Summary
The Olympia Motoquest jacket is a full featured four season riding jacket. It has the flexibility and comfort needed for dual sport riding while maintaining the protective features required for street riding. Simply put, this jacket is a do-it-all motorcycle jacket.
Intro
Olympia Motosports is a family owned business based in Hendersonville, NC. If you call or email Olympia there is a good chance you will speak directly to one of the owners. Kevin and Karilea Rhea got their start in the apparel industry, and as riders, they saw a need for great design and protection in the motorcycle industry. Their products are among the best and their prices are set to give the customer a great bang for their buck.
Feel and Sizing
Nice looking jacket!
Right out of the box you can tell that the Motoquest jacket is a quality piece of gear. I am 5’10” and about 195 pounds. I went by the size chart and ordered an XL. The jacket fit me comfortably even with all the liners in. The arms were about 1 inch longer than I would like, but this is normal for me. Every jacket I have ever purchased fits this way so I clearly have short arms.
The armor in the elbows felt a bit stiff, but over time it has broken in and become less noticeable. The shoulder armor and back pad felt great from day one.
When I ride dual sport I remove the armor from the jacket and I use a pressure suit underneath. This does work well with the Motoquest jacket. The elbows can get just a little bit snug, but not so much that it caused any discomfort or limited movement. Overall, the Motoquest jacket feels great in dual sport mode.
Construction
The Motoquest is a technical garment with a three layer approach.
The first layer is a genuine Cordura shell. The venting scheme allows the shell to go from a solid jacket to a fully adjustable vented jacket. The shell is highly abrasion resistant, but it is also very functional. A zip off hydration pack and bladder is included along with 4 front pockets and a waterproof rabbit pouch on the back.
The second layer is a thermal liner that is also wind and water resistant. Thermolite insulation will keep you warm and the styling makes it look normal to wear as a regular jacket. It also has two zippered handwarmer pockets.
Olympia Motoquest Rain Liner with integrated hood.
The third layer is a breathable rip stop nylon rain liner. The liner comes in a nice combination of hi-viz yellow and black and is designed to be worn as an outer layer, or as a mid-layer between the shell and the thermal liner. One of the best features of the rain liner is the hood stored in the collar. When it’s cold it helps keep you warm and prevents water from going down the back of your neck when it rains.
With all these liners and pieces you would think attachment would get difficult, but I was really impressed by how well it works together. The whole system is modular and that flexibility adds a lot of value to this jacket.
You also have your choice of colors. I chose Grey, but there is also Ivory and Hi-Viz Yellow options available.
Protection
The Motoquest jacket has removable CE approved armor in the shoulders and elbows as well as a flexible back protector. The arms include adjusters to keep the elbow armor in place and I also use them to loosen the sleeve to accommodate my pressure suit. If you will be mating your jacket to your pants it includes both halves of the zipper. Olympia pants will zip to the jacket without alteration.
The shell is built with genuine 2000D Cordura in the impact zones like the shoulders and elbows and 500D Cordura everywhere else. The reason I decided to purchase an Olympia jacket is because I have had three friends lowside in the past year and they were all wearing an Olympia jacket. I have seen firsthand how effective Olympia gear is. Even after their lowsides, they all still wear the same jacket. Olympia gear is tough.
For night riding you find a nice amount of reflective piping and patches on the jacket.
Comfort
Large vent panels on front and back.
The Motoquest jacket really shines in the comfort category. I have ridden in this jacket in temperatures ranging from 90F-30F. In the hot and humid weather of the southeast USA airflow is everything. The large zippered panels in the front, back, and arms of the jacket flow a great deal of air. It’s almost as cool as a full mesh jacket.
When the weather gets colder you can add the thermal liner. The liner is warm and I didn't feel so bulky that it was hard to move. I was able to run interstate speeds in temps ranging from 34F-43F for 90 minutes before I got chilled using nothing but the shell, thermal liner, and a long sleeve t-shirt. I added a Patagonia Down Sweater when I stopped for gas and I was completely warm again. Even with that third layer I still didn't feel too bulky.
The collar is lined with a very soft neoprene and getting it adjusted was no issue with gloves on. There are also gussets at the bottom of the jacket to prevent the jacket from riding up while in a seated position and a waist adjuster to give a custom fit.
Pockets
This jacket does a great job of providing storage options without a lot of bulk. Personally, I don't carry much in the pockets of my jacket so I don't like bulky pockets hanging off of me. Olympia got it right with their pocket design. They are all low profile so if you don't fill them up they sit very flat and out of the way. On the back there is a large waterproof rabbit pouch where you can stow your rain liner if you want to. While the rain liner does fit in the rear pocket, I did not find it comfortable to pack it that way.
The thermal liner and the rain liner also have pockets so no matter which piece you are wearing on the outside, you will always have some storage.
What Could Be Improved
Sleeve Tab
I had to think hard about changes I would make to the Motoquest jacket. One thing I noticed was the rubberized pull on the cuffs. On one hand, it is helpful to have a tab, but on the other hand I found that I had to pay close attention to get it tucked into my gauntlet gloves. Once the tab is situated it wasn't an issue. I'm not sure what I would do to make that easier to deal with.
My second tweak would be to the hydration bladder. The straps that run under the arms annoyed me. They also annoy me on my standard Camelbak too, so don't let that deter you from this jacket. However, I would suggest attaching the shoulder straps further up and directly to the jacket so those straps could be eliminated under the arms. It would prevent you from using the hydration bladder separately from the jacket, but that would be OK with me.
The final suggestion would be a change in the armor. Instead of the standard foam CE armor, something more soft and flexible like D3O or Knox would be a nice upgrade.
Final Opinion
The Motoquest is one of the most versatile jackets I have used. It is a high quality piece of riding gear and I feel protected and comfortable when I wear it. The retail price of $549.99 may seem a bit high at first, but when you consider that the Motoquest is a 4 season jacket, includes very nice rain gear, and comes with a hydration bladder it quickly justifies its price.
I set out to find an affordable jacket that would allow me to ride street and dual sport comfortably all year. I found all I was looking for in the Motoquest.
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or would like to know anything I may have forgotten to mention please feel free to leave a comment and I will respond as quickly as possible. The opinions in this review are my own. If you found this review helpful, please consider supporting our sponsors with future purchases.