is a macy's leather jacket good 'nuff ???

[ryu hayabusa]

i'm buying gear and keep hearing people say leather is more protective than say textile. i can only afford a textile riding jacket. but i currently own a nice leather jacket from macy's, is this jacket going to be good 'nuff??? or is there a difference in motorcycling leather and the stuff from the store, and before you ask... YES! it is REAL 100% LEATHER.
thanks guys, i'm a noob (no shame). just help keep me in the know so i can wear ATGATT.

[fujimumu]

Those jackets might provide better abrasion resistance than a textile jacket, but they are not made for motorcycling.

A motorcycle specific jacket will have much thicker, higher quality leather and is usually complemented with elbow, shoulder and a back bad.

I don't think Macy's includes any impact armor in their leather jackets designed for fashion rather than function.

[kkim]

I'd say no.

pic of the jacket?

[k-os]

Originally Posted by fujimumu

Those jackets might provide better abrasion resistance than a textile jacket, but they are not made for motorcycling.

A motorcycle specific jacket will have much thicker, higher quality leather and is usually complemented with elbow, shoulder and a back bad.

I don't think Macy's includes any impact armor in their leather jackets designed for fashion rather than function.

Leather motorcycle jackets also usually have better, stronger stitching.

[250rStar]

yeah and they have padding in the back shoulders and elbows..

[Bleak21]

If you wore an exoskeleton underneath go for it. I wear an AXO air cage pro underneath a high vis rain jacket I had lying around (and even my main jacket to stay safe). I plan on mainly using it for track days underneath leathers.

http://www.axo.com/collection/street...-cage-pro-2465

[zilaniz]

You want a leather jacket made for riding, and more specifically sport riding. Those kind will be armored leather jackets with CE approved elbow/forarm and shoulder armor.

[want1sobad]

Here is an alternative you may want to consider, best of all it's on clearance for $110!! (this is a $300 jacket originally).

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...ES_471-5535S_G

for what it's worth, i purchased this jacket 2 weeks ago and paid $149.99. the quality is outstanding. it has ce armor in the elbows, shoulders, and back (not a cheap foam pad that many jackets come with). the "carboflex" material has a texture like a seatbelt, but stretches as you move (it's very confortable). the material breathes so unless it's 90+ degrees you'll be fine (now that it's cooled down in florida, i've been wearing it with no issues heat wise). as a bonus, it comes with a removable liner that is actually a nice light weight jacket that can be worn on it's own.

i would definitely recc. this, given the fact that its $110 - i'd call it a no brainer.

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by ryu hayabusa

i'm buying gear and keep hearing people say leather is more protective than say textile.

Do you understand why, though? A jacket is only as strong as it's weakest component, and with most jackets, the weaknesses lie in the stitching and the way it's put together. Wearing a leather jacket that was designed with crashing on a motorcycle in mind is different from wearing a leather jacket that was made for fashion. You'd be better off wearing a focused, high quality textile rather than a fashion oriented leather jacket IMO.

Next is fit. The jacket isn't worth a damn if it doesn't fit well and doesn't hold the armour where it's supposed to be.

[addy126]

Originally Posted by Flashmonkey

Do you understand why, though? A jacket is only as strong as it's weakest component, and with most jackets, the weaknesses lie in the stitching and the way it's put together. Wearing a leather jacket that was designed with crashing on a motorcycle in mind is different from wearing a leather jacket that was made for fashion. You'd be better off wearing a focused, high quality textile rather than a fashion oriented leather jacket IMO.

Next is fit. The jacket isn't worth a damn if it doesn't fit well and doesn't hold the armour where it's supposed to be.

Ditto!

[Blackwidow]

dude, seriously take the time and invest in a real riding jacket. your life is worth more then a few bucks! macy's isn't cheap, so i'm sure adding 50 bucks to the jacket you're planning on getting will get you a decent gear.

[JMcDonald]

Even a mesh jacket isn't going to fall apart the moment you touch pavement. A friend of mine went down at about 45-50mph (lowside), and his mesh / textile jacket is just brown in the spots where he slid on it (even where he slid on the actual mesh). Hell, he even still wears the same jeans he crashed in, which now just have a few small holes and thin spots in the lower legs.

[JeffM]

Link to original page on YouTube.

Or if you want to stick with leather, this Frank Thomas XTI jacket is a pretty good deal. I'v tried this jacket on and it is pretty good quality for the price and way better than a Macy's leather street jacket - $149.97 - 169.97.

Link: http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...FTL277-BZ-38_G

[ManyCavies]

And check out New Enough.

http://www.newenough.com/

[SVBS]

If cost is an issues, definitely textile riding jacket instead of that macy's stuff, and keep an eye out at your local gear store for clearance, sometime they're clearing out old model with prices about the same as textile stuffs

[scotty]

I got my AVG jacket off craigslist for $40. It was only worn for a month. Maybe you should check for a slightly used one?

[ryu hayabusa]

should i ignore used stuff that's been rashed before? there's a great joe rocket on c-list for like 100$ , but it's been rashed once. on the sleeve.

[CThunder-blue]

There is a butt ton of jackets on close out at Motorcycle-Superstore.com right now. Most under $100. Free shipping over $89 and if you order just over $100, you can use the $5 off coupon I posted in the market place subforum.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...JacketUnder100

edit: sorry, those are textiles and I see you wanted leather. However, like others have said, there's nothing wrong with textiles. I have a leather jacket, textile, and mesh, and I feel perfectly safe with my mesh jacket. I would probably only wear leather if going to the track or doing some spirited backroads riding. Cycle Gear had the A*'s B52 leather jackets on sale during their Wicked Weekend sale for $150.

