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Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0 Jacket
Joe Rocket Phoenix 2.0 Pants
by Bill C. for webBikeWorld.com
wBW
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| Owner Comments (Below)
The original
Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket started the mesh
motorcycle clothing trend way back in 2001. It was
one of the first products reviewed on webBikeWorld.
While there may have been other mesh jackets for sale
around that time, the marketing power of the Joe Rocket
brand and the Phoenix name helped promote textile mesh
clothing as a true hot weather riding alternative.
Before that, there wasn't much more than sweat.
And here it is, 6 years later, and the Phoenix jacket
is still with us. This is pretty amazing actually;
most companies seem to have about as much loyalty to
items in their product line as Squidward does to the
Krusty Krab.
So kudos to Joe Rocket for continuously improving the
Phoenix jacket over the years and also the rest of their
line of motorcycle clothing.
It's impressive to find that a
manufacturer will keep working on the details year after
year in an effort to improve their products. The
Phoenix 4.0 jacket shown here is apparently Version 4 of
the design, but as far as I can tell, the basic Phoenix
jacket concept hasn't really changed all that much, but
Joe Rocket has added more features and kept the price
pretty much the same. And I wouldn't be surprised
to learn that the mesh fabric is probably stronger than
what was available 6 years ago, but I'm not certain
about that.
This tells me that the original Phoenix mesh concept
was a good one, because it doesn't seem to me that there
really isn't all that much difference between the
original (maybe it'll be a collector's item some day?!)
and Version 4.0.
The Joe Rocket Phoenix 2.0 Pants are, I assume,
Version 2 of the original. I'm not sure when the
Phoenix pants first became available; I vaguely remember
looking at a pair maybe in about 2004 or so? I
remember the original Phoenix pants having mesh that was
too transparent for my liking. I think the Phoenix
pants were originally designed as over-pants, so this
shouldn't have been an issue, in theory. However,
I never bought a pair because they seemed like the cut
was too loose for me.
So now it's 2007. Summer has brought us some
too-hot weather and nothing in my clothing inventory
seems cool enough for riding a motorcycle. I think
a combination of 90+ degree temperatures and 90+ percent
humidity is just too hot for motorcycle riding; surely
too hot for leathers anyway, perforated or not.
I usually try to avoid riding in jeans, but I have to
admit that jeans and my original Joe Rocket Phoenix
jacket are about as stripped-down as I'll go when it's
this hot. So I thought that maybe it was time to
try the new Phoenix 4.0 jacket and match it with a pair
of the Phoenix 2.0 mesh pants and see if they would feel
cooler, also hoping that the outfit will provide better
protection then jeans and my original Phoenix.
Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0 Jacket
At first glance, other than the styling and a few trim
details, the Phoenix 4.0 jacket doesn't seem that much
different from the original
Phoenix jacket reviewed by webBikeWorld back in 2001.
But Joe Rocket has added quite a bit, as we shall see.
The original Phoenix was basically just a mesh jacket
with some internally attached armor, a zip-up front and
a short attachment for Joe Rocket pants. I still
wear mine when the temperature soars, and I've probably
put more miles on that jacket over more summers than any
other jacket I own. It hasn't failed me at all and
everything on it works and looks just as good as it did
when I bought it for $120.00 in 2001. Now that's
value for the money!
Amazingly, the new Phoenix 4.0 lists for only 10
bucks more than it did 6 years ago ($149.99 vs.
$139.99), and although it's still the same functional
jacket, it has some very functional upgrades.
First of all, I think it has better styling -- the
original looks plain in comparison. And I think it
fits better -- slightly more shaped than the original,
which was pretty bulky.
The 4.0 is
available in a wider variety of color patterns,
including the White/Silver/Black shown here, which I
bought because I thought that white would be both the
most visible and the coolest fabric color. The
styled Black and Silver stripes along the sides also
provide a slimming look, which, I think, is a bonus for
my body shape!
The Phoenix 4.0 jacket also includes some
surprisingly nice removable and full-size back
protector. It's better than most of the soft foamy
stuff that passes for back protection in many motorcycle
jackets I've seen lately. Joe Rocket also has an
optional CE-approved back protector that will fit the
Phoenix and other Joe Rocket jackets.
