Bering Gear Review

Bering Hurricane Jacket retail $499.95
Bering Irvine Pant retail $319.95

It's been about three weeks in and the biggest rain in a long time. Over the weekend there was 80+mm of precip. falling from the heavens. It was a true test of any bit of rain gear. Not all of it was spent riding though. The major portion of time was spent standing out in the wet stuff. But either way it showed that the new Bering jacket and pant combo held its own in these circumstances.

In this time I have had the opportunity to test the combination for wet and cold and I have to say it did the job very well. Overall the warmth factor is good keeping me cozy (at highway speeds: 80 - 100kph) in temperatures as low as 2⁰c (ambient temp / wind chill approx -12) for travel times of around 20-30 minutes. I was even using one less layer than my previous accoutrements. With the right type of layers I suspect that I could even handle colder temps and longer exposure times.

Standing in the rain for long periods is just as test beneficial as riding. Water will find its way in no matter what you are doing given enough time. I have to admit I was a little leery at first to just want to stand out in the rain with my new stuff on, but then I thought; 'if it can handle this, it could handle anything else'. For those of you outside on the days in mention, you know it was record heavy rainfall. The shell held up nicely although there is always seepage around the arms, neck and ankles. This is not unusual for any pant or jacket. I did benefit by having a longer touring cut the overlaps the pants nicely to prevent waist seepage.

Fit and Finish 

Both pant and jacket come with removable liner, Knox hard-shell armour in all the key areas and an 8" back zipper for jacket & pant attachment. The overall fit is very good. I am of average build (170lb, 5'7", 42-44" chest) and found the fit average (good) being a bit towards the slender size. The liner is easily removed or attached with zipper and Velcro (rather than snaps). 

With the jacket the arm length was spot on with adjustability around waist, the biceps and wrists. Even with the Velcro waist maxed out it is just a smidgen tight when zipping up. I believe this is from my lack of a perfect Greek physique. There is also zipper adjustability at the hips, which I am able to keep closed. I ride in a semi-sport position and initially found the chest did puff out a little (due to jacket length) once in the riding position. This was soon no longer noticeable. One of the nicer things I like about the jacket is that the neck attachment doesn't interfere with helmet / head movement even with a fleece neck scarf. I find that a lot of jacket designs don't take this into account and once you get bundled up it becomes hard to move the head around. Not good when riding. 

The pants were too long to start with but Bering has a simple way of dealing with that. Inside the ankle cuff are two strips of Velcro (hook / loop). If the leg is too long simply roll the cuff to attach the Velcro and there you are, 1" shorter and a better fit. The legs have a 1/3 zip, in that the leg zip only goes up one third of the leg length, which takes this into account. This shorter zipper facilitates that the pants be taken on or off without boots though. Not too convenient when being used as an over-pant. The one flaw in the pant design is the inability to tighten the ankle cuff. This allows some air and water seepage. Could I tighten the cuffs, this would most likely minimize or eliminate the area from any water penetration.

Overall 

I have to admit I am quite pleased with everything. The fit is very good for my size, the quality and construction is right there and the overall comfort and warmth complete the package. Let me note at this point; The Hurricane jacket and Irvine pant are for cold, wet weather. No venting here, just removable liners. 

As with most lines in this style colour choice is very limited, black or black and gray. Makes it hard for a guy that likes a little colour. The reflectivity of the product is minimal as well. Piping on the arms and a reflective logo on the back. The legs have some as well but not in a very logical location to be seen while sitting on a bike. 

If you are looking for good quality at an acceptable price I would recommend that you look into Bering. Haven't heard of them? Then do some research for they are tops in France (their origin) and sell well in the European motorcycle market. If your local dealership doesn't know the name or how to find it, Kimpex is the Canadian distributor. Ask your shop to check out the product. 

Back Note: Why is it that all pant zippers in the leg get caught in the inner shell? When will manufacturers figure this out and construct them accordingly. Almost every pair I have had has this problem. The fix is simple but no one has done it.