| Author | Message | ||
     Uly_man |
For some time now (four years) I have been trying to find a good "all-round/weather" bike clothing set-up. This has been with textile stuff like Gore-Tex, leather and/or other products of the same nature. The key points I find for me are - 1) Textile stuff is not that much lighter than normal leathers, 2) On a hot day I sweat much less in my Crowtree, VERY thick and/or other, leather jackets than my Gore-Tex or Sheltex jackets, 3) All my textile stuff feels a bit "baggy" and not quite right some how, 4) Textile can cost as much and/or more than good leathers, 5) With enough use leather "molds" to the shape of the wearer unlike textile. I have some of the best textile gear you can buy but I always know I have them on unlike leathers which feel much like a second skin. I do have a pair of HG Gore-Tex/ProShell/leather pants that are great and would like to try the jacket as well. This seems like the way to go. The only problem is that they cost a small fortune. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I've got both and I like the leather stuff the best. Leather is something you can pass on to your kid. Leather is just more natural feeling. I'll wear my leather jackets to places I'd never wear the textile jackets. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
I bought a Langlitz Leather tailor made jacket after my old jacket got stolen. As EG said, that jacket is something I will pass on to my grandchildren. To me, under almost all conditions, the leather is far more comfortable, breathes better, stays cooler. That said, I haven't gotten a set of leather pants yet. I live in the PNW and commute to work. I just have the feeling that the continued road spray on the lower legs then being stored in a locker all day would kill the leather fairly quickly. I have both types of jackets. If it's not a screaming downpour, I wear the leather. | ||
| Judotrip |
I own both.. Leather doesn't catch the wind as much as textiles. I would tend to think it would handle a get off better the textiles. You can throw your textiles in the washer when needed. Lastyear I bought a Hemp Joe Rocket jacket. It is much lighter then other textile jackets, but wouldn't handle water.. There are alot of gives and takes.. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
Probably worth considering that from an abrasion standpoint, leather protects you better. I mean, since we're talking about protective gear and all... | ||
| Scooter808484 |
I mean, since we're talking about protective gear and all... Given! I think some of the better textile stuff is nearly as good as leather. My pants are Motoport Kevlar. They've got tons of armor and are really substantial. If I have to have a get off, I think they will do OK. And...there's something about a nice leather jacket. Everytime I open that closet door, that thing just smells good! Textile after a few wearings??? Not so much. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
My father-in-law passed away over a year ago and I have been given all sorts of things, one thing being this awesome "Marlon Brando" style brown leather motorcycle jacket. Made back in the 70's but in new condition. Fits great but smells like everything else from my in-laws place, like cigarette smoke. | ||
| Hangetsu |
Well, since the first criteria mentioned was "all round/weather", I'll make mention that, except for a few recent and very expensive alternatives, leather is not waterproof and takes an eternity to dry once it gets wet. Quality textile clothing may not have the fit, feel, & cool factor of leather, but there's a reason all serious adventure riders use it - IT'S VERSATILE! No leather gear will keep you as comfortable over the same wide temperature, climate, and environment ranges as well designed textile will. MHO | ||
| Growl |
I treat my leather by polishing it with shoe polish... certainly increases it's moisture resistance... I bought a leather vest off craigslist that smelled of smoke - it eventually freshened up... riding in the wind and sun. | ||
| Vecchio_lupo |
I also say that the Fonzie factor of leather is unbeatable. As far as my personal experience here in southern Germany, I have a Belstaff Discovery (Yes, made in China or Taiwan or somewhere that's not England)it is waterproof, windproof, well vented for when its not freezing or raining and very well designed. I start at sea level in the morning and climb to 2000 meters for lunch and back down the other side in the rain. I like not having to get the rain gear out, and the versatility of being able to wash and or dry the jacket overnight if need be. I know that the Belstaff is not top of the line BMW system $800 jacket that Ewan and Charlie wear, but I bought mine used for $100 bucks and I will buy another one (New $350 thereabouts). Love Leather, have leather, Find myself doing the long trips in textile. Just my opinion, it cost nothing and it's worth even less. | ||