The back protector in the Phoenix is shaped almost
identically to the very nice CE Level 2 approved back
protector available from Furygan U.S.A., which was
featured in the webBikeWorld review of the
Furygan "Fighter" jacket. This is great news
-- maybe the motorcycle clothing manufacturers are
taking our hint on standardizing back protector shapes
to make them interchangeable between jackets?
Well, wishful thinking -- but the good news is that
either the optional Joe Rocket or the Furygan Level 2
back protectors will easily fit in the pocket of the
Phoenix 4.0.
The waist band adjusters on the Phoenix 4.0 jacket
are also new; they seem a little nicer looking and more
robust, with a wider range of adjustment. Joe
Rocket calls this the "Sure Fit" waistband.
The original Phoenix jacket didn't have a liner, but
the 4.0 has a nice removable waterproof liner that's
easy to store in a tank bag or even under the seat.
The liner zips in on either side in the front and
connects to a loop down at the cuff of the sleeve.
Speaking of cuffs, I actually like the sleeve cuff
adjusters on the original Phoenix jacket better than the
4.0 version. The Phoenix 4.0 sleeve has a short
130mm (~5") vertical zipper, and at the end of the
zipper on the cuff is a snap that I guess is supposed to
keep the zipper from opening.
On the other side of the cuff is a very small tab
with hook-and-loop that doesn't seem to provide as much
adjustment as the system on the original Phoenix jacket.
It works, but seems more complicated and less efficient,
but this is a minor nit to pick.
Pockets, Pockets Everywhere
The Phoenix 4.0 jacket also includes zippered pockets,
one each inside the placket on both sides of the chest,
behind the main zipper. I really like to have a
pocket (or two) in that location, because it's a handy
place to stow a wallet. I feel more comfortable if
I can reach up and touch my wallet once and a while to
make sure it's still there; for some reason, I'm always
afraid it will fall out of my riding clothes.
But here's a surprise: the inner pocket on the
left-hand side is waterproof and it has a little
headphone logo over it; it's designed to hold an MP3
player, and there's a vinyl covered access port sewn
into the jacket that allows the headphones to be passed
through.
All of the zipper pulls on the Phoenix 4.0 jacket
have the Rocket logo, but I'd guess the zippers are made
by YKK or one of the other big zipper manufacturers.
The zipper on the audio player pocket is waterproof.
There's a vinyl cover over the zipper, and it closes up
tight as the zipper is closed.
That's a very nice and unexpected touch in a jacket
like this. But since I don't usually listen to
music while I'm riding, I've been trying to figure out a
way to use the pocket and headphone port to rig up a
Poor Man's
Camelbak hydration system, so I can feed a tube
through the hole and have some water when it gets hot.
But that's not all: the other pocket on the
right-hand side is labeled "Face Shield Storage".
It's huge, and it is lined with a soft material and
continues around the rider's rib cage, so the curve of
the visor neatly matches the rider.
I tried stowing a visor in there and riding and
although I can feel it, this is a useful feature for
summer riding. A tinted visor can be stored in the
pocket during the day, then a dusk, the rider can stop
to insert the jacket liner and swap visors with the
clear one stored in the pocket. I also discovered
that the Face Shield Storage pocket can hold the jacket
liner, although it does get a little bulky under my arms
when the liner is stuffed in the pocket.
The jacket also has hand pockets, one on either side
in the front, with slightly larger Rocket-logo zipper
pulls. The zipper teeth are medium sized and feel
like they have Nylon teeth and they work very smoothly.
Miscellaneous
The Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0 jacket also features two
elastic adjusters on either sleeve, one at the forearm
and one on the upper arm. These help to keep the
relatively loose fitted sleeve in place.
There are two snaps for adjustment, and my rather
puny arms use the tightest adjustment to keep the
sleeves snug. The snaps that batten down the
adjuster tabs seem to have a slightly loose fit and
they've come apart once or twice as I was putting on the
jacket, so I'm a little apprehensive that the snaps may
not hold the sleeve and armor snug in a crash.
