Comfort and efficient design in a superior package.
The name says it all – the Klim Apex jacket is at the top of the heap when it comes to sport-touring apparel. It’s kept me dry in the worst deluge and kept me cool on the hottest and most humid days; it’s been featured in more Mojo spreads than just about any other product; and it’s the one jacket that I repeatedly turn to for protection and peace of mind.
In the company of most other motorcycle jackets, Klim’s Apex stands out for a couple of reasons, one being price – this stuff is not cheap – and the other having to do with something it lacks: a removable liner system.
Upon receiving the Apex, I was puzzled by the basic shell and mesh liner design, and thought perhaps I was missing something. After doing a little research, it became obvious that when it comes to the Apex and many of its other products, Klim leaves the underlayers to the customer, and instead provides the best possible outer layer.
This particular model, with its high-viz-yellow-and-black combo, is aimed at the sport-touring segment. There are six exterior pockets, as well as five interior ones located within the mesh liner. Ventilation is excellent, with six vents in strategic areas like the arms, shoulders and down the sides, though it’s difficult to close the two large side vents when you’re on the bike because you need two hands. The benefit of the design is that it flows a huge amount of air. Conversely, zipping up the vents will keep out the cruellest of weather, as I discovered on many occasions; in one case, I rode for an entire day from Toronto to the Quebec-New Brunswick border amid pouring rain, winds and 18-wheeled convoys casting blinding spray, only to arrive at my motel and find not a drop had made it through the jacket.
In the two seasons that I’ve been abusing the Apex on every form of motorcycle and in every kind of weather Canada can muster, it continues to amaze me – I’ve even taken it out snowmobiling, ATVing and dirtbiking, and once brought it along for a little added protection while snowboarding, with great results, I might add.
The flexibility and durability of the Apex jacket comes from its four-season layered Gore-Tex Pro construction with perforated leather in impact areas such as the shoulders and forearms. That, along with the mid-length cut and the abundance of beefy D3O T5 EVO Pro XT armour on the shoulders, elbows and forearms, as well as the included CE Level 2 Viper T5 Pro Back Protector from D3O, makes it ideal for road riding.
The magazine received a size large for testing, which fit both Glenn Roberts and me perfectly, with a little adjustment provided by the waist and neck cinch cords and arm straps. We also had a gentleman try it out who was 6’ 2”, pushing 230 pounds, and there were no complaints. I believe Klim leaves a little extra room to accommodate underlayers – speaking of which, I generally wear a T-shirt under the Apex on pleasant days and go for a good long-sleeved base layer and thermal fleece sweater in the evenings or on cool days; that’s really about all that’s needed most of the time.
With a price tag that hovers around $1,100, the Apex jacket represents a significant investment for the average rider, but I can’t stress enough that you’re getting one of the best products available on the market. From quality to versatility to rider protection, this is indeed the apex of garment design at the moment.
