Jacket Review: Tourmaster Transition 2

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I bought a new Tourmaster Transition 2 jacket two months ago, and thought I'd share my experiences.

I'm 5'11" and weigh 225 lbs;  The jacket is sized extra-large.  Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the fit.  The only real fit issue I have with most jackets relates to my forearms: I find most jackets to be a squeeze (I've got Popeye forearms) to the point where I can't wear the cool-weather liner and still get my arm in the sleeve.  The Transition 2 is a little roomier in this regard than most.

The jacket appears to be well-made and durable, and has a good amount of reflective material on it for being seen at night.
It's also well-ventilated!  I opened the shoulder vents all the way the first warm spell we got this year, and was surprised by: a) the volume of air flowing through the jacket - it's significant, and b) the drag at shoulder level!!!  It was a pretty gusty day, and at 75 mph, when a gust hit from the front, the vents acted like air-brakes. It literally felt as if someone behind me had pulled me backwards by the shoulders.  Lesson learned: I don't open them up all the way anymore, and the jacket is still comfortable when it's warm out.  I can't speak to comfort in the heat as of yet.... someday, if we're lucky, summer may come to visit the East Coast, and we'll find out....

It's got plenty of pockets to stash stuff... more than I'll ever need! I like how the main pockets are covered by a flap... and you'll find out why next... 

As for water-proofing... (or lack of...)  this jacket is a pretty poor performer.  Although constructed with Rainguard, a "waterproof" membrane , the sleeves leak badly from the shoulders on down.  I had the opportunity to test the jacket in a heavy downpour (i.e., got caught out in it) for my 60-minute commute a couple of weeks ago, and was less than pleased when water running down the inside of the arms of the jacket filled my waterproof gloves within 10 minutes (yeah... waterproof = no water in, and more importantly NO WATER OUT, EITHER).  My hands squished the rest of the ride home.  As mentioned above... the contents of my pocket stayed dry.  It's probably the only part of the jacket that does stays dry.
I suspect that the waterproof issue has to deal with poor sealing around the various bits and pieces that make up the shoulders of the jacket - there's quite a few layers there.

Overall, despite the major failure as an all-weather garment, I like the jacket, but cannot count on it for protection against the weather in anything other than light rain for my 60-minute commute each way. Heavier or longer-duration rain... and I'll use something else.  I have not had the chance to test the armor, and I hope I NEVER do, but I feel reasonably protected by it.  The spine protector is one of the better protectors I've seen.

If you're looking for waterproof textiles, spend the dough and get GoreTex.  There's a reason why it costs more... and after my experience, I think it's worth it.  I have a GoreTex shell that I've worn under the same conditions, and I've yet to get wet.
For everything else... I'd say it's a pretty fair piece of gear.

Stay Safe!