Jackets: How to look awesome on a motorcycle

Okay, I think that I should start out by lamenting the jacket that I ended up not buying. I bid on this vintage Vanson, but someone bought it with the buy it now within the hour.

Sure, it would have been $110 out of pocket, but JUST LOOK AT IT!

Now, to the jacket I already have. You can see it in front of this picture below. Unfortunately I have lost 25 pounds since I purchased it, so it's a little loose on me. But I can't deny, this is a great jacket. I have a bit of a love affair with Vansons: They are built like tanks. Their webpage says that they opened up a facility in El Salvador, so their claim to fame of being American made may be coming to an end, at least for their mass-produced models.

The racing suit in the back has since been sold. Not having an operational motorcycle made it hard to justify excessive apparel.

Now that I think about it, since I "saved" $110 by not buying this jacket, I have no problem spending that amount on motorcycle parts. Makes perfect sense to me.

WTF are you doing up?

Many years ago I had a motorcycle jacket custom made for me by Langlitz Leathers (before they became fashion accessories for celebrities.) Unfortunately, it got stolen. I still miss that jacket.

MitchellC wrote: ...The racing suit in the back has since been sold. Not having an operational motorcycle made it hard to justify excessive apparel.

I would humbly disagree. Unlike the various rusty projects that fill our garages and back yard, safety apparell is no cost ownership. I keep just about everything until I find someone who needs it more. The exception being helmets, after 5 years or so, the get moved to the "retirement" shelf. I have no idea what I'll do with them. But leathers, boot, gloves, anything that is still servicable, says.

Now of course, if you need the money for something else, thats a whole different ball of wax. But espcially with bikes, keep the gear, becuase most of us know we'll have another one.

Wearing gear that costs more than your bike is badass. All my gear together (helmet, jacket, gloves, boots) cost about $500, which unfortunately is about 300 less than my bike. There's always riding pants though, right?

Mental wrote: I would humbly disagree. Unlike the various rusty projects that fill our garages and back yard, safety apparell is no cost ownership.

That's good and all, but racing suits don't pay rent.

a) Vanson is still around and will make any style you want. there in Fall River Ma. Good people there.

b) I've got a freind with at least 50 new and 25 used racing leathers.

Me personaly i buy good gear and wear it when i ride. TourMaster Jacket (~$300), AGV carbon fober /fiber glass helmet ($650), and dragin Jeans (~$65), and boots.

Guy laugh at me when i ride my vintage 1952 Harly with a fullface helmet but you never know just cause i'm out foir a slow sinic ride don't meen the drunk in the car or the dumb $@#$ on the cell phone is paying any attention to others.

44Dwarf

Another ATGATT Harley rider here. Full-face Shark, FXRG lether jacket and textile pants, Oxtar boots, and Olympia gloves. I switch to a FieldSheer hybrid mesh and Olympia AirGlide pants in summer, but keep the Shark, boots, and armored gloves.

You guys are giving Harley riders a bad name...don't you know a do-rag is all you need on your head?

I work with a woman motorcyclist who used to ride sportbikes and wore all the necessary gear, but then she married a cruiser guy and now she rides around with a salad bowl on her head. She admits it's dumb but she still does it because it's fashionable. It makes me crazy.

Take the helmets to the autox they will protect your dome in a car just fine. Though full face in a car blows.

I was just permitted to purchase a new leather jacket from NewEnough because my wife didn't like the idea of me in textile.

Keep in mind, my motorcycle hasn't run since the fall. :)

Not on a harley, but ATGATT just the same. Right now I've got an Olympia AST in the eye searing Hi-Viz yellow, HJC CL-SP full face helmet, draggin jeans, and two pairs of boots (Thor 50/50 for commuting, Alpinestars Tech6 for everything else). I've also got two more pants on order Fieldsheer Mercury overpants and Fieldsheer street pants from Motorcycle Closeouts, after which I'll probably sell the jeans. Once it gets warmer, I'm eyeing up an Olympia Stealth mesh 1pc suit for summer road trips, and Klim Dakar pants with a Acerbis pressure suit for off-road shennanigans.

Mesh is sooooo nice. It's like riding naked. Feels great on those days where it's 75+.

+1. I can't believe I rode in the summer without mesh, ever since I got it.

stuart in mn wrote: You guys are giving Harley riders a bad name...don't you know a do-rag is all you need on your head?

I just got back from a military base in Maryland, they require full orange vest that pulls over, something like 15" square; it's tough to look all black and biker with a road flare on your body.

I'm looking at TourMaster jackets, any experience?

Dan

914Driver wrote: I'm looking at TourMaster jackets, any experience?

I think that's pretty good stuff. I like First Gear stuff personally.

914Driver wrote: ...I'm looking at TourMaster jackets, any experience? Dan

Also check out the Aerostich stuff.

Every Military base requires that reflective vest. I wear the one I got from MSF website. Icon even makes a mil spec one with the ID card attached via a velcro patch you can pull off and hand to the guard.

Aerostich is no-sneezin'-at money, but it's extremely high quality, and made by nice folks in Minnesota, doncha know. Buy a 'Stich jacket at it's the last one you'll need to buy. Whether that will keep you from buying more jackets, I cannot say.

Plus, the Aerostich catalog is an entertaining read. Andy Goldfine (the owner) is a good guy and a SERIOUS motorcyclist.

Mental wrote: Every Military base requires that reflective vest.

Even for civilians? I have to enter Ft. Belvior, VA once a year for football games (I coach youth league). Now that my son is in high school, I would be riding the bike.

CrackMonkey wrote:

Mental wrote: Every Military base requires that reflective vest.

Even for civilians? I have to enter Ft. Belvior, VA once a year for football games (I coach youth league). Now that my son is in high school, I would be riding the bike.

To ride on base, yes. The difference between civilians and military, is active duty is expected to wear that crap everywhere and civilians are only "encouraged." This being an Army base, they may require additional stuff.

Best to check before you try to get on. These days military bases are not guarded by military members, but instead overpaid, overweight, underworked, mouth-breathing glorified mall security guards with absolutely no leeway or ability to reason that a brigh blue orange and green Repesol leather motorcycle jacket with carbon fiber armor is more visable and safer than a $5 Wal-Mart reflective mesh vest.

..and if I am not allowed to give them a sac-whack for being idiots, I imagine they won't let you either.

44Dwarf wrote: Guy laugh at me when i ride my vintage 1952 Harly with a fullface helmet but you never know just cause i'm out foir a slow sinic ride don't meen the drunk in the car or the dumb $@#$ on the cell phone is paying any attention to others. 44Dwarf

+1 They repealed the helmet law in PA and people kept telling me "Didn't you hear? You can ride without a helmet now!" I ride with a leather jacket from a local custom-leather shop. I like it much better than anything mass-produced because it has all the features and the fit that I wanted. Vanson is the same deal, only even better but more $$$. (I hear the that overseas production will be for "lifestyle" gear and not hardcore riding gear.) I also have a First Gear mesh and love it in the warmer weather.

I've got a scorpion jacket. It's cheap ($150 from the local shop), but the construction seems quality. I've had no issues with it. The removable liner is nice, and the venting works well. I need to get a leather jacket to hit the track, but the Scorpion will stick around to be my daily jacket.