We were excited when a Dainese Splugen 3L D-Dry jacket turned up on the doorstep just before we headed to the Himalayas for the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 global launch. The premium brand has a reputation for quality.
With a plan to throw everything we could at it, in the world’s most brutal and beautiful mountain range, we headed overseas, ready for bitterly cold mornings and tough riding conditions, both on and off road. To say it handled it all is an understatement.
The Dainese Splugen 3L D-Dry jacket is a three layer touring/adventure jacket that features a removable waterproof liner and thermal liner. The latter is particularly handy as it can be worn as a separate garment.
Getting the liners in and out is reasonably easy and it doesn’t take long to remove or put back in. If there’s a flaw in the process, it’s that if you plan on only using the waterproof one, you will need to take both out and put the thermal offering back in.
Having returned from the launch, we’ve also put the jacket through its paces in summer and autumn conditions. That’s been a real bonus as the constant changing weather and riding conditions have afforded us plenty of opportunity to test it in various scenarios.
With the liners out, the Dainese Splugen 3L D-Dry provides good air flow for hotter riding conditions, with two air vents on the chest, and more on the back and in the sleeves. The breathable mesh lining allows plenty of ventilation into the inside of the jacket.
Constructed from 600D Polyester Oxford fabric, the Dainese features reflective inserts and is a EN 17092-A certified motorcycle garment. Pro-Armour protectors are standard in the elbows and shoulders, and are certified to 1621.1 Level 2 standard.
There are pouches within the jacket for back and chest protectors too, although these are not standard in the $799 retail price for this unit. While that’s a disappointment, the Splugen 3L D-Dry does offer plenty of flexibility and adjustment to ensure the perfect fit.
The neck, waist and cuffs are all adjustable, along with the sleeves. You can even attach the jacket to your pants. There’s a load of storage too, with two outer pockets, cargo pockets, and additional internal pockets in both the waterproof and thermal liners.
In a cool touch, the Dainese Splugen also features their magic connection system to connect compatible gloves to the jacket. If you want one, there’s two colours; Iron-Gate/Black and Vapor Blue/Black (as tested).
Sizes range from 48 to 60, with the Splugen 3L D-Dry jacket available from most good motorcycle stockists. It represents an excellent all round piece of kit that will suit a number of purposes.
Our test product was provided by Dainese Australia. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this product.
Pros – comfortable; great looking; excellent ventilation.
Cons – back and chest protectors aren’t standard; liner removal process.
