Anyone know of a company that sells day-glo leather riding gear?

[Mitlov]

I kind of need a new jacket and pants for riding, and having gotten older, more cautious, and less fashion-conscious, I was thinking that I wanted some sort of ultra-high-visibility thing.  Day-glo yellow sprang to mind.  But all the riding gear I know in that color is textile, and I prefer leather.  Does anybody know of anything like this in leather?

Here's a FirstGear textile jacket in the color I'm talking about:



Most motorcycle collisions are caused by drivers not seeing a bike and failing to yield, so I thought something like this might be a good idea.

[dr_spock]

You can buy reflective tape and sew it on yourself.  My wife did that when she custom made the kids' Halloween costumes.  Also you can buy 3M® HEAT TRANSFER (Iron-on) REFLECTIVE TAPE if you're not into sewing.

You can probably get letterings to say "keep back 50ft" for your back. 

[huota]

I see some bikers (both bicycle and motorcycle) wearing day-glo vests - maybe that's an alternative if you can't find what you're looking for.

[Mitlov]

I see some bikers (both bicycle and motorcycle) wearing day-glo vests - maybe that's an alternative if you can't find what you're looking for.

I thought about just throwing one one of those roadside-worker vests over my jacket, but it seems like it would flap a lot.  That's why I was hoping for the leathers themselves to be that color.

As for the tape, I've got a jacket already with reflective striping, which is certainly better than nothing, but I was hoping for day-glo base color as well.

[PJungnitsch]

Newenough.com might have something, this showed up on a quick look.

http://www.newenough.com/protective_apparel/leather_jackets_and_pants/icon/daytona_leather_motorcycle_jacket.html#

http://www.newenough.com/protective_apparel/leather_jackets_and_pants/icon/motorhead_leather_motorcycle_jacket.html

They also have motorcycle specific hi-viz vests, I have the Icon version and it is form-fitting, doesn't move much.

[rrocket]

It really depends what you want to spend.  I learned my lesson early on that you get what you pay for (most of the time) when it comes to gear.  I avoided dropping big $$ on gear before and ended up being disappointed with the product for various reasons.  If I would have just bought top notch gear all around from the start, I'd be way ahead, and would have only had to buy a specific piece of gear once.  You want something with the most modern safety textile with certified safety testing that tests as good as leather?  The best kit on the market?  REV'IT gear.  Their textile stuff is tops, it's light, it breathes, waterproof, has KNOX armor in it, etc..It's the nicest stuff I've seen yet.  They do have some Hi-Vis stuff, and all of their suits have reflective areas on them that light up at night.  I too was a leather fanatic until recently.  Textile suits have really come a long way.  You should check them out.

If you really MUST have leathers, check out Vanson.  Most of their leather suits can be custom order in any colour combo.


Also, if you already have gear that you like, you can get a motorcycle specific vest.  Again, these have come a long way and are not the rinky-dinky vests of old.  Because of specific laws requiring soldiers on US bases who ride bikes, hi-vis vest is mandatory (mil-spec vest.  So, many manufacturers have a line of vests built to this military viz spec..  Armored, reflective and in Hi-Vis.  These are really good add on to anyone's jacket.  Best of all, if you're on a budget they only cost about $50.  Stylish and practical.  Some guys I know who wear them use the clear ID patch on the front to have emergency contact info in it in case of accident.  Handy.  As others have said, Icon also makes nice product.  Check out all the vests here. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/418/1/0/0/DEPARTMENT/Street-Bike-Vests-Mens-Riding-Gear.aspx

Joe Rocket:
  http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/ProductImages/OG/2009_Joe_Rocket_Military_Spec_Vest.jpg

You ride, Suzuki, so fly the Yoshimura vest! 

[Mitlov]

rrocket,

A friend of my wife was hurt pretty badly when a textile jacket of his came apart quite quickly in a crash.  I just trust leather more than textile.  And while certain tests may say that textile is just as safe, I can't help but notice that every single professional motorcycle racer still relies on leather.  So I trust leather more.