| Prowler |
Gotta repeat this one: "Quality textile clothing may not have the fit, feel, & cool factor of leather, but there's a reason all serious adventure riders use it - IT'S VERSATILE! No leather gear will keep you as comfortable over the same wide temperature, climate, and environment ranges as well designed textile will." Absolutely! I will never go back to leather motorcycle clothing. My Teknic jacket is the first jacket I've owned in almost forty years of riding that is comfortable and warm/cool when I need it to be and it's got the armor. I've been selling off all my leather stuff on E-Bay.... | ||
| Zane_t |
I just recently purchased my first textile jacket and I like it. Much lighter, cooler, comfortable, body armour, one third the cost of a leather jacket, etc. It seems people that are more serious about motorcycling in general and not trying to fit in to the "biker" crowd steer clear of leather gear. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Zane, Try not to take yourself so seriously. For a second there I thought maybe I had gotten lost on a BMW board.  I love the leather for its durability BUT it can be heavy. It also can be very comfortable. I've got a a black leather jacket that I bought out in Sturgis about 20 years ago that was drum dyed and made in Connecticut. It is the softest leather imaginable, zip in liner for warmth when needed, fits like a glove, kind of heavy, looks cool and the zippers still all work. Love it. I did a search on the manufacturer of that jacket, R&S Leather Sportswear, and found they were in business for 24 years but no more. This guy probably sold me the jacket. Some examples being sold on Ebay. http://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipkohan President R&S Leather Sportswear, Inc. Apparel & Fashion industry September 1978 – March 2003 (24 years 7 months) Owned and operated my family leather garment manufacturing company from 1987 until 2003. We produced high quality, custom-made leather garments for the general public as well as various contracting manufacturers. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
It seems people that are more serious about motorcycling in general and not trying to fit in to the "biker" crowd steer clear of leather gear. Yeah, all those Moto GP hacks look ridiculous parading around in their leather suits. | ||
| Zane_t |
Of course, I still like my leather gear. My Beemer riding friends are the ones I've noticed always wearing textile gear so I decided to try a textile jacket and so far I'm impressed with it. Kevlar is probably the only textile that protects better than leather but that can get pretty spendy. | ||
| Mnviking |
I've been a huge fan of my Aerostich gear. Easy to wash, takes a beating, folds great into a saddlebag. They do custom sizing which comes in handy when you're tall. | ||
| Uly_man |
It is true both have good and bad points. I always used leather but not waterproof which is why I tried the textile stuff. I have a Dainese Zulu Gortex jacket and a HG Journey Sheltex jacket both with back plates. My back sweats less with the Dainese. The Dainese is a good design, comfy and well made. The HG is not and all the velcro drives me made. The HG Tour leather/Proshell/Gortex pants feel like normal leather pants and are said to be waterproof. They are not cut as tight as race pants but not as loose as touring pants. They have no slider pads and are long with wide/zip bottoms so they can go over the top of boots. All of that means you can walk around in then in comfort and not look like you just got off a race track. My ass does not slide about on the seat as with my textile pants which is a right pain. I like the HG Tour pants so I will try these all year round and, as I have been doing, switch from a leather to a textile jacket as the seasons change about. As far as touring/long all weather hauls go thats another matter. (Message edited by uly_man on May 21, 2011) | ||
| Calamari_kid |
Love my leather, but textile is what comes out when I need flexibility. Once leather gets waterlogged it's gonna take a day + to dry out fully, whereas I can commute to work in the rain and my textiles are dry as a bone for the commute home. Also, FWIW I've crash tested a couple textile jackets, both times sliding across a good chunk of pavement. The first time you'd never know by looking at the jacket that I'd been down, the second time I tore a half inch gap in one of the seams on a cheaper jacket. | ||
| Cpeg |
