Leather or Lace?

[pantablo]

mesh works fine, not as good as leather. and generally, mesh is one time crash only. damage usually renders the article incapable of FULLY protecting again. leather is good many times over.

[CirclesCenter]

Find me 1 person who had a good experience after crashing a text/mesh setup and I'll find you 10 people who crashed under similar circumstances with leather who walked away unscathed, and 10 who went down similarly in text/mesh and bled.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=28453.msg305621#msg305621

Ahahah I was cited!

[wildbill]

mesh works fine, not as good as leather. and generally, mesh is one time crash only. damage usually renders the article incapable of FULLY protecting again. leather is good many times over.

++1, good explanation pablo.. everyone should follow this advice. Hey if you don't have a crazy amount of money to go all out on gear right now, go for the mesh/text clothing. If you don't crash and kept the jacket in nice condition, you can sell it for half or whatever and buy yourself a leather jacket in time.

[MarkusN]

I actually think people who have had a bad crash experience in mesh are the minority. You very rarely hear those stories, and though many people distrust mesh for a high speed crash, not that many people have any sort of negative experience with it.

Find me 1 person who had a good experience after crashing a text/mesh setup and I'll find you 10 people who crashed under similar circumstances with leather who walked away unscathed, and 10 who went down similarly in text/mesh and bled.

I've gone down at 75 mph and walked away without a single scratch to my skin. A few bruises, yes, but no road rash. My textiles were all tore up and I had to throw them way afterwards, but they did their job.

[Alphamazing]

Ahahah I was cited!

Pretty sure that was me, bro

mesh works fine, not as good as leather. and generally, mesh is one time crash only. damage usually renders the article incapable of FULLY protecting again. leather is good many times over.

Bingo. Leather is reuseable, but mesh is far better for hot weather. It really depends on where you live. I highly doubt you could survive a Texas summer with leather. Mesh is essentially a requirement if you want to wear gear (which many choose not to).

[ducati_nolan]

I used to wear a leather jackett but it wasn't motorcycle specific, It sucked when it was really hot, and it also really sucked in the rain. It would get really heavy and waterlogged and takes forever to dry out. I now have a motorcycle specific textile jackett and I think it should give good protection, with its hard armor. Motorcycle specific leather may give slightly better protection, but with my textile jackett I can open up a bunch of vents and stay cool in the summer and I can zip in the liner and stay warm and dry in the rain. If you can only afford one set of gear, and I know that many of us are broke, I sugest textile for its good protection and great flexability

[freewheelburner]

If you ride alot I think Text is the way to go. if your going for looks then leather. Text is waterproof leather is not I ride in all weather conditions and leather gets real wet and heavy My text coat is great for all conditions. I certainly don't go around thinking about wrecking....supersticious I guess. I wreked with no leather or anything before and had no scratches just a broken wrist.

[RVertigo]

What recommendation do you have for riding gear?  Are leathers or textiles more effective?  What brands / types do you prefer?  Though I have a helmet, I'm looking for boots, gloves, pants, and a jacket.  Your thoughts would be more than appreciated.

Since I live in the same climate as you...


Moto Leather == WAY more protection
Perf'd Moto Leather == Great for hot days
Textile == Only worth it if it's 100% waterproof and you plan on riding in the rain.
Mesh == Feels like riding naked, but offers protection
Fake "Motorcycle" Jacket == Looks cool, but won't do shaZam! in a crash


Trust me, there is no perfect all-season jacket...  If you plan on riding on dry days during the Spring, Summer, and Fall, then get a leather jacket that has good armor, decent perforation, and a decent liner.  You have TONS of options...  I chose my Icon Retro Daytona because it:  Looks friggen sweeeeeeeet, is quality 1.2 mm leather, has good armor in the shoulders and elbows, has great perforation and vents, is DAMN comfortable, and has a great liner...  Did I mention is looks cool too? 

But...  I also have a 100% waterproof textile jacket.  It's only 450 Denier, so the best I can hope for is that I'll make it through the crash, 'cause there's NO WAY the jacket will be useful after that.  It's WARM!  It's comfortable...  It zips to my 100% waterproof 600 Denier riding pants...  But, it TOTALLY SUCKS in the summer.


