Disclosure: RIDE Adventures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program as well as other affiliate programs, designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites at no extra cost to you. Please see our Disclosure for more details.Riding in the heat doesn't need to be miserable: these are the summer motorcycle jackets that keep us as cool as a cucumber when the mercury rises.
Motorcycling is a seasonal activity for most of us. It takes a proper enthusiast to bundle up and ride all winter, but there's no excuse in our book for sitting out the dog days of summer.
Staying comfortable in the heat is easy: stay hydrated, keep the air flowing as much as possible, and make damn sure you're wearing a motorcycle jacket that's built with hot weather in mind.
To that end, we've polled our team and put together a list of the best hot-weather motorcycle jackets on the market.
From top shelf to budget-friendly, dual-sport to sportbike, here are the jackets that have proven themselves over the last few years.
Quick List: The Best Summer Motorcycle Jackets
| Summer Jackets: | Summary: | Price: |
|
Klim Marrakesh Jacket
|
An excellent all-rounder for touring or casual use that breathes exceptionally well. | CHECK PRICE |
|
Alpinestars GP Plus R V4 Airflow
|
A high-tech sport jacket that pairs heavily perforated leather with breathable stretch panels. | CHECK PRICE |
|
Klim Baja S4 Jacket |
Premium materials and bulletproof protection paired with outstanding ventilation. | CHECK PRICE |
|
Alpinestars Andes Air Drystar
|
A high-quality summer ADV/touring jacket with removable rain protection. | CHECK PRICE |
|
Revit Eclipse 2 Jacket
|
A featherlight street jacket with solid protection and outstanding airflow. | CHECK PRICE |
|
Alpinestars Bionic Action V2 Jacket
|
A standalone armored jacket that trades a degree of slide protection for unrivaled ventilation. | CHECK PRICE |
What to Look For In A Summer Motorcycle Jacket
"Mesh, ventilation, and protection: you need all three"Our goal in the summer is to beat the heat by any means necessary, and any summer jacket worth buying does this handily. Most of the summer jackets we've enjoyed over the years come in one of two flavors.
The first is a jacket made almost entirely from mesh fabric. With the exception of critical slide zones like the shoulders and elbows, every inch of these jackets is made from breathable mesh, allowing them to flow air in and out with ease at any speed.
The second is a multi-season jacket made from solid textiles that's loaded down with a litany of zippered vents.
These jackets work by bringing cool air in from the front as you ride, which in turn forces hot, moist air out the back to keep you comfortable.
"Zippered vents at the rear are just as important as those on the front."Overall we've found both options work well enough, but mesh jackets have the advantage by a significant margin.
We'll also note that due to their comparatively simple construction, mesh jackets tend to be much less expensive.
The main compromise you'll make when choosing mesh over textile is that mesh doesn't offer any rain protection since it can't be bonded to a waterproof/breathable membrane and still function as intended. We say good riddance.
"You may want to rethink your rain strategy in the summer months."Personally, we prefer the tradeoff of maximum airflow over rain protection on hot weather trips like our Vietnam and Tanzania tours.
After all, standalone rain gear is easy to pack, it won't rain forever, and solid fabrics don't pair well with humidity.
The Best Summer Motorcycle Jackets of 2025
Keeping the above points in mind, we've got a few summer motorcycle jackets we'd highly recommend to anyone in the market.
From Oregon summers to Thailand jungle treks, these jackets keep us riding in comfort.
Klim Marrakesh Jacket
The material used throughout the Klim Marrakesh jacket is the sort of thing we didn't think possible just a few short years ago.
It's made entirely from beefy 1000D Cordura, yet somehow it's also stretchy, light, and fully protective.
"Making our way through a river crossing in the Marrakesh pants and jacket."Klim calls it their "Karbonite Micromesh," and if you're wondering how a summer motorcycle jacket could retail for over $400, there's your answer.
The Marrakesh ain't cheap, but it's also completely and utterly uncompromising in terms of safety.
This also means that every inch of the Marrakesh flows a ton of air, no additional zippered vents required. This jacket is comfortable whether you're moving or sitting still, which is more than we'd say for most summer riding jackets.
Price is the main barrier to entry here, as the Marrakesh is an otherwise flawless hot-weather jacket.
We will note that weather protection is limited to a DWR coating, which is enough to shed light drizzles and splashing water, but not much else.
PROS |
CONS |
|
|
CHECK PRICE:
SHOP RIDE ADVENTURES
REVZILLA
Alpinestars GP Plus R V4 Airflow Jacket
Leather is tough to beat from a protection standpoint, but even the most well-perforated leather on the planet can run hot at the peak of summer. Alpinestars' GP Plus R V4 Airflow jacket is out to change all that.
"Alpinestars' GP Plus R V4 Airflow makes the impossible possible by making a full leather jacket perfectly suited for summer riding."On the chest, back, arms, and sides, the V4 Airflow is made from heavily perforated buffalo leather. From the armpits to the forearms, however, high-flow stretch fabric doubles down on ventilation while also wicking sweat.
