General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Leather or not?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 30, 2007 | 09:11 AM
  #1  
raptor350's Avatar
raptor350
Thread Starter
|
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From:
Default Leather or not?

Looking for opinions from you guys who have had both leather and synthetic bags. Which would you recommend and why.

Thanks.
Jeff
 
Old May 30, 2007 | 10:16 AM
  #2  
BWLucky13's Avatar
BWLucky13
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 891
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: Leather or not?

Everyone has their own set of values regarding the ideal bag. I've had'em all. Here's my value set.

Hard bags are always 1 cm smaller than what you want to carry.
Leather bags are great until they get wet, mold, and won't dry.
Synthetic leatherare the most practical.

I have not found price to be a goodindicator of utility. The shortest bag dimension will be the most limiting (a 5" thick bag will carry a lot more than a 4" thick bag). Aesthetics are a personal thing--the bag that looks great to you will be considered ugly by someone else.

Pay your money and take your pick.

 
Old May 30, 2007 | 10:18 AM
  #3  
Flying Pilgrim's Avatar
Flying Pilgrim
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 818
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Leather or not?

If all you are looking for is utility at a fair price, synthetic is maint. free, less expensive, and totally weatherproof. Leather looks better, has "character", and if maintained, will last a long time. I think synthetic looks cheap compared to real leather.
 
Old May 30, 2007 | 11:26 AM
  #4  
89FLHT's Avatar
89FLHT
Stellar HDF Member
20 Year Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,379
Likes: 226
Default RE: Leather or not?

Pleather or Sythetic Bags go great with any metric out there.

Quality Leather Bags that are maintained will stand up to years of weather and use. At least from my direct experience.
 
Old May 30, 2007 | 12:27 PM
  #5  
whaap's Avatar
whaap
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11,317
Likes: 11
From: Tucson, Az
Default RE: Leather or not?

To me,vinyl bags look just like that: plastic and that equates to cheap. Leather is the best as far as I'm concerned. The more it is used the better it looks. Probably the most practical are hard bags as they won'tshow age or wear.
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Bobby Sprankle
Dyna Glide Models
6
Jun 22, 2016 04:06 PM
fishtown fatboy
Softail Models
6
Oct 18, 2013 01:22 PM
wideopen1967
Touring Models
1
May 21, 2011 10:04 AM
Manish_Hawg
Touring Models
0
Oct 9, 2009 02:31 PM
DaSham58
Softail Models
14
Jun 16, 2009 07:59 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:24 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE