Initial Impressions: REV’IT’s Echelon GTX Motorcycle Jacket Is Killer Piece of Kit

Hell, I have six different jackets from four manufacturers. Even I have trouble keeping it all straight, especially as new jackets drop, with new safety tech, standards, and more. 

And now I have another in my collection: REV’IT Sport’s Echelon GTX adventure jacket, which arrived just in time for my first ride of the new Honda Transalp XL750. For the ride, we braved the wilds of Pennsylvania and Backcountry Discovery Route’s PA Wilds trails, which found us in cold October weather and splashing through hella-deep mud puddles. It also saw me chase hot-dogging writers who’d turned off traction control, the rear tires spitting rocks like Busta spits bars. 

Suffice it to say, I got a proper test in. Here are my initial thoughts on the brand’s new jacket. 

REV’IT sent me the Echelon GTX specifically as it’s been fully GORE-TEX’d and, as such, repeals moisture like a penguin. REV’IT went even further and added a TIZIP MasterSeal zipper, which is fully waterproof. 

Additionally, CE-2 armor at the shoulders, elbows, and back will help those adventure riders who find themselves lying on the dirt or in the rocks after a nasty fall. And the Echelon GTX is also ready for REV’IT’s chest armor option, though I didn’t get that to test. It would’ve, however, come in handy thanks to one well-timed rock sent barrelling toward me after being kicked up by the writer in front of me. The jacket did well to blunt the blow, but the additional padding would’ve been appreciated. 

This jacket is also incredibly adjustable, with riders able to adjust the cuffs, collar, hem, and waist, with the latter coming in incredibly handy at keeping my mid-drift nice and warm and not soaking wet. There’s also ventilation throughout, meaning you could wear this jacket spring, summer, and fall. 

There’s also an external hanging loop, which allows the jacket to better dry out after a day of hard riding. And that’s not even mentioning how good the jacket looks in this particular Brown-Brown colorway. Two other colors are available, including Anthracite-Black and Grey-Black. The Brown-Brown looks the best in my opinion, however. 

During my ride, we were railing down one particular backroad on the BDR route where the trail was littered with massive muddy puddles. When I say puddles, I more mean kiddy pool-sized holes in the ground filled with enough water to completely soak anything and anyone.

I mostly traipsed through them relatively unscathed by the frigid water. Until, that is, one particular puddle. This was more the size of a large kiddy pool and it engulfed not only the Transalp, but also me with it. The bike and I were drenched from head to tire and the Alpinestars jeans I’d brought along were drenched. As were my hands and feet, as water had made its way into those respective extremities, too. 

You know what wasn’t wet? My torso. Dry as dry can be and extremely comfortable for the rest of the day’s ride. Everything else, however, wasn’t. I wished I had a second Echelon GTX that I’d worn as pants. 

Likewise, numerous times I got slapped by low-hanging branches, rocks spit at me by my fellow writers, and more, but all were kept at bay by the Echelon GTX’s construction. I didn’t have a single welt or bruise the following day. Though it took forever for my jeans and boots to dry out. Thank you, hotel hair dryer…

This was only my first outing with the REV’IT Echelon GTX and I’m planning a lot more adventures using it in the future. Those may have to wait until the snow melts, however. But from my initial impressions, I’m pretty darn impressed with the jacket’s overall construction, capabilities, and keeping me dry when I should’ve been soaked. 

Price-wise, it’s pretty normal for a good-quality, adventure motorcycle jacket, with an MSRP of $699.99. It also comes with REV’IT’s two-year warranty, which is solid among its competitors. Overall, I’m thinking it’s pretty good value for the money, especially for those who ride hard, put away wet, and go through each season. 

But what do you all think? What do you want to know about the jacket? I didn’t get to test its crash-worthiness, thank Satan, but maybe it’ll happen in a future test. Sound off in the comments below on what you want to know more about.