Motoport Marathon Air Mesh Review and Comparison to Klim Baja S4

An honest review of the Marathon Air Mesh suit including a comparison to the Klim Baja S4 - the leading mass market competitor.
00:21 Intro to Motoport
01:20 My requirements for a great adventure riding suit
03:09 Introducing Marathon Air Mesh Riding Suit
03:20 Abrasion Resistance
05:59 Armor
08:04 Weather Versatility
10:33 The Pants
11:18 Closing Thoughts

[@davidruggles996]

Thanks for this excellent review! I've been riding and commuting in Aerostich gear for 20 years or more and finally tired of sweating in summer traffic or in skills classes I'm on the hunt for good mesh gear. This was very helpful in my decision to give Motoport a call! ❤

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and for the feedback.

[@MikeK6046]

In short, I've had my Motoport Pants & Jacket for almost 20 years now. After washing it (typically about once a year) it looks virtually brand new. "For me" it's been one of the best purchases I've made, and I greatly enjoy it, also a great company to do business with.

[@SigmaSheepdog]

I have been using Motoport gear since 2010 and I have to agree with just about everything stated in this video. Currently, I have three complete suits, one for street use only and two for adventure riding. I have toured the Motoport facility in San Marcos (though now located in Escondido,) and yes, everything appears to be made in house. I witnessed about a dozen people operating sewing machines and making gear. I know that it's tempting to go with the more "fashionable" gear out there, but unless you are content with hanging out at Starbucks, go with Motoport as it is truly custom made gear that will likely save you in a crash.

[@kamhonleung5524]

hi velvet. I am eyeing the Motoport suits for my retirement RTW trip which will have both on-road and off-road times. Could you share which suit and what options you chose for your adventure riding? Thanks.

[@SigmaSheepdog]

@@kamhonleung5524 Hi Kam, The suit that I initially purchased from Motoport was the mesh Marathon jacket and the Ultra II stretch pants. I had an emergency information pocket, two extra chest pockets, and two sleeve pockets installed. For visibility, I had hi-viz green strips installed. On the pants I had hi-vis green stripes and suspenders installed. As far as the armor, I went with the quad option in both the jacket and pants though the tri armor would have probably sufficed. I also added the rain liners in both the jacket and pants. I have been in some very hard rain storms and the liners work very well. Overall I have been very pleased with the Motorport gear and I would not hesitate to purchase again. I also have street-only GP pants and jacket that I had made for me. Good luck on your RTW trip!

[@kamhonleung5524]

@@SigmaSheepdog Thanks a lot velvet!

[@martyllanos73]

I own both. An air mesh jacket and three sets of pants. Two pull over pants, one mesh with stretch and one all stretch that fit over my normal clothing and one pair of their jeans which is made of all stretch material. I also own a Klim badlands pro and a Baja s4 jacket. A couple of things to keep in mind. What you feel with your hands has no bearing on the actual robustness of the material when it’s sliding on asphalt or concrete pavement. For sliding you want a material that is slick on the pavement and will not grab the pavement. You also need adequate padding to absorb the initial impact on the ground. None of Motoport products are certified by CE. Does that mean it won’t hold up? no, it just means it hasn’t been certified. Klim has put a lot of R&D into their gear. They are all CE certified and a lot of ingenuity goes into their gear. The down side is, if it doesn’t fit off the rack you can’t get it tailored to you. Fortunately I’m a slim guy and their medium fits me like a glove and their 32 pants also fit like a glove. From a fit an finish perspective I would choose Klim. Their gear is very well made and looks very nice. I trust the gear and have no doubt it would do its job as advertised and then some. I have plenty of friends who have had crashed at speed with their Klim gear on both dirt and highway and it did exceptionally well and walked away with no road rash. Motoport gear is also very well made. You don’t have the fit and finish of Klim. And what I mean by that is, the stuff looks like it’s made by an Amish seamstress. It’s well made but doesn’t have the curb appeal of a Klim jacket or pants. I work and ride with several motor cops who use Motoport for work. I can tell you it’s a mixed bag on their opinions. Some love it some hate it. I’ve talked to several guys who have crashed. Some came away unscathed other have have slid and torn through the fabric and had minor abrasions. With all gear, none of them will 100% protect you from all accidents. Based on my experience both brands will give you good protection. If I had to personally choose one without actually ever having to test it in a real crash. I would think give a slight edge to my Klim jacket for the simple reason that the D30 padding is better than the foam used by Motoport. The fabric itself is very similar. The elbow and shoulder areas of the Klim jacket IMO are more robust with their ceramic coated super fabric. At the end of the day if you want something that will fit you perfectly Motoport is the way to go. If you can find a size off the shelf that fits good in Klim you can’t go wrong either.

