I am constantly on the hunt for decent women’s riding gear. I’m searching for that goldilocks jacket, you know the one. It’s got a good liner, and fits my heated jacket underneath. The neck hole fits right (not too huge), and that all combines to create a cozy layer when it’s cold out.

The vents are enormous, though, so when it’s hot, the mesh underneath lets the wind right through. Also, it’s built ground-up for someone who has hips, and narrow shoulders, and a small neck, and long arms and legs. Did you know that on average women tend to have longer upper arms and thighs than men do? Most motorcycle gear manufacturers don’t, either, so knee and elbow armor always ends up in the wrong place. I have a closet full, and yet, nothing is quite right.

Enter this Capetown Ladies’ suit from DXR that’s just been pointed out to me. Absent only an inseam measurement, it looks like it ticks all the boxes. Heck, it is even available in something other than black. It does, of course, also come in black, though. The black versions have pink reflective pinstriping, and the blue and grey have white reflective pinstriping.

While often when you see “riding suit” it means a one-piece a-la Aerostich, this one’s a two-piece. (OK, yes, I know Dariens also come in two-piece suits). It might be better to call it a matched set.

The 600 denier (polyester, not Cordura™ but about the same thing) construction, CE armor, and huge pockets make the jacket a win right off the bat. Great pictures on the manufacturer’s website show enormous zip-out mesh chest and back vents. There’s also a vent on each arm. It’s constructed with stretchy gussets at the shoulders and elbows.

There’s an adjustable built-in belt at the waistline, as well as snap adjustments on the arms and collar. It has _two_ liners—one waterproof/breathable and one insulating. It comes with CE elbow and shoulder armor, and a pocket for a back protector. If you count the pockets in both liners, this jacket has 13 of them. Thirteen! The Capetown Ladies Adventure Jacket. Photo: Motoblouz The Pants Stats

The Capetown Ladies Adventure Jacket. Photo: Motoblouz

The matching riding pants include a zipper that connects to the jacket. They are the same 600D construction, with the same stretch gussets at the knees and lower back. The waterproof liner in the pants is not removable, but the thermal liner is. No word on whether the vents can let airflow through the waterproof membrane. I have seen gear manufacturers make that mistake too often. Sure, the vents are there, but no real wind gets past the waterproof barrier. Mmmm, swampy.

The pants only have zippers at the ankles, so they’re riding pants but not “overpants.” If you want to take them off, you will have to do the boots-then-pants dance in parking lots. They have Velcro tabs at the waist and the ankles for fit adjustment. DXR saw fit to include only two pockets in these pants, but for what looks like unusually high quality women’s gear, we’ll let that one slide. The Capetown Ladies Adventure Riding Pants Photo: Motoblouz Who is DXR?

The Capetown Ladies Adventure Riding Pants Photo: Motoblouz

The parent company of the manufacturer is France-based Motoblouz. Their lines include Dexter (motorcycle helmets) and DXR (motorcycle riding gear). Here’s a fun blurb from their website: “Remarkably designed to face the elements, the Capetown, a nod to the port city of South Africa, combines strengths and practical attention. This jacket is therefore not designed for Sunday pilots but for ‘adventurers’!” Cute.

OK, I ride an adventure bike, and this gear is surprisingly inexpensive for the feature set. The jacket’s MSRP comes in at €161.90! (That’s about $175 USD), and the pants at €125.90 (about $135 USD). Inexpensive enough that I might order them just to see if they’re as good as they sound. The joke is on me, though: they’re only available for limited shipping in and around the EU. Being a filthy American, I can’t access this gear. Typical.

Take note, motorcycle gear distributors! Make some phone calls and get this stuff into stores in the US and Canada! It looks fantastic and I want some.

What’s your take, reader? Have you frobbed any DXR/Dexter riding gear? Is it as good as it looks? Who wants to mule some gear from mainland France to New England for me?