The jacket also has reflective piping up the back and
front, along the sides, near the border of the black and
silver fabric.
Sizing
A special word about sizing; the Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0
jacket is available in an expanded size range, from XS
to XXXL in Blue, Gray, Red, White and Yellow, all with
Silver and Black accents. They also offer the
jacket in M to XXXL Tall and XS to XXXXXL (5XL) sizes,
but only in all Black. Great news for many riders!
Pricing ranges from $149.99 to $169.99 for the larger
sizes.
Air Flow
OK, so how does it work? Pretty much like the
original, which is no surprise. I still remember
the first time I wore the Phoenix mesh jacket. New
riders might not realize that there really weren't any
good options for warm weather riding only a few years
ago.
The Phoenix 4.0 flows a lot of air, although I don't
think it feels the same as wearing a T-shirt. But
who'd want to do that anyway? Let's just say that
the jacket flows as much air as is practical,
considering the elbow, shoulder and back protection.
It's a good tradeoff, in my opinion. I've worn
several different brands of mesh jackets, and the
Phoenix 4.0 flows air with the best of them and probably
better.
Conclusion - Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0 Jacket
My opinion is that Joe Rocket makes some nice gear at
very reasonable prices, and it's readily available in
almost any motorcycle shop. I've been a big fan of
the Phoenix jacket ever since it first hit the market in
2001, when it was a revolutionary new way of dressing
for motorcycle riding in the summer.
It's a testament to the concept that my original
Phoenix jacket is still just as useful today, but the
4.0 version adds a lot of new features at almost the
same price. It's very hard to beat that! By
the way -- as we said 6 years ago, there's absolutely no
excuse to be riding in a T-shirt in the summer when you
have products like this at this price and with the huge
range of available sizes.
Joe Rocket Phoenix 2.0 Pants
This is my first experience with Joe Rocket's Phoenix
mesh pants. They're designed as over-pants, but
some riders wear them as regular riding pants.
I've been wearing these with a pair of cotton climbing
shorts underneath, which have lots of room.
I don't think you'd want to wear the Phoenix 2.0
pants without wearing at least a pair of shorts
underneath, because they're slightly see-through and I'm
not sure how hot melting poly fabric would feel on bare
skin during a pavement luge run.
Sizing and Leg Length Problems
The Phoenix 2.0 pants seem to run about one size small,
in my opinion. The most important fact to note is
that, as of this writing, the Phoenix 2.0 pants are
unfortunately not available in separate waist and leg
length sizing.
After consulting the size charts, I ordered the pants
in size XL, which I think will fit a size 35" to 36"
waist.
The problem is the leg length -- the Phoenix 2.0
pants do come in regular and short lengths, but the
regular length on every size is 31", as far as I can
tell, and the only option is ordering the short length,
all of which have a 29.5" leg length, according to the
New Enough sizing charts (where the outfit was
purchased).
It seems strange that 31" is the only length offered
by Joe Rocket on the Phoenix 2.0 pants, whether it's a
size small or 5XL. I think a "normal" leg length
on most motorcycle pants with a 36" waist should be
about 33", which is longer than a street pant, but
designed to provide the correct amount of room for bent
legs when seated on a motorcycle.
The problem for me is that I normally take a 31"
inseam, so the 31" inseam on the Phoenix 2.0 pants means
that I don't have enough length when I'm sitting on the
bike; thus, the pants ride up way too high up on my
shins when I'm on the bike.
This is unfortunate and may be a deal-breaker for
some, so make sure you check the length, talk to the
retailer, try on the pants and check the return policies
if you're buying online.
Other than that, the pants do come in an extended
range of waist sizes, from S to XXXL in short lengths
and from S to XXXXXL (5XL) in "normal" lengths.
Order any color you like, as long as it's black.
The Phoenix 2.0 pants aren't completely mesh; Joe
Rocket's "Rock Tex" fabric covers the seat up to the
waist and it's also used to cover the knees. Rock
Tex is their trade name for what feels like Nylon fabric
to me. The pants have full-length zippers on
the outside of either leg that go all the way up to the
hips.
