Written by Andrew Nguyen. Posted in Gear
Never heard of SIIMA MotoWear? Neither had we until a few months ago. Based in Nicosia, Cyprus (an island in the Mediterranean) the company has been around since 2014.
A little birdie from across the pond asked us to check out SIIMA’s Sibirsky Super Adventure Jacket. It was love at first sight for me. The jacket looks sporty, with enough durability for protection and low frills for a comfortable ride. As much as I love premium adventure suits, sometimes they can be overkill and expensive.
Online photos don’t do the product justice. Considering SIIMA is a one-man company, we couldn’t help but be thoroughly impressed. The asymmetrical exterior design of the Sibirsky, made of 600D ballistic textile, gives a simple but down-to-business feel. Several of the zippers are semi-tucked away, keeping the jacket looking clean. Around the back, you’ll find more beautiful styling, as well as an integrated pocket for a hydration bladder (not included). I’ve always considered too much reflective material to be a bit gaudy, but SIIMAdid a great job integrating the reflectors into the design without overdoing it. Company founder, designer, and manufacturer, Giorgios Evripidou, tells us that custom colors can be produced with an order of 20 or more jackets, but at the moment, the single-color production keeps costs down.
The SIIMA Sibirsky is a true four-season jacket at a competitive price point.
It’s important to familiarize yourself with the Sibirsky before heading out on your first ride, especially the standout feature—a 360° removable lower, outer shell. The system uses four zippers to release the bottom half of the outer shell, including the bottom halves of the arms, leaving you with a primarily mesh jacket for hot weather riding. Since it can’t get much more ventilated than mesh, this is easily the most breathable jacket we’ve ever tested and a prime choice for summer riding. For fair weather riding, the front rib section can be opened and buttoned down for moderate ventilation. SIIMA offers matching Sibirsky pants, too.
The waist and arm adjusters are of average quality, but they are easy to manage with gloves on. Stretchy material on the elbows decrease restriction on the slim fitting jacket. The Sibirsky also comes with an extended (and removable) collar, which I appreciated during rainy and cold weather. This can be stuffed into a rear rabbit pouch, which is also removable.
The hydration pocket will hold a 3L bladder [we’re currently testing the Geigerrig systems (Geigerrig.com) that come with pressurized reservoirs and work well in this jacket]. Four large water resistant pockets are on the front, and one is waterproof. On the inside, a waterproof pocket is on the center seam, along with two Velcro pockets toward the bottom.
The innovative 360 degree removable lower shell makes the Sibirsky the most ventilated ADV jacket we’ve tested.As excited as I was about the exterior of the Sibirsky, I couldn’t help but feel a little let down with the interior. There was some fabric fraying around a few messy cuts, and in some areas the stitching seems a bit tacky. The inner pockets also need additional stitching support to keep them from flopping around. The thermal layer is pretty basic and attaches to the shell with buttons. It’s not one of those base layers you could wear standalone, and it doesn’t zip closed, although you can wear the waterproof layer separately and it even comes with pockets and a hood. Cold weather riders will need an additional warm base layer for anything under 30°F. The armor in the Sibirsky is nothing to rave about either, and feels quite rubbery, although it is CE Level 1-rated. I’d recommend swapping it for Forcefield Body Armor to make the jacket truly comfortable for off-road riding.
However, these minor flaws are easily overshadowed by the versatile performance of the Sibirsky. The fit is on par with most European manufacturers. If you intend to wear thick base layers with this jacket, order a size up. Otherwise, expect it to fit like a well-tailored suit. The cuffs are a bit on the narrow side so I’d recommend short gloves in the summer and over-the-jacket gauntlets in the winter. (Speaking of gloves, Giorgos gave ADVMoto some insight on a new glove design for 2018. While we can’t release the details just yet, we can tell you that it’ll have the same versatility as the Sibirsky jacket.)
I’ve tested the jacket through varying temperatures—as high as 90°F and as low as 40°F—over the last couple of months. As long as the weather is fairly consistent, using the Sibirsky day to day is comfortable. Despite the rough interior quality, everything has held up. Of all the jackets I own, this is one of the few that feels airy enough for brisk trail riding and is the least restricting. Even with the waterproof layer removed, the jacket did an adequate job of keeping me dry in light drizzle. Store the rain liner in the rabbit pouch when not in use – you’ll need it for moderate to heavy rain. If you’re riding in situations where the weather jumps back and forth from cold to hot, installing and removing the 360° lower shell can get tedious, compared to other jackets with simple zip-open vents, but the trade-off for max ventilation is unparalleled. I reserve removing the lower shell for only the hottest conditions, since doing so also removes most of your pockets. In “max vent mode”, the Sibirsky feels like a completely different jacket and during the summer it was my prime choice.
SIIMA offers innovative features, slick styling, and excellent value, especially at its price point. To sweeten the deal, SIIMA is offering a promotion for ADVMoto readers. If you purchase the Sibirsky jacket and pants combo, use coupon code “ADVMoto17” at check-out to save 20% off your jacket (USE DISCOUNT CODE: RICKSADV20). MSRP: €289.99 SIIMAJackets.com
Siima Sibirsky Super Adventure Jacket
Pros
- Beautiful exterior styling
- Highly versatile for all weather riding
- Innovative Features
Cons
- Only one color available
