What Features Make A Motorcycle Jacket High
Quality?
1. Body armour and thickness: When it
comes to protective gear, you get what you pay for. Therefore, a cheap jacket
is most likely to be of poor quality. Quality motorcycle jackets should have
standard body armour padding covering the back, spine, shoulders, elbows and
forearm. Low quality jackets are usually made with little to no armour in order
to save cost. If safety is of paramount importance to you, then you should go
for thick jackets of about 1.5mm. The thicker a jacket, the more likely it is
to protect your skin from abrasion in the event of a crash.
2. Linings and Air vents: Liners are
what gives Expensive motorcycle jackets usually have quality linings that keep
the rider warm in cold seasons. The lining is often times removable to enable
use of the jacket in warmer seasons. Motorcycle jackets usually contain
zippered air vents on the chest, shoulder, back and under the arms which allows
for airflow inside the gear in order to prevent excessive perspiration and heat
exhaustion.
3. Fitting: Your motorcycle jacket
should fit like a second skin without restricting your movement or ability to
breathe normally. An overly large jacket will hike up during a slide leaving
your skin exposed. An overly tight jacket can cut off blood circulation. It
should be comfortable both when you’re standing and sitting.
4. Seams and Zippers: The seams of your
leather jacket should be inside so as to avoid abrasion in the event of an
accident. Also, the seams should be overlaid or triple stitched so they do not
burst open on impact. The zippers should close and open easily, they should be
covered with a flap to protect them from the elements and so they don’t pose an
extra risk to the rider in an accident.
5. Fewer panels: The fewer panels that
make up your jacket, the better. Smaller individual panels are likely to burst
at the seams in an accident.
Why
You Should Buy High Quality Leather Motorcycle Jackets.
It makes
sense that the fewer features on a jacket, the lesser it will cost. High
quality motorcycle leather jackets are usually expensive for a number of
reasons such as the features listed above. The following are reasons why you
should consider going for high quality jackets.
Protection: Although high quality leather is
usually more expensive and heavier than low quality leather, it is made with
the rider’s safety in mind. Visibility plays an important role in a rider’s
safety as motorists may fail to notice motorcycles in the dark, thereby leading
to accidents. Many motorcycle jackets come with reflective material that
enhances the rider’s visibility to motorist. Many motorcycle jackets have waterproof liners
that prevent water from seeping in and making the jacket heavier. Gore-tex or
entrant coated jackets are usually expensive but are the best for driving when
it rains.
Durability: When shopping for leather jacketsfor motorcycling, one might be tempted to save cost by going for cheaper and
lower quality leather but keep in mind that although they are cheap, they are
unlikely to last. There may be need to replace them after a short period of
time leading to increased cost in the long run.
Eco-friendly: Leather is made by tanning animal
hide. Several methods of tanning leather exist but the two major methods are
chrome and vegetable tanning. In chrome tanning, chromium salts are used to tan
leather. About 80% of leather is tanned using this method. Although it is a
faster means of tanning leather, it is considered more environmentally harmful
than vegetable tanning method which takes longer and is more labour intensive,
thus resulting in more expensive leather. Vegetable tanning produces more
breathable leather and poses less risk to people with chemical sensitivities.
What if I don’t own a motorcycle?
Let’s face facts, not everyone who owns a leather jacket is a
motorcyclist. Leather jacket have always been a fashionable clothing item.
Although leather jackets worn as normal clothing material may be cheaper than
those worn for the purpose of protection, the rule of thumb still applies here;
you get what you pay for. The rules below will help you pick a durable and
genuine leather jacket.
1. Check armholes: A high-cut armhole
allows for better arm movement which is what you want whether or not you are a
motorcyclist. Cheaper jackets tend to have lower and larger armholes to fit a
variety of body types whereas pricier jackets will have a higher armhole.
2. Check stitching: A high quality leather jacket
should have neat and quality stitches. A leather jacket with haphazard stitches
is most likely a fake one.
3. Put your senses to work: One way to
check for real leather is by putting your sense of smell to work; Real leather
has a natural smell whereas fake leather has a plastic, chemical smell. Also,
feel the material. A material that is grainy, soft and glossy is likely
genuine. Keep in mind that fake leather is also glossy. It is however less
likely to have the richly textured feeling of genuine leather.
4. Know your brand: If quality is what
you’re after then buying from a reputable brand is the surest way to get your
money’s worth.
In
conclusion, when buying a leather motorcycle jacket you have to know what your
priorities are (whether protection in terms of accidents or from the elements)
and shop accordingly. If you need a jacket that would offer protection and
durability, then go for higher quality leather jackets. They may be more expensive
but they are totally worth it.
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