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

“stuff looks like it’s made by an Amish seamstress”. Hahaha. No argument there. I appreciate your perspective. Not sure I agree with all the points you make but good to have another informed opinion. FWIW, I did end up buying the Baja S4 pants. I like them a lot. I still feel that the Motoport material will hold up better than the Klim. But as I have not had the misfortune to crash test either, this is admittedly a subjective opinion. I just decided the whole overpant thing was too much of a hastle for some trips. I will say that I find the padding in the pants lacking in terms of coverage and positioning. I am running strap on knee / shin pads underneath to address this. with motoport this was not an issue. I do agree that that it’s total BS that, given how much they charge, MP wont get their stuff CE tested. But I am pretty sure their Quad padding would at least pass CE1 which is what the Klim stuff comes with. Jacket wise, I am an MP fanboy forever!

[@kee7678]

Whoa I'm here in San Diego and will check them out. Very cool. Loving your channel just found it tonite and will watch them as I'm wanting some adventure rides in some of the deserts here in SoCal and SW USA. I"m just getting a Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, and figuring out all the gear and all the mods. IT's A LOT LOL. Great vids man, thanks!

[@vxn675]

I’ve worn Motoport gear for about 14 years now and I absolutely love it. I’m retired now but rode in my Motoport on my 115 mile round-trip commute in So Cal, local rides and long distance/cross-country trips. I like that it’s all machine washable. I have the Marathon jacket in stretch Kevlar, Stretch Kevlar Street Jeans and an Air Mesh jacket. It’s always been challenging to find functional and versatile women’s riding gear. The fact that Motoport is completely custom eliminates all the trial an error when searching for gear with the right fit. Even though there are more options for women, the focus tends to be on fashion (riding leggings ?!🤦🏽‍♀️). I’m just about ready to update all my gear and it will definitely be all Motoport 🤘🏾

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Great perspective. No suit will fit as well as something that is tailor made. But I definitely see how its even harder for women since options are more limited. Thank for watching! Enjoy the ride.

[@_skud]

Amazing review. Thanks for your thoughts

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

[@user-sw2lv3zp6o]

I'd like a Motoport kevlar mesh one-piece suit. First-class overview.

[@AdventureGlide]

Excellent Review, thanks. I have been on the fence but eyeballing the Motoport setup. I think I'm going to go for it. New Sub.

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Glad it was helpful. Hope you enjoy the gear! Thanks for watching (and subscribing).

[@Mightycaptain]

Good review. One thing I noticed you can take the pants off without removing the boots. In fact I put Mine on with my boots already on.

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Thanks for watching! The practicality of taking them on or off without removing boots probably depends on the boots in question. With my Sidi adventure boots and with the Sidi Crossfires, it is possible but challenging to get them off over the boot to the point that I find it easier to just take the boots off. Also keeps the inner lining from getting dirty or snagged. But with a lower profile boot, i could see it working pretty easily.

[@Mightycaptain]

@@DiscoveryMotoADV one thing I remember. My measurements included the diameter of my boot. Forma evo terra boots. I just have to work that one boot in and out of the overpants. Since I can totally unzip the one side.

[@grymn01]

Thank you sir, great and very informative elaboration. Motoport it is! You mentioned a heated jacket. Do you wear the MP mesh under that? Also, what heated jacket do you use?

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Thanks for watching! Its actually very important to wear the heated layer as close your body as possible. So, it goes under the motoport. When it’s extra cold, I layer as follows: Base layer, heated jacket, motoport windbreaker, motoport mesh jacket. As far as the heated jackets, for the shoulder season, I recommend the Mosko Moto ectotherm (see video on the channel). For extremely cold (below freezing), I recommended Hotwired.

[@4940markhutchins]

best review of Motoport gear I found. I haven't seen anything from Motorport, but it looks appealing. My other consideration is the Klim Marrakesh jacket. Protection is 1000D, loosely-woven Cordura throughout mixed with Elastane. When I look at Motorport's abrasion table, 1000D rates pretty high. What are your thoughts? Is it a direct comparison?

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Thanks for watching! I am not familiar with the Marakesh. I just took a quick look at a fee reviews and it looks nice. Seems that it would be very confortable. Judging by what I saw, I do not think it will flow as much air or offer quite as much abrasion resistance vs the Motoport Mesh. It actually looks like it might be more similar to the Motoport stretch fabric. But I don’t know what riding conditions you experience. If you don’t need absolute maximum airflow, this could be a great option and as you say 1000D is quite good for abrasion resistance. In terms of fit and finish it will be 100 times better than Motoport which definitely takes function over style to an extreme.

[@4940markhutchins]

I tried one on (I have one on back order) and it felt more like a track suit than a motorcycle jacket. It’s a Cordura weave has an AA rating, which sold me. I see Motoport has a Cordura version of the jacket, so they like it too. I think I can make it a 4 season jacket if I layer it the way you are doing. We’ll see.

[@agp7073]

Hi Dan, did you consider the Marathon Stretch before going with the Air Mesh? Love the channel

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Yup, I did consider the mesh and Motoport has a nice article with concrete examples on the website to help chose which works best based on use case. Ultimately, I chose Mesh for the maximum cooling (I tend to run hot) and slightly greater abrasion resistance. Thanks for watching and the feedback!

