Just wanted to post a review of some of the items I recently bought from Leatherup.com

I've been riding street bikes for about 16 years, with a recent 2 year break. I just bought my current bike in July. I come from sport bikes so I was in need of some more plain styled leathers (not the bright colored flashy stuff I had). The weather is starting to get colder so I started looking around and read some good reviews about the leatherup.com stuff and thought I would give it a shot for the wife and I. Here is what I got and my initial thoughts on the stuff.

Mens Vigilant Classic Logger Inside Zipper Boot by Xelement

https://www.leatherup.com/site/product?pid=42044

I did not "Need" new boots, but the soles of the boots I have been using (old Marine Corps flight boots) are getting pretty worn and I have not gotten around to getting them resoled. Plus someone here on the forum had posted a 15% off coupon so I figured it was like getting them free with everthing else that I purchased...

My initial thought when I pulled them out of the box was WOW! They are a very nice good quality boot. So I laced them up to give them a try. I think that they are very comfortable considering that they are not even broke in yet. The insole is nice and cushy, and the boot just seems to fit good all the way around. Not a big fan of the d-ring style speed laces though, only because when lacing they can easily flip back and forth and make it a bit tougher to lace them up. When I was lacing them up I noticed that the tongue of the boot was a decently think pad instead of just a piece of leather. Initially I thought I liked that becuase it would add to the comfort but it made it tough to lace up the boots because as I would pull the laces tight, the tongue would spring back and loosen them. Not a big deal though, but I will come back to the tongue in a min. So after getting them all laced up, I just walked around the house in them a little and thought "I really like these boots". The side zipper is a nice addition, so you do not have to untie the boots so far to get them off. The zipper did not work real smooth at first so I put a little zipper wax on it and it worked great after that. The next morning I wore them for my ride to work, and a couple of things I noticed that I did not like. First is I noticed that soft cushy tongue as soon as I started moving down the road. It was about 45* and I could feel air moving through the boot. When I first felt it I thought "I'm not going to like this", but after my 30 mile drive to work (about 20 miles on the Hwy), my feet did not get cold, and I actually found myself thinking that it felt kind of refreshing. Obviously 45* is not REALLY cold so we will see how they do as the temp keeps dropping. The other thing I noticed that I did not like was that I could not fit the toe under the shifter, now I have a heel shifter so it was not a huge deal, but it was annoying at first. I have been riding motocycles since I was 10 and they all only had toe shifters until this bike, so it is just what I am use to. I can shift with the toe of the boot, but only with the side of the boot. Again this is not a huge deal, but just something I noticed when I first started going. The last thing that I did not like again goes back to the tongue. It is narrow and did not stay in place well. It slipped off to one side on both boots after wearing them for a few hours. Just a matter of untying, repositioning and retying, but I would like it if the tongue was wider and attached further up the inside of the boot.

WOW - that got long so here is the short version

Likes - Price! Nice solid construction, nice sole and insole, overall comfortable boot. The zipper is a nice addition for making the boot easier to get on and off.

Dislikes - Cushy narrow tongue, and d-ring style speed laces. The air getting through the tongue will probably be nice in the summer but not sure about winter months. For my 45*, 30min ride it really was not that bad.

Motorcycle Leather Over Pants w/ Side Zipper & Snaps by Xelement

https://www.leatherup.com/site/product?pid=50823

I was trying to decide between chaps and leather pants. I really wanted to have something that went over my street clothes so I was really leaning twards chaps, but I also wanted something that gave full coverage over my rear. I had seen another forum member post a review about these pants so I thought that was exactly what I was looking for. I normally wear a 36" waist in jeans, so I ordered a 38" in the over pants. Again my initial thought when I pulled them out of the box was WOW! I think that these pants are extrenely nice, especially for the money. There is a zipper that goes about 3/4 the way down each leg, and then snaps from there to the bottom of the pant so that you can cut them to the propper lenght. I typically where a 34" lenght in jeans and these where longer that I would like my jeans to be, but I did not cut them yet because they seemed to be perfet for putting my feet up on the Hwy Pegs and still covering all the way to the top of my foot. At the top of the pants there are belt loops, if you so desire to use a belt on them. On the top sides of the pants there are two snaps (at the top of the zipper) so there is some waist adjustability. There are two nice zippered pockets on the front of the jeans that are pretty deep, so plenty of storage space in them. The inside is lined to just below the knee to make it easier to get in and out of, and to not bunch up your jeans. Overall I think that these are very good quality and I would not hesitate to buy them again.

Likes - Price! The fact that they are actual over pants and just just a big pair of pants that I am trying to put over my jeans.

Disklikes - None so far.

I also got a jacket and vest for me and then a jacket, pants and boots for my wife, but my boys woke up early so I am going to tend to them. I will be back later with their reviews.

Phil

 

I wonder how cold you could ride with those and not freeze? I have a pair of Tourmaster overpants that have a removable liner and also padding/armor. I like them but after two years they are starting to get a little scraggly. They are fairly warm but these leather ones might be a little warmer.

 

Freeze with what, the pants or boots? I have a tourmaster air 2 mesh jacket with liner that is pretty warm, and considered the pants. So far the leather jacket seems to be just as warm as the Tourmaster but less bulky, I would assume the same for the pants, but having never used the tourmaster pants I cannot say for sure. I do however like my tourmaster jacket, just did not think it would be quite warm enough for the winter months.

