Leather vs. Polyester Denier Jackets?
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: NE
First off thanks for all the reply's! I live in western nebraska and we do have 5 months of fairly crappy cold weather. I guess my intentions were to go with the most universal, plus cover my hide if i did hit the asphalt on the fly. I only have so many options available to me as well being a large man. I'm 6'6" and love to eat, I need a tall but HD only makes tall up too 3XLT, they do however make a 4XL and 5XL for the short and fat, however i'm tall and fat, and i'm in need of a 5XLT.
First off thanks for all the reply's! I live in western nebraska and we do have 5 months of fairly crappy cold weather. I guess my intentions were to go with the most universal, plus cover my hide if i did hit the asphalt on the fly. I only have so many options available to me as well being a large man. I'm 6'6" and love to eat, I need a tall but HD only makes tall up too 3XLT, they do however make a 4XL and 5XL for the short and fat, however i'm tall and fat, and i'm in need of a 5XLT.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 507
Likes: 1
From: Portland, OR
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.
Before anyone gets bent about this. I"m not saying the material sucks because it doesn't. I'm just saying that one shouldn't pay a premium to get it versus other acceptable materials.
From Dr. Rod Wood (a designer of Motosport clothing and one of the developers of the CE safety standard for motorcycle clothing):
KevlarŽ is lighter than nylon and has greater tensile strength. It won't melt like nylon after touching a hot muffler (or from the friction-generated heat of a high speed slide on hot pavement). Unfortunately, it's expensive and difficult to work with, which limits design and construction possibilities. And believe it or not, pure KevlarŽ fabric actually is much less abrasion-resistant than Cordura nylon. KevlarŽ fibres have far less elasticity than CorduraŽ nylon fibres, a crucial handicap in a crash. Even the smoothest pavements have a rough aggregate surface that causes abrasive pulling. Nylon's stretchy fibres will elongate, ride over the surface irregularities, then snap back into the weave (like a tree bending in a strong wind), but KevlarŽ fibres quickly reach their tensile limit and snap.
Last edited by mfuchs2004; Dec 6, 2010 at 02:44 AM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,865
Likes: 168
From: Potsdam, NY
From Motoport site:
"In order to give it the proper motorcycle abrasion strength Kevlar must be woven together with other threads, like Dynatec and or Lycra, ei Schoeller's Keprotec. These are the only suits approved for road racing other than leather. Some gear manufacturers use small portions of pure Kevlar as a gimmick. Quality full suits of it can be found. This gear is lighter, offers greater protection and it breathes. It slides on pavement the same way as leather and dissipates friction heat better than leather. Due to its' innate toughness during construction and the fabrics limited availability it is not widely marketed so it will take a bit of looking to get one."
Personally I'm happy with heavy Cordura. Almost every manufacturer of higher end textile gear uses it or a derivative material and it has a long history of performing well in crash tests. Used by (higher end AlpineStars gear, Aerostitch, Olympia, Ruka, Klim, Rev'It and many others). Do not confuse the nylon materials Joe Rocket, HD, Tourmaster and others use for Cordura.
"In order to give it the proper motorcycle abrasion strength Kevlar must be woven together with other threads, like Dynatec and or Lycra, ei Schoeller's Keprotec. These are the only suits approved for road racing other than leather. Some gear manufacturers use small portions of pure Kevlar as a gimmick. Quality full suits of it can be found. This gear is lighter, offers greater protection and it breathes. It slides on pavement the same way as leather and dissipates friction heat better than leather. Due to its' innate toughness during construction and the fabrics limited availability it is not widely marketed so it will take a bit of looking to get one."
Personally I'm happy with heavy Cordura. Almost every manufacturer of higher end textile gear uses it or a derivative material and it has a long history of performing well in crash tests. Used by (higher end AlpineStars gear, Aerostitch, Olympia, Ruka, Klim, Rev'It and many others). Do not confuse the nylon materials Joe Rocket, HD, Tourmaster and others use for Cordura.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 427
Likes: 1
From: Hot Springs, AR
I like the Tourmaster stuff. Pretty inexpensive and the armor on the shoulders, elbows and spine seem like a good idea. The summer mesh jacket is almost as cool as a t-shirt. Maybe it can melt but that's probably better than leaving your hide on the road when you're not wearing any protection because the leather was too hot.
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,916
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, Texas
I prefer leather personally, for both the road-rash resistance and for wind resistance. I don't like the leather at the HD dealers for a couple of reasons: it's mostly made in China and in my opinion is overpriced for the quality compared to other manufacturers such as Fox Creek. I only wear a jacket in winter - summer I just wear t-shirts. I know, that's being hypocritical because I mentioned leather's road-rash resistance, but it's the same reasoning as those folks that don't wear helmets...
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 891
Likes: 1
From:
Personally, I use denim, synthetic, and leather. Some are cool. Some are warm. Some are armored. As I go by the closet, I just pick up whatever seems right for the day. On the other hand, the wife looks for the most expensive, most stylish jackets.
I don't doubt that polyester will abrade quickly in a slide. But, if I go down, I sure hope that's what I'm wearing--it has the best armor.
Pay your money and take your pick.
I don't doubt that polyester will abrade quickly in a slide. But, if I go down, I sure hope that's what I'm wearing--it has the best armor.
Pay your money and take your pick.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,479
Likes: 4
From: SoCal
Having had nasty road rash in years gone by, I'm keen to always wear my leathers - gloves, jacket, chaps and boots. The armor in the polyester jackets will quickly come apart because the material doesn't resist abrasion. A leather jacket with armor would be the better alternative, IMHO. On average leather is measured as 4X more abrasion resistant than Kevlar (unless you read the Kevlar sales info sites that seem to inflate their figures), and I don't like the thickness and feel of the Cordura jackets. I'll stick with leather, at least until the cows come home...
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,865
Likes: 168
From: Potsdam, NY
I like the Tourmaster stuff. Pretty inexpensive and the armor on the shoulders, elbows and spine seem like a good idea. The summer mesh jacket is almost as cool as a t-shirt. Maybe it can melt but that's probably better than leaving your hide on the road when you're not wearing any protection because the leather was too hot.
Last edited by fat_tony; Dec 7, 2010 at 01:42 PM.
