Dainese Performance Jacket

(discontinued)

This is a classic protection jacket from Dainese and hasn't changed too much over the years but if you got it right why mess with success. If its a light trail day you can just wear the back protector and it fits great OR you can wear the rest of the armor without the back protector (not sure why you would). The best part of this jacket is the fit, one thing Dainese is well known for, I almost forget I'm wearing it when I ride until I crash that is. The material is well ventilated so it circulates air when you ride and keeps things from getting too hot.

For me the bad outweighed the good in this jacket. First of all the kidney belt goes from you hips to your ribs once you get into an aggressive riding position, this happens with most protection jackets but I thought that since this was a Dainese they would have fixed that problem. Second; its almost $300 so for some this may only be a dream and it should live up to the price tag more in my opinion. Third it does not work well with neck braces of any make since the back plate goes right up to the neckline and curves for a more contour fit. One saving grace about it is that you can usually sell it and get back most of your investment since it holds its value well and doesn't get ripped to pieces when you crash (I must have crashed 5-6 times in it and I saw no visible wear on it).