Riding a motorcycle can be considered cheap compared to riding a car. A motorcycle uses less gas and insurance can be much cheaper than the insurance on the car.
Motorcycle clothing, however, can become quite expensive. I wrote this article to help you all in finding the best motorcycle jackets under $200. In this price range you can still find affordable jackets of good quality.
I highly recommend you to not buy any off-brand motorcycle jackets from unknown resellers. There is a lot of bad and fake stuff out there that looks great, but will bail on you when you need it the most (during an accident).
Best motorcycle for general use, under $200
The best motorcycle jacket for your money is the Joe Rocket Atomic (Amazon). It’s a traditional American motorcycle jacket, that has been upgraded with the fitment of European jackets.
This means that this jacket is a little bit slimmer than the previous Joe Rocket jacket, which is a positive thing. Fitment is great an the jacket seems spot-on for most riders.
The jacket is available in several colors, but it can also be bought in black. The jacket is suitable for three seasons and can be worn at almost any time. You’ll want to add some extra layers during the winter when you live in the north, but the jacket can be used throughout the year when we look to the weather in the south of the States.
The jacket comes with protectors on the elbows and shoulders, which is great. I’ve read this review from a guy that went down wearing this jacket. He fell on his elbow and said that the elbows protector did when it supposed to do. He ended up with just some road rash, but no serious injuries whiles falling at a high rate of speed.
The jacket doesn’t come with a back protector though. I would advise you to invest in a back protector as well since your spine is one of the most important parts of your body. You would want to protect is as good as you can, at all means.
This jacket has always been under $200. The 2XL and bigger sizes can cost you some extra money, but I’ve never seen a price over the two hundred dollar mark.
Best affordable option for commuters
This next jacket is great for those that are looking for an affordable option to commute to work. Why to work? Because this jacket is waterproof!
I’m talking about the Firstgear Rush Tex (Amazon). It’s a great option for those that want to stay dry during their rides.
Be aware of size when you are buying this jacket. The jacket comes in quite small so you should consider buying a bigger size than you usually would. Besides that, I absolutely love this jacket!
It has several layers and a waterproof membrane to keep you warm and dry, and has a cellphone and cargo pocket on the inside to keep your belongings safe and dry as well.
The jacket can also be worn at hotter days, since it has vents on the shoulders and a big exhaust vent on the back in between the shoulder blades. However, the waterproof membrane is not removable so it keeps the fresh wind from blowing through the jacket. I wouldn’t suggest the jacket if you only drive on hot days in the south, but it’s ok for the occasional hotter day.
The jacket comes with protectors on both the shoulders and the elbow. Like the Joe Rocket jacket, this jacket doesn’t come with a back protector. As said before, I advise you to always invest in a back protector. It can potentially save your life!
The best affordable touring motorcycle jacket
Next up in the list, is a affordable touring jacket from Tourmaster. I’m talking about the TourMaster Saber 4.0 (Amazon). The jacket is extremely cheap for the jacket you are getting.
It has a waterproof and breathable layer build in. You cannot see it, but it works just fine. It has loads of vents, making it great for those hotter days.
The jacket also features loads of reflective material, making you more visible during the night.
It comes with CE approved elbow and shoulder protectors, but doesn’t have a proper back protector.
The best mesh motorcycle jacket money can buy
So this last pick is just over the 200 dollar mark. It’s not hard to find cheap mesh jackets, since most of them are under $200. It wouldn’t be helpful to add a random mesh jacket to this list, since you’ll be able to find affordable mesh jackets yourself.
Instead, I added the best mesh motorcycle jacket money can buy (check my review). I absolutely love my mesh jacket from REV’it. I can write so much about this jacket, but it’s better to just forward you to my full review instead.
Why you need more than just $200
I hope these four tips helped you to find an affordable motorcycle jacket. I know how hard it is to find affordable but good motorcycle gear.
However, be aware that $200 is not going to keep you safe. A motorcycle jacket is one thing, but motorcycle clothing is more than just that! I know a guy who thought he was well protected with just a pair of gloves, a motorcycle jacket, and a helmet. He ended up in an accident (which was not his fault), suffering for big wounds on his hips, knees, and ankles.
Always ride with full riding gear to maximize your safety. The feeling of the wind during your ride is great, but it’s not worth the risk if you ask me!
