Fellow H-D Bretheren,

Seeking your help in my jacket search that is driving me crazy. As a fairweather rider, I am usually not in the know of all the motorcycle related "in" things.

I want to buy a leather jacket which will be my only riding jacket all summer in the Pacific Northwest. My preference is a jacket that is dark, leather, European collar and offers solid protection. It doesn’t have to be H-D brand but I don't mind spending another $50-100 if I will get equivalent value. Since I am the paranoid type, I would also like CE armor or better on elbows, shoulder and back. My budget is around $350 ($450 if it is H-D logo branded).

I like H-D styles like below but I don't know if I can install good armor on them:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/mcm/m...bmLocale=en_US

http://www.harley-davidson.com/mcm/m...bmLocale=en_US

Any recommendations on a jacket that goes with my Harley Sportster and has solid armor installed in it will be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Fox creek leather

 

Agree. Your budget will need to be a tad more but well worth it.

 

My favorite site - where I buy most everything on sale, off season - and have a
no hassle return policy is www.motorcyclegear.com Be sure to check out their
closeout department.

 

I'm not one of those guys who bashes everything Harley that isn't a motorcycle or a motorcycle part. I tend to buy what suits me best and what I feel is worth my hard earned money. I also almost never ask for other people's opinions the way you have because there are so many conflicting opinions out there on anything biker related that in the end I feel I am far better off making my own choice.

That said; I find the leather quality of most Harley jackets to be lacking. Their leather always feels cheap to me and the jackets' quality looks like something you get from the mall. They have some nice designs but like you, I want my jacket to actually protect me and not just look cool.

When I started riding a few years back I shopped everywhere for a jacket (except online). I settled on a jacket from ICON. The leather on this jacket is AMAZING. It is thick and heavy yet it is not stiff at all so the jacket is very comfortable even though it is a snug fit (which is how it should fit, I think). This surprised me because the leather is so much thicker than anything Harley uses on their jackets, yet the Harley jackets that I have tried on feel like they are made of cardboard (I'm sure they break in over time but why have to fuss with that)! It has armor in all the areas you are concerned with although except for the back, it is not removable (not sure why you'd need to remove it anyway). The jacket also has a full inner liner for colder weather and vents at the shoulders and back for hotter weather. The quality is outstanding and the leather has worn really nicely over time. Everywhere I go, I get compliments on my jacket almost as much as I get on my on my motorcycle.

The style of jacket I own is four years old and is no longer available but ICON carries several styles similar to it and all their jackets are made of the same quality leather. They are not like a lot of companies that use different grades of leather for different jackets. I recently got an ICON leather jacket for my wife and the leather on hers and the quality are the exact same.

I get my ICON (as well as lots of my non-Harley gear) from CycleGear. They have great customer service and a "no questions asked" return and exchange policy.

 

My HD leather jacket accomodates the extra-for-sale flexible body armor in the shoulders and elbows, but not the back. The first link you posted states it accepts the flexible armor in the shoulders and elbows as well. For solid armor, there are MC jackets with that built in, but am not sure if they're leather skin.

 

just picked up a HD luminator 360 degree jacket. it has removable pads at the elbows & shoulders. listed as a mid weight in catalog, feels pretty heavy to me.looking forward to wearing it but with temps in the high eighties will have to wait. Said i would never pay this kind of money for a coat but at 20% off i swallowed my pride as i really liked it. read a lot of post on other forums and all gave it high marks.

 

Visit Insurrection Leather, in Seattle. They might have something that will work and be in your price range. They will have a whole lot of stuff that will work if you can bump up your budget. They are all bike riders, as well.

 

The best Harley jacket is the leather FXRG and it has all the features you want. I think it sells for about $650 retail but go on ebay and search FXRG and read the descriptions carefully and you can probably find one like new for $350-$400. I have a lot of leather riding jackets from the major brands including Fox Creek, Vanson, Langlitz, Schott and Brooks but if I am going on a trip or doing some serious multi-day rides I always grab the FXRG.

 

I can't agree more, the FXRG xxxxxx-09 is the best jacket you will find for your riding area. It's waterPROOF, unbelievably warm and has armor in all the right places.

If your budget can't stand that then as mentioned earlier here, motorcycle gear.com has great deals. I've gotten the First Gear leather jacket for $200 there. A great deal.