’Tis the season for colder temperatures and daylight saving. Lately I’ve had the opportunity to ride more and enjoy the cooler temps. From the mountains of Kentucky to the Outer Banks of the North Carolina coast and everything between, it’s been the perfect time to see the fall colors.

In 30°F temps it only makes sense to ride with warm gear, but for many of us an $800 jacket isn’t within the budget. To keep costs low and travel as much as possible, I had to find something that could do the job yet not break the bank. Along came the opportunity to try out the new Enforcer Touring jacket from Viking Cycles, and I jumped at the chance.

The Enforcer Jacket has an abundance of pockets—fifteen in total! Six pockets on the exterior, and the rest inside: There’s a padded pocket for sunglasses and cell phone; an easy access pocket for a pen or knife; big pockets for gloves; a wrist pocket for ready cash when dealing with those pesky toll roads; and a little hidden pocket on the back side within a seam where cash can be secretly stashed in case of emergencies. It’s almost like I can carry everything in the jacket without needing saddle bags!

Listening to music while riding is a nice luxury. The two front pockets provide easy access to a phone or iPod. And there’s another cool feature: Rubber grommets are built into the pockets, allowing headphones to be wired through the jacket, keeping the wires out of the way and electronics safe from the elements. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a jacket.

As with many jackets there’s a removable liner for those cold mornings and nights. The first negative thing I noticed was the lack of ventilation. Although it was nice and warm in the cold of the morning, the jacket was a little much when the afternoon temps began climbing. It could use a few more, or bigger, vents to help keep cool on warmer rides—otherwise it’s too uncomfortable for mid-spring or summer. Since it retained heat so well, I’ll use it only in the fall and winter.

For most of my trip it never got above 70°F, with lows around 30°F. The Enforcer isn’t too restricting, and it’s nice not having to dress up like an Eskimo. Removing the liner helped when it became too warm. Riding off road and touring, wearing it around camp or on short hikes was comfortable. Also, a recent hurricane brought plenty of rain to test the jacket’s waterproofing. In light rain or short showers it remained fairly dry—but not so in storms.

Priced at $99.99 online it’s difficult to compare with others at over $500. So keep that budget-minded price in consideration. For a fall and winter jacket it does very well. I especially like the jacket for day-to-day use when I leave the saddle bags at home. Coming into the cooler seasons a warmer jacket is nice. For the price and what it offers the Enforcer jacket is a reasonable value. MSRP: $99.99 MotorcycleHouse.com

 {gallery}ARTICLES/Gear/Viking_Cycle/Enforcer_Jacket/gallery::{/gallery}