Looking for suggestions for a summer riding jacket, one that will provide protection in case of a fall. Had a friend take a slide yesterday and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He had no road rash anywhere but his upper body. Luckly he was wearing a half helmet and it probably saved his life. He was only going about 30 mph, but he hit so hard it broke his shoulder, 3 ribs and collapsed his lung. He basically low sided a turn then tried to corner it. The turn was a slow sweeper to the right. The back end just went out from under him. Funny thing we had just talked at lunch about turns and I said you always enter the turn on the high side. I think he's going to be ok, but after seeing all the road rash I want a jacket. Now I will say I have been gulity of wearing shorts, but never again and I will start wearing gloves also.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Allen
I have several jackets both leather and mesh and the weather disctates what I will wear on any given day. I never, ever ride without at least a ligh mesh armored jacket. Got my lightweight mesh at Cycle Gear for about $50 and after nearly 3 years of use {I live in southern Arizona so lightweight mesh is the preferred choice for much of the year} it is holding up quite well. Heck I even washed it for the first time the other day and it came out looking like new.
As the temps drop I am happy to get back into my serious Ox Blood heavy duty leather jacket which provides an awesome level of protection but at anything 90 or above is just too warm even with all of the vents open. For some exrta protection and to take the chill off of the early morning spring through fall rides I wear a nice leather vest over one of my mesh jacket as I can easily bag it as the day progresses and the temps begin to rise.
As you probably have guessed I am an ATGATT guy always wearing armored pants, boots, gloves and a full face {modular } helmet. Arizona is not a mandatory helmet state {unless you are under 18} and most riders here don't wear one... their call but not so sure those doo rags actually do much. As far as the folks riding in shorts and tennis shoes, sandals, even flip flops... I wish you luck as you will surely need it someday.
For the record I am intimately familiar with road rash not to mention broken bones having been down hard once and have absolutely no desire to repeat the experience.
This is the one I wear. Harley Mecca. Great down to 45 degrees and without the liner in Alabama in July I was ok. I also wear ATGATT and just ventured into the kevlar lines jeans. *** and hips and knees are lined. The kevlar is actually more comfortable on hot days than the denim which usually rips the hair out of my legs when I get sweaty. Like anything. You get what you pay for.
Even wearing leather during a crash, strange things can and do happen.
A friend of mine was involved in a "group" accident a few years ago. He was wearing a leather vest (zipped up) but no helmet or gloves.
If it hadn't be for the fact that an off-duty nurse was on her way home and right at the accident, he claims that he would have been dead.
He suffered a serious gash to his head and she literally held his scalp together until EMS got there and took over.
He NOW wears a helmet (he's now a real advocate for headgear ) and he still has heavy scarring (both externally and internally) on his RH side and around his back (and love handles) sustained as his vest pulled up as he was doing his sliding, but hey, he's still alive and still riding.
No protective gear can guarantee an injury free crash. People die in the highest safety rated vehicle everyday.
Personally, I always wear a helmet, safety glasses, leather boots and gloves.
I also try to wear a jacket (of some type) but not always leather when it's hot and I'm just riding short distances.
I do have a few lightweight leather "shell" jackets and I try to keep one in my saddlebag, along with a "mesh" jacket and a medium-weight leather jacket. As temps cool in the late summer/early fall, I switch the mess jacket and toss my heated jacket liner in the saddlebag and when combined with the medium-weight leather I can finish out the riding season in comfort and warmth.
The best jacket is the one that you will wear all the time.
It may not be the most protective or contain kevlar but something is sometimes better than nothing.
Having jacket left at home in the closet does not help at all.
A jacket also helps with sun protection.
Temperatures sometimes can swing 30 degrees + if you are touring.
A mesh jacket with a removable wind break liner can keep you riding through temperature swings.
A fleece thermal can be carried in a bag and added if temps drop dramatically .
Armor in jacket at major impact points may also help to reduce or spread impact energy over a larger area in order to reduce possible injury.
For a cruiser style, River Road use to be an available brand but i believe they are now called Black Brand.
There was a jacket called Sedona with pads in shoulders, back and elbows that had an open mesh weave available from River Road.
I believe it is now the Black Brand Men's Flow Black Mesh Jacket. It is a basic jacket with no big logos and really no reflective properties.
A very basic cruiser cut style.
The River Road Yuma jacket was a more closed weave mesh with looser sleeves and is also very basic jacket but it is no longer sold as new since River Road seems to have disappeared.
The Phoenix by Joe Rocket is a really nice jacket and has all the pads/armor but the cut is more race bike style than cruiser and has logos.
Harley has nice jackets but the lighter ones do not seem to have back armor or even a pocket for it.
For some reason, many motorcycle cruiser style jackets do not carry a back pad/back protection and that would seem like a large area worth protection.
The FXRG stuff from Harley is really good, but too warm for high heat 90+ summer riding.
There 's a lot of different ones. What worked for me was a long ride to a store that I could actually try on different jackets. I ended up with two jackets that look the same; but one is for winter and keeps me warm. And the other is hi flow mesh armor for the summer.
I had all the road rash I want when I was younger. I'm now an ATGATT rider, which includes an armored mesh jacket for warmer weather. I've had good luck with the armored mesh jackets I've bought from LeatherUp.com.
I think you will find that wearing a mesh jacket in the summer will actually keep you cooler as well.
05-14-2018, 09:15 AM
Summer riding jacket
Better to have mesh than just a shirt...
) and he still has heavy scarring (both externally and internally) on his RH side and around his back (and love handles) sustained as his vest pulled up as he was doing his sliding, but hey, he's still alive and still riding. 
