much prefer an Overlord or something else along those lines. I just wouldn't buy one myself because I do believe you get more for your money from other brands. If price is that much of a concern then you just can't beat AGV Sport or Cortech IMO for quality.
 
#18 ·
Not sure what Icon jacket this is/was ...

Some suggestion that a bar end snagged on an open pocket but still quite surprising how much damage there was.

That is the Icon Compound mesh/leather hybrid. It uses leather in what they call the "critical impact zones" which are the forearms, elbows, shoulders, and parts of the back. The rest of the jacket, however, is made from the same grade of mesh they use in their Hooligan line of mesh jackets.
 
#22 ·
Interesting read.

From what he had to say about the hospital sounds like there was almost more risk involved in the treatment!

" UCLA Ronald Reagan is one of the best hospitals around. That’s true, it really is. Now, the scary part is that, even though it’s one of the best, everyone but the actual doctors is an incompetent hack. Those are some harsh words, but I really do mean it. ****ing incompetent.

I’d say maybe 30 percent of the staff speaks English — important when they’re administering potentially fatal drugs — no one listens, no one’s paying attention to what’s going on, no one’s there to help you. All they’re there for is to go through the motions while following protocol so they don’t get sued, and they even fail at that."
 
#19 ·
If you are going to have only one jacket, ride everyday in all conditions and even tour, textile is the way to go. American cut usually means baggy but European cuts like the Daineses and Rev'Its are form fitting with lots of adjustments that will make life comfortable riding. I have crashed in a Joe Rocket textile at about 30/40 and I came off without a single tear or thread coming apart- just some scuff marks. Textiles have developed a lot since the time they came out first- their abrasion resistance is much better and the combined armor give very high levels of protection than people give them credit for.
For track days or if you are only a weekend warrior, leather would be a good choice. Just remember that leather has severely limited use as an everyday jacket unless you live in amazingly cool and predictable weather (where is such a place btw?) and with no traffic. Even in mesh jackets, I have sweated my ass off in Indian summers and in vented textile jackets in the humid mornings of NYC (esp in traffic). Simple fact is that if you are uncomfortable and hot while riding, you will be distracted and make more mistakes. Also, there is a reason you won't see people who go around the world don leather suits for that job. It just is not meant for it.
See what your needs are- choices are unlimited and so are our opinions. In the end, it's up to you. But yes, textile or leather, always gear up.
 
#24 ·
I have been using Icon for quite a while now. Started out with Astars, and Joe Rocket, then finally tried Icon back in 2006 maybe. I had a textile for my last bike, and it has held up great. Really easy to clean by throwing it in the washer. When I got my FZ, I wanted more protection, so I went all out and bought a Overlord Prime Jacket. I love the thing. I feel VERY protected in it. It has exterior armor and the usual interior armor. It is Icons attack fit, so the arms arm bent formed. The only thing that is awkward about it is when I park the bike at my shop and drive home in the pickup while wearing the jacket, feels odd sitting in a cager seat. The jacket comes with a liner, and it keeps me warm with just a t-shirt underneath down to 50 degrees. If it's colder, I wear a long sleeve or thermals. It flows air VERY well, but not too much.

Needless to say, my riding buddy liked the look of my jacket, and bought the same one in a different color. He came from a Astars leather jacket and likes the Icon better. I have since bought my fiance a Icon Hella 2 jacket since she is on the back on a regular basis now. Side note, I also got her a Airmada Chantilly helmet and Sidi boots, so I know she is well protected. I just got some Sidi boots as well, but I am not sold on them yet, although they offer better protection, and better bike feel. I have two Icon helmets myself. I love the looks. They are well built, and just as good material wise as most anything out there. Are there better helmets? Sure. But not in my budget.

It's all personal preference. Icon fits my style. I am not opposed to Astars or Rocket stuff, I just find it boring. Why pay that much for gear, and not be able to look good as well? I know I am protected as much as I can be short of wearing a Dainese suit (which I plan on purchasing in the future), so that is all I can ask for.
 
#26 ·
I am not opposed to Icon as a brand and I do think they look cool. However for practicality's sake they just don't cut the mustard for me. My leather jacket doubles as the top half to a 2 piece suit so that I have the option of doing track days in it if I like. A jacket that was a standalone jacket just won't cut it for me because of that reason. It's strictly "street" wear, and I insist on as close to race-grade protection as I possibly can, head to toe.
 
#28 ·
Well...regardless of what you wear, at least youre not wearing tennis shoes, jeans, a helmet, and...wait for it...that's it. NO shirt, no jacket, no gloves, nothing. Saw a guy on a zx10, all lime green today. I almost caught him just to say "what's the point of the helmet," but decided against it.

That'd be a rough way to go
 
#29 ·
The ICON Overlord Leather seems to be pretty popular.

Although it's personal preference, I'm wondering what COLOR you guys have.
 
#30 ·
The Overlord series is Icon's attempt to come as close as possible to a true racing-grade jacket in something still primarily street focused. It has a rather aggressive cut that feels very comfortable and supportive when you're on a bike whose seating position bends you over into a tuck (like supersports). However, I think the base overlord isn't really word buying and the higher-end Prime model is the one to go for. At that price though all you're really paying for over a comparable Astars, AGV Sport, or Cortech jacket is the styling. It's a pretty decent jacket, just understand that you can spend about $100 less and get another jacket by other brands of comparable (some would argue even better) quality, and with THOSE jackets you could (if you were so inclined) make a full track legal 2 piece suit using the matching pants. Basically with Icon, you're paying more money for flashy styling, and unique design features that, while they may appeal to primarily street riders, prohibit you from ever being able to use it in a closed course setting. To me, not having that option lowers the value.
 
#35 ·
For the Icon jacket users would you go with the contra or overlord type 1? I like the contra with the full liner and relaxed style with the outer pockets.
I like the overlord for the added protection and sportier look.Which is better out of the two?
 
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