First Manufacturing Turbine Jacket

This is my first leather jacket so I really can't compare this to other brands of leather jackets. It feels like quality leather with durable stitching and strong YKK zippers. I have worn it for several hours riding in the Texas summer heat and I feel very comfortable. When you are stationary it can get a little hot, but once you start moving it really cools and vents well with all of the perforation that it has. I am 5'10, 180 lbs, 42" chest with an athletic build and I ordered a medium. It is comfortable and I feel like a large might be a better option in a winter jacket so that one could wear layers underneath. I fall into the sizing of clothes that is unfortunately between medium and large, so some things fit better in a medium and some things fit better in a large. With the customer service and ease of returns with Revzilla I felt like I couldn't go wrong with taking a chance and spending only $220 on a leather jacket. Bottom line: I am glad that I bought this jacket and would highly recommend it. I feel like it could definately cost more like $400+.

I just received this, and first thing I did (thankfully) was check the armor pockets because I had concerns about the Icon D3O armor I purchased not fitting. Good thing I did, because the pockets were WAY OFF. For reference, I'm 5'11", 42" chest and I got the medium.

Bang for the Buck: On the one hand, this is a $220 perf leather jacket that feels and looks as good as any I've seen on the market. The leather doesn't feel cheap, the construction feels solid, no loose threads, beefy zippers, good pockets. The armor pockets is where the jacket is let down big time.

Protection and Durability: Two points in protection for leather inherently being more protective than textile or mesh. But no more, because despite there being armor pockets, there is no CE-2 rated armor that will fit in any of the pockets of this jacket without substantial trimming (First Mfg's own armor pack is CE-1 in the shoulders and elbows, not rated on the back). Even if you did trim to fit, the shoulder and back pockets are very small, and the area of protection is highly questionable. The back pocket measures 12" at the longest points, 10" at the widest and is the winged-tapered shape. Knock off about a quarter inch in each dimension to accommodate thicker CE-2 armor. Shoulder pockets are about 5" square - ridiculous. Elbow pockets are a bit more generous and there might be something that fits, but I gave up knowing that I'm not willing to sacrifice the shoulder/back protection that this jacket asks for.

Features: As noted in the video review, this is a stripped down jacket which was part of its appeal to me. Looking past the armor pockets, it has everything I wanted in a summer leather jacket with nothing I didn't which I'm sure helps keep the price down. The plackets (or whatever they are called) that run on the inside of the sleeve openings kind of get in the way if you're trying to zip up the sleeves while moving, not a huge deal. I like the two inside pockets, very handy.

Comfort: The mesh liner was soft and did not chaff at all, I could see myself wearing this comfortably over a short sleeve tee and being OK. I love the open cuff sleeves, good waist adjustment, and mandarin collar. It's got some weight to it being leather, but the leather is fairly soft and drapes well over the arm or bike with no kinks. Air flow is very good. I rode in 85* F muggy and sunny weather, and I felt absolutely comfortable the entire ride, even stopped at lights. I feel like the air flow is even better than my AGV Sport Torque textile hoodie.

Style: The medium fit great on me with a tailored look. I really like the way this jacket looks on me, it has great style without being loud or flashy.

Overall, I'm disappointed that the jacket came with such small armor pockets because otherwise I'd say its an absolute steal at $219, even if it didn't come with armor stock. I ended up squeezing the Icon D3O armor into the pockets without trimming.

-The back protector fits in without being curled/warped, but the pocket cannot be sealed. The upside is I didn't have to trim the pad, the downside is protection is still limited to the area of the pocket, which sits very high on the back and leaves the lower back exposed.

-I shoved the shoulder armor in as far as I could, and a good 2.5" sticks out of the pocket and the pocket cannot be sealed. Front to back coverage feels about right, but lengthwise coverage covers more of the top of the shoulder than the bottom. Ideally the pocket would have been positioned lower (and obviously larger).

-The elbow armor actually fit in just fine, with some room to spare in the pocket. I was able to seal it.

-On the bike, the most noticeable thing for me is the height of the back protector. I can feel how high it sits and I'm constantly conscious of that but thankfully it isn't that visible when off the bike. The shoulder armor and elbow armor are also discreet off the bike, but I did begin to feel pressure from the shoulder armor after about 30 minutes of riding (I may just get used to it).

There were only two reviews to go by before leaving mine here. I also called a Revzilla rep about sizing besides what the two reviewers commented about that.
I'm 5' 10", lean , athletic build at 145 lbs, 41" chest, with long arms, and usually wear a medium.
The medium is spot on for me , feels and looks great.
Nice leather, and very cool Cafe styling and fully perforated which was exactly what I have been looking for, for some time now. I have not tried the armor scenario like the other two riders mentioned. I may just get Bohn Armor under gear which can be used with any jacket or pants one wishes to wear, and not have to worry about buying armor that may not properly fit the jacket or pant's armor pockets. As a member of the AMA, you get a 10% discount on any Bohn Armor gear, and buy whatever gear without armor you desire. ;)
This jacket is fully perforated for excellent air flow. I'm happy with this cool jacket. Give it a shot and if it does not work out for you, Revzilla has their cool return policy, so no worries. ;)

I bought this jacket out the perception that it would be better to have a protective layer instead of a t-shirt in the summer. Wow! the Turbine lives up to it's name, wind flows to every nook and cranny to the point that you might actually feel cold if the temperature drops a bit. The construction is solid, the leather is of great quality, thick too and that's a real plus. However, the jacket lacks certain aspects that need to be addressed, the ones I find most pressing are the following :

1) armor pockets : the pockets are just there, but outside of the 20$ amor pack, I'm not sure if they were designed for an aftermarket armor replacement. I sized down to an XS, and the 001 protector from forcefield didn't fit, the pocket never closed. I'll probably velcro it. The elbows and shoulders weren't great either, the SAS-tecs I had didn't fit great. Many people don't trust off brand armor, so my suggestion to First Mfg would be to pick a good brand of armor, like Forcefield, and design the pocket with them so they fit and close properly so the armor stays in place. Velcro does wonderful things for that too. Lastly, no belt loops, what's up with that ?

2) Sizing : Something I found peculiar, is that I had to size down to an XS for the jacket to fit right on the shoulders and waist. That's impressive downsizing considering the size chart puts me on an M and it was suggested I get an S. The problem with this are the lengths, I'm 173cm, the jacket now barely hits my waist, and the sleeves are slightly above my wrist when I ride. This also means the elbow and back armor is not exactly where it should be and that's an issue. Off the bike, the jacket looks great !

I do recommend the jacket, but finding armor for it may be difficult. If I start to take it to the freeway, I'll probably invest in an separate armor rather than trying to find replacements that fit in the pockets.