[@pneumaticman5927]

Great content here. I’m trying to figure out now to balance this INSANE Texas heat with road and crashworthiness.

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Thanks for watching! The Motoport may be the sweetspot for your needs but remember that once you get above ~95 degrees, running mesh is like sitting in a convection oven. It can dehydrate you very quickly. So, make sure to drink more water than you think you need or add a cooling vest.

[@pneumaticman5927]

@@DiscoveryMotoADV Absent a cooling vest, what’s a better option in 95(+)?

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Technically, if the air temperature is greater than body temperature, you want to reduce airflow otherwise it’s like sitting in front of a hair dryer. So, in a non-mesh jacket, you would want to actually close off the vents. In a mesh jacket, you could put in your wind/rain liner. I know this sounds backwards. I think at those temperature, you’re kind of screwed no matter what.

[@pneumaticman5927]

@@DiscoveryMotoADV THANK YOU for your thoughtful reply. It’s funny - I found myself riding on my old RT1250, which has a large adjustable windshield, in 100+ Texas heat. I actuality it up as high as it would be to prevent the hot air from getting in. Even though I was miserable, it was better than that hot air! Makes sense!

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

I am just finishing up a five day trip with a fairly broad range of temps 50 - 110. Today we did an 13 he day and got hit with 110 for about 4 hours of freeway and fast twistier riding. We improvised the following technique (works for touring but not for commuting probably): stop at a gas station and buy a bottle of water and a bag of ice. Pack jacket and pant pockets full of ice. Dump water bottle on head. Ride until ice melts and clothes are fully dry (~ 1hr). Repeat as necessary. It’s not pretty but it kept us cool in the furnace.

[@kee7678]

What boots and helmet do you run? Looks like you're doing much of the same riding I plan on doing. Hwy stuff going down through Baja, and also the desert riding areas of SoCal and everything in between. I"m all ears regarding your gear. Thanks man !

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

Glad you are enjoying the video and the channel. Thanks for watching! I am currently running SIDI Cross Fire 3 TA Boots. I switched to these about a year ago from the Sidi Adventure Rain 2 boots. Check out 6:12 in this video to see why. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXTTYqmXetZsh9U. When I was making the switch I was worried that the Crossfires might be too stiff to walk around in and also that they were not waterproof like the Adventure Rains. I can say now that they are reasonably comfortable enough to walk around in. They are not as flexible as the Adventure Rains but that's the price you pay for the massively better protection. As for waterproofing, they are water resistant enough to withstand long periods of rain and an occasional shallow water crossing. Good enough for me. If you plan to do any kind of technical riding on a big bike, I strongly recommend these boots or other MX boots like them. For the helmet I run the Arai XD4. I like it a lot. The only downside is that it doesn't have a built in sun visor. So I just run sunglasses.

[@kee7678]

@@DiscoveryMotoADV Regarding the boots, THAT is exactly what I was wondering. Yes I 'll have the compeitior to your bike, the Tiger 900 and it's NOT good to drop it on your leg/ankle and expect some of these ADV boots to protect you that much. I'm going right now to check out the Crossfires ! Great info thanks so much.

[@i-..--..--..-i6985]

@@DiscoveryMotoADV I’m looking at buying a pair of Sidi Crossfire 3 TA boots right now. I bought a 1200GSA in August and I started with a pair of Forma adventure boots. I just got back from a 3 day ride through the dirt roads and cow trails in the Florida Panhandle. I learned 2 things. Sand sucks. While the Forma boots are nice and comfortable well built boots they leave a whole lot to be desired in the protection category. The sides of my shins are a nice mottled purple color now. I’ve watched and read a ton of articles and reviews on boots in the last couple days and the Sidi Crossfires get mentioned almost always as the best, most protective boot available for adventure riding. Thanks for the review on the Motoport mesh suit too. I was going to buy the Revit cayenne pro mesh ensemble because it’s hot as Hell where I live for about 50 weeks a year. I’m going to give Motoport a good hard look now. I like that it’s custom made to fit. I was going with the Rev It suit because it has more fit adjustability than the Klim Baja. I’ve read a couple of accounts of people being hurt in crashes wearing the Klim suit because they fit kinda baggy and they don’t have the adjustable straps and snaps, etc. to cinch it up so the pads stay put where you want them. Folks described getting in a crash and the pants or jacked rides up or slides around on the riders body and they end up with a full force injury to the joints especially the shoulders and collarbone.

[@DiscoveryMotoADV]

@@i-..--..--..-i6985 I had a similar experience regarding the inside of the shins getting battered on the pegs. This is why I switched to the Crossfires. If you want awesome advice on picking out the best boots for you, I recommend checking out videos from Atomic Moto. He does detailed reviews and comparisons for just about every adventure and MX boot out there. And, if you give him a call, he will spend the time to figure out which boots would be best for you. But, in the end, I think you can’t go wrong with the crossfires. Interesting point about the Klim potentially sliding up. Fit really is key. Ride safe!

[@i-..--..--..-i6985]

@@DiscoveryMotoADV thanks for the info! I’ll do it.