Besides the leg length issue, the lack of adjustment
down at the leg cuffs also is disappointing -- there is
none. This means that the legs and cuffs are free
to slap around in the wind.
The legs have the full-length zipper on either side
to allow the Phoenix pants to be slipped on over a pair
of street pants, and each leg also includes another
zipper located 1/4 of the way around the leg from the
long side zipper. This one extends vertically
upward about 30 cm or so (12"),
I'm not quite sure what this shorter zipper is
supposed to do. I guess when it's unzipped, it
helps the rider fit the lower part of the pant leg over
a pair of boots?
There's no adjustment at the pant leg cuff, and the
shorter zipper I suppose could be left open, which would
make the pants like a pair of bell-bottoms, but my
feeling is that the lack of adjustment or any type of
cinch down at the bottom of the leg is problematic.
Maybe we have to wait for version 3.0 or 4.0?
Waistband
Up at the waist, the Phoenix 2.0 pants have adjuster
tabs on either side and long sections of elastic in the
waistband. The waist feels comfortable, but I
think the combination of the soft mesh material and the
rather loose fit of the pants can make the waist bunch
up slightly, especially if the pants fit slightly large.
There's a plastic buckle built in to the top of the
pants in front to serve as a connector and a sort of
belt, but there's no adjustment here. The fly is a
zipper, but the flap covering the fly doesn't include
hook-and-loop or snaps or anything that helps to keep
the fabric closed over the zipper, and the result is
that the fly can look like it's open.
Padding and Protection
The Phoenix 2.0 pants have CE-approved removable knee
protection (Joe Rocket doesn't call it "armor") and
small removable padding on either side for the hips, but
the pants have a loose fit, which means that it's easy
for the padding and knee protection to move around.
I eventually removed the protectors in the pants and
use some armored underwear instead; I've been using the
Forcefield Action Pro armored shorts to good effect;
see also the wBW
review of
the Bohn Cool Air armored underwear, favored by
Rick.
The pants also feature a short attachment zipper,
which connect to the Phoenix 4.0 or other Joe Rocket
jackets.
Conclusion - Joe Rocket Phoenix 2.0 Pants
I'm disappointed with the design of the pant legs.
I wish Joe Rocket offered more options for leg length,
and I do think there should be some adjusters or
hook-and-loop cinch tabs at the leg cuff.
I honestly don't feel that much more air when riding
in these pants than I do with the Joe Rocket Blaster
perforated leather pants, and I feel much more protected
in the Blasters, so I think I'll stick with those for a
while and wait for the Phoenix pants Version 3.0.
►Owner Comments
Comments? Send them to
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
From "G.C.": "Hi and thanks for a useful, well written
piece....
I have no long term riding experience of the new jacket, other
than I tried one on and concur strongly with the comments on style and colours.
What I can offer you are my views on the airmesh concept, coupled with the first
version of the Phoenix, which I purchased when they first appeared in the UK in
2002 and which I have used consistently ever since and not just in the height of
summer. It may add some supportive evidence and a useful comparison.
When I first held up the "Mk.1" Phoenix to look at it, my
thoughts were a mixture of, "Why have I just ridden 40 miles to try this weird
'thing' on" and, "Do they really think these will sell?".
The dealer was a Moto Cross racer and assured me that they were
very popular in the sport and so I tried it on. I have to say that I still
had a nagging doubt but as I was about to embark on a 3,000 mile tour of four
very hot American states (Nevada, Utah, Arizona and California) I suspended my
initial prejudice went for it, encouraged more by the price than anything else,
figuring it was cheaper than a couple of corporate branded T-shirts from any
main franchise motorcycle dealers - well Harley anyway.
That jacket was the best value garment I've ever bought. I
managed a month of UK summer riding in it before I left for the States. I
liked it so much I tried to get one for my wife but they were as rare as hen's
teeth and I had to settle for a Belstaff equivalent - remember, we're from the
UK and long hot summers are rarer than the aforementioned (but maybe as common
as rocking horse droppings).
