Ever since the beginning of the era of motorcycling, it was clear that something was needed to protect the exposed human body from the elements. The natural solution was leather. The leather bike jacket, a style made accepted by such movie giants as James Dean and “the Fonz”, not only serves as a fashion statement, but is an important piece of equipment to any serious biker for keeping warm, dry, and in one section. A good “riding grade” leather jacket combined with motorcycle chaps or leather jeans, will act as a second skin in between you and the road, and can quite literally “save your hide”. With all this in mind, let’s look at the things to take into account when purchasing motorcycle leathers.
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. Many leather products come from this part of the earth, and the Pakistanis are world renown for their skill in the manufacturing of leather clothes. Whichever type of hide you choose, you must recognize the tanning process, and how it adds or detracts from the quality of the leather.
Leather was obviously once the hide of an animal, and therefore must go through a tanning course to strengthen it, and to keep it from decaying. Tanning makes the skin secure and rot proof without sacrificing its constitution and strength. The tanning process involves quite a few stages, including the removal of the hair and the surface layer of skin, as well as the fatty part of the flesh. The hide is then stabilized by one of numerous methods using animal oils, alum, chrome salts or vegetable tanning. How it is in reality finished determines the superiority, or riding grade, for our reasons.
Kinds of Leather
To fully appreciate the types of leather offered, one must first be familiar with the term “grain”. The grain is basically the epidermis, or surface layer of the animal’s skin. Whereas imperfections such as cuts, scars, and scratches will be present, the grain in its natural state has the best fiber vigor, and therefore the best toughness. The grain also has natural breathability, resulting in better comfort to the wearer.
Completed Split Leather
The central point or lower segment of a hide that has been split into two or more thicknesses. A polymer coating is applied and embossed to mimic grain leather. Completed splits should only be used in low stress applications because they in essence have no grain. If the polymer coating is left out it is often used to make suede. Not usually thought of to be riding grade, but can look respectable nevertheless.
Top Grain Leather
Top grain leather has been sanded to get rid of scars and imperfections, then sprayed or pasted for a uniform look. The smooth side is where the hair and the untreated 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 kind of leather a very strong and hard-wearing 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 fur has been removed. In the case of Naked Leather, where nothing other than the dye is added; this very soft leather needs no breaking in time. Hides are typically 2mm thick, and have to be hand selected 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 extreme riding grade; the most sought after, and consequently, the most costly.
Now that we realize what type of material we want, we must comprehend the fact that leather is hot, and comprehend the options that we have for the climate we live in. For winter biking, a jacket with side laces and a belt would allow you to fine-tune the jacket to fit snugly against the upper body. Of course, being able to fully zip up only adds to your safeguard from the wind. You can also wear a leather vest under your motorbike 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 skin. For an all year round jacket, consider one with a zip or snap away insulated inside layer.
Leather is not supposed to get watery, as that tends to drain the natural oils, and it is desirable to wear a rain set of clothes over your leathers in inclement weather conditions. Nevertheless if they do get soaked, allow them to dry naturally away from extreme temperature. If the leather seems to be losing its shine, it can be oiled to pick up its form. 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 added commercially obtainable products will keep your leathers bending and improve their lifespan considerably.
Now that you have found the perfect biker jacket, take care of it, and it will reward you with years of wear. The usual lifetime of a heavy textile jacket will be from 3 to 6 years at the most. A well maintained top quality leather bike jacket will effortlessly give you 10 years and more of riding enjoyment!
