We’ll start with all the bits that have worn out, mostly because I’m a bad news first kind of guy. The hook and loop (commonly known by the brand name Velcro) of ten years ago could be compared to how sandals from the 1800’s compare to a sneaker from now. Let’s just say that if you have any jacket that’s 10 years old and has hook and loop then it’s most likely toast. The Commander is no exception. The cuffs loop gave out in year one and have been flapping free ever since. I don’t snug my cuff anyway. The liner loop stays closed tolerable after all these years. I had to hand stitch new loop for the storm collar because I continued to use it each year.

The second bit was the waterproof zippers on the chest vents. They are the fancy coated zippers and are laminated to the outer layer of the jacket. Like all good things the lamination has come to an end. I think I got about 8 years in before the zippers started to de-laminate. Again I hand stitched the zippers (very difficult, bytheway) and prolonged my journey.

Zipper pulls take quite a beating. Open close, open close, open close, stuck on the liner . . . dag nabbit! After 6 years I lost a vent pull. 9 years and the main pull on the jacket started to fail. Still attached but it’s only a matter of time. None of the zippers themselves have blown. Not too bad considering I close all the vents in the morning and open them in the afternoon 5 days a week.

And now the good bits. If you inspect my jacket you will notice the shell has taken all impacts without so much as a scratch (minus the two holes I burned into it years ago). I’m impressed every time I hit the ground. Full disclosure, I’ve never had a high speed letoff (don’t intend to), but I’ve been down more than once and this jacket carries on. It’s been comfortable and conforming for all these long years. I’ve always found it to be stylish and functional. The stitching has remained tight and the jacket was always ready for anything I could throw at it. Xtreme Distance Rider was as apt a sentiment as one could place on such a high quality jacket.

Unfortunately I must address the big purple elephant left in the room. Yes a purple elephant. With all the sun, rain, and more sun my once super cool black jacket is now a less cool black jacket with purple accents. I suppose I could hit it with some shoe polish, or two dozen sharpie markers, but instead I decided it was time to put the ole elephant out to pasture. Time to look for a suitable replacement.

Luckily I didn’t have to look for very long because I already knew I wanted the Scorpion Yukon jacket that came out a few years back. As luck would have it I bought one the moment my wife said I could and despite a certain carrier that shall remain unnamed for legal reasons, it arrived and was put to the test right out the gate. Check back in ten years and I’ll post up my Changing of the Guard 2.0 review. We’ll see if the Yukon can outlast the OG XDR Commander.

I bought this jacket several years ago and wish I could remember exactly when. It was over five years, of that I am certain. Since then it has been my constant riding companion. I don’t even take it off when the temps jump to triple digits. And yes there is a bit of regret at that point, but I’m still alive so nah nah.

Being an atgatt (all the gear all the time) kinda guy takes some dedication and good equipment. I consider my helmet, jacket, gloves and boots to be a must wear for every ride. Over the years I acquired overpants and thank goodness I added them to my must wear list before my first accident. But lets start from the beginning

It was January of 1985 and my mother . . . Oh, too far.

I remember when my jacket arrived in the mail. I had been using a bargain riding jacket for two or three years and had started to commute to work via bike. If you’ve ever ridden in Washington you know that quality gear is a must. So there I was with my very own Scorpion XDR jacket. Decked out with that new jacket smell, it was love at first sight.

The Commander has all the hallmarks of a right fine jacket of its era. Included are a quilted liner and a wind/rain proof liner. Scorpion put thumb loop cuffs on their XDR jacket liners which was a brilliant stroke. That extra bit over the hands has been a welcome treat over the years. It also works pretty decent as a standalone shell. The quilted liner is admittedly underwhelming and spent most of its life lost in the closet. Last year I turned it into a heated liner and breathed knew life into it. The rain liner goes where the jacket goes, wether in the jacket or a case or bag. Be prepared.

The main body of the jacket has more pockets than I can use, some of them water resistant. Several of them are very spacious. There is also a pouch on the back that houses some plastic bags and my Scorpion balaclava. All this and they found room for a hydration bladder and clip for the hose. The jacket does suffer for want of ventilation when the temps are above the 80’s, but I haven’t died yet so they do work.

The shining star of this jacket, (other than the super cool looks!) is the amount of custom adjustment the jacket provides. I am roughly the diameter of a tetherball pole with biceps like the incredible hulk. I doubt you believe the bicep thing, and if you are under 25 you might have to google tetherball. I am slender with an athletic build as it is sometime referred to, and the jacket is well fitted with the amazing side adjustment strap system.

I was wearing this very jacket when I got t-boned by a white Chevy pickup. I was also wearing it when I had a low side crash on my San Diego trip. There is, to this day not so much as an abrasion mark on this jacket. It’s like voodoo magic, or some other kind of magic, you choose.

So, is it love or something else? I think it is love.

UPDATE 2021: The end has come, and gone, for The Commander. Time for a new chapter in the riding gear archive.

About a decade ago I bought my first pair of overpants. I was young, doe eyed, and saw the world through a bug splattered visor. I managed to grab a nice pair on clearence from the local bike shop and more than got my money’s worth. They were there for me in two crashes and I still use them today as snow pants.

After my last rider-meets-road incident, it was clear I needed new pants. By clear, I mean I could see right through the holes in the hip after the slide. I had been rocking the Scorpion Sports USA Commander XDR jacket for several years already. It was bomb proof, poop proof (dang seagulls), rain proof . . . “resistent”, and looks sharp as heck. Being a man who prefers to match, and having a more stable income, I decided it was time to buy my jacket a soul mate.

Enter stage left the Invasion overpant. Wooing me with all it’s well crafted matchy matchy square-ness. It’s as though they cut the jacket and pants from the same fancy designed, abrasion resistant, rip stop, jet black,vent zipping, ballistic nylon. It felt so right, and looked so good.

One of the draws for the invasion was a baked in waterproof shell. Being someone who rides 4 seasons, I can say with full conviction that I don’t like drop liners. The Invasion comes with a thermal drop liner for warmth, which I only use during the winter months. I just don’t like getting tangled in a hundred liners trying to get into my gear. I will be the first to point out that all things must fade, and after putting thousands of miles on my pants they need a spray repellents this year to keep yonder crotch seem dry.

As my jacket approaches the end of it’s earthly journey, my Invasion overpants will continue to provide me with many more years of well fitted, seat gripping glory. And when passing children ask how I manage to match so well, my response will always be . . . “stay in school, kids”.

Is it the overpants that make me so wise? No. But they sure do look good.

I value my hands. I may be the only one in the whole world who does. The results are inconclusive on that, but there are plenty of styles to choose from. I need leather/textile and solid knuckles with my gloves as mandatory features. This can limit the flow of air but will leave all the skin on my hands, so I consider it a win. In the end there are several good options for warm weather and the Klaw II met all my essentials and comes in at a great price.

The advantage of a short cuff is they tend to fit better on my hand. Like the proverbial glove so often mentioned. These were no exception. My hands consist of average length fingers and large square shaped palms. The only tight spots were the thumbs which tends to be consistent with other brands as well. They also rub the web of my hand on the left glove during sustained stop and go clutching. Seeing as stop and go is generally unpleasant anyway I don’t consider this an epic failing.

The seems are all double stitched. The fingers are pre-curved and have stretch panels with TPU sliders. A padded heel compliments a large panel that covers the blade of the hand for slide protection. And literally topping then off is a nice floating molded knuckle guard. These gloves fit well and have held up great, with only a light fuzzing of the of the finger panels.

All in all if you shop around you will find a great deal on a great glove, and if you are dressed like me, you’ll even match like crazy!