I wore the Phoenix throughout my 2 week ride and in conditions
that included early morning frost in the heights of Bryce Canyon Utah, bitter
cold and heavy rains around Grand Canyon and the blistering heat of Nevada,
Death Valley and the Mojave Desert. Apart from adding the necessary
under-jacket layers and an outer waterproof for the cold and wet conditions,
this jacket did exactly what the company blurb said it would, although,
thankfully, I am not able to add to the testimonials of those owners who wrote
to Joe Rocket singing the praises of it's protective capabilities.
A lot of the guys we rode with did the "T Shirt" thing when the
temperatures soared into 3 figures. We stuck with our jackets and the
result was tangible. We were noticeably cooler and less weather-beaten
than our stripped down colleagues. In Death Valley particularly, we
noticed that it is so hot your perspiration evapourates immediately from exposed
flesh.
With the airmesh jacket, sweat is able to remain on your skin
for longer, allowing the airflow through the mesh to cool it - just like the
human cooling system is designed to do. In practical terms, we were not
getting sunburnt and we were noticeably less heat-stressed than our friends.
We were asked several times, "How come you guys aren't roasting, wearing those
jackets?". Q.E.D?
Back in the UK I have continued to wear the Phoenix on hot days
and often up to the first sniff of Winter (underneath my rainjacket). I
consider myself a serious 24/7 rider and use a BMW 1150 GS as my everyday
transport (The Road King comes off the road when the salt and grit start to get
dished out). I will concede that on most days it's the Hein Gericke all
weather gear, but Joe Rocket's Phoenix has my vote as one of the best and most
versatile items of clothing in my motorcycle wardrobe."
From "L.N.": "I just finished reading your Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0 jacket
and I felt you missed a very important issue with the jacket.
First let me expand on my experience with this jacket. I purchased this
jacket when they first came out, so I have been using it for several months.
It has been worn for commuting, weekend rids, and a five day mountain excursion.
For the most part I have to agree with you that the jacket is great, good
airflow and nice features. But it has a real problem in my book that is
related to the back protector. It rides up and presses against the bottom
of my helmet. I never had this problem with my Teknic mesh jacket. I
find my self raising my head just to try to shove it back down. There is
also the stoplight jacket tug down that helps.
I have tightened and adjusted the waist but nothing helps. I do not have a
real aggressive sport bike. I ride a Suzuki Katana 600. I assume you
did not discover this issue either because you did the test with the paints
attached, which I don't have, or your bikes have a standard ridding position.
I guess my request is to try it for yourself and see if you have the same
experience. I find it annoying and probably would not have bought the
jacket if I knew the back protector would ride up. Thank you for your time and I
really do enjoy and value your site."
Editor's Reply: Thanks for your comments. I tried the
Phoenix 4.0 jacket with 4
different helmets, riding on a Ducati Multistrada (upright position) and Ducati GT1000
(slightly leaned forward riding position) but did not
find unusual interference from the back protector. I tried the jacket when
it was
attached to the Joe Rocket pants and also when using the jacket unattached with
a pair of jeans. So there may be something about the combination of bike
and jacket and body shape that creates the problem referred to by L.N. If anyone can comment on this, please
feel free to share your experiences at the address above.
From "L.S.": "Just read the new wBW review of the Joe Rocket
Phoenix gear. Here are a couple of interesting ideas:
First, I recently "discovered" a helpful tip (which
Under Armour has
probably known for a long time). I have both an Under Armour heat gear
metal long sleeve T shirt (skin tight fitting), and multiple synthetic loose
fitting long and short sleeve wicking T shirts.
Always thought the loose fitting ones would be cooler because
they'd breathe more, or whatever. But no. The heat gear skin tight T
is cooler. The reason? If you wear a skin tight wicking T, as soon
as you sweat, the garment removes the sweat from your body, and the evaporative
process cools you down; i.e. the garment has to be in touch with your skin to do
it's job. If you're wearing a loose fitting shirt, that doesn't happen, so
you don't gain the benefit of the wicking anywhere near as well.
Second, you might be interested in this (article entitled "Riding
Motorcycles in Extreme Heat"). (It) has some great points about riding in
really hot weather. I no longer ride above 90 degrees. Just too hot
with all the gear on."
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