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On a ride with my trusty Roadcrafter

The right gear can reduce the inherent risks involved with riding a motorcycle. The minimum motorcycle protection gear required by many states includes eye protection and a helmet, the latter being optional in some states. Even with both helmet and eye protection you’re still left quite vulnerable in a crash but also in day to day conditions such as cold, heat, rain, sun and wind.

Protection on a motorcycle comes down to barriers between you and the elements, cars around you in traffic and pavement in case of a crash.

A quality riding suit is a must-have barrier between you as a rider and everything above, below and beside you during the entire time that you’re riding. Motorcyclists are the most vulnerable moving objects on the road. It is our responsibility to take precautions to reduce the risks involved with riding. As I like to say, “I plan ahead for the crash and enjoy riding in the moment.”

About two years ago, I hung my old riding suit up in the closet. My previous suit was the “Chevy” of riding suits and was replaced with the Cadillac of suits. That’s the best way to describe the Aerostich Roadcrafter one-piece riding suit. The Roadcrafter has been around in similar shape and form for many years. The crew up in Duluth, Minnesota at the Rider Wearhouse put their personal pride into each stitch of these suits. That American pride shows.

Here you can see the full-length zipper that makes the 'Stich so easy to put on.

The single best feature of the Roadcrafter one-piece is how quick and easy it is to put on and take off. Starting at the neck, a single zipper cinches the suite to your body as you pull it all the way down to your left ankle. That’s right, the zipper goes against the grain and starts at the top and zips down. It makes sense after you do it a few times. A second zipper closes the right leg. Simply step into the suit in your street cloths and within seconds you’re ready to straddle your steed.

My first suit was two pieces. It took a lot of time to put on both the jacket and pants. I found myself skipping the protection of the pants simply because they were too cumbersome and time consuming when you got on and off the bike. The one-piece suit forces me to wear the full protection neck to ankle.

TF3 Pad has a hard shell on the outside with a memory foam type pad on the inside.

The flexible TF3 pads located at the shoulders, elbows and knees provide safety and comfort. The unique TF3 pads are soft and supple to the touch when you’re just wearing the Roadcrafter suit. In an emergency, the pads stiffen up, supporting the joint and absorbing impact. Many products on the market are made of CE-approved pads, which are hard. The hardness wears through and they become uncomfortable in previous suits that I’ve worn. Let’s face it; if it isn’t comfortable you’re not going to wear it.

The 500 Denier Cordura fabric in the main sections of the suit and 1050 Denier Cordura in the shoulders, elbows and knees provide good abrasion resistance for the wearer. Aerostich stands behind their product so much that after a crash you can send the suit in to them to repair the damaged fabric. Try that with your Steven Tyler-like leather pants.

The GORE-TEX lining on the Aerostich Roadcrafter will keep you dry in light to moderate rains, depending on how long you’re riding in it. Hit a heavy storm and you’ll get wet. You’ll especially notice wetness in areas where water pools and along the zippers. I have personally found that the Roadcrafter keeps me dry 95 percent of the time. There were a few mid-west summer storms that soaked through. I doubt any gear outside of a latex applied directly to the skin would have kept me dry in those cases. There are riders that fault Aerostich for rain protection. I ride thousands of miles a year and I’m telling you that you’d be hard pressed to find better protection from the elements than the Roadcrafter or one of Aerostich’s other suits.

The single element that does impact me while wearing the ‘Stich is the sun. When the temperatures climb above 90 degrees Fahrenheit you cook inside the heavy protection of the suit. Any suit with more than a mesh fabric will make you toasty at those temperatures. Open the armpit and back vents, douse your T-shirt with water and voila, motorcycle air conditioning.

Storage is worth a pretty penny on a motorcycle. The Roadcrafter offers ample storage capacity with six closable pockets, two hand pockets (similar to everyday pants pockets) and easy access to your pants pockets. The large zippered pocket on the right side of the torso allows easy access to contents such as a map with your right hand remaining on the throttle the entire time. Beware, this pocket tends to get used the most and you can lose some valuable belongings if it doesn’t get zipped closed.

It seems that Aerostich has recently changed the cut pattern on the suits. The new design has a little extra length in the neck flap that fully closes the smooth ultrasuede collar. This is nice for extra breathing room and also for adding layers when the temperatures begin to dip.

The original classic design of the Aerostich Roadcrafter is like that of the iPhone. Many impersonators, but no real competition. With a list price of $800, it is easier to find a more affordable suit. You’d be hard pressed to find a better suit at twice that amount.

On a final note, I often use Aerostich as an example of a company that really takes care of their customers. The personal customer service that I have received from the Duluth crew is absolutely top notch and quick.

The prospect of being a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) RiderCoach has brought me and the V-Strom to Yakima Washington for a 60-hour course. The city of Yakima and surrounding Yakima Valley is known to be one of the best apple-producing areas in the world. The area also produces three-quarters of all hops grown in the United States. This is also the heart of Washington wine-country.

Bikes parked on the range for the MSF Instructor Preparation course in Yakima, WA

Despite all of the economic strengths of the area it is apparent that the area that struggles. As you pass through the city of Yakima there are pockets of successful businesses with large gaps of empty storefronts. The locals constantly talk about the good and bad parts of town. This is truly an area of opportunity for the few that can find it.

Situated southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and along two valleys, the area is ripe with scenery. The naturally arid area has been largely irrigated. This provides 360-degree unobstructed by trees and other vegetation. On average the area receives just over eight inches of rain per year and temperatures range from just under 40 degrees to the low 90s. The lack of rain with very few frozen days equals a beautiful area with great riding weather most of the year. Of course that is strictly my opinion as a former resident of the brittle cold region of Northern Minnesota. Compared to Bemidji, Minnesota the Yakima region is downright warm and toasty year-round.

