Gryphon Vancouver 2 Review: Adventure Motorcycle Jacket

August 17, 2025

The Gryphon Vancouver 2 is a multi-season, comfortable, waterproof, textile adventure-style jacket. Gryphon Moto, based in San Diego, offers this jacket and other styles in sizes ranging from XS to 5XLarge, depending on the color and model. I received a Gryphon Vancouver 2 jacket in size Large just as the weather in the Pacific Northwest was transitioning from cold and wet to hot and dry, so I got the opportunity to multi-season test mine.

When I get a new jacket, I go over it to find all its features. Then, I go riding to discover how the features hold up in real-life use. There are so many features, both obvious and subtle, that discussing them all would turn this review into a thesis. The main features that make the Gryphon Vancouver 2 a desirable jacket are comfortable fit, waterproofing, venting, CE Level 2 armor, an independently wearable warm layer puffer jacket, and hydration bladder compatibility. There are many more features that I will mention as I write about the jacket’s main features.

The Vancouver 2 feels heavy when lifted, but the weight is evenly distributed, and it is not at all noticeable when wearing it. I like that the warm layer puffer jacket is not zipped or snapped into the shell. This saves a lot of time and roadside hassle transitioning from a cold morning to a warm afternoon—you simply slip out of the puffer jacket. The puffer under the shell kept me comfortable at 42 degrees with a wick-away T-shirt and light sweatshirt as underlayers.

On the hot side, I was cooking at 92 degrees on the freeway and stopped to put on my evaporative vest to cool myself off. The two drop-panel chest vents that secure behind zippers let air directly in. Two vertical exhaust vents in the back let the air flow out. Still, 92-degree air hitting my body is too warm for me to handle for any length of time.

On one ride, I wasn’t expecting temperatures over 90 degrees, and I didn’t have my evaporative vest with me. I stopped at a rural convenience store and bought an eight-pound bag of ice and zipped it inside against my chest. I closed off all the intake vents and left the back exhaust vents open. About every minute or so, I raised my left wrist to the wind to get a fresh air flow and was comfortable for the next two hours. In this case, windproof with ice was more comfortable than mesh.

For warm weather riding, you can keep the collar open and the closure strap from flapping using a loop-and-hook to the left shoulder. When it is colder or raining, the right side has a 1.75-inch snap adjustment to snug the collar to your neck.

I had one ride in heavy rain for about three hours and stayed totally dry. Despite not wearing the removable neck gator, no rain entered from the neck due to the adjustability of the collar. After the rain, it was all warm, dry days and cool mornings until the coming winter.

In addition to the two large front panel vents and the two rear vents, the fronts of the shoulders have horizontal vents to stream air over the top of your shoulders. The wrists both have two-way zippers to help with airflow, also. The left wrist features a waterproof zipper that opens into a spacious pocket, capable of holding more than just a credit card or emergency information card. I really appreciate the left wrist pocket, which keeps my credit card for gas and provides an easily remembered place to store my earplugs.

The shell is made from abrasion resistant 600 denier Cordura and has IPG’s Nova Shield waterproof and breathable membrane incorporated into it. The elbows and shoulders are reinforced with 1680 Denier for added abrasion protection. The Spidi-made ForceTech CE Level 2 armor in the elbows and shoulders is ventilated and remains remarkably unnoticeable when wearing the jacket. The CE Level 2 back protector, also from ForceTech, articulates at the top and bottom to form to your back when sitting. Riding the Ultimate Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Project Bike or my personal Yamaha Venture, I never noticed the back armor when standing, sitting, or transitioning between them.

Staying hydrated when threading through rock gardens or cruising down the highway for hours on a warm day can be a problem. The Gryphon Vancouver 2 jacket has a built in hydration bag pocket in the back with a suspension strap for weight distribution. While the jacket holds the hydration bladder in place, I didn’t get the feeling it was distributing the weight. With the neckband secure and a full bag of water, the front of the collar does pull back against my throat. There is a pass-through for the bite valve above the bladder pocket, but there is no clip in the front of the jacket to hold the hose in place. You will have to rig a stay of some kind if you want the bite valve to stay within easy reach.

When I spotted the crotch strap hidden in a hook-and-loop secured pouch on the lower back, I immediately thought of the fight strap on professional ice hockey jerseys to keep from getting the jersey pulled over your head in a fight. Even though adventure riders are not dropping their riding gloves to punch each other, Gryphon evidently found that some riders have an issue with their jacket riding up or twisting around at the wrong time. The back of the jacket has two loops for attaching your jacket to the belt on your pants, along with a jacket-to-pants zipper serving the same purpose. Although I have never connected my jacket and pants, I have met many riders who do.

Beneath the two front waterproof cargo pockets that secure with a hook-and-loop flap and YKK zippers, there are fleece-lined hand warmer pockets. There is a 9-by-13-inch waterproof cargo pocket on the back that also has three 4-by-9-inch divisions in the liner for smalls like first aid, snacks, toiletries, or lightweight tools. Inside, there is a zip-close Napoleon pocket with a key holder. Below the Napoleon pocket on the left is an open top pocket with a neoprene-like front.

The warm, inner-liner puffer jacket can be worn as a camp or evening jacket. It looks and feels like a jacket, rather than a jacket-liner. It has one Napoleon-style zipper closure outer pocket on the right chest and two zippered hand warmer pockets.

I was pleased that the full-length front zipper on the puffer jacket is western-style on the “correct” side. It has a high collar with a stiffener in the front to keep it from rolling over, and it is soft enough to be comfortable. If your bike doesn’t have storage for the puffer when the day warms up, the puffer jacket will fit inside the rear cargo pocket.

I only found one issue with the Gryphon Vancouver 2 Jacket. After wearing it for a 14-hour stint, sitting the entire time on my touring bike, the sleeve linings extended out beyond the wrists of the outer shell. I reached in at the shoulder and gave a light pull to get the cuff lining back inside.

The inner lining is a bright red mesh that does a great job of letting the air through when the vents are open. The bright red is easily seen if you need to get the attention of passersby or rescuers from above. That’s helpful in an emergency.

After riding miles of changing weather, rough terrain, and long days in the saddle, the Gryphon Vancouver 2 proved itself as a capable, confidence-inspiring jacket. It is comfortable, durable, and packed with usable features, with prices starting at $330. For riders who want one jacket that can handle just about anything the road, trail, or weather throws at them, the Vancouver 2 is worthy of strong consideration.

Gryphon Vancouver 2 Jacket Fast Facts