Pretty soon after purchasing my motorcycle in 2013, I purchased an all-black BMW riding suit. Shortly after that, I purchased a hi-viz safety vest to wear over the all-black suit to increase my visibility. I almost always used the vest while riding and now consider it mandatory equipment for myself.

Well, three years later, the vest has faded and accumulated a great deal of road grime (see below). I decided to replace it before departing on the Northern States Tour.

My new safety vest arrived today.

Old safety vest

New safety vest

The Pilot Vanguard Air Vest is made of a combination of textile (sides) and mesh material (the hi-viz sections) so it should breathe well and be suitable for year-round use. The stitching and materials of the new vest look excellent and I expect that the two year warranty will not be needed (though it is nice to have).

While I purchased it from Amazon, Pilot provides free two-day shipping and one free exchange (if the size isn’t correct) for the same price ($65).