After a long, yet enjoyable weekend of taking the MSF Instructor Preparation course it is time to head home to Everett. The scenic route that I ride is approximately 200 miles along river canyons and mountain passes punctuated with apple orchards and a Bavarian-styled village.

I head north out of Yakima along Interstate 84. It is a short four miles on the super slab to the Canyon Road exit. Canyon Road stretches nearly 30 miles from Yakima to Ellensburg. It is one of those few dream motorcycle roads and is a great alternative to I-84. The road cuts through cliffs carved out of basalt by centuries of movement of the Yakima River. The road moves in tandem with the river as if the two were dancing a tango. It is an especially sexy dance when you’re a part of it astride a motorcycle. The constant beat of sweeping corners are accentuated with curvaceous views of tall cliffs.

The Red Horse Diner in Ellensburg makes great burgers. The former Mobil station now makes a perfect roadtrip food stop.

The road is superb and easy to lose track of speed. I was lucky enough to be slowed by traffic as I passed the shiny state patrol squad car. As good motorcycle roads go, this is typical. Pick your lines and watch your speed. The “man” knows the road and will ticket you.

The Red Horse Diner is located just off of I-90 on US 97. I highly recommend it for a pit stop.

With a full belly I mount my motorcycle and point the wheels north to Ellensburg. US 97 makes a couple turns. Make sure to pay attention to the signs. A I climb higher into the hills the views of the valleys below are beautiful. I pass many other riders. Tossing a hand in the air and even standing up on the pegs to provide a salute to their choice of transportation. You’re never alone on the road when you’re on a motorcycle.

"Private Road" at an apple orchard on US 97 near Blewett Pass

As I chase the sun into the night I pass many Fire Service roads and campgrounds that deserve a weekend of exploration. The FS roads call to me on the V-Strom, but it is Sunday night and I have another couple hours of road to reach home. I continue a speedy pace over Blewett Pass toward Leavenworth. On the north side of the pass the road cuts through picturesque apple orchards. I pull over for a water break in hopes to find a short road to explore and only find signs warning of “private road.” Oh well.

I reach the Bavarian-styled town of Leavenworth. This is a fun little tourist town. My wife and I have spent a day browsing the many shops. The town has had two incarnations; first as a railroad town in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The Great Northern Railroad rerouted its tracks up the Chumstick Valley in the 1920s. Then the 1930’s brought the Great Depression mostly shut the town down. The solution was found in a themed rehabilitation project that made Leavenworth the Bavarian village that it is today.

Bavarian facade of Leavenworth

There are a couple gems in town, but for the most part the fake facades fade quickly with the poor customer service. Sorry folks, it is just my honest opinion. There is a fantastic sausage and meat shop in town. Otherwise, we have yet to find good German fare in the fake village. Are any German restaurateurs out there reading this? The town needs a good restaurant.

Now on U.S. Highway 2 I head west over Stevens Pass. The rugged terrain of the northern Cascades make this a much more scenic route than I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. Around each bend the tall peaks block the sun. Western facing hills are still strongly illuminated, but the heavily tree-lined road is getting dark. I stop for photo opportunities, but they are quick stops with the bike left running to save time.

A good part of US 2 uses the old railroad grade over Stevens Pass. The trains now pass through an 8-mile long tunnel through the highest part of the pass. This is the longest such tunnel in the western Hemisphere according to the book Exploring Washington’s Past, A Road Guide to History by Ruth Kirk and Carmela Alexander. There is a rich history in this area as the lumber and other natural resources brought development to the west. A New York newspaper once called a construction camp in this area the “wickedest place in the world” when the railroad was built in the early part of the 1900s. Today is a popular skiing destination and summer hiking and camping destination.

The setting sun illuminates the rugged mountains on Stevens Pass

There are very few routes connecting the east side of the cascades to the population centers on the west side. Long traffic backups are common as families with their RVs head home from weekend camping trips on Sunday nights. I’m making great time as I starting heading down the west side of the pass. That is until I take a blind right-hand corner and find traffic at a complete standstill. The emergency stop procedure that I had practiced the two previous weekends at the MSF Instructor Preparation course was put to good use. The outside-inside-outside cornering technique provided me enough of a sightline to straighten up the bike and apply full brakes. I completed the stop on the right rear corner of the car ahead of me. The whole time I was watching my mirrors for the next vehicle to be surprised by the sudden blockage of the road. I placed myself to the shoulder side of the car ahead of me in case I needed to make a quick escape from a skidding SUV piloted by a cell-phone toting driver more concerned with Monday’s tasks at work than the pavement they were pounding. That vehicle didn’t come and the drivers that stacked in behind me must have seen my brake lights with enough time to come to a safe stop behind me.

Traffic often backs up Sunday night on westbound US 2 over Stevens Pass

The traffic back up lasts for more than an hour. The V-Strom’s off road abilities came in handy as I was able to pass a few hundred cars using the four-wheeler trail along the side of the road. It brought back memories from my childhood riding these trails for miles and miles to friends’ homes. Quickly goosing the throttle popped the front wheel up on the driveway approaches. This bike can even make traffic backups fun!

Traffic clears up near Monroe and I finally reach the speed limit to finish out the ride down US 2 to Everett. Soon after turning the bike off and putting it to sleep on it’s centerstand, my head hits my pillow and I’m out cold. There’s nothing like a long, yet enjoyable weekend of riding motorcycles through the desert and heavily treed mountains to knock a rider out cold, sawing logs through the night.