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Leathers Question

6K views 35 replies 15 participants last post by  gsxrjeffro 
#1 ·
Anybody have recomendations of brands of leathers. What should I look for? Has anyone bought leathers off the net? Thanks
 
#6 ·
This is an area that I can NOT offer any ideas on. I will not buy leather items to accompany my bike. My personal opinion, it kills the "crotch" rocket concept. Leather is more of a cruiser item than anything.
 
#10 ·
RedneckUF said:
It is a sportbike thing from what i've seen, but from what i hear, leather is the best protection against road rash. I'm all for looking cool, but safety is more important, regardless of how it looks.
Leather is the best protection against road rash. Of course you have to be carefull because there are a lot of types of leathers in different thicknesses and the construction of the item has a lot to do with how well it will hold up while sliding on asphalt. The best leather with seams that come apart will not protect you well. Don't have the exact numbers but I beleive that thick jeans will allow you to slide about 4 feet before abrasion wears through the material, kevlar will last about 25 feet and competition weight leather well sewn will allow you over 80 feet of sliding before wearing through.

Yes cruisers do wear a lot of black leather but there are some very colorfull and good looking leathers availabe that look at home on sportbikes. After all as Wasions said thats what racers wear and despite their experience and skill they all go down and pretty often at that.
 
#11 ·
I was primarily thinking safety. I slid my first bike lowside once and did a number on my arms and elbows. I did end up getting a AVG jacket with elbow and shoulder padding, I don't think I paid too much. Looks pretty cool too. The local wisdom here is a leather jacket, jeans and a pair of high boots. I am still thinking about the some kind of motorcycle pants though. I've looked at a few crash movies on the web and I know first hand it can and does happen. Thanks for the feedback!
 
#12 ·
I know I should wear M/C specific pants but I don't really think I would look and/or feel good in leather and the textiles have that bulky moon explorer look.

I could live with textiles in the spring and fall but I'm not so sure about summer. Two options left Dragging Jeans are kevlar lined jeans with the option of adding padding in the hips and knees, there is also a type of mesh underwear in wich you can insert padding to wear under whatever pants you choose as long as they're roomy enough ( name doesn't come to mind right now ). For warmer weather there are also mesh pants that will protect you from abrasion and have padding in the usual places.

BTW, I wear a Joe Rocket Santa Fe jacket, it's similar to the phoenix but has perforated leather on the back of the arms and shoulders along with better quality padding. I have heard evidence that the mesh jackets do their job of protecting you but the downside is that they're only good for one good get off after that they need to be replaced. I love mesh jackets in the summer heat, I actually feel cooler than with just a tshirt, sort of like keeping your body in the shade.
 
G
#13 ·
leathers

Hi there every one
I must say i would never go out on my bike (gsxr1000) with out putting on my leathers.
after doing some track dayz and seeing mates taking a tumble trust me either one peice or two peice zip together leathers are the only way to go.
The leathers i bought are Dainese which are used by alot of the Racers (ROSSI) being one.
The only thing is they aint cheap mine cost £700,not sure how much this would be in the U.S.
But they look good and have full armour so you are as protected as you can be.
Cheers.
 
G
#15 ·
I prefer Alpinestars sport leathers. They're well made and their CE armor is a lot more flexible and quite a bit more comfortable than Joe Rocket. I do have a JR Speed Jacket which I absolutely love. For pants, I prefer Alpinestars Bat Pants for summer riding. I can wear my Bat pants all day long and they feel great, and the thick yet flexible leather offers the protection I want.

For cruiser leathers, I prefer custom Langlitz leathers by a wide margin over the obscenely overpriced off-the-rack junk marketed by Vanson. Even so, the custom Langlitz leathers will run you close to double the cost of Vanson.
 
#16 ·
I agree that leather is the best protective wear to have. However, I think its something that has to be wanted to be worn and you have the "look" to make it work. Im not trying to stereotype anything here, just a thought of mine.
 
#17 ·
I wear my leathers even if its a 100F plus outside.Out where I ride its rare to see sport riders without leathers on.In fact alot of riders do double takes at them and shake thier heads.The ones that dont gear up are quite often the ones you read about in the obituaries or on the front page of Better Squids and Skin Graphs magazine.
 
#21 ·
I don't have any pants yet, but I did buy a Joe Rocket Altar Ego jacket. It is a great piece of equipment with a removable outer shell to give you that mesh look and a removable inner liner that is windproof/waterproof, which works great when its cold out. It has all the basic padding in the arms, shoulders, and back. Mine is black, gray, and white, and has great style. I paid $250 U.S. for, and I think its the best purchase I have made for my riding days so far (except for my bike anyway).
 
#23 ·
Jonathan said:
However, I think its something that has to be wanted to be worn and you have the "look" to make it work.
There's a name for guys who choose their gear or their ride for fashion. Lemme see, was it octopus... no, lobster, maybe? Oh yeah... SQUID. :roll: Ask the European riders and many will tell you that full gear is the norm there. Here, well, you know.
 
#24 ·
Ask the European riders and many will tell you that full gear is the norm there.
I lived there for a couple of years. Yes, it is the norm there. As a matter of fact, I NEVER saw ANY rider without it. Even Moped/scooter riders wear gear.

But how else does one judge different brands?
By asking just like you are now. Getting opinions from various riders is the best way. If I were you, get them made at a custom shop (Z, Helimot, Zooni, etc.), so they will fit right. I gave up on rack stuff. Normally if I could get something to fit, the torso length on the jacket was too short. Also, they don't make off-the-rack racing leathers for "bigger boys" usually, so it is more difficult than if you are a string bean.

I have venting, built-in back-protector and GP armor in mine. I race, so they get a full workout. I like mine a LOT, and wouldn't give them up. I bought them because of Z-Leathers long-standing reputation, excellent customer service, and when I was a young rider in the 80s seeing all the major MC mag riders wearing them, I just HAD to have a set!

- Ross

P.S. I wouldn't be caught dead riding on the street without them either.[/code]
 
#25 ·
RowdyRed94 said:
Jonathan said:
However, I think its something that has to be wanted to be worn and you have the "look" to make it work.
There's a name for guys who choose their gear or their ride for fashion. Lemme see, was it octopus... no, lobster, maybe? Oh yeah... SQUID. :roll: Ask the European riders and many will tell you that full gear is the norm there. Here, well, you know.

Another name for them is Organ Donors.
 
#26 ·
Have you looked at Vanson leathers? Both my boyfriend and I have Vanson jackets and they are amazing!!! He's got a fully perforated jacket which is awesome for warm weather riding...gives you all the protection, without overheating you. He's also got a Vanson windbreaker to wear under the jacket for colder weather which seems to work perfectly. My jacket is not perf'd but has plenty of venting plus an adjustable waist which is a nice feature, as well as reflective striping which I also like. These are "racing" type jackets, which means they are sewn to be the most comfortable when you are in riding position. Shorter in the front so it doesn't bunch up on you and longer in the back to cover that waist area. These jackets run about $500-600, but are worth it. I know a guy that's had his for 6 years and it still looks new. If you don't want the leather look, there is also a great gear line called Aerostich. It's a synthetic material that's waterproof, unlike the leathers. They also offer suits called Roadcrafters. Check out the Vanson website, and look at the Cobra jacket....it's a great jacket, plus there's just something about seeing a guy riding by in a Vanson!!! :wink:
 
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