Phil

 

Hmm...nice bike!

 

Just a heads UP to the OP< your toe shifter can be adjusted upwards, SO your larger toed boots will fit. Why suffer trying to shift with the edge of a boot?

 

Yeah, I know... I just got them though and I am going to see which boots I decide I'm going to wear more. Although if I get my other boots resoled, they too may not fit anymore... For the moment I will stick with heel/toe.

Should be able to get to the other reviews later today.

Thanks
Phil

 

Thanks for the review. I've been eyeballing those overpants myself. I've very curious how warm they'll end up being. Keep us posted.

 

I'm interested to read the rest of Phil's reviews. I have a pair of xelement chaps that I really like, bought them from leatherup.com. No complaints.

 

Premium Buffalo Leather Motorcycle Jacket with Protective Removable Level-3 Armor by Xelement

https://www.leatherup.com/site/product?pid=53282

So on with the reviews. Jacket is a little light compared to some of my older racing style leathers with armor. The Armor is actually pretty thin but it is kind of nice that you really cannot tell that it is there from the outside of the jacket. There are two vertical vents on either side of the jacket and one on each bicep, plus two vertical vents on the rear of the jacket to let air go through. On my ride the other day when it was 45* I went to work wearing the jacket and a hoodie and was very toasty. I stopped to get gas at one point and I actually started sweating, I probably could have done without the hoodie, but was comfortable while moving (should note that I did have the windshield on my RK). It has a zip out liner that seems pretty slim. Not sure how much affect it has on keeping you warm. Mainly will just keep the cold leather off you, but offer little else I would guess. In a lot of the reviews that I read from others ordering from there, they suggested to order one size bigger than you normally would, that did not hold true for me. Typically I am a large (sometimes XL). I had actually intended to order a XL but accidentally ordered the L. It fits really good actually and has plenty of room for sweatshirts and such under the jacket. I am 5'11" and about 210 lbs with fairly broad shoulders, so usually my problem is that something will fit me around the chest but the sleeves will be to short. With this jacket the sleeves are perfect for me, and the jacket has plenty of room inside. With my Tourmaster Air Intake 2, I almost bought an XL because the sleeves where to short with the L, then I found a L Tall that fit perfect, and I think that this jacket from Leatherup fits just about the same. On the tail of the jacket there is a foam pad sewn into the jacket. Not sure what that is supposed to be for, but it did kind of annoy me on my ride. That part of the jacket is really stiff and when I would sit on the bike if it hit the passenger seat it woudl push the whole jacket up, so I had to make sure I sit down just right to keep that part of the jacket between me and the rear seat. The collar has two snaps to keep in closed, of which it did a good job, BUT the collar did rub on my neck a little, which made me a little crazy. I think that will work its way out over time, but we will see. I had to reach into the neck a few times and pinch it outward (it that makes sense) to keep it from rubbing my adams apple. On my way home from work that afternoon it was about 78* - 80*. I threw the pants in a saddlebag along with my hoodie and started down the road. I did not open the vents until I had been on the highway for a little while, just so I could feel the difference between open and closed. I ended up opening the 4 zippers on the front but did not think to open the back before I headed out so those stayed closed. I still got some decent ventelation even with the windshield on and the jacket did not ballon up. I was very comfortable on the way home. It has two fairly large horizontal pockets inside the jacket (one on each side), and two zippered pockets on the outside. The two outside pockets are pretty small. I actually have to work to get my hands in them without gloves on. There is no way I could get in there with gloves on. At the bottom of the jacket are two velcro straps to cinch down the jacket if you want, and just above the foam pad piece is a small reflective pipe. On my bike that reflective pipe would not help out at all, but oh well. Forgot to mention about the sleeves. The end of each sleeve has a zipper and single snap. All the zippers on this jacket and a little stiff and the leather pulls and very thin. I do not think that the leather pulls will last very long, but time will tell.

Likes - Price! Seems to be good quality, at least on par with several of the jackets I looked at, at Harley dealers and other MC shops.

Dislikes - foam pad on the back of the jacket. I may get use to this but it leads to my next dislike of the jacket collar rubbing my neck. Again hopefully that will mellow out over time and not bother me any more.

Overal impression - Well worth the money I paid for it!

Classic Men's High Grade Cowhide Leather Vest

by Xelement
https://www.leatherup.com/site/product?pid=50097

Not really a vest type of guy, but I gave into peer pressure. I am a Patriot Guard Rider and decided that I wanted one for PGR rides that has some PGR stuff and Marine Corps stuff on it. It has two small pockets on the outside of the vest and four snaps to close it. All the snaps work well which is always a plus. The inside of the vest is lined with nylon and has one horizontal pocket on the left side and a vertical pocket on the right side. Both of those pockets are pretty deep. Neither pocket has any velcro or snap to close it, which I think I would prefer on the horizontal pocket. Just below the pocket on the left side is a small mesh cell phone pocket that should accomodate most cell phones. Other than that it is just a basic vest.

Likes - Price! gives me a good place to put some of my patches.

Dislikes - just the lack of a snap on the inside pockets.

Overall Impression - Well worth the money. Again it seems to be about the same as stuff I've seen at MC shops but much less money.

Thats it for my stuff, I will get to my wifes stuff either later tonight or tomorrow. Have to head to the store so I can get back and go for a ride before the inlaws get here.

Phil

 

Thanks for the reviews! Very informative indeed as I am considering ordering the very same jacket.