I hadn't thought of Vanson, but I'll check them out.  Unlike Icon, they have a local vendor.  And I won't buy this sort of apparel by mail-order.  I much prefer to try them on and really inspect them before I drop money into them (even if everything but S&H is refundable).

[rrocket]

rrocket,

A friend of my wife was hurt pretty badly when a textile jacket of his came apart quite quickly in a crash.  I just trust leather more than textile.  And while certain tests may say that textile is just as safe, I can't help but notice that every single professional motorcycle racer still relies on leather.  So I trust leather more.

I hadn't thought of Vanson, but I'll check them out.  Unlike Icon, they have a local vendor.  And I won't buy this sort of apparel by mail-order.  I much prefer to try them on and really inspect them before I drop money into them (even if everything but S&H is refundable).

I agree for the most part on leather.  But several manufacturers make textile as good as leather.  As I said...I've ALWAYS worn leather.  But the new textile stuff is fantastic from a few select makers, particularly Euro companies.  They take their gear very seriously over there and certify them to great standards.  I'd look at REV'IT from the Euros.  Motoport USA also makes some of the best gear around, and as a bonus, they've been crash tested by many riders and you can see the results on the web (sport-touring.net ADVrider, etc..)  They're so confident in their materials they will replace it for free for life.  Top notch stuff, but again, you'll pay for it.  Motoport has a stellar reputation for making durable top notch gear that's been crash tested.  But do some research on your own, and don't exclude it just because it's textile.  I think you'd be doing yourself a dis-service by not checking it out.  Here's their site:  http://www.motoport.com/Home

And yea, the racers use leather because it's mandatory.  Mandatory because older textiles could not compare with the abrasion resistance of leather at speeds over 180+ MPH.   But they also use special Kangaroo hides too.   And they wear lots of body armor underneath.  It's hardly a fair comparison comparing street gear to full on race gear. There is no doubt in my mind a REV'IT or Motoport textile suit would provide BETTER protection than some off-the-rack leathers I've see being used on the street.  I've seen dozens of leathers worn through on crashes on a race track on the smooth surface.  They would have been utterly destroyed on the rougher street surfaces. 

For me though...the body armor underneath the textile or leathers is as important, if not more-so than materials.  Textile/leather provides abrasion resistance.  The body armor prevents the blunt trauma that cause fatal injuries.  A high quality back protector is IMO the most important piece of gear you can wear.  Even a minor get-off can without good armor could be crippling or fatal.  I recommend T-Pro armor (also known as Forcefield in the USA) or KNOX armor.

[PJungnitsch]

Interesting point about the back protector. I have a long leather jacket I use around town in the spring and fall, with no armour at all. Adding shoulder and elbow armor seems impossible, but just now I tried velcroing a spare back protector in I had lying around, and 'voila', it works.

And good point about getting the right gear. Years ago I spent what I thought was a fortune on an Aerostich suit, and it's been worth it's weight in gold. Still gives good service. That said, around here cordura and leather are just too hot most of the time. I'm thinking of this for my next jacket, a Motoport Marathon in their Kevlar mesh:

[rrocket]

^^^^Yea!  Good gear for sure.  I just don't like how "coarse" of a texture the jacket feels after sampling the REV'IT gear. Be sure to check out REV'IT Scirocco or Cayenne Pro.  It's the same type of jacket.  Was WebBikeWorlds 2008 Apparel of The Year winner.  It's very nice....

[Mitlov]

Yeah, back protectors are good from what I've heard.  My current jacket has shoulder and elbow and kidney armor (very dense foam), but nothing on the spine (edit: never mind, it has more of that foam, just no hard armor).  It's too small now, and when I find a new one I'll see if you can slide in a back protector or something.

