REV’IT Gore-Tex Jacket Leaks and Epic Customer Service

My REV’IT Vertical Gore-Tex jacket developed a leak. I’d been using the jacket almost daily for the past seven hundred and twenty-one days. When I called SportsBikeShop to enquire about the warranty, I was delighted to discover that I was nine days away from the two-year expiry date.

So, how is a leaking £500 Gore-Tex jacket a success story … read on.

Wear Rate

Over the years, I’ve amassed a large collection of jackets, and on average, I get through one in somewhere between two and three years. It’s a byproduct of using them most days in all sorts of weather.

I’d typically spend less than £300 on a jacket because of my high wear rate. I knew I wasn’t getting the best, but it was always a balance between a competitively priced jacket and one that would do a decent job in the damp and soggy months.

I’d buy something a little bigger than I needed, so I could layer up in the autumn months and wear my Keis Heated Jacket underneath in Winter.

Oxford Mondial

Around six years ago, perhaps a bit more, Oxford Clothing threw a spanner in the laminated motorcycle clothing market with their Oxford Mondial Advanced Textile range.

Up until then, laminated textiles had always been exclusive and expensive, and now there was a laminated jacket available for £250.

Today, you can buy the original version for £200 or the updated version of the Oxford Mondial for under £300.

This move significantly impacted the motorcycle clothing market, prompting other manufacturers to rethink their product lines and introduce laminated textiles at competitive price points over the coming years.

Where Can I Find …

Laminates

If you have never used laminated textiles, they are a revelation when riding in the rain.

The waterproof membrane is stuck (laminated) to the back of the fabric, so rain can’t get through. Very little water will soak into the fabric; most of it will run off the laminated waterproof membrane. What water does dampen the fabric quickly dries once you are out of the rain.

Varying Degrees

But, there is laminated, and then there is laminated. You can have a single-layer, dual-layer or even triple-layer laminate. Gore-Tex Pro is still considered the best laminated membrane. Whether it is worthy of that title now that their patent has expired isn’t something I’m going to get into.

For Example:

Key Laminated Waterproof Membranes

Gore-Tex

• Structure: ePTFE membrane laminated to outer shell (2L or 3L variants).
• Performance: Highly waterproof (up to 30,000mm) and breathable (up to 25,000g/m²/24h).
• Variants:
  • 2L Gore-Tex Pro: Membrane bonded to outer shell; lighter and more flexible.
  • 3L Gore-Tex Pro: Membrane sandwiched between outer and inner layers; more robust but stiffer.
  • Z-Liner: Membrane floats between layers—not laminated; less effective in heavy rain.
• Pros: Lifetime guarantee on membrane, excellent durability, trusted across industries.
• Cons: Premium pricing, slightly reduced breathability in laminated form.

Dry2Dry (Oxford)

• Structure: Proprietary laminated membrane used in Oxford’s Mondial and Barkston jackets.
• Performance: Designed for high waterproofing and moderate breathability.
• Pros: Cost-effective alternative to Gore-Tex, dries quickly after rain, well-reviewed for real-world performance.
• Cons: Less technical transparency compared to Gore-Tex; fewer third-party tests.

AquaSeal+® (Merlin)

• Structure: Laminated polyester with eco-conscious coating (CO treatment).
• Performance: Rated 10k waterproof / 10k breathability.
• Pros: Sustainable materials, AA-rated protection, used in jackets like the Merlin Burslem.
• Cons: Lower spec than Gore-Tex; more suited to casual or urban riding.

Considerations When Selecting

• Touring vs. Adventure: Laminated membranes excel in touring due to reduced bulk and faster drying. For hardcore adventure, drop-liners may offer better impact resilience.
• Breathability Trade-off: Laminated jackets sacrifice some airflow compared to non-laminated or mesh-based systems.
• Seam Construction: Waterproofing is only as good as the seam sealing—double stitching and taped seams are essential.

Laminated Waterproof Membrane Comparison

Points to Ponder

• Waterproof Rating: Measured by how high a column of water is before the membrane starts to let water through. Typically, this is expressed in millimetres. 10,000 mm is suitable for heavy rain; 20,000+ mm is ideal for prolonged exposure.
• Limits: All laminates have a limit. They are not 100% waterproof in all conditions. Apply enough rain over a long enough period and they will “wet out”.
• Breathability: Higher numbers mean better moisture vapour transmission outwards. In other words, less sweaty on a warm day.
• Durability: Refers to abrasion resistance and long-term membrane integrity.
• Eco Credentials: Sympatex leads in sustainability; Gore-Tex is improving but still uses fluoropolymers.

REV’IT Vertical

Although REV’IT has its own membrane, Hydratex, it also uses Gore-Tex, and my search for a Gore-Tex jacket led me to the REV’IT Vertical Jacket.

