Richa Armada Gore-Tex Pro Jacket - Black / Fluo Yellow

Bought this to replace my trusty Aerostich Darien, which after many years service had stopped being waterproof. I've done over 1500 miles in the jacket, in summer and winter, and half of that has been motorway miles.
First thing is that it is 100% waterproof. I've been out in yellow warning rain storms on the motorway and it has not let a drop in.
Overall, the construction of the jacket feels high quality in all aspects - fasteners and zips, seams, armour (D30 arms and back) and material.
Fit is good, I'm a 43" chest and went with XL, which is comfortable and allows for base layers and microfleece underneath. The double zip plus hook and eye fastening is fiddly at first, but I quickly got used it. The bib is a nice feature, blocks wind and rain effectively and stores in the back pocket when not in use. There's plenty of venting all round and the chest vents are really well designed - zip shut in winter, magnet clasp for easy opening in summer.
I would have liked a larger Napoleon pocket, and another one on the right. It can be accessed by opening the flap, no need to unzip the front, but the zip pull is tiny and I can't work it with my gloves on. Same for the bib zip - jacket off to attach or remove. The zip and hook and eye closure at the cuff is good and there's enough space to comfortably go over my winter gloves. The cuff zip covers a vent can be confusing as there's two "pulls" so you can adjust how much of the vent to open. And it's worth repeating, when closed up, this is a totally waterproof jacket.
I'm doing about 6K miles a year and expect at least half of these to be in this jacket. I'm pleased with it all round, it is well made and I expect it to last many years.
So, why not 5*? While the vents are effective, on the warmest of summer days, with everything open, I still found it a little too warm, and certainly warmer than a leather race jacket with fabric panels at the sleeves. And in the winter, even on a faired bike it needs layers at motorway speeds to keep warm. This is easily fixed, but at the price Richa should have thrown in a thermal liner.

BLUF - This is an excellent quality laminated jacket with loads of features and good protection which is currently being offered at a good price point by SBS, making it an extremely attractive package when compared to the competition at similar a price (especially with the free inner, which itself is pretty decent in its own right).
I spent significant time reading / watching all the reviews I could find. It was a useful exercise, and I would recommend doing the same before you finally 'pull the pin' and buy, as there are some detailed reviews out there which highlight many strong points, but also highlight potential foibles to be aware of. I have ridden about 600 miles so far and these are my findings below;
Things I really like;
1. Quality. This is a very high-quality garment, which is immediately obvious when you see it and wear it. The stitching and construction are excellent everywhere. The use of high-end materials is obvious, and the garment has a quality feel and weight that gives me confidence that it will do its job if needed.
2. Fit. I am a 43 inch chest with a 41 inch belly and a 36 inch waist, with slightly longer limbs and this jacket in XL fits me perfectly. If I had bought a size L it would have been to tight. If your of 'stout' construction, you might want to try one on first as the garment is based on a 'European' fit, so the cut is a little 'lean'. That said I'm not skinny and I have enough room for one or two layers without the jacket feeling too tight.
3. Adjustability. This is the first jacket where the armour has sat perfectly for me, which is probably linked to it fitting so well on my body shape. The amount of adjustment to the fit, at waist, arms, side flare, cinching - its all there and works well.
4. Kidney Belt. Didn't think Id use this, but ive ridden with and without and decided I like it. It supports my lower back and keeps the back protector snug which is comforting on a long run. When you remove it (which is very easy, 30 secs) it stows neatly in the back pocket of the jacket and then the jacket takes on a very different feel of freedom suitable for when its hot and you want more air flow.
5. Venting. This jacket has more vents than a very 'venty thing'! For UK riding I cannot imagine a situation where you would need more. Note; the jacket runs very cool I wear a base layer as a minimum.
6. Good Looks. I got the one with hi-viz yellow in it, mainly as I wanted the get the free inner jacket as for me value trumps looks every time. That said, it looks really nice in the flesh, better than the photos suggest.
7. Waterproof. The jacket has proven to be completely waterproof in medium to heavy showers in N Wales, in fact the water just beads off at the moment so it doesn't seem to absorb any water into the fabric at all so far.
Things that might be improved;
1. The chest vents. Lovely, really well made very snazzy and clearly a feature that has become more popular in recent times. However, while they do work, they become less effective once you put the chest armour in as it sits directly behind the vents. Its not that I don't appreciate them, its just that I'm not sure if they were needed as there are so many other vents available.
2. A bigger or another Napoleon pocket. You only get one and its too small for an OS Map. However it is fine for a large smart phone of any size or large wallet. Probably being picky there, but……
Summary: I really like this jacket, it fits really well, has good protection and is very high quality. It has loads of features, most of them work really well and I can forgive the ones that don't as the rest of the jacket is so good. For awareness I chose this jacket above the Klim Carlsbad and Latitude, which were strong runners but couldn't compete when all things were considered. Had SBS priced this jacket at its original £1100 price I just wouldn't have given it a second look! The pricing team have been smart with their reduction and offer, as Richa are still yet to make their mark in the higher end of the market - all things considered when you look at what you're getting for your money this almost feels like a good deal…almost! Buy one you will not regret it, and you can relax knowing it was the smarter purchase.
Hope this helps or informs - Kind Regards, JC.