UPDATE: You can find photos of the suit HERE

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Having bought a new suit in 2015 for my daily motorcycling needs, the idea was to replace my then 4 year old Hein Gericke suit. The Hein Gericke suit was working just fine keeping me dry and warm in a functional sense, but had gotten very tatty and tired looking. I had also lost some weight and the HG suit was starting to look more like an oversized clown suit on me. So I made a considerable investment into another brand’s top-of-the-line suit with my eye on the next 4 years but ended up being very disappointed. Cold and wet is how I often found myself, might aswell been riding naked. After two attempts to have the suit repaired I was left gravely disappointed, and still out of pocket. I had even taken to wearing a heated vest in the winter, which is an absolute first for me after 19 years of riding. 

I rely on my gear too much, it is my second skin, so I needed something better which in turn eventually led me to Rev’it, and their Poseidon suit. To be honest the only reason I did not go for their higher spec Dominator was because of my previous disappointment, it had tainted my attitude towards investing in a flagship product. That said after 6 months and just shy of 20,000 KM in all weathers I can happily say the Poseidon Jacket and Poseidon Trousers are worth every cent. 

My requirements are fairly straight forward. I commute, travel, go shopping,… essentially if I am going somewhere or doing something it is on my motorcycle and I need a suit I can rely on 100%. The layers underneath may change over the year, but I need the suit to perform as needed when I am on, and off, the motorcycle. The Poseidon is well featured with a mix of special fabrics and construction designed to keep us motorcyclists comfortable and safe in the demanding environments we find ourselves in. Note that for me comfortable means being safe, if you find yourself disctracted by the weather or uncomfortable then you are not going to be as safe as you can be while out on your motorcycle. The suit also includes Gore-Tex and some very useful ventilation features which makes this one of the best all weather suits I have worn, no it will not be like wearing a mesh suit but it manages the heat exceedingly well. This system combines large ventilated pockets in the jacket and trousers which are easily opened with gloved hands thanks to oversized zips, and then held in place with a brilliant magnet/latch system. For managing rain the ventilation also has rubber type channels built around them. The whole lot is extremely well thought through, easy to use and functions as advertised as it provides a useful amount of airflow on those hot days without any compromise to warmth and waterproofing for the rest of the time.

If you pop into your local Rev’it dealer they will be able to get you sorted with sizing, and Rev’it will allow you to swap the jacket size at no charge if the store orders in and it turns out to be a little snug or large (well my local does). Generally you should get the sizing right first time. Brand new it will feel a bit stiff, but after 6 months now I can say it is very easy to move around in, and comfortable all day long. At the time the Rev’it brace system does not work with the Poseidon pants, and I am someone you loves their braces so you may need an aftermarket solution there. But that is my only criticism of the sizing and fit. The armour used in the suit is comfortable and does not impede on my movement. When on the motorcycle I find it very easy to look over either shoulder and my Scala Q1 does not snag on anything when I turn to the left (as was happening with my previous suit). 

It has never leaked. You do get the usual dampness coming through the seat of the pants on those long runs through heavy rain but that is a given. Either it breathes and brings a little in, or it doesn’t and you sit in your own sweat. I don’t mind that. Having rain and cold coming through everywhere is what I will not tolerate. I have never needed to wear the heated vest with this suit, and that includes riding in snow and ice conditions, the lowest I observed this year was -6C / 21F in February (excluding windchill effects) . Under the jacket I have a thermal jacket, fleece, baselayer. In the trousers just the thermal liner and underwear. This was on a Triumph Tiger 800 XRx so not too much in the way of weather protection. If I am warm and comfortable while commuting in that then I can not recommend this enough. My longest cold run was a ride to Cork (approx 2.5 hours) at 2C / 36F. This was on a Ducati Multistrada, again, nice and cosy the whole way.

We have had a few hot days too, the highest I have seen is 23C / 73F, just a t-shirt underneath, vents open, no liners, and the collar has a little tab to keep it open for that little extra air-flow. Little touches like that is what makes me love this suit so much, and again I am not uncomfortable while out and riding. Of course walking around in the gear in those temperatures is another thing, but it does breathe and manage the heat very well. Some suits can feel like being wrapped in bin liners, this is not the case. Again, that word I keep coming back to, it is a comfortable suit to live in.

My only real regret is not just going for the Dominator suit, if the Poseidon is any indication of Rev’it’s quality then I can not help but think I am missing out on that little extra bit of luxury. But I look forward to the next few years of riding comfort with this suit. My two-year old Alpinestars boots are just about on their last and I am probably going to replace them with a Rev’it product, I have also just got my hands on their Hoody Stealth and some H20 Oralndo jeans (both are waterproof but for a biker that also means windproof), so expect to hear about those later in the year once I have a few months and miles in them.

All-in-all if your product research has put the Rev’it Poseidon onto your list of considerations then I really cannot recommend enough.