Leatt ADV Jacket Shootout: FlowTour 4.5 vs. 5.5 vs. Multi-Tour 8.5

Leatt’s trio of adventure jackets—the FlowTour 4.5, FlowTour 5.5, and MultiTour 8.5—prove that you don’t need to skimp on protection just to catch a summer breeze, provided your wallet is up for the challenge.

Mother Nature rarely offers a steady temperature dial, which is why Leatt engineered a three-tiered gear lineup to tackle everything from blistering desert heat waves to freezing mountain passes. We strapped these jackets onto a Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid and dragged them through the high-desert dust and morning chills of Idaho to see if Leatt’s airflow, armor, and weatherproofing can hold court on a real adventure.

Leatt’s ADV jacket lineup offers something for every type of dual-sport deviant, ranging from hot-weather mesh warriors to all-weather expedition fortresses. We put these three jackets through the wringer across high-mountain passes and blazing high deserts aboard a Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid to figure out which one deserves prime real estate in your gear closet.

Related Content: Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid Off-Road Review

FlowTour 4.5: The Hot-Weather Hero

If your idea of adventure riding involves sweating bullets through a single-track jungle and you’re dangerously close to just throwing on a dirt bike jersey and praying to the asphalt gods, the FlowTour 4.5 ADV Short ($379) is your salvation. It delivers massive, fixed high-flow mesh paneling that lets air blast straight through your torso while maintaining Class A abrasion resistance.

It features a shorter, sport-focused cut that won’t bunch up when you’re standing on the pegs working the handlebars. Sure, it’s strictly a one-season summertime tool, and the armor is limited to CE Level 1, but for staying cool without leaving your skin on the gravel, it’s a stellar value. For more gear insights, check out our coverage on Moto-1.com.

FlowTour 5.5: The Sweet Spot

If Goldilocks rode an ADV bike, she’d likely zip up the FlowTour 5.5 ($489). This is arguably the sweet spot of the entire Leatt lineup, offering massive X-Flow mesh ventilation combined with upgraded CE Level 2 armor across the board.

The party trick here is the included packable HydroDri waterproof over-jacket. You can wear it on top when the skies open up or stash it neatly into the generous rear storage pocket when the mercury climbs back to a blistering 97 degrees. It bridges the gap between blistering summer heat and sudden mountain downpours better than almost anything else in its price bracket.

MultiTour 8.5: The Four-Season Fortress

At the top of the food chain sits the flagship MultiTour 8.5 ($899). This is a heavy-duty, three-piece modular system engineered for around-the-world expeditions. It features SuperFabric reinforcements, a direct-laminated HydroDri outer shell, a full suite of CE Level 2 armor (including chest plates), and a removable, standalone thermal insulated puffy jacket that you can wear off the bike around the campfire.

While it sports a slightly more relaxed European cut with a tighter forearm taper—meaning big-armed riders might want to wet-test the sizing—its modularity is top-tier. Whether you’re freezing your cylinders off on a snowy mountain pass or baking in the desert, this fortress handles it all. Dive deeper into premium touring setups on Moto-1.com.

The Verdict

If you’re buying with your head and your heart, the FlowTour 5.5 takes the crown as the ultimate all-rounder for riders tackling unpredictable climates. But if you’re strictly chasing desert heat or planning a round-the-world trek, Leatt’s breadth of lineup proves they’re ready to give the established European giants a serious run for their money.

Leatt ADV Jacket Technical Specifications