Hey Team,
I usually don't post gear reviews, but when I was looking at additional safety gear I couldn't really find too many reviews on the Hit-Air brand. It being a high $$$ product, I wanted to make sure I was getting a good item. So, I figured I'd pay it forward and take some time to draft up a report on the MX-7 Hit-Air Jacket. The gear has a limited market in the US, only a few vendors sell it. Furthermore, I haven't come across anyone rocking this gear. Although, whenever anyway see's me wearing it I get a ton of questions. For the record, I haven't been compensated by Hit-Air or Safemoto...although, if they read this & want to pay me I'll take it!
Feel free to ask questions...I'll throw up some pics in the next few days.
Hit Air MX-7 Jacket:
Price: roughly $604 (My order included 2 additional back armors & 2 CO2 canisters):
Vendor: Safemoto
Overview:
• I purchased the MX-7 back in May, but before passing an “official” review on the jacket, I wanted to put it through the paces. Over the last 6 months, I have put roughly 5000 miles on my 2004 BMW R 1150R Rockster at least that many on my jacket. In short, I am incredibly satisfied with the product’s fit, performance, quality, and look. To begin, thankfully, I haven’t had to use the buffering (air-bag) feature. However, the additional piece of mind the feature offers is worth the (admittedly) high price in my book.
Fit:
• The jacket’s overall fit is superb. Albeit, tighter than anticipated. I am 5’ 10” 200 lbs with an athletic build. The jacket is adjustable in the arms, wrists, and waste, which allows me to tailor the jacket to my (somewhat unique) body shape. (My arms & chest to waist proportion is larger than the average male.) That being said, I fit snuggly into the jacket with a thick flannel shirt and a heated Venture vest and two additional pieces of back-armor. Unfortunately, I am not able to get the additional windbreaker in with all that. The padding is well placed and fits my back, shoulders, and extremities perfectly. While on the bike, the jacket doesn’t feel restrictive and I have almost full range of motion when off the bike, more than I would have wearing a sports coat. If I had an option, I likely would try the XL as opposed to the Large just because the jacket seems to run a little tight. (Especially with the backpads.) But all things considered, it fits & feels comfortable.
Quality:
• The best feature of this jacket is the quality. The jacket material is tough and breathable. All parts of the jacket are well stitched, I haven’t encountered a single loose thread. The zipper and Velcro quality is solid. Despite constantly going in and out of my pockets I have never experienced torn Velcro or a faulty zipper. I admit, I am incredibly hard on everything I own, especially clothes. But after shoving this jacket in & out of my saddle bags & my locker on a daily basis for six months, the only ware is the raised “Hit Air” lettering on the left arm been scrapped off. Likely do to tough love shoving it in and out of my multiple lockers.
Appearance:
• The jacket’s appearance is sharp. I purchased the black and red jacket, as the grey was not available. The reflective material is better than I anticipated. However, it is sparingly used. (This is my only complaint with regard to the appearance).The reflective material is strategically placed on the back (along the outside) and the front (near the breast). You’ll look good at any motorcycle rally or a trip out around town. But it’s not something that would supplement your normal wardrobe. It certainly has the “sport bike jacket” look and wouldn’t get you into a black tie affair.
Conclusion:
• Solid jacket. Premium quality. Ergonomically designed. The MX-7 does run a little small by my book. If you have larger arms or chest, I would recommend going a size up to permit room for additional back armor or liner. The price is high, but it’s worth it. If the jacket were to disappear tomorrow, I wouldn’t hesitate buying another one (albeit likely an XL as opposed to an L).
Safemoto:
• A small business to be sure, I believe there are only two "official" employees. I spoke with both Alan Cunningham, the owner, and his wife, Beth, in the ordering process. They were very knowledgeable and professional. The jacket was delivered within about 7-10 days and they followed up with me to see if I received the jacket. It's the kind of personal service you really only get with small vendors. The only thing I would note was when I ordered it online I didn't get a confirmation email for about a day...it through me off being in the world where after you click "confirm purchase" there is a receipt email in your inbox in half a second. But, everything was of course fine.
Hit me up with a PM or in the forum if you gents have questions.
Keep the rubber side down.
-cFogs
BT
NNNN
Hit-Air Jacket Review (Air-Bag)
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