[CThunder-blue]

dunno what size you wear, but here's a Frank Thomas Leather jacket for $150 new

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...FTL280-BZ-38_G

FT XTI jacket- Blue and Red ones are $150

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...FTL277-BZ-38_G

[Nemesis]

The thing about HD riders vs Sportbike riders is WE know the difference between "Protective Gear" vs "Fashionable Gear".

And this leather jacket you speak of is what the HD riders wear a.k.a. "Fashionable Gear".

[TenaciousD]

Definitely watch the clearance/closeouts page at newenough.com
I picked up a textile Scorpion jacket for $19.99 a couple weeks ago. They have lots in the $60-100 range for textiles. You just have to watch their site because they don't always have all the sizes. I'm a XS to S in size so I can usually pick up stuff on closeout.

[ryu hayabusa]

ok this is great guys. thanks so much, now another question. what is a mesh jacket? and is it good enough to wear alone? or do you wear this over a another jacket? the one in question is this one:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...Closeouts.aspx

[gophurr]

Look at the Twist of Fate leather jackets for $163.95, I am not sure what size jacket you would be but they still have anything 42 and bigger. This is a very nice jacket and for $164 it doesn't get much better than this. Just hope that they have your size.

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Categories.bok?category=Speed+%26+Strength+Apparel:Men's+Apparel:Leather+Jackets

[foxpaws]

a mesh jacket is a jacket, usually with armor, made of, well, mesh fabric. a kind of netting, it's got lots and lots of holes, very light, very airy. mesh jackets tend to be warm-weather gear...full leather can get a bit toasty in the summer, no matter what color it is. that said, you can wear (or not) whatever you want underneath, a windproof or waterproof layer under it could easily extend the conditions you can comfortably wear it in; or you could t-shirt under it in the summer. someone else already posted that they survive a crash pretty well, and can still provide some protection for your skin.
i'd expect it might be a little chilly and/or damp for oregon, but i'm a bit wussy about being cold and wet.

[ryu hayabusa]

ya, i'm a total wuss right now. but i've never ridden a motorcycle until now and i'm 25. so, i've set personal limits. for instance, i'm only riding in nice weather, no rain or snow. i'm also only riding in my neighborhood for the first 5 months i have my endorsement. then i'll take it out on old mountain roads with a buddy, no solo riding and no city riding. and to top it off, NO RIDING until i get ATG. probably sounds like overkill, but my experience has been to take baby steps when new.

[ryu hayabusa]

Where the **** can i get a CHEAP, GREEN, TEXTILE jacket to go with my lime green bike and helmet?

[00NissanNinja]

Try new enough or sportbiketrackgear.

[GeneJunkie]

Originally Posted by ryu hayabusa

ya, i'm a total wuss right now. but i've never ridden a motorcycle until now and i'm 25. so, i've set personal limits. for instance, i'm only riding in nice weather, no rain or snow. i'm also only riding in my neighborhood for the first 5 months i have my endorsement. then i'll take it out on old mountain roads with a buddy, no solo riding and no city riding. and to top it off, NO RIDING until i get ATG. probably sounds like overkill, but my experience has been to take baby steps when new.

Hahaha that's not being a wuss at all, that is being smart. I never touched a manual transmission or any motorized bike until I took my MSF course at 27. After I got my bike I rode around in a parking lot for about a month and didn't even ride on the street to get there, I had my fiance do it for me lol. It took me 6 months to get on the highway and about that amount of time to ride in very very light drizzle. Never ride beyond your abilities, it's what I have done and every "scary" situation I had with a cager I was able to handle calmly and confidently.

[CThunder-blue]

Originally Posted by ryu hayabusa

ya, i'm a total wuss right now. but i've never ridden a motorcycle until now and i'm 25. so, i've set personal limits. for instance, i'm only riding in nice weather, no rain or snow. i'm also only riding in my neighborhood for the first 5 months i have my endorsement. then i'll take it out on old mountain roads with a buddy, no solo riding and no city riding. and to top it off, NO RIDING until i get ATG. probably sounds like overkill, but my experience has been to take baby steps when new.

You may want to revise your opinion on that. City riding will teach you skills that you won't learn anywhere else. Stop lights, how to navigate traffic, going up and down driveways with different conditions, pedestrian traffic, etc. Every environment has it's own skill set that you should learn. just my opinion tho.

I wear a Speed and Strength mesh jacket during my commutes. It's awesome for hot weather. It does come with a removable inner liner that keeps you a little warmer in the cool temps. Today was 53F coming in and I wore a T-shirt underneath. It was a bit chilly, but not a big deal to me. Upper 40's and I wear a long sleeve. Anything below that and I will likely switch to my A*'s textile and go back to my t-shirts.

[ryu hayabusa]

gots this one:
http://www.newenough.com/street/clos...le_jacket.html
anyone wanna tell their opinion?

[JeffM]

Looks like a good choice to me. Lots of armor, liner, pockets. Much better that a "fashon" type jacket. Now start looking for pants, boots and gloves when your finances allow.

But what the heck, it includes "1 baseball cap pocket"

[ryu hayabusa]

the baseball cap pocket is what sold me. when i meet my folks for dinner somewhere and have massive helmet head. i just pull out my trusty "honda" baseball cap... i should probably invest in a kawi hat...

[00NissanNinja]

Looks good to me and for that price its a great deal. Seems like it has a great amount of protection.

[bdavison]

Aside from the stitching in the jackets, the leather is different too.
Many of the fashion leather jackets have leather that is thin... some less than 1mm in thickness. They do this to make them flexable, and comfortable for daily wear. They also use sheepskin, instead of cowhide. Which is not as durable against abrasion as cowhide.

Most motorcycle jackets are made from cowhide leather between 1.5 and 3mm thick.