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To experience and appreciate snowmobiling at its’ very best, it is extremely important to make the right choices in clothing. Many aspects must be considered when we are shopping and we must remember that what is good for one person may not be good for everyone. At first, we must consider our riding style and the climate conditions. Then, we may concentrate on the design of the clothes we wish to buy.
This season, I had the opportunity to test the Yamaha Velocity jacket and bib designed with the Outlast technology textiles. It is interesting to note that this technology was originally developped to protect NASA astronauts against temperature fluctuations..
Micro Climate!
The main advantage of this technology is to provide a proactive heat management that takes care of both temperature and humidity in order to offer comfort at all time. The principle of the Outlast technology fabrics can be summarized by their ability to absorb the excess heat rejected by the body to redistribute this heat later as needed. This creates a «micro climate» with regulated temperature between the skin and the clothes.
The Cordura 305 shell provides protection against bad weather and also helps evacuate the humidity rejected by the body. In snowmobiling dry is warm and dry is confortable !
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Design
The Yamaha Velocity jacket is very well designed, with many pockets outside and one inside. The front zipper is robust and a double closure keeps unwanted air out. The collar of this jacket is slightly higher in order to provide a good protection to the neck area
The front zipper is robust and a double closure
Easily accessible underarm vents allow the rider to adjust air intake as outside temperatures dictate, making this jacket perfect all season long.
The pants are equally well designed. The bib type pant extends high enough to avoid air infiltration from below the jacket. Two adjustable bands at the waist, adjust the pants fit perfectly for a greater comfort. The Velocity bibs also include 3 zippered pockets..
The bib type pant extends high enough to avoid air infiltration
On Trail Comfort
The Velocity apparel offered excellent comfort on the trail and provided premium protection against all encountered conditions. The Velocitys’ outer shell material remained highly waterproof, windproof and snow proof, throughout my test. The Outlast “micro climate” inner lining technology provided excellent warmth comfort and humidity control in extreme cold, high exertion and mild temperature environments.
The Velocity apparel also provided excellent freedom of movement allowing for comfortable long distance riding as well as easy body movement during higher intensity riding styles.
Conclusion
After my long term experience with the Yamaha Velocity jacket and bibs, I am significantly impressed by the features, function and comfort provided. At a retail price of about $500, the Velocity offers snowmobilers an excellent value in quality, high performance apparel.
Note : The jacket we tested has been identified with our logos. Of course, these logos are not present on the jackets sold by your Yamaha dealer.