I'm conflicted, I wear a textile jacket and leather pants. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I've worn both and I like textile better for some reason. It won't last as long but it's not as expensive as quality leather. Leather can be repaired to last for generations, maybe longer. Properly cared for, water will not affect it. Textile may be water resistant when new but not so much after it's been washed. Both can be re-waterproofed to some extent. Leather is fireproof and textile burns like gasoline used to. | ||
| Dynasport |
I went out for a ride this afternoon and it was pretty warm here in the Tampa area. I was wearing my mesh jacket and I was still pretty hot. I can't imagine wearing my heavy leather jacket on days like today. Before I bought my mesh jacket I didn't wear a jacket in the hot weather. Maybe some of you have better heat tolerance than I do, but in the 90s, leather is just a cooker. | ||
| Hangetsu |
Panhead, Textile garments billed as waterproof are usually Gortex, or a Gortex-like laminate. They are completely waterproof, save for a little seepage through some zipped vents and they can be washed without issue. If your garments were of a coated (DWR) fabric and not Gortex, they are not waterproof in the first place and less so after washing. Gortex requires all manufacturers that use their product to put their garments through rigorous testing before they are allowed to hit the market. If a garment using Gortex membrane leaks anywhere (zippers, seams, etc.) during testing, Gortex will not allow the manufacturer to use their product. Buy a product using genuine Gortex, it will be waterproof and it will hold up through many, many washings. Other Gortex-like products work about as well, as they are basically the same substance, teflon, but manufacturers of the other laminates are not as strict as Gortex is about the design of garments that use their product. Therefore you may find some leakage through sippers and seams of some to the cheaper "waterproof" textile garments out there. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I have a great JoeRocket Textile jacket and it is the most versitile jacket in most weather conditions. I also have a JoeRocket perforated leather jacket that I wear when riding to work. Honestly, I do it as the textile has faded from so many miles, that it just doesn't look as good as the leather when going into the office. (is that vain?) But I just purchased my second pair of leather pants. I did get some Joe Rocket Blaster leather pants. They zip into both my jackets, but the protection and comfort are amazing. The thing I like most about leather pants is the A$$-slap factor. Nothing will make my wife slap my A$$ as fast as me walking by in leather pants! Don't forget that factor when considering leather pants!!! | ||
| Road_kill |
I have both. HD FXRG style leathers and Motoport air mesh kevlar with breathable zip-in rain suit. I absolutely love the leathers for all reasons mentioned above. Plus, I have a permanent fondness for them as they prevented serious injury once when I slid down the highway at 50mph. When I moved from Phoenix to south Georgia 15 yrs ago, I found out that I sweat ... a whole lot. I hate 90F/90%humidity. The leathers simply became too smelly for me. The air mesh kevlar is great for summer; wash them every week. Both outfits work well cold. It's nice to have choices. | ||
| Ejc |
H-D FXRG is water proof. Well, the leather can get soggy but the occupant stays dry. | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
I have had an Aerostich Roadcrafter one-piece suit for over 15 years. It still looks good, keeps me warm in the cold, cool in the heat with the vents open, and mostly dry in the rain. It has good armor and a back protector too. I also have a Bates one-piece leather roadrace suit,and various other stuff but the Aerostich Roadcrafter suit is what I wear 9 out of 10 times I ride. | ||
| Eulysses |
I have been wearing a Teiz Motorsports full suit...like an Aero knockoff. Zippers from top to bottom. Fifty seconds in and 25 seconds out. Not bad! Half the price or less of a stich. They have leather too. | ||
| Discochris |
I'm a big fan of Aerostich gear. I've had a Darien jacket and pants for a number of years, and I'd never get anything else. I'm biased though, as the factory is only a couple hours from here, but there's a reason most of the hardcore Iron Butt types wear 'stich gear. | ||
| Nipsey |
I really like my Motoport Kevlar mesh - wear it exclusively, but somehow can't bring myself to sell my Vanson, it is just to perfect even if it just sits in the closet (and mocks all the other coats). | ||
| D2wing |
I am still pissed that my wife sold my old leather jackets at a garage sale. I have both leather and textile waterproof jackets but they don't breath like leather and aren't as comfortable to me. |
