I didn't have a lot of time to devote to planning this trip, so intended to use my old gear. But that would be a waste of a great opportunity to try out new items under various riding conditions. So I tried to see what I could round up.
We recently started selling Tourmaster leathers, and I thought I'd try their beautiful Magnum jacket and matching Apex pants. The Apex pants are riding pants that fit tight over underwear and tuck into boots. I wore a pair of Moose Riding Skin shorts underneath and they made it really easy to slip into the pants. The Apex pants are made of race-grade leather and include pads in the hips and knees. They ride low in the back, and need to be zipped to the jacket to fit right and stay up.
The Tourmaster Magnum jacket is a perfect match for the pants. However, they're made for someone with a more athletic build than me, so to get them to fit around my stomach, the pants were a bit too long and the jacket a bit too big in the shoulders.
So I decided to go with another new model, the Cortech HRX textile and leather jacket. This is a mesh jacket with leather covering the CE armor in the elbows and shoulders. It comes with a thermal liner inside a separate waterproof and windproof liner. I was surprised how comfortable this jacket was, and how well in worked in the hot weather in the central California valleys, and how warm I was when going over the passes in the evening.
Before leaving, I swapped the Cortech thermal liner for my Warm and Safe heated jacket liner. Although I didn't use it a lot, it was welcome when going over the high mountain passes. It kept me so warm I had to turn the heat down after a while. This is a really excellent product, and I recommend it to everyone who rides during cold weather.
The saddlebags attach easily using plastic backpack clips on loops of nylon strap. The straps go around the passenger peg mounts and license plate frame. The quick clips stay on the bike and it takes only seconds to remove the bags. They include handy carrying handles, non-scratch pads, heat-resistant bottoms, and hold their shape because they have internal stiffeners. They open easily with one hand, and include rain covers. I liked them a lot.