SANTIAGO ISN’T CHILLY
11 September 2005 - BMW Motorrad GB

Serious long distance motorcyclists have always had to combat one major problem – the unpredictable weather.

While a quality set of riding leathers undoubtedly look good, they do suffer from two realistic drawbacks; they are impractical when off the bike and less than waterproof if the weather turns nasty. The convenient and pragmatic answer is a riding suit that offers the same (or better) impact protection, looks good, feels comfortable and has a facility to combat all kinds of climatic excess.

The Santiago suit from the 2005 BMW Rider Equipment collection has been designed to solve the problem of what to wear when long hours and many days have to be spent in and out of the saddle. Its superior comfort makes it equally suitable for short rides and thanks to a new, matt-gloss finish the Santiago looks good too.

Constructed from highly abrasion-proof Dynatec, the Santiago’s jacket and trousers feature strategically sited Dynatec and Cordura stretch panels for maximum freedom of movement. The jacket’s web mesh lining is kind to the skin and feels light and airy to the touch; soft, artificial leather at the cuffs and collar prevent chaffing; the waistband of the trousers can be adjusted to allow for varying layers of inner clothing; zipped ventilators at the chest, back, sleeves and trousers enable better cooling in hot climates, and retrofittable GORE-TEX inner linings provide windproofing, waterproofing and active breathing.

Easy to use straps at the elbows and wrists can be adjusted for a closer fit – and the latter to allow gloves to be worn under the sleeves in wet weather. There are a number of outer pockets with an additional waterproof pocket – for mobile phone etc – on the left breast. A further feature of the trousers is the special leather inserts at the inner knees that enable the rider to grip the tank more securely.

BMW Motorrad’s dedication to producing high-efficiency safety products becomes, arguably, the Santiago’s most salient feature should the worst happen. Removable CE protectors are used at the shoulders, elbows, back, hips, and knees (and are three-way adjustable). To make the rider more conspicuous in bad weather conditions, and at night, highly-reflective piping material runs longitudinally over the shoulders.

The Santiago suit is available in a wide range of unisex sizes and the retail prices are £315 for the jacket and £220 for the trousers. The GORE-TEX inner linings will need to be worn beneath the suit for total weather protection and are priced at £135 for the jacket insert and £105 for the trouser insert. The trousers – which can be zipped to the jacket – are available in colour options of sand or black, and the jacket in graphite/stone grey, or sand/marine.

www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

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