Over the past few years we’ve seen fewer options for tough, reliable mid-priced motorcycle jackets and pants. From the 1990s to the mid-2010s, several brands offered off-the-shelf equipment that offered essentially the same high quality as handcrafted products, but at a much more modest price.
Over the past five years or so, that has changed. There are of course exceptions, but the market seems to be stratifying into more lower quality products and more high quality products, with less in the middle.
Gary Cuzner and his family seek to change that. With their new line of Gryphon Moto gear, they are once again trying to offer riders quality at a reasonable price, combining their business acumen of the Canadian market (Gary is a long-time insider of the Canadian motorcycle scene) with the overseas manufacturing. The equipment is manufactured in Asia and shipped to Canada, where Gryphon employees examine every piece of kit before shipping it. In other words, there is considerable hands-on quality control.
Cool. You know that this equipment has been carefully checked before you buy it, then.
When I discovered this I was excited to see how well this equipment performed and had Gryphon ship me a Vancouver Jacket ($299.95 – $349.95 USD) and indian pants ($199.95 – US$209.95) for testing in fall and spring. Here is what I discovered:
Vancouver Jacket
This is a 3/4 waterproof jacket that is best suited for spring and fall, although you can certainly use it in the heat of summer too, if you open the vents. It’s quite heavy, as it’s made of 600D nylon, with 1680D patches in the slip areas, where you would land in a crash. There’s also an integrated breathable and waterproof REISSA membrane, which means you’re weatherproof without having to add a liner or rain shell, but it also adds to the weight of the jacket.
The weight and features of the Vancouver jacket mean it is best suited for touring, commuting or general street riding. You could use this as part of an adventure bike or dual-sport ride, but it would get very hot in the summer. Opting for the white colored jacket would help here.
Gryphon ships the Vancouver with CE2 rated armor on the shoulders, back and elbows; combined with the heavy nylon construction, I think it would offer about as much protection as anything else on the market in this price range.
About the vents I mentioned earlier, Gryphon calls them their high-volume venting system, with large drop-down panels in the front and vents in the back. These high-volume ventilation systems have been around on various jackets for a while now, and if you move they add a lot of cooling. If you’re at a stop, not so much, that’s why I said it’s best suited for riding in the fall or spring. Especially when you add the down jacket lining, which is one of the nicest liners I’ve seen come with a mid-priced motorcycle jacket. It has a synthetic filling, no down, but it looks great when you wear it on its own. However, this has a downside; it’s so bulky that your jacket will be a little oversized to accommodate it, which obviously means you’ll have more room in the jacket when you’re not wearing the liner.
Again, if you wear it in cooler temperatures, that’s not a problem anyway. In the summer I just tightened the jacket adjusters (Gryphon built in six point fit system) and it was fine.
This is generally my assessment of this jacket: it worked very well. With plenty of handy pockets, plenty of adjustability, good weather protection (even though I haven’t ridden in much rain), I’d feel confident wearing it on a cross-country trip. With the proper YKK zippers used without, I wasn’t worried about the zipper system suddenly snapping.
I thought the added quilting in some places added a nice aesthetic touch, especially for this price, and generally this jacket eschews the garish colors and trim that so many lower priced jackets have. All in all, you get what you pay for here. The only thing I didn’t really like was the collar of the jacket; I found that once I removed the included neck warmer, the collar tended to hollow out my neck a bit when I wore the jacket last fall. However, I haven’t had the same issues this spring, now that I’m wearing the jacket while riding again. I can’t explain it, but that’s how it happened.
Bottom line: If I was buying a jacket for general street or touring use, I would consider this option if my budget was within the price range. The Vancouver jacket comes with a one year warranty, and coming from a small company, I think the owners will treat you right if you have any questions or issues. Discover more details here.
Indy Riding Pants
The Gryphon Indy Riding Trousers have a two-layer waterproof construction similar to the Vancouver Jacket, including large ventilation panels, including a waterproof/breathable REISSA membrane, 600D nylon fabric with 1680D fabric in the knee and pretty decent trimmings, including the accordion stretch inserts at the knees and the back of the pants. CE2 knee pads are also standard, along with cargo-style hip pockets and thigh pockets.
The waist is highly adjustable and contains a zipper that you can use to attach the pants to the jacket. There is a large opening at the bottom of the pants and I never had a problem getting them to slide over my boots (although sometimes the inner liner would tangle a bit, but that was easily fixed).
It looks like the setup of some serious hiking pants! Unfortunately for me, the Indy pants didn’t quite match my body shape – it might have been fine if I was riding a cruiser or other bike with a low seat, but when I swung my leg high on the saddle of my WR250R, the pants would still tie at the crotch; I think the gusset wasn’t big enough to allow for that much range of motion. As such, if you’re looking for pants with these features, I’d say they’re generally well-priced and well-designed, but I would try them out to make sure they fit your needs.
Summary
It’s great to see a Canadian company focus on value when so many riding gear companies have aimed for quick turnover at the low end at the expense of quality or durability. high-end, high-performance equipment that is outside the price range. many runners. I think Gryphon’s kit does a good job of filling that gap in the middle, and if you can get the fit right, it’s worth checking out.
