Since the dawn of the age of motorcycling, it was apparent that
something was needed to protect the exposed human body from the
elements. The natural solution was leather. The leather
motorcycle jacket, a style made popular by such movie icons as
James Dean and “the Fonz”, not only serves as a fashion
statement, but is an essential piece of equipment to any serious
biker for keeping warm, dry, and in one piece. A good “riding
grade” leather jacket combined with motorcycle chaps or leather
pants, will act as a second skin between you and the road, and
can quite literally “save your hide”. With all this in mind,
let’s explore the things to consider when purchasing motorcycle
leathers.
The most common material for motorcycle leather is cowhide,
chosen for its strength and durability. Buffalo hide, another
high quality leather, is made not from the U.S. buffalo, but the
water buffalo most commonly found in India and Pakistan. Many
leather products come from this part of the world, and the
Pakistanis are world renown for their expertise in the
manufacturing of leather garments. Whichever type of hide you
choose, you must understand the tanning process, and how it adds
or detracts from the quality of the leather.
Leather was of course once the skin of an animal, and therefore
must go through a tanning process to strengthen it, and to keep
it from decomposing. Tanning makes the skin stable and rot proof
without sacrificing its structure and strength. The tanning
process involves several stages, including the removal 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 actually finished determines the quality, or riding grade,
for our purposes.
Types of Leather
To fully understand the types of leather available, one must
first know the term “grain”. The grain is simply the epidermis,
or outer layer of the animal’s skin. While imperfections such as
cuts, scars, and scratches will exist, the grain in its natural
state has the best fiber strength, and therefore the best
durability. The grain also has natural breathability, resulting
in greater comfort to the wearer.
Finished Split Leather
The middle or lower section of a hide that has been split into
two or more thicknesses. A polymer coating is applied and
embossed to mimic grain leather. Finished splits should only be
used in low stress applications because they basically 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 good
nevertheless.
Top Grain Leather
Top grain leather has been sanded to remove scars and
imperfections, then sprayed or pasted for a uniform look. The
smooth side is where the hair and the natural grain used to be.
Top grain is not the same quality as full grain or naked
leather, but thicknesses of 1.2-3mm make this type of leather a
very strong and durable riding grade material.
Full-Grain and Naked Leather
Full-Grain leather is made from the finest hides, and has not
been sanded to remove imperfections. Only the hair 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 typically 2mm thick, and must be hand picked
for uniformity. The natural full-grain naked leather will wear
better than other leather, and will actually improve over the
years. This type of leather is the ultimate riding grade; the
most sought after, and consequently, the most expensive.
Now that we know what type of leather we want, we must
understand the fact that leather is hot, and understand the
options that we have for the climate we live in. For winter
biking, a jacket with side laces and a belt will allow you to
adjust the jacket to fit snugly against the upper body. Of
course, being able to fully zip up only adds to your protection
from the wind. You can also wear a leather vest underneath your
motorcycle jacket for extra warmth. For hot summer days, a
leather jacket with air vents allows the air to circulate
underneath the jacket and around your body. For an all year
round jacket, consider one with a zip or snap out insulated
lining.
Leather is not meant to get wet, as that tends to deplete the
natural oils, and it is advisable to wear a rain suit over your
leathers in inclement weather. However if they do get wet, allow
them to dry naturally away from extreme heat. If the leather
seems to be losing its luster, it can be oiled to improve its
appearance. This supplements the natural oils in the leather
itself, which can be washed out through repeated exposure to
water. Frequent oiling of leather with mink oil or other
commercially available products will keep your leathers supple
and improve their lifespan dramatically.
Now that you have found the perfect biker jacket, take care of
it, and it will reward you with years of wear. The typical
lifetime of a heavy textile jacket will be from 3 to 6 years at
the most. A well maintained top quality leather motorcycle
jacket will easily give you 10 years and more of riding
pleasure!
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