Speaking of--do you wear the back protector on you, and then put on the jacket, or does the back protector go into the jacket?

[rrocket]

Yeah, back protectors are good from what I've heard.  My current jacket has shoulder and elbow and kidney armor (very dense foam), but nothing on the spine (edit: never mind, it has more of that foam, just no hard armor).  It's too small now, and when I find a new one I'll see if you can slide in a back protector or something.

Speaking of--do you wear the back protector on you, and then put on the jacket, or does the back protector go into the jacket?

Mit,

  That dense foam stuff, unfortunately, is more or less garbage.  It might prevent say..a stone or rocks from doing soft tissue damage in a very mild accident.  But beyond that, most every jacket you buy has craptastic armor in it and won't do much in way of protection beyond a mild hit.  And after a single crash, they are supposed to be discarded.  Single use only. They good news is you can buy outstanding replacement armor that will slide into your current jacket for reasonable money. The Forcefield stuff I talk about is so light, yet so high tech.  When you squeeze it slowly..it's super pliable (it will actually mold to your body).  But the instant it has anything more than slow pressure on it, it stiffens up.  But it's more than just having stiff armor (otherwise hard plastic would suffice).  Forcefield armor not only stiffens up, but it's like a honeycomb...it distributes the blow over the entire surface area of the armor.  So not only does it protect from the actual blow, it dissipates it over a larger area lessening the trauma significantly.

An insert that fits into your jacket is CE Level 2 certified and costs $100.  The full back armor that you wear under your jacket includes kidney belts and more surface coverage.  Expect to pay $150.  Again..that's CE Level 2 and transmits only 4.93 Kn (Level 2 has to be fewer that 9 Kn).  I prefer this type.  Easily fits under your jacket.  Of course that depends how tight you wear your jacket to begin with.  I'm going to buy the full armor under-jacket from Forcefield and ditch the standard armor in all of my jackets.  It protects everything..chest, ribs, forearms, shoulders, back, kidneys.  It's very light and breatheable..impressively so.  But rather expensive.  If on a budget, Velocity Gear makes underjacket called the Juggernaut.  Supposedly the cheapest complete Level 2 system on the market.

KNOX also makes top notch replacement armor too as do Velocity Gear.  But currently, the Forcefield (aka T-Pro) is the best on the market.  Apparently, the Joe Rocket Speedmaster back protector uses the Forcefield armor under license (not sure what level or protection), so that's another option.

RiDE Magazine is the only magazine that I've ever seen do actual measured force testing on armor.  I don't have a link, but it's likely you can find info on the web.

Again...I think abrasion resistance is very important.  But armor is the most important piece of kit IMO. 

[huota]

Here's a link to the Ride magazine back protector test.

I had an accident a few years ago, which seriously hurt my back. I believe wearing a back protector (much like the Alpinestars Bionic in the test) saved me from being paralyzed. I will never ride a motorcycle without wearing a back protector. If I was to buy one today it would be Forcefield Pro L2 without a question.

[No H2O]

But all the riding gear I know in that color is textile, and I prefer leather.

You have a right to your choice, but leather is so dated...and not for lack of style. Textiles for everyday riding offer so much more in the way of advantages.

[rrocket]

But all the riding gear I know in that color is textile, and I prefer leather.

You have a right to your choice, but leather is so dated...and not for lack of style. Textiles for everyday riding offer so much more in the way of advantages.

I agree with both.  The cheaper textiles offer poorer abrasion resistance than leather, and often are ruined in a minor get-off.  But I agree with you if we are talking the higher end stuff.  And I recently saw a suit that has all of the qualities of the high-end suits without the crazy prices!  A mere $289 for a complete suit!  I was totally blown away by the quality, and as soon as the web-site is back up, I'll be ordering one....

