Bought a new jacket .SCOYCO JK 17
. here is the review of the jacket when compared to my other 2 jackets- CramsterBreezer (1st gen) and DSG Spike.
So here we go!
Comparison between the 3 jackets.
1
) STYLING and FIT and FINISH:
Cramster breezer (1st Gen):
This is a relatively slim fitting jacket. Styling isn’t great but at the same time it is not an eye sore. Normally i wear an M size jacket and it fits fine. However the elbow protectors don’t fit snugly and move around a lot and hence i had to fix a third forearm adjustor button (it comes with only two) and now it has a snug fit.
The cordura panels in this jacket are the thinnest among the 3 jacket. However the stitching on the inner liner is of good quality and inner liner is the best among the 3 jackets here . over all quality stitching is on par with the other 2 jackets.the zippers are YKK and feels the best among the 3.
DSG Spike :
This one is a stylish jacket with some bold colour patterns. However it is bulky and doesnt not have a snug fit. With the thermal liner it fits just fine but without the liner it fits loosely .the armour s also fits loosely and move around a lot. This one is the worst fitting jacket among the 3.
The cordura feels the same in terms of thickness when compared to the Scoyco jacket. The inner liner is of the worst quality among the 3 and is prone to tearing, the stitching on the inner liner leaves a lot to be desired. Improper stitching leads to Velcro catching your shirt material thus ruining quite a few of my cotton shirts. This problem coupled with the wierd sizing led me to buy the breezer. The zippers are YKK but are notoriously prone to damage.
SCOYCO JK -17:
This one is the best fitting of the lot and fits me perfect.i like the styling and it looks more of like a jacket which one can wear to a mall during those winter days. Fit is snug. It has only the arm adjuster but the jacket has a snug fit on the forearm which means that the armour are fixed properly on your arm with the least amount of movement.the wrist and waist are elasticated, which ensures that the fit is good..
A word of caution: those guys who don’t like snug fitting jackets should order i size larger.
The cordura feels almost like the DSG jacket . stitching is good and comparable to the other 2 jackets. Its lighter than the spike. The inner liner looks similar to breezer but is of a different material. Stitching on the inner liner is very good . the zippers are not YKK but looks sturdy however the true picture will emerge only after the jacket is put to considerable use.
The only thing that i didn’t like about the jacket is the lining on the inside of neck which is far better in Spike and breezer.
2)
Special features:
Breezer:
Its a mesh jacket , so it has the best ventilation among the 3. Comes with an additional rain coat as well which is quite good.it can also be used in the early winter i have used it even in DEC month in Jaipur and Delhi coupled with thermal inner wear and it works fine but only during the day.comes with adjustable arm, forearm ,chest ,wrist and waist.
Spike:
This is an all weather jacket with an inner liner that is both waterproof and acts as a thermal liner as well.for summer use it has mesh panels on the front and back along with vents on the arms for ventilation. Its good as long as you are moving But as soon as you stop you will sweat like hell . the waterproof liner is quite effective but its heavier than a rainjacket ,besides once the cordura gets wet it takes time to dry . so i carry a rainjacket with me and use the liner only during the winter to protect myself from cold. The jacket is good for the winter of northindia if used along with the liner.
Comes with adjustable arm forearm ,wrist and waist . however the range of adjustment is very limited compared to JK 17 and Breezer
JK 17:
This jacket is projected as a summer jacket and hence its light as well . Doesn’t come with thermal liner and is water resistant. I am not concerned about this part coz i prefer using a raincoat.it has 4 vents in the front and 2 vents at the rear. I tried it and the ventilation is nowhere near the breezer ( of course for obvious reason) however it is comparable to the Spike , not much to choose between the two however i feel spike has a very marginally better ventilation( or may be i made it like that ,i don’t know). By the look of it i feel it can be used in winter months along with a thermal inner wear coz once the vents are closed with zippers , it very much acts as a wind cheater. However this is my presumption and cannot confirm this as of now.
It has good no. of pockets and has a slot for passing earphone
Comes with adjustable upper arm ,waist and wrist. There is no forearm adjustment but believe me you will not need it.
3) Armour:
All the 3 jackets comes with elbow , shoulder armours and foam back protector.
Breezer :
It has decent set of armour and has an 8mm thick back protector.
Spike:
Has the worst set of armour among the 3. The back protector is only 5 mm thick and fairly compressible .
In both these brands the quality of stitching and finishing on the armour is nowhere near the JK 17.more over the armour used in these jackets are thin and compressible and worse asymetrical .
JK 17:
This is where the jacket shines. The armours are top notch. The plastics are thick and backed by a thick foam cushion , and for a change the armours are symmetrical.fit and finish is top notch. The plactics don’t deform easily and is comparable to my alpinestar reflex guard in terms of sturdiness. The quality of elbow guard is even better than the cramster elbow guard that retails for 900 bucks. How do i know that ? coz i own one ,the older one not the newer one.
Back protector is 10mm thick and tough as well.the thickest among the 3.
Besides this jacket also comes with a foam non removable lumbar cushion( i wouldn’t call it a protector).
.Armours on breezer and spike can not be compared with JK17. Its in a different league altogether.
4) Price and overall shopping experience:
the two jackets i have listed i.e. the breezer and the spike are are no longer in the market and replaced by breezer 3 and phoenix respectively . still i decide to put the comparision to show that cheap doesn’t always means compromise on quality.
The JK 17 retails for 3000 and undercuts the price of DSG’s and cramsters by a huge margin and yet is comparable to the best of them in every respect and has solid built quality and betters them in the armour department by a huge margin.
If i have to choose a jacket in terms of build quality and armour, i will choose the SCOYCO with eyes closed anyday over the DSG and the Cramsters.
And to top it all i had the most pleasant shopping experience while buying the SCOYCO jacket, thanks to Mr Bhavishya Devgan , the shipping was fast ( the product was delivered in a single day) and if you request him he is willing to give you a discount as well, which is very rarely seen in the riding gear market. I don’t know about others but from now onwards my first preference will be SCOYCO .
scoyco website:
SCOYCO--motorcycle clothing--motorbike protecting
contact person : Bhavishya Devgan
ph no 9910460777
Raw Adventures - adventure in its purest form
IN A NUTSHELL:
a) quality of cordura:
SCOYCO = DSG > CRAMSTER.
b) quality of innerliner:
SCOYCO = CRAMSTER > DSG
c) Ventilation:
SCOYCO = DSG
d) fit and finish:
SCOYCO > CRAMSTER > DSG
e) quality of armour:
SCOYCO >>>> CRAMSTER> DSG