Ever since the start of the age of motorcycling, it was clear that something was required to protect the exposed human body from the elements. The natural solution was leather. The leather motorbike jacket, a style made all the rage by such movie giants as James Dean and “the Fonz”, not simply serves as a trend statement, but is an indispensable piece of equipment to any serious biker for keeping warm, dry, and in one piece. motorcycle club colors A good “riding grade” leather jacket in combination with motorcycle chaps or leather pants, will act as a second skin in between you and the street, and can quite accurately “save your hide”. With all this in mind, let’s investigate the things to consider when purchasing motorcycle leathers. motorcycle club forum
The most universal material for motorcycle leather is cowhide, chosen for its strength and durability. Buffalo hide, a different high quality leather, is made not from the U.S. buffalo, but the water buffalo most generally found in India and Pakistan. Lots of leather products come from this part of the world, and the Pakistanis are world renown for their know-how in the manufacturing of leather wear. Whichever sort of hide you choose, you must understand the tanning process, and how it adds or degrades from the quality of the leather. motorcycle club michigan
Leather was of course once the hide of an animal, and therefore must go through a tanning course to strengthen it, and to keep it from decomposing. Tanning makes the skin secure and rot proof without sacrificing its form and strength. The tanning process involves several stages, including the deletion of the hair and the outer layer of skin, as well as the fatty part of the flesh. The hide is then stabilized by one of several methods using animal oils, alum, chrome salts or vegetable tanning. How it is really finished determines the excellence, or riding grade, for our principles.
Varietys of Rawhide
To fully comprehend the types of leather accessible, one must first be familiar with the term “grain”. The grain is merely the epidermis, or surface layer of the animal’s skin. Though imperfections such as cuts, scars, and scratches will be present, the grain in its natural state has the best fiber concentration, and therefore the best durability. The grain also has natural breathability, resulting in superior comfort to the wearer.
Completed Split Leather
The middle or lower segment of a rawhide that has been split into two or more thicknesses. A polymer covering is applied and embossed to mimic grain leather. Completed splits should only be used in low pressure applications because they essentially have no grain. If the polymer coating is left out it is often used to make suede. Not considered to be riding grade, but can look decent nevertheless.
Top Grain Leather
Top grain leather has been sanded to remove scars and defects, then sprayed or pasted for a uniform look. The smooth side is where the hair and the genuine grain used to be. Top grain is not the same superiority as full grain or naked leather, but thicknesses of 1.2-3mm make this type of leather a very strong and tough riding grade leather.
Full-Grain and Naked Leather
Full-Grain leather is prepared from the optimum hides, and has not been sanded to remove imperfections. Only the coat has been removed. In the case of Naked Leather, where nothing other than the dye is added; this very soft leather requires no breaking in period. Hides are on average 2mm thick, and must be hand picked for uniformity. The natural full-grain naked leather will wear superior than other leather, and will actually improve over the years. This type of leather is the supreme riding grade; the most sought after, and accordingly, the most high-priced.
Now that we realize what type of leather we want, we must appreciate the fact that leather is hot, and understand the options that we have for the climate we live in. For winter biking, a leather jacket with side laces and a belt would allow you to tweak the jacket to fit comfortably against the upper body. Of course, being able to entirely zip up only adds to your safeguard from the wind. You can also wear a leather vest under your bike jacket for extra warmth. For hot summer days, a leather jacket with air vents allows the air to flow underneath the jacket and around your skin. For an all year round jacket, think about one with a zip or snap out insulated lining.
Leather is not meant to get watery, as that tends to deplete the natural oils, and it is prudent to wear a rain set of clothes over your leathers in inclement conditions. Nonetheless if they do get wet, allow them to dry in a relaxed manner away from extreme temperature. If the leather seems to be losing its shine, it can be oiled to improve its outward show. This supplements the genuine oils in the leather itself, which can be washed out through repeated exposure to water. Frequent oiling of leather with mink oil or added commercially available products will maintain your leathers bending and improve their lifespan noticeably.
Now that you have found the ideal biker jacket, take care of it, and it will reward you with years of wear. The usual lifetime of a heavy textile coat will be from 3 to 6 years at the maximum. A well maintained top class leather bike jacket will without difficulty give you 10 years and more of riding enjoyment!
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