I was searching for Gore-Tex after a long ride in some thunderous weather for three days across Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.

The rain had made its way through my Oxford Aquaseal over jacket and the Oxford Mondial textiles. By day three of being wet, I’d decided it was time to invest in some upmarket Gore-Tex Pro laminated clothing.

This pushed my budget a bit. The jacket was – at the time I bought it – £530 and the trousers another £300. The jacket (in black) is now around £390 at SportsBikeShop.

The REV’IT Vertical is an excellent jacket. Warm. Waterproof. Well-made. Like everything, there were a few niggles, but solving them meant finding even more money.

The neck fastening was tight. The studs are adjustable, but even on the widest setting, it was a close fit.

Great if you want to keep the draughts out, but not ideal if you’re going to layer up with a quilted jacket or a Keis heated jacket, as both have a collar that has to squeeze inside the tightly fitting neck.

The sleeves are tight, and the cuff opening is on the narrow side. If I wanted to put my thick gloves on the inside of the sleeve, it would be something of a struggle. The first glove goes in easily, but trying to put the other glove on with a now-gloved hand is a faff.

The easiest to fit are the excellent Weise Sirus 2.0 gloves.

And the one thing that I never knew I would miss, but is now a deal breaker for me, was the absence of a Napoleon pocket – the chest pocket that is inside the storm flap, but outside the main zipper.

All of that said, when it came to the most important function – keeping me dry – the REV’IT Vertical was waterproof and stayed that way for almost two years.

The Leak

When riding in the rain, there is a moment I dread. It is that moment I first feel the cold, damp trickle, and I know the rain has found a way through my defences.

It never seems as bad if I get caught in the rain in the wrong clothing. Perhaps it is the expectation that because I’m safe and secure in my laminated textiles, the rain can do its worst. I’m prepared, and suddenly, all of that is taken away, and it is only going to get worse the longer I ride.

My leak was somewhere on the lower right side of the jacket. The rain would seep in, and once inside, the dampness would spread, soaking whatever I was wearing.

The first time, I dismissed it as one of those things. Perhaps I’d left a vent partially open or something similar.

As it is summer, thankfully, there wasn’t that much rain, but this is England, and no summer is complete without a couple of downpours.

The very next downpour confirmed it. I had a leak, which is when I called SportsBikeShop.

Warranty Returns

Although the warranty covers two years, after the first thirty days, warranty claims must be sent away for assessment.

It is a reasonable requirement; otherwise, you know there are lowlifes out there that would wait until the last gasp and then claim their jacket leaked, to get a new one.

Having had the REV’IT Vertical assessed and the leak confirmed, I was given a full credit for the amount I paid, even though the jacket was now around £120 cheaper.

I’d have been happy with a like-for-like swap and received another Vertical, but SportsBikeShop gave me a full credit at the price I’d paid two years ago.

REV’IT Neptune 3

After spending a lot of time watching videos, reading reviews, and researching laminate membranes more than I ever thought I would, I ended up selecting the REV’IT Neptune 3 as the replacement jacket, which looks surprisingly like the Vertical jacket.

The same 400D Polyamide material is used in the construction, with a two-layer Gore-Tex Laminated Membrane. The vent structure is the same, and it still comes with a removable winter liner and the nifty card pocket in the left sleeve.

Despite looking almost the same, there are several key improvements:

• Neck: Now wider and has a neoprene edge for comfort. Still adjustable to keep out the draughts.
• Cuffs: Wider, which in turn has made the sleeves wider overall.
• Winter Liner: Thicker and feels more robust.
• Napoleon Pocket: Present with the zipper under the main zip storm flap.
• Nifty Cuff Pocket: Now larger. A credit card easily fits inside, whereas on the Vertical, it was a squeeze.

Bottom Line

If you live in the UK and didn’t already know just how good the people at SportsBikeShop are, hopefully you’ll consider shopping there. I’ve always found them to be very considerate when dealing with customers, often going that step beyond.

My case may have been helped by the fact that I’ve been shopping there for years – I hope Senior Management never finds my order summary page on their website – but I don’t think that was the reason I received such helpful service. The long list of testimonials suggests this is how they treat all customers. 

Returning the jacket could have easily been a long-winded back and forth with a dozen phone calls, but SportsBikeShop ensured it was simple, smooth and easy. They even paid the shipping both ways.

There are other resellers out there, and I’m not suggesting that they give poor service, but I’ve never seen SportsBikeShop beaten on price, and the customer service is the stuff of legends.

And what about REV’IT? Despite the leak, I’m impressed by their products. The REV’IT textile trousers I bought two years ago remain waterproof and have had almost as much wear as the jacket.

And what is the jacket like in the rain?  Looking at the forecast, all I can see is sunshine. Then again, this is England. Just wait a minute.