Joe Rocket Alter Ego 2.0 Jacket Review

Thursday, January 01, 2009

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The Joe Rocket Alter Ego 2.0 Jacket

It is rare that a motorcycle product takes its name from a Latin phrase, like the Joe Rocket Alter Ego 2.0 Jacket. Alter ego – “the other I." Hmm… Pretty sure the Joe Rocket marketing crew was smoking something wacky at the pitch meeting, but we won’t complain as the oddly-named Alter Ego has been our favorite jacket as of late.

Alter Ego must refer to the versatile nature of the jacket design, as it can transform from warm waterproof protector to full-mesh summer wear with a couple zipper pulls. The key to the design are the detachable outer sleeves and body shell.

Fully assembled, the water resistant Rock Tex 660 exterior shell teams with a removable waterproof liner for solid protection. Our cold weather riding was limited with the Alter Ego, but with some added layers and cinched up sleeve adjusters you stay plenty warm.

Our favorite mode of transforming the Alter Ego was with the sleeves and body panels removed. Full mesh breathability makes the JR design an incredibly versatile addition to the gear locker. We used it for everything from regular commuting to long-distance street rides and even a two-day dual-sport trip.

CE-rated armor protection is housed in the shoulder and elbows, with the multi-position sleeve adjustors ensuring secure fit with or without the removable sleeves. An additional CE back protector can be fitted in place of the standard

The last time B. Madson tested a Suzuki dual-sport he crashed the beans out of a DR200. He was still willing to take the 650 into more off-road than he was with Kawasaki s beast.

We wore the Joe Rocket Alter Ego 2.0 jacket out, putting it on whether we were riding on the street or while doing a little backwoods dual-sporting.

pad, while a pair of cinch straps at the waist fine tune the fit. An eight-inch zipper and snap loops connect to riding pants or belt.

The Alter Ego’s conservative styling, at least for JR, is a plus in this tester’s book, but may not appeal as much to the hardcore sportbike crew. That said, we did get more than one compliment from un-biased riders and non-riders alike.

Our only real gripe with the Alter Ego is that, like Humpty Dumpty, putting it back together again is a lesson in patience. Practice first before attempting with wet, cold, frustrated fingers out in the middle of a ride spoiled by an unexpected weather change. Also, detachable parts are great but easy for scatterbrained riders to lose (we still have all of ours, for now!).

The $259.99-274.99 MSRP isn’t on the low end of the spectrum, but it’s rare we find anything that couldn’t stand a price drop. In our estimation the Joe Rocket Alter Ego benefits far outweigh the persnickety complaints from this crotchety tester. Bottom line, we enjoy the fit and comfort, but we love the versatility. Our Alter Ego, that other I, is a definite gearbag keeper.

Product: Joe Rocket Alter Ego 2.0 Jacket
Colors: Black/Black, Black/Blue, Black/Gunmetal, Black/Red
MSRP: $259.99 - $274.99

Buy it Now at the Motorcycle Superstore!!

View all articles by Bart Madson
View all articles in Street Jacket Review

Comments

Jason -Also of note January 8, 2010 02:58 PM
This jacket is also nice because it comes in large TALL Sizes. This is very important and I don't want my back being shown to motorists behind me :)! I have an XLT version and it's very nice, and stays down where I want it.

Nutty prof -Joe Rocket quality January 19, 2009 10:23 AM
First of all, you usually get what you paid for, but having said that I bought a Joe Rocket jacket (ballistic 2.0) several years ago and have used it for about 5 years of daily commuting and weekend rides: I ride about 12k miles a year. It survived one spill with only light abrasions. No seams have come undone, etc. I had to replace one zipper (left arm vent), and it cost me all of $20 to do that. The worse damage so far is that all of my zipper pulls but one have broken off because they are constantly flapping in the wind when you ride and the metal wore off on the rings. You can't feel the zipper pulls flapping when you ride, BTW. I replaced them with paper clips and it works just fine. The jacket does not flap at speed, and I ride at *speed*. Dollar for dollar it was a great buy. It convinced me to buy a Phoenix jacket for warm weather. So far so good with that one as well. Maybe I was lucky with this jacket, but it has had a lot of use, to the point that the black is fading, and never let me down.

Trunkmonkey -Great jacket January 3, 2009 06:38 PM
I have the Ego 2 and love it. Textile is necessary in rainy Oregon. This jacket is convertible to be comfortable in any weather here. It has held up to 2 seasons of constant use. The velcro that on the outer shell left sleeve separated from its rubber backing, but a little shoe glue fixed that for a year so far. I've seen someone else wreck in the jacket at about 50-60 mph on a corner involving pavement and gravel/dirt. The jacket did it's job, but needed to be thrown away after. Overall I'm with the reviewers opinion.......it's great for a do it all suit cause the pants are just as good as the jacket.

Wookie -Alter Ego January 2, 2009 12:49 PM
And I still wear the same jacket.

Wookie -Alter Ego January 2, 2009 12:49 PM
I bought the first gen of Alter Ego in 2005, just about when I start riding. With the removal shells and the lining, it's actually comfortable between 50 and 110 degrees. Between 30 and 50, I found it necessary to wear miscellaneous sweatshirts or sweaters inside the jacket. I've had three separate crashes with the same Alter Ego jacket. First one was at 40 mph on I-5 (got hit by a car); second one was at about 20 mph on surface street, in rain; third one was at about 30 mph, on dirt. In each case, there were no road rashes, no rasberries. The only injury sustained was a dislocated colar bone during the first crash. The only damage to the jacket was also inflicted during the first crash, with a busted seam at the elbow pad, which was easily sewn back together. I'd say it works pretty well.

Mike -Joe Rocket jacket January 2, 2009 07:37 AM
I have had two Joe Rocket jackets for several years now. The heavier version is a Meteor with a removable liner. I wore it to commute to work 50 miles a day for three years and never had a problem with it. No broken zippers, no split seams. It got dirty from the freeway traffic, but I just soaked it in soapy water and it came out clean. It doesn't flap at speed either. They probably differ depending on the design type. I also have a Phoenix jacket, and being that I live in Phoenix, AZ, I can positively say it does work, as I commuted in 112* F temps. I also have two pairs of Joe Rocket pants, two pairs of their gloves, and one pair of their boots. I've had no problems with any of their products and can recommend them. I think they are a great buy, especially if you're on a budget.

Tim -Just say no to Joe January 1, 2009 09:56 PM
I've owned both the original version of this jacket and a second Joe Rocket jacket, and on both of them the fabric started splitting near some seams after one season of light riding. I went back to the store I purchased the second jacket from, looking to replace it, and noticed that they had very few Joe Rocket jackets for sale and was told that they were cutting the models they carried due to all the problems they had with them. This was several years ago, so maybe they've improved their products since then, but I'm not spending any more money on them.

thesoapster -I have this jacket January 1, 2009 10:09 AM
I will never use textile jackets for the street again. Besides the safety concern...they flap around in the wind way too much. This jacket is nice, but I've been using leather for quite some time now and do not plan on going back.