Whether you’re going on a day trip or halfway around the world, your choice of riding suit can make or break any trip on a motorcycle. Not only is it your protection, it’s your home when you’re on the road. Klim is a front runner in today’s competitive adventure riding gear market. Their Overland jacket and pants combo is the Swiss Army Knife of their line and marketed as a quality entry-level piece that’s a good value. Just as well suited for heavy off-road riding as it is for long distance touring, it’s a happy medium between the more purpose-oriented Badlands or Adventure Rally and the lightweight Traverse.

As with all Klim’s line the Overland is built around D3O armor for the elbow, shoulder and back pieces in the jacket, and knee and hip pieces in the pants—armor that’s not only comfortable to wear but offers a superb level of protection. My favorite thing about the D3O armor is that once it warms up it becomes more pliable and contours to the body, allowing you to forget it’s even there. Another quality feature in this jacket and pant combo is how well the D3O pads stay in place and how accurately they are located.

The body of the suit uses 840D Cordura fabric overlays for strength and protection with a Gore-Tex membrane that’ll keep you dry in all but the most intense rains. Entire days of riding through rain and intermittent snow did not faze this gear. The suit uses a mesh lining for moisture wicking and comfort. The pants include thick leather on the inside of the knees and lower legs for heat/wear resistance. And there are 3M Scotchight reflective materials throughout for safety and visibility, along with glove-friendly YKK zippers.

While testing the Overland combo I rode in varying extremes of weather, everything from never-ending rain and snow showers to 100°F-plus heat. These garments do a fantastic job adapting because of their highly developed and refined outer shells. Being able to add or remove a layer below an outer shell is a great system to regulate temperatures.

Klim also improved the ventilation from the Traverse jacket to allow better air flow with less “inflating.” The ventilation in the pants is fantastic as well with large zippered vents that open up on the front and rear of the thighs. As long as you’re moving, you’re comfortable, and when the vents are closed they don't leak.

The jacket is true to size and seems to fit better the more I wear it. It has yet to show any signs of wear. The pants run a bit large and seem to be designed as an over pant rather than stand-alones. This fit makes sense for commuting or everyday use but for my needs I wish the Overland pants were a bit more fitted like the Mojave or Dakar variants. The pants have generous leg openings for boots, with tons of Velcro to adjust to your liking. They’ve broken in quite nicely as well and seem to be getting better with age.

The Overland combo is a great, versatile riding suit, capable of handling any weather or abuse you can throw at it. It's just as much at home commuting as it is trail riding. For the money you’d be hard pressed to find another jacket/pant combo of equivalent quality. MSRP: $909.98 Klim.com

{gallery}ARTICLES/Gear/KLIM/Overland/gallery{/gallery}