Alpinestars goes a step further by adding additional vents to the shoulders as well as ventilated armor in the shoulders and elbows.
All together, the GP Plus R V4 Airflow achieves a full CE AA safety rating while still delivering gale-force airflow.
You'll have to cough up a decent chunk of change if you want to experience the best of both worlds, but for the die-hard sport rider, this jacket is a no-brainer.
We do wish AStars included a back protector for the asking price, but that's par for the course.
PROS |
CONS |
|
|
Klim Baja S4 Jacket
The Baja S4 is Klim's no-compromise summer adventure riding jacket. It pairs all the brands' most premium materials like Superfabric and Karbonite Micromesh with the fully-featured layout ADV riders want.
"The Baja S4 has proven its worth on our hot weather tours through Vietnam."
We've come to think of the S4 as the Badlands Pro for the desert, jungle, or safari. The airflow is incredible on a hot summer day, yet you've still got all the armor and abrasion protection required for a full CE AA safety rating.
Our team also praises the Baja S4's thoughtfully mapped stretch panels, which keep the jacket moving naturally with your body when you're standing and moving around the bike. Put simply, it lacks for nothing on highway and singletrack alike.
This is a top-shelf Klim product, which means the Baja S4 is a sizeable investment. Six hundred bucks is a lot of coin for a jacket with zero weather protection, but on the bright side, it's also the last summer motorcycle jacket you'll ever buy.
PROS |
CONS |
|
|
CHECK PRICE:
SHOP RIDE ADVENTURES
REVZILLA | AMAZON
Alpinestars Andes Air Drystar Jacket
Most summer motorcycle jackets force you to choose between breathable mesh and weather protection. Alpinestars' Andes Air Drystar is one of the few jackets that delivers both.
Outside, it's the ideal mesh-heavy adventure touring jacket, much like the Klim Baja S4 above (minus the Superfabric). Inside, however, Alpinestars includes a removable waterproof/breathable liner, so no extra rain gear is required.
"AStars' Andes Air offers an uncommon blend of serious airflow and proven weather protection."This pushes the jacket's seasonality into late spring/early fall, which adds some value to the asking price. Speaking of which, we also love that the Andes Air costs several hundred dollars less than the Baja S4 it competes with.
That being said, the Andes isn't in the same ballpark as its Klim competitors.
The reinforcement materials are a bit more basic, there's no back protector included, and as a result the Andes only scores a CE A rating, where the Klim achieves AA status.
PROS |
CONS |
|
|
Revit Eclipse 2 Jacket
We dig Rev'It's Eclipse 2 jacket because it's about as close to an entirely mesh garment as you'll find for the price. It's incredibly light, flows a ton of air, and looks sharp on and off the bike to boot.
And while the Eclipse 2 is primarily designed as a general-purpose/commuter summer motorcycle jacket, we've aslo found it works well damn near anywhere.
With airflow like this, there's no reason not to take the Eclipse into the dirt when duty calls.
"Rev'it!'s Eclipse 2 jacket is designed as a summer commuter, but it flows enough air to stay comfortable for all-terrain adventure duty."We'll also give the Eclipse 2 the nod for the SeeSoft CE1 armor that comes in the elbows and shoulders.
This is hands-down the thinnest and most flexible armor we've used to date, and as an added bonus, it's perforated so it doesn't block any airflow.
While Rev'It gear usually comes at a premium, we also love that the Eclipse 2 will only set you back $200. It doesn't work particularly well outside of the hottest months of the year, but as a summer motorcycle jacket, it's tough to fault.
PROS |
CONS |
|
|
Alpinestars Bionic Action V2 Jacket
We've been rocking different iterations of Alpinestars' Bionic line of standalone armored jackets for years, and our favorite to date is their Bionic Action V2. No, it's technically not a full jacket, but it's absolutely our go-to for summer riding.
While the Bionic series doesn't actually include any abrasion-resistant fabric of its own, its impact protection is backed with a hard armor exterior, which covers the shoulders, chest, elbows, and back. That's enough for peace of mind in our book.
"Hot weather and the Bionic Action V2 go hand in hand. It's about as close as you'll get to feeling like you're not wearing a jacket at all."What you get in exchange, however, is a full suit of armor that flows the same amount of air as your average motocross jersey.
It's not for everyone, but it is affordable, effective, and will absolutely spoil you if you're used to a traditional jacket.
The only downside we've found to date with the Bionic Action V2 is that the kidney belt has a habit of riding up when you're regularly switching between sitting and standing.
You get used to it after a while, but some folks prefer to cut it off entirely.
PROS |
CONS |
|
|
CHECK PRICE:
SHOP RIDE ADVENTURES
REVZILLA | AMAZON
Hey Riders, thank you for visiting our blog. We hope you found some value in our experience with these summer motorcycle pants. If you have any pants you enjoy and think should be on this list, leave it in the comments below! We would love to hear from you.
→Read More:
The Ultimate Summer ADV Motorcycle Gear Set up
7 Best Summer Motorcycle Gloves
5 Best Modular Motorcycle Helmets We've Found Yet