Lombard (vented suit) by Teiz Motorsports



Highlights:
· 600D/1680D high performance, abrasion resistant, PU coated outer shell
· Dual flap front closure for increased waterproofing
· Removable CE approved armor
· Removable Polar Protection 100g thermal liner
· Drench Quench breathable waterproof liner
· 8 reflective stripes
· Several pockets
· Waterproof zippers on most pockets and all vents
· 12 Vents
· Stretch material on the knees, elbows and back
· Extremely heavy duty size 10 YKK main zippers
· Glove/keys hanger

Visibility:
· Two reflective panels on each arm (bicep area)
· Two reflective panels on the front (shoulder area)
· Two reflective panels on the upper back
· Two reflective panels on each leg (shin area)

Protection:
· 600 Denier high performance, abrasion resistant, PU coated Polyester shell
· Internal double stitching
· Foam padded seat
· Removable CE approved shoulder protectors
· Removable CE approved knee protectors
· Removable CE approved back protector
· Removable CE approved elbow protectors
· Removable CE approved shin protectors
· 1680 Denier high performance, abrasion resistant, PU Nylon ballistics
· Knee sliders with large patch for ideal placement

Fit, Adjustment & Comfort:
· Grip material in the seat area
· Velcro adjustment tab behind shins
· Velcro adjustment tab behind ankles
· Velcro adjustment belt around the waist
· Dual 3-position adjustment buttons on each arm
· Ellipse on the back
· Ellipse on the elbows
· Ellipse on the knees
· Soft lining on the collar
· Velcro neck adjustment
· Full length YKK front zipper with dual-flap Velcro cover
· Velcro adjustable cuffs Velcro adjustable cuffs with gusset sleeves
· Separate entry zip for right leg
· Pull tabs for each zip to make it easy to open them with gloves on
· Snap button to keep collar open
· Anatomically fitted for the riding position


Ventilation:
· Two rear vents on the back
· Shoulder vents
· Two front vents on the chest
· Under-arm vents
· Vent on upper bicep on each arm
· Vent on each leg

Pockets & Storage:
· Waterproof rear storage pocket that covers entire length of the back
· Waterproof thigh pockets
· Pocket on right arm
· Pen slot on right arm
· Two waterproof chest pockets
· Side entry pockets that allow access to inner pants (even with the thermal lining attached)

Cold Weather & Rain:
· Polar Protection 100g thermal liner
· Drench Quench waterproof/breathable membrane
· Waterproof zips on all vents
· Velcro flaps for most zips for further waterproofing
· Dual flap front flap that improves waterproofing
· Stowable rain cap that can be tucked inside the collar



Highlights:
· 600D/1680D high performance, abrasion resistant, PU coated outer shell
· Dual flap front closure for increased waterproofing
· Removable CE approved armor
· Removable Polar Protection 100g thermal liner
· Drench Quench breathable waterproof liner
· 8 reflective stripes
· Several pockets
· Waterproof zippers on most pockets and all vents
· 12 Vents
· Stretch material on the knees, elbows and back
· Extremely heavy duty size 10 YKK main zippers
· Glove/keys hanger

Visibility:
· Two reflective panels on each arm (bicep area)
· Two reflective panels on the front (shoulder area)
· Two reflective panels on the upper back
· Two reflective panels on each leg (shin area)

Protection:
· 600 Denier high performance, abrasion resistant, PU coated Polyester shell
· Internal double stitching
· Foam padded seat
· Removable CE approved shoulder protectors
· Removable CE approved knee protectors
· Removable CE approved back protector
· Removable CE approved elbow protectors
· Removable CE approved shin protectors
· 1680 Denier high performance, abrasion resistant, PU Nylon ballistics
· Knee sliders with large patch for ideal placement

