Alpinestars Bogota Drystar Jacket (Sold Out)

These jackets are sold in US based “alpha” sizes, so selecting a size is basically pretty easy. For most people, you would choose the size you normally wear in men’s clothing. Alpinestars publishes a super-complicated size chart which can be used to pick a size based upon your chest and waist. We’ve condensed their chart down to make it easy to read (see below). The size Medium and XL fit Huey and Dewey very nicely!

This jacket does not taper a lot from chest to waist and there are side adjusters to take in the waist to fit well. They work really well and will work for almost anybody. Consider the waist ranges below to be “ideal”. The MAX belly size for any of the jackets will be about 3” less than the max chest size listed. For example, for the Medium, the max chest is about 42”, so the max belly would be about 37”.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

The Bogota Drystar jacket by Alpinestars is a 3/4 length touring jacket. We’ve carried very similar styles by Alpinestars and people really like their full featured touring styles like this. The overall quality is excellent… really the best we carry, and on par with REV’IT! which is the other high-end brand we carry. It is hard to see the difference in a jacket like this as compared to lesser price/quality jackets until you see them side by side, day in and day out, like we do. It is in the material, construction and the technical details. The styling of the Bogota is new and, if I may say so, is emulating the very popular “look” that REV’IT coined a few years back. The tone-on-tone greys with the splash of reds and blues is signature. Oh well, I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Now, a bit about the technical details. The jacket has a water resistant shell, but it is not waterproof. You get a removable waterproof inner liner for times when you’ll be surely soaked. Making the waterproof barrier removable offers a couple advantages in comfort. A jacket without a built-in waterproof barrier breathes better and will be more comfortable for the vast majority of times when you are NOT in a downpour. The jacket will be lighter and more flexible also.

This jacket has venting that I have not seen before with Alpinestars. There are two large flaps in the upper chest just below the shoulders that can be folded back and snapped into place. And add to that, the sleeve zippers are two-way. They’ll open from above to create a very large end-of-sleeve intake vent. On the back of the jacket is a zippered exhaust vent (take the “View Larger Images link above and you can see them in detail). For colder weather use, you can zip in the full sleeve thermal liner for some warmth. It is plushy and should do a great job.

Like any other longer touring style, this jacket also has a number of pockets. There are some larger reflective materials on the front and back for night time visibility and we’ve included some “night shots” in our photo gallery to show those off. A couple little features you’ll grow to appreciate: the main zipper is two-way, meaning you can zip the jacket up from the bottom part way when sitting to prevent the lower part of the jacket from piling up in your lap; also there is a nifty little keeper built into the collar that keeps the velcro-close collar tab from flapping in the wind (and driving you crazy).

So if you are in the market for a commuter/touring type longer jacket like this, I really think you’ll be pleased with it. The overall quality is very high, the dual removable liner setup gives you tons of climate control for lots of different weather situations, and you’ll also like the little niceties you’ll only find in a higher-end jacket like this. :: Paul, 09-12-14