So... 
Dry REALLY FRIGGEN HOT days == Perf'd leather, wet T-Shirt, and LOTS of water...  Or mesh...  Or go to the beach and drink margaritas.
Dry Warm days == Perf'd leather
Dry not-so-warm days == Perf'd leather with liner...  Or non-perf'd leather without liner.
Dry cold days == Perf'd leather with liner and hoodie...  Or non-perf'd leather with liner.

Wet == 100% waterproof Textile jacket with as high a denier rating as you can get.

Cold == Layers and THICK gloves.

Wet & cold == Combo of layers, thick gloves, hoodies, waterproof gear, and lots of shivering.



Gloves == 100% THICK LEATHER...  There is no option.  For riding in the cold or cold and wet, I suggest the Cold-Front Carbon glove...  I love it! 
Boots == Leather (or similar motorcycle specific abrasion resistant material) above your ankle
Helmet == Full-Face saves chins.  Open face looks cool, but ain't doing jack in a crash.


Pants == Pretty much the same idea as jackets...  Leather is best for dry, waterproof (with a high denier rating) is best for wet.

[brett]

One thing to keep in mind when buying a leather jacket is that down the road you may want to (and probably should) get leather pants to go with it. If you get pants that zip together, you have yourself a 2-piece that is suitable for track use. For this reason, I usually recommend that folks go with Alpinestars or Dainese. Both have a good selection of pants and jackets, and they both are very reliable. There may be other good brands, but those are the two that I've seen in action the most.

[RVertigo]

I usually recommend that folks go with Alpinestars or Dainese.

They do make good stuff...  I like Alpinestars stuff.  They have different fits between the different styles of jackets, so if one doesn't fit a different style probably will.  They also make a wide variety of gear AND it's readily available and easy to find on sale.

Daimnexpensive is... well...  Daimn expensive. 


Keep in mind that if your pants and jacket don't match, you can take the mating zipper from one and get it sewn to the other...  That's what I did with my textile gear. 

[Wrecent_Wryder]

[,7

[RVertigo]

Dude...  You can get a 500+ Denier Textile jacket with Waterproof/Breathable membrane (ala Goretex) and waterproof zippers (yes, they really are) for under 3 bills... EASILY.  Most are more like $200.

Theoretical leather is fun to talk about, but let's get real. 
Can you go to the store and buy it? 
Does it come in the color you want?
Is it worth spending 5 bills on it?
Does it have good armor?
Does it fit you?

So... Anyway...

[pandy]

Just wear what Pablo wears: leather thong and lace one-piece suit.... 

[Wrecent_Wryder]

[j

[RVertigo]

You paid more for your jacket than I did for nearly all my gear.  Yeah...  It sucks that my perf'd leather isn't waterproof and that my waterproof jacket isn't leather...  But, I can pay for both of them AND have money left over to buy more crap.


Brown leather only works on bomber jackets with fur collars...  Black leather is about as exciting as watching HD riders drink themselves into a brick wall...  No... Wait...  I mean...  Black leather is boring.


I just don't get the point of a black, non-perf'd, waterproof leather jacket...  It's HOT HOT HOT...   So, I guess I can pay less for two jackets and be comfotable year round.    To each his own eh?

[Wrecent_Wryder]

[j

[RVertigo]

The first one would look good on the floor.
The second one would look good on fire.

But...  WTF do I know?  This is MY jacket:  Icon Retro Daytona

[banner]

i just got a vanson jacket

for very


cheap

[pantablo]

... but with my textile jackett I can open up a bunch of vents and stay cool in the summer and I can zip in the liner and stay warm and dry in the rain.

ditto for many leather jackets. not all are perf'd. many have zip vents. almost all come with a liner for cold days.

and motorcycle specific leather does not get heavy and waterlogged. Coming back from my first trackday, which I RODE to, I rode 1 hr home in this:

I was fine. Leather didnt feel overly heavy. I dont know where you get your info. Moto leather is NOT fashion leather. that is crap.

and leather jackets can be bought for $300 or less. newenough.com has them for as low as $170 (firstgear leather jacket). there's no [cost] reason NOT to wear leather, unless you insist on mesh (not textile, mesh) because of the temps.

buy the most that you can afford whether its textile or leather.