Fit, Adjustment & Comfort:
· Grip material in the seat area
· Velcro adjustment tab behind shins
· Velcro adjustment tab behind ankles
· Velcro adjustment belt around the waist
· Dual 3-position adjustment buttons on each arm
· Ellipse on the back
· Ellipse on the elbows
· Ellipse on the knees
· Soft lining on the collar
· Velcro neck adjustment
· Full length YKK front zipper with dual-flap Velcro cover
· Velcro adjustable cuffs Velcro adjustable cuffs with gusset sleeves
· Separate entry zip for right leg
· Pull tabs for each zip to make it easy to open them with gloves on
· Snap button to keep collar open
· Anatomically fitted for the riding position


Ventilation:
· Two rear vents on the back
· Shoulder vents
· Two front vents on the chest
· Under-arm vents
· Vent on upper bicep on each arm
· Vent on each leg

Pockets & Storage:
· Waterproof rear storage pocket that covers entire length of the back
· Waterproof thigh pockets
· Pocket on right arm
· Pen slot on right arm
· Two waterproof chest pockets
· Side entry pockets that allow access to inner pants (even with the thermal lining attached)

Cold Weather & Rain:
· Polar Protection 100g thermal liner
· Drench Quench waterproof/breathable membrane
· Waterproof zips on all vents
· Velcro flaps for most zips for further waterproofing
· Dual flap front flap that improves waterproofing
· Stowable rain cap that can be tucked inside the collar

[No H2O]

The cheaper textiles offer poorer abrasion resistance than leather, and often are ruined in a minor get-off.  But I agree with you if we are talking the higher end stuff.

Up to 100 clicks I wouldn't have an issue with most textiles...thats most...not all, as long as they have some padding in the critical areas.

I wear an Aerostich. Rukka, Dainese, etc are all good and Halvarssons (a name I never heard of till recently) is supposed to be on top as far as protection is concerned. A few major police forces use it.

http://www.jofama.se/motorcycle_wear/products.php?lang=2&cid=5

People think this stuff is expensive, yet they go out and spend $300 every few years for a cheap jacket alone. I spend $900 for a good riding suit that lasts me well over ten years.

When you're on the road for 6 weeks at a time, you don't waste your time with stuff that doesn't do the job.

[No H2O]

I was totally blown away by the quality, and as soon as the web-site is back up, I'll be ordering one....

Lombard (vented suit) by Teiz Motorsports

Vented? How well does it do near 0. I'm asking because I like that time of year best.

At $289, I'm skeptical as to the quality and protection.

Post a link to the site. Lets hope that have a display at the TO show in December.

[rrocket]

I was totally blown away by the quality, and as soon as the web-site is back up, I'll be ordering one....

Lombard (vented suit) by Teiz Motorsports

Vented? How well does it do near 0. I'm asking because I like that time of year best.

At $289, I'm skeptical as to the quality and protection.

Post a link to the site. Lets hope that have a display at the TO show in December.

I was too until I fondled the jacket.    The guys at ADVRider love 'em...and they are about the most anal gear weenies I've ever seen.  The vents seat up, so the jacket does fine.  It's not a mesh jacket BTW...it just has vents that you can open or close depending on weather.  Their web-site is being re-designed...so no linky ATM.  I think a few mags have done reviews and were generally quite impressed.

My favorite high-end stuff is Rev'It.  They make amazing stuff....

[PJungnitsch]

For me though...the body armor underneath the textile or leathers is as important, if not more-so than materials.  Textile/leather provides abrasion resistance.  The body armor prevents the blunt trauma that cause fatal injuries.  A high quality back protector is IMO the most important piece of gear you can wear.  Even a minor get-off can without good armor could be crippling or fatal.  I recommend T-Pro armor (also known as Forcefield in the USA) or KNOX armor.

Had some time to think about this after my recent accident, and I think that I will go with a airbag jacket next time. Nothing textile came close to wearing through, but the impact, even with the good armor my 'stich came with, did the damage.

Likely something such as this:

[blur911]

Closeout pricing on Fieldsheer vest. $40USD

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/418/20214/CITEM/Fieldsheer-On-Base-Mesh-Vest-Closeouts.aspx