Motorcycling Macna Dry Cooling Vest TestWith record-breaking temperatures occurring across the country, we put the latest generation of high-tech evaporating cooling apparel to the test. The product under evaluation? The Macna Dry Cooling Vest.
In the past, cooling vest technology required the user to soak a vest for two or more minutes in water, wring it out, and then put it on. Personally, I’m not a big fan of donning a wet vest, even on a scorching hot day.Also, vests often require a recharge during the day. This means partially undressing, and unless you carry a large plastic bag, you’ll run the risk of having to soak your vest in a funky sink at a gas station.Kevin Nixon, from Twisted Throttle, Macna’s distributor, says, “The (Macna Dry Cooling) vest uses a process of evaporative cooling. It gives you the sensation of cold without getting you soaking wet. The material in the center of the vest suspends the water. The material on the back side, which is the dark grey, is very porous and allows the water to evaporate.”“Evaporation is aided by body heat and air flow. It works best with a mesh jacket. Depending on conditions, you can expect one to three days from one charge. Cold water is not suggested. There is no gel in this garment. It is anti-microbial and machine washable. Put it into a mesh bag and wash on a gentle cycle with a mild soap. Allow it to air dry or just put it on as you have effectively charged it. Overfilling it will render it ineffective. The vest will not be able to reach a temp efficiently that will allow it to evaporate.”Thanks Kev, you’ve done half my job.With Macna’s vest one pours up to 500 ml (16.9 oz.) of water into the reservoir through a small port below the right shoulder and then snaps the cover shut. Simple, elegant and dry… but cool.I found it important to help distribute the water throughout the vest. If you are wearing it and just pour the water in the port, most will collect on the right side beneath the port. Either massage the liquid around or hold the vest upside down after closing the port. This will send the water throughout the bladders and enable its most efficient cooling.Wear a high-tech polypropylene t-shirt underneath or nothing at all. With a mesh jacket on top of the vest the evaporative effect will be maximized and lower the perceived temperature to your torso. My buddy Rick called it a “wearable swamp cooler,” and when we had lunch in a cool restaurant the vest helped bring my core temperature back to normal in a hurry.I don’t mind saying that one ride on a hot day made me an instant convert. When I left the house it wasn’t that hot so I put the vest on under my mesh jacket without charging it and put a bottle of water in my tank bag.When the day wore on and the heat rose to the mid-90s I stopped and filled ‘er up. I can report that the cooling effect made more of a difference than you might imagine and is surely worth the cost.Macna’s vest is now as much a part of my basic summer riding gear as my heated vest is to my winter kit. It also stands to reason that riding in extreme heat with this vest is healthier for your body. If you ride on hot days then do yourself a favor, buy one.I sure hope Kevin doesn’t want his vest back.
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
My name is Arthur Coldwells.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week’s episode features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the beautiful new Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST that is loosely based around the original FXRT Sport Glide from the 1980s. Hailing from The Golden State, these cult-status performance machines became known as West Coast style, with sportier suspension, increased horsepower, and niceties including creature comforts such as a tidy fairing and sporty luggage.
In past episodes you might have heard us mention my best friend, Daniel Schoenewald, and in the second segment I chat with him about some of the really special machines in his 170 or so—and growing—motorcycle collection. He’s always said to me that he doesn’t consider himself the owner, merely the curator of the motorcycles for the next generation.
Yet Daniel is not just a collector, but I can attest a really skilled rider. His bikes are not trailer queens, they’re ridden, and they’re ridden pretty hard. Actually, we have had many, many memorable rides on pretty much all of the machines in the collection at one time or another.
From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!