Royal Enfield Nirvik V3 Riding Jacket Review

A jacket built for the long way around

A good touring jacket has to do a lot of things at once. Protect you when things go wrong, keep the weather out when it turns bad, flow enough air so that it doesn't feel too hot, protect you in the event of a fall, but most important of all, be comfortable when you are wearing it for hours at a stretch.

The Royal Enfield Nirvik V3 Jacket sits in the middle of Royal Enfield's touring jacket range and is priced at ₹17,950. A 500D nylon outer shell with 600D CORDURA reinforcement for the impact areas keeps it durable. And protection comes from CE Level 2 armour at the shoulders, elbows and back, along with CE Level 1 chest protectors too. It offers a combination of abrasion-resistant construction, substantial certified armour, ventilation and weather protection. It promises to do it all really.

After spending 10 days of riding about 12 hours in the jacket in the Himalayas here is what I loved, what I didn’t and where I’d never wear this jacket.

Warm when you need it, ventilated when you don't

So when riding in the Himalayas one thing for certain is that temperatures are going to be cold. But that’s not necessarily the case throughout the day. Sunny days are actually quite warm when you’re riding directly in the sun. There are also times when the roads are bad and technical when you will need to stand up and ride and put in more energy into riding the bike. This causes you to warm up inside your jacket.

A good ventilated jacket really comes into its own here. The ventilation allows you to tailor the air flow through the jacket. Keep it high when the sun is up or if you are working hard on the bike. Close off the vents in the evening or when you get off the bike for a rest. 

The Nirvik is really well suited to these mixed conditions. The vents open up easily on the front but the rear vent you will have to ask a friend to open up or close for you. It’s really a jacket you can keep on the whole day. And when you are in higher altitudes where you want to conserve energy this makes a surprising difference. It really takes a lot of effort to put on and take off a jacket each time you stop. 

The little details make it a good touring jacket

In addition to well thought out vents is the nicely designed storage. Two large pockets on the front of the jacket are water proof, and swallow up a lot. My phone, my action camera, a bag of trail mix. Great for holding things you don’t want left on your bike when you head into a dhaba for lunch.  Behind those pockets is also a space that doubles up as hand warmers. The pockets even when full of gear sit properly and don't bunch up so you really can use all of that space

At the rear is a storage pocket too which comes with a rain liner as well. This is a nice thought, because you don't have to worry about sizing, since the liner is already sized for the jacket. In contrast some other brands don't include the liner, leaving you to have to search for one that fits the jacket properly.  The pocket is large enough to store a rain liner for the pants as well. In this case it’s the liner that came with the XX Pant the review of which you can read here. 

It doesn't have to look like riding gear

The other thing I really like about the Nirvik is the way it looks, especially in this olive colourway. The black version looks classy and has the same features but I personally love a different colour than black for riding gear. The olive is different enough without standing out in a group of riders like a sore thumb. The black patches and the little reflective accents also add to the look and break up the monotony quite nicely. Looks awesome in the ride pictures from your epic adventure ride as well, especially since you will stand out from the crowd..  

What about the weight?

At this price point the jacket isn’t the lightest around but in this price range the weight feels par for the course. The only way you could find a jacket with the same features and protection and durable materials is to take a significant step up in price bracket. 

The way I wore the jacket was with a bionic armour inner and used this as a shell, without the armour Royal Enfield included with the Nirvik. In this configuration the jacket felt a lot lighter. And I had no problem staying kitted up on each day of my ride in the Himalayas. 

Where it works best

For me the Nirvik V3 makes the most sense in the Himalayas or adventure style journeys during cooler months across the country. As long as you are spending a lot of time on the bike and moving on the highway the jacket can flow enough air to keep you cool even on a sunny day with 30+ degree temperatures. And the protection it offers is top notch too.

I wouldn’t recommend this as a daily jacket or the only jacket in your arsenal. A pure mesh jacket is much better suited to daily riding in and around a city.  

The verdict

The Nirvik V3 isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel. It’s doing everything you would expect an adventure jacket to do, and it does it well too. All the details seem to be well thought out and executed from the way the vents have a space to securely fold away into when open and stay securely closed when closed up, to the way the pockets and storage spaces are designed and accessible by the rider easily on the move. It looks good too and when you have a jacket that you like the looks of, you are comfortable in and has features that you get used to, then that kind of makes you want to stay in the jacket. If any jacket can have you coming back to wearing it because it’s a tool you enjoy using rather than a necessity to save you in a crash (that you can't wait to take off) then it’s a winner in my books.