Leather vs. Polyester Denier Jackets?
No disrespect intended but some real misinformation going on here. Kevlar, like in the Motoport or Cycleport clothing is every bit or more abrasion resistant than leather- and much lighter and cooler in the summer.. Check out their site and the testing. I have their stuff and was ok in 109 degree weather and in winter rain. I also have HD FXRG. I like them both. Kevlar is the 21st century way to go.
Kevlar vs. Cordura
Kevlar, an extremely strong synthetic fiber, might seem to be an ideal fabric for riding gear, but abrasion resistance is not simply a matter of stronger fibers. Apparently, Cordura nylon fibers will stretch over the bumps and snap back to shape, while non-stretching Kevlar fibers will grab the surface bumps and pull apart. That’s why “Kevlar” riding suits are not pure Kevlar fabric, but a blend of special flexible Kevlar fibers, Cordura Nylon, and stretch Lycra. Only one company in the world produces Kevlar fabric suitable for motorcycle garments: Schoeller Textile Company, in Switzerland.
Motoport will custom build a Kevlar suit for you at their Carlsbad, California factory, using Schoeller fabric. Marsee advertises an Ultra Ballistics Kevlar Jacket. Aerostich continues to use only Cordura nylon in their highly respected Roadcrafter and Darien suits.
http://www.soundrider.com/archive/sa...adding-pt1.htm
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,413
Likes: 17
From: eastern oklahoma
most types of polyester or nylon has the ability to melt if you were to end up sliding down the road. WEBHTN stated it correctly that his friend the doctor mentioned that the stuff can melt into your skin. i wear cotton shirts with a real leather jacket. even when it's hot out, most of the good quality jackets have excellent venting. not that we'll be worrying about venting for the next few months though. winter sux.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 843
Likes: 43
From: Louisiana
I'm kicking around the idea of a new jacket and have been looking at the harley davidson leather vs. the polyester denier. Both seem like nice jackets, and the polyester denier is waterproof. Would like to know some of you people's 2 cents on this. Thanks in advance!
If cool weather and no rain is the primary use it's hard to beat the look, feel and abrasion qualities of leather. Get one with a removable liner and some vent panels and you can be comfortable in some pretty warm temperatures as long as you're moving. More leather jackets are offering armor as an option. My leather jacket has a zip out fleece vest, 2 zippered intake and 2 zippered exhaust vents and CE armor in the shoulders and elbows. You can't even tell it has armor from the outside.
Now if I'm going to take a trip and cover big changes in temperatures as well as having to ride in the rain I'll take my textile jacket. It's armored, vented, has 2 removable liners, one is fleece the other is for wind/water. From a practical stand point the right textile jacket can do anything a leather jacket can do...plus more. Of course practical isn't always what we want. That's why I use my leather jacket most of the time. But if I'm heading out for a week or more on the road my textile jacket is the one.
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 800
Likes: 27
From: In the Pacific Northwest, a few hours east of Seattle.
I'm not criticizing Harley quality control - in fact, given the range of clothing and protective gear they sell, they have pretty good quality control. But if you look where their leather jackets are manufactured, they are imported to keep the cost down. The hides are lighter-weight leather than can be found on other protective garments. A number of different manfacturers produce heavier weight leather jackets. One of them is Fox Creek. I have experience going down wearing a Fox Creek jacket, and the jacket came through the accident pretty well.
With a good leather treatment your leathers will shed quite a bit of rain. In fact, there's a chance that it its raining too hard for your treated leathers to shed the rain, it's probably a good time to pull over and grab a cup of coffee.
By all means, wear whatever you want - but if you are dressing for the slide, not for the ride, my opinion is you're better off with organic materials. A heavy leather jacket is going to provide reliable abrasion resistance and some padding. Textile jackets may offer other benefits, particularly in hot weather, but I don't see a widespread acceptance of textile racing suits among professional motorcycle racers. Most track racers that I see still wear leather racing suits, and IMHO there's probably a reason they haven't switched.
But its just my opinion.
With a good leather treatment your leathers will shed quite a bit of rain. In fact, there's a chance that it its raining too hard for your treated leathers to shed the rain, it's probably a good time to pull over and grab a cup of coffee.
By all means, wear whatever you want - but if you are dressing for the slide, not for the ride, my opinion is you're better off with organic materials. A heavy leather jacket is going to provide reliable abrasion resistance and some padding. Textile jackets may offer other benefits, particularly in hot weather, but I don't see a widespread acceptance of textile racing suits among professional motorcycle racers. Most track racers that I see still wear leather racing suits, and IMHO there's probably a reason they haven't switched.
But its just my opinion.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 451
Likes: 4
From: Oakland, Ca
In a word........LEATHER......best bet for asphalt
surfing.
What do the GP/SB racer wear?
I have had some 20-25 jackets over the years. I just got a HD FXRG leather jacket...... way more that I usually spend.
This jacket has a water/wind proof liner that really work well. I would normally wear a wind proof vest, plus 1 or 2 layers, depending on the weather. I have been using the jacket with a 1 layer and never feel the wind. This is really an exceptional jacket.
surfing.
What do the GP/SB racer wear?
I have had some 20-25 jackets over the years. I just got a HD FXRG leather jacket...... way more that I usually spend.
This jacket has a water/wind proof liner that really work well. I would normally wear a wind proof vest, plus 1 or 2 layers, depending on the weather. I have been using the jacket with a 1 layer and never feel the wind. This is really an exceptional jacket.