To test the validity of that proposition, the Dutch gear maker invited us to RawHyde Adventures’ Zakar compound in Mojave, California, for some exploring off the beaten path. Lay of the LandĪtypical weather visited the Mojave Desert in the days before our big test ride, dusting the nearby Tehachapi Mountains with seldom-seen snow caps. Overnight temps dipped into the low-40s (Fahrenheit). Meteorologists reported day-time highs of 69 degrees, but the ambient temperature reading on my RawHyde-loaned BMW R 1250 GS never surpassed 55 degrees-even in the mid-afternoon. While that cold front nearly froze my thin Californian blood in the lines, it presented the perfect conditions to assess the Stratum GTX’s bi-layer construction. Composed of a mesh inner layer and a weatherproof outer layer, the adventure set adapts to anything and everything Mother Nature throws your way. REV’IT! accounts for those fickle forecasts with its modular layering system. When more hospitable weather returns, users can quickly ditch the Stratum’s GTX top layer for maximum ventilation. With the brand’s proprietary PWR mesh at the jacket front and back, along with panels at the thighs, the suit promotes airflow while remaining highly abrasion resistant. REV’IT!’s safety measures don’t stop there, either. As opposed to traditional ADV sets, which house the impact protection in the outer layer, the Statum GTX slides its Seesmart CE Level 2 limb and back armor into the form-fitting inner layer. This approach keeps the protectors from shifting away from high-impact zones in the event of a crash. It also delivers more warm-weather relief than its convention-clinging rivals, flowing air at the rate of a motocross jersey. Though I daren’t test the Air Layer’s aerating properties in the merciless desert, post-event tests along the coast proved the Stratum’s circulating caliber. Air rushed through both the top and trousers with little to no obstruction. The only downside to the ventilating yet protective inner layer lies in its figure-hugging fit. Put simply, the stretch material leaves little to the imagination. Whereas bulkier gear considerately conceals our ever-growing butts and guts, the Stratum bares all suppressed body insecurities. If you’re able to get past that vanity blockade, however, the Air Layer upholds the suit’s protective pedigree even when the mercury rises. The flagship kit only amplifies those preventative measures as the temps drop. When encountering the most frigid conditions, REV’IT! strategically designs the Gore-Tex Shell to easily slide over the inner mesh layer. Zips along the outer seam splay each pant leg so the rider can pull on the outer trousers without removing their ADV boots. The Air Mesh jacket provides similar accommodations, with thumb loops maintaining the cuff’s snug fit as the user pushes their arms through the sleeves. With the GTX layer affixed, the Stratum takes on an entirely different look.
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