REVIEW: Cortech LRX Jacket

Function, fit and style all in one

By Genevieve Schmitt, Editor
The Cortech LRX jacket has a sporty feminine cut and sits at the waist.

One of the most comfortable and easy to wear jackets I tested this past summer is the Cortech LRX jacket. Cortech is the sport division of Tour Master. While the LRX has more of a sport touring fit, it worked just fine when I wore it riding my Harley-Davidson. Nowadays, I think women are more into what feels right for them rather than if a certain jacket is designed for sport riding or cruising. The LRX combines a good fit with function and style.

Function
What I like most about this nylon textile jacket is that it’s lightweight, perfect for wearing on those hot summer days. There is a decent full-length liner inside which I removed on those hot days. When the nights got cooler, I zipped it back in. The jacket material is 400 Denier Nylon Dobby combined with 1680 Denier Ballistic Polyester rendering the jacket very soft to the touch. I have one of the first jackets Tour Master made for women and it is quite stiff with a courser feel to it. They’ve sure come a long way. Ballistic gives the LRX abrasion resistant properties while a Rainguard barrier makes the jacket waterproof and breathable. So far, the LRX has everything I’d want in an all-purpose summer jacket.

The inside of the jacket shows off the mid-weight quilted liner with two pockets.

The LRX continues to get high marks with its CE Approved armor everywhere you need it: shoulders, elbows and back. The armor is soft and pliable, not the stiff plastic kind; and they’re all removable. Sometimes armor that can shift in the pocket, so there are take-up straps on the sleeves that cinch the arm material so the armor stays in place. Very innovative.

There are plenty of good-sized pockets: two zippered outside ones and two hook and loop-closure inside ones on both the liner and the inside of the jacket so you don’t lose pockets when removing the liner. The front pockets double as vents. If you run out of pockets there are two vertical zippers on the lower back of the jacket that create a rear pocket could fit an extra pair of gloves in there. This “pouch” doubles as a vent, too. Speaking of vents – there are plenty to let the wind pass through on those very hot days.

This detail shot shows the take-up straps, the large zipper pulls, a vent on the arm and shoulder, and the rubber Cortech emblem.

A triangle reflective emblem on the back and reflective piping on the front and the back of the jacket ensure you’re seen at night, and generous zipper pulls allow you to grab the zippers with your gloves on. A zipper on the inside of the back waist allows the jacket to be zipped to coordinating pants. Tour Master certainly didn’t miss a beat on all the functional features a woman would want in a jacket.

On To Fit
I mentioned the jacket is easy to wear. It’s not stiff and bulky. The LRX is roomy with the extra room being taken up by cinching the arms with those take-up straps and cinching the waist with the adjustable waist belts on either side. The wrists have an adjustable hook-and-loop closure and are lined with soft microfiber. The neck area is also lined with microfiber. I really like this because sometimes jackets have annoying seams on the neck and wrists that can bother you all day. All this softness on the LRX makes it a pleasure to wear.

Two rear vertical zippers create an extra “pouch” pocket; they also double as vents. The jacket extends just below the waist in the rear so it doesn#39;t ride up on you when leaning over on a motorcycle.

Style to Boot
I’ve never owned a light blue jacket. I call it baby blue because it’s a pleasing color of blue. The LRX also comes in pink, silver (gray), white and black and has a simple yet tasteful style. There is a small rubber Cortech emblem on one arm with a rose on it. I’m not fond of motorcycling clothing with roses, but this is small and inconspicuous so didn’t bother me. The LRX pretty much has it all.

If I had to mention one negative, it was that the jacket ballooned on me when I rode at highway speeds. When I opened the vents, the ballooning effect was minimized. I think the ballooning happened because the size medium I was wearing was quite roomy in the chest area on me. I would have worn a small but the arms were too short. That happens a lot with me – I’m broad in the shoulders but small in the chest. I often choose a medium jacket that tends to be a smidge big on me just so the arms fit. I mention this for anyone with a similar body size to mine. Generally speaking, the sizing is right on with the LRX, and the price is even more right for all you get. Sizes XS to XL (also Plus S to Plus L); MSRP $129.99.

What Else
Tour Master and Cortech have several other styles of ladies jackets.

Tour Master introduced the Trinity jacket in 2006, a cruiser style version of the LRX. It’s a 3/4-length textile jacket with an adjustable cinch at the waist for a form fit. Comes in all the same colors as the LRX.
New for 2007, the LNX combines perforated and non-perforated leather, boasting all the same function and fit features as the other ladies jackets. Comes in a hot new color sure to attract a lot of women: leopard print and white.
New for 2007, Cortech adds a mesh version of the LRX the LRX Air Jacket.

Visit tourmaster.com for more information and to find a dealer near you.

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