mojo@mp-mojo.UUCP (Mojo Jones) (07/24/86)
As long as someone brought up the subject of mail order,
I just got a couple of products that I thought I'd mention.
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Aerostich (sic) RiderWear Roadcrafter riding suit
If you read the cycle mags, you probably saw a review of this
suit. I read a review in "Cycle" late last year, and my mouth
watered. Finally after my trusty leather jacket failed me in a
slide-out a couple months ago, I had to order one. (My jacket's
right arm pushed back above my elbow and I collected some road
rash on my arm.)
I ordered a size 40, black with navy abrasion pads (matches my
'85 Yamaha Maxim-X) on May 30. I sent a check for $335 and asked
for plain UPS shipping. I got back a reply card right away with
an invoice number, and advising that my suit would be shipped in
four to five weeks. They didn't quite make that schedule; the
suit arrived 7/21. But I'm delighted! It was worth waiting for.
All of my dealings with Aerostich have been very pleasant. The
owner and designer, Andy Goldfine, usually answers the phone.
Sometimes he wants to talk a lot, about the demand for the suit
or its quality or whatever, and I've been tempted to say, "Andy!
Get off the phone and go make suits!" But his enthusiasm is
pleasant.
In two days of riding I've had some hot weather, some cold
weather, and a little rain. And just as advertised, the suit is
excellent in all of the conditions. It's a snap to get into.
It's mostly waterproof (I've not gotten wet in it yet). There
are pockets everywhere. It breathes wonderfully. Add a layer of
insulation and it's a very warm suit; it provides a nice layer of
still air that the insulation can work in.
The suit is made from a Cordura shell, with heavy strength
Cordura on the abrasion pads. Inside is a layer of Goretex, and
the lining is nylon taffeta. It's quite a suit.
If you call or write, they'll send a catalog with material
swatches for choosing colors.
Aerostich Riderwear
Div. Aero Design & Mfg. Co. Inc.
Eight South 18th Ave. West
Duluth, Minnesota 55806
(218) 722-1927
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Eclipse Electric Vest
This is an outstanding product. The vest is beautiful and the
warmth is wonderful. I really enjoy Eclipse products -- I have a
pair of Eclipse saddlebags too.
I wanted the vest for a trip to LA I was making within the week.
When my local dealer (Cycle Gear in Richmond) didn't have any,
the manager gave a call to Eclipse. Eclipse was very helpful,
and shipped a vest to Cycle Gear that day by UPS Blue Label,
picking up the extra shipping charges. I paid full retail for
the vest, $99.98, but was happy to with the extra service. (I
probably would have done as well or better with one of the
discount houses.)
The product is good, the service was excellent. There were a
couple of minor glitches.
I ordered a Large vest, and the vest had a tag with "L" punched
prominently on it. The fit was snug, but adequate. Later on I
found a sewn tag inside the garment that said "M". It was
mislabeled. No real loss -- I'm losing weight and can give it to
my girlfriend if I really need a Large.
Then after a few uses, the vest started not working
intermittently. After a while, one of the wires fell out of the
large rocker switch on the cord. When I opened the switch, I
found that both wires had been wound around the screw terminals
in the wrong direction, so they loosened when the screw was
tightened.
So with the best of intentions and an outstanding product,
Eclipse may be having problems with quality control. I sent them
a letter, and I hope they work it out. It'd be nice to see real
manufacturing pride in U.S. products, and not just the innovative
design.
[shameless plug]
For an MSF Rider Course near you, call 1-800-447-4700
"The More You Know, The Better It Gets"
--
Mojo
... Morris Jones, MicroPro Int'l Corp., Product Development
{lll-crg,ptsfa,dual,well,pyramid}!micropro!mp-mojo!mojo