VOLUME 57 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 19, 2020 P111
MSRP: $259.99
Website: https://www.tourmaster.com
S TANDOUT FEATURE
Soft and comfortable heated gear that
works great
RIDER AN ALYSIS
I love it when cage drivers look at you
like you're crazy when they see you rid-
ing on a cold and rainy day. They have
no idea that you're probably warmer
than they are and you're certainly
"cooler" than they'll ever be—all thanks
to top-notch riding gear that outper-
forms the elements. Like sleeping in
an electric blanket, riding with electric
gear keeps you warm and toasty even
on the coldest days. Combined with
heated grips and perhaps even a
heated seat, electric gear is simply a
PRO-PLUS 12V HEATED JACKET
LOWDOWN
must if you plan to ride year-round.
The folks at Tourmaster recently
sent us one of its Synergy Pro-Plus
12V Heated Jackets to review. This
jacket is very soft, fits comfortably
under my outer shell. Unlike previ-
ous heated jackets that I've worn
in the past, some of which felt a bit
lumpy—and you could feel the wires,
which can often times be some-
times annoying depending where
they land on you after you donned
the garment—no wires can be felt
in the Tourmaster jacket, which is a
huge plus. This is true even around
the elbows, where some heated
jackets I've worn tend to bunch up
and can become downright painful
over a long day.
The Synergy Pro-Plus also
uses flexible carbon-fiber heating
elements that are virtually unde-
tectable until they heat up. Once
the power is on via the "smart
soft touch controller," the jacket
becomes warm and comfortable in
a matter of seconds. Three differ-
ent switch positions—high (126°f),
medium (113°f) and low (100°f)—
control the temperature setting, but
the switch always defaults to off if
you unplug the jacket or power the
bike off; I'd rather it remain where
it was. This means that you have to
remember to turn it back on again
before you go, and since it's located
•SWITCH LOCATION MAKES
ADJUSTMENTS DIFFICULT
WHILE RIDING
•VERY SOFT AND
COMFORTABLE JACKET
•NO LUMPY WIRES
•HEATS UP FAST
on your chest under your outer
garment, you really need to stop
the bike, unzip your outer shell, and
power the jacket back on. Not very
convenient.
I wore the Tourmaster jacket in
20-degree temps and it did a great
job keeping me warm.
Overall, I liked the Synergy Pro-
Plus 12V Heated Jacket, just wish
the control switch was in a more
convenient location, but if comfort
and staying warm and cozy are
most important to you when it's
anything but these things outside,
it's an inconvenience that, at least
for me, I can live with.
By Keith Dowdle
and efficiency, along with
a waterproof smart touch
controller to handle the heavy
lifting. The heating elements
are placed throughout the
jacket including the collar.
The system is protected from
overheating and power surge
via an integrated micropro-
cessor with thermal cut-off. It
also features integrated and
concealed battery harness
and glove connectors. The
jacket is hand washable and
comes is a wide variety of
sizes: men's XS-3XL, wom-
en's S-4XL).
