Rumor has it that Summer is almost here after a long, wet, cold Spring in Southern California. The Cortech Versa-Flo jacket may be the answer to upcoming hot days, with the added versatility of a waterproof and full-sleeve liner. It’s like two jackets in one, and the liner can extend the range of temperatures and climates in which this jacket can operate. You can start the day on a cool morning with the liner installed, then pull it out and stuff it away as temperatures rise.
Interestingly, the Cortech Versa-Flo jacket has a tighter mesh than some pure hot weather mesh jackets I’ve sampled. This 450-denier poly-mesh chassis is backed by a poly-mesh liner to make it a fully constructed garment. The outer portion of the sleeves and down the sides under the arms utilize 450-denier solid poly inserts.
The Versa-Flo’s 450-denier is a lightweight poly that is abrasion- and tear-tested, earning it CE A EN 17092-2 certification—the lowest of the three CE ratings, though typical of a lightweight summer jacket. The Armanox shoulder, elbow, and short back protectors, all CE-certified to EN 1621.1 Level 1 status, are the other part of the CE A rating of the jacket.
The tight mesh chassis mixed with solid inserts and liner yields a jacket that can span temperatures ranging from low-60s to high-90s, depending on your sensitivity to heat and cold. Once the thermometer pushes north of 100 degrees on the Ultimate Motorcycling BMW R 1250 RS Project Bike in the photos, I want a lighter, pure-mesh jacket—or a swimming pool and a cold one.
Here’s a hot tip for the Cortech Versa-Flow jacket: The liner fits over the jacket, as well as inside. If you need the liner, don’t wear it inside—it zips and snaps in, which takes some time. You can wear it over the jacket to keep the jacket dry, and the jacket will create a much warmer environment by holding air and body heat within the liner. Of course, if you fall, the liner will be destroyed.
The jacket’s main zipper is by Ideal Fastener, and the new generation of magnetic zippers doesn’t require one end to be inserted in the other, as has been done for about 100 years. After you get acquainted with the attachment process, it works nicely. All other zippers are traditional YKK-branded items.
There are two external zippered handwarmer pockets and one zipped vertical breast pocket in the Cortech Versa-Flow jacket. Internally, there are hook-and-loop-closure pockets—one smartphone-sized and waterproof, and the other sizes six-by-five inches. There’s also a zipped pocket on the left edge that is not covered when the liner is installed. The liner also has two internal pockets.
As for fit, I find most XLs to be a bit loose on me. This was not. On the size chart, this jacket shows an XL as a US 44 rather than the usual 48. Check the size chart to best determine what your size ought to be.
Other notable features are nylon rib-knit cuffs, collar, and waistband. The cuffs have a stitched thumbhole—a requirement of the CE A rating—that prevents the sleeve from sliding up your arm easily in a fall. There are two-position bicep snaps; rolled shoulders; pre-curved sleeves; four-way stretch at shoulders and elbows; reflective inserts on the front, back, and arms; and racer-style shoulder caps.
I have enjoyed the comfort, robust build, and protection of the Cortech Versa-Flo jacket, and it will be at the front of my riding gear closet as summer settles into Southern California.
Cortech Versa-Flo Jacket Fast Facts
- Sizes: Small to 3X-Large
- Armor: Armanox shoulder, elbow, and back (CE Level 1)
- Certification: CE A EN 17092-2
- Warranty: 4 years, workmanship and materials.
- Colors: Black; grey
Cortech Versa-Flo Jacket Price: $180 MSRP
Cortech Versa-Flo Jacket Review Photo Gallery
