Ever since the start of the age of motorcycling, it was clear that something was needed to protect the uncovered human body from the elements. The natural solution was leather. The leather motorbike jacket, a style made all the rage by such movie greats as James Dean and “the Fonz”, not simply serves as a fashion statement, but is an indispensable piece of equipment to any serious biker for keeping warm, dry, and in one section. motorcycle club colors A good “riding grade” leather jacket in combination with motorcycle chaps or leather pants, will work as a second skin in between you and the street, and can quite accurately “save your hide”. With all this in mind, let’s investigate the things to think about while purchasing bike leathers. motorcycle club events
The most universal material for motorcycle leather is cowhide, chosen for its strength and durability. Buffalo hide, an additional high quality leather, is made not from the U.S. buffalo, but the water buffalo most generally found in India and Pakistan. Lots of leather products come from this part of the world, and the Pakistanis are world renown for their skill in the manufacturing of leather garments. Whichever sort of hide you choose, you must recognize the tanning process, and how it adds or subtracts from the quality of the leather. motorcycle club detroit
Leather was obviously once the skin of an animal, and therefore must go through a tanning procedure to strengthen it, and to keep it from decaying. Tanning makes the skin secure and rot proof without sacrificing its form and strength. The tanning process involves a number of stages, including the deletion of the hair and the surface layer of skin, as well as the fatty part of the flesh. The hide is then stabilized by one of numerous methods using animal oils, alum, chrome salts or vegetable tanning. How it is in reality finished determines the superiority, or riding grade, for our purposes.
Kinds of Rawhide
To fully understand the types of leather obtainable, one must first be acquainted with the term “grain”. The grain is basically the epidermis, or surface layer of the animal’s skin. Despite the fact that blemishs such as cuts, scars, and scratches will be present, the grain in its natural state has the best fiber intensity, and therefore the best strength. The grain also has natural breathability, resulting in greater comfort to the wearer.
Finished Split Leather
The central point or lower part of a skin that has been split into two or more thicknesses. A polymer veneer is applied and imprinted to mimic grain leather. Completed splits should only be used in low stress applications because they essentially have no grain. If the plastic coating is left out it is usually used to make suede. Not considered to be riding grade, but can look good nevertheless.
Top Grain Leather
Top grain leather has been sanded to eliminate scars and imperfections, then sprayed or pasted for a uniform look. The smooth side is where the hair and the untreated grain used to be. Top grain is not the same superiority as full grain or naked leather, but thicknesses of 1.2-3mm make this type of leather a very strong and resilient riding grade leather.
Full-Grain and Naked Leather
Full-Grain leather is made from the premium hides, and has not been sanded to take out imperfections. Only the coat has been detached. In the case of Naked Leather, where not anything other than the dye is added; this very soft leather needs no breaking in period. Hides are normally 2mm thick, and have to be hand chosen for uniformity. The natural full-grain naked leather will wear much better than other leather, and will actually improve over the years. This type of leather is the ultimate riding grade; the most sought after, and as a result, the most high-priced.
Now that we know what type of material we want, we must appreciate the fact that leather is hot, and grasp the options that we have for the climate we live in. For winter biking, a leather jacket with side laces and a belt can allow you to tweak the jacket to fit snugly against the upper body. Of course, being able to completely zip up only adds to your shield from the wind. You can also wear a leather vest beneath your bike jacket for extra warmth. For hot summer days, a leather jacket with air vents allows the air to flow underneath the jacket and around your skin. For an all year round jacket, consider one with a zip or snap away insulated liner.
Leather is not meant to get watery, as that tends to deplete the natural oils, and it is desirable to wear a rain suit over your leathers in inclement weather conditions. However if they do get wet, allow them to dry in a relaxed manner away from extreme warmth. If the leather seems to be losing its shine, it can be oiled to improve its appearance. This supplements the genuine oils in the leather itself, which can be washed out through repeated exposure to water. Frequent oiling of leather with mink oil or other commercially accessible products will maintain your leathers supple and improve their lifespan noticeably.
Now that you have found the perfect biker jacket, take care of it, and it will reward you with years of wear. The normal lifetime of a heavy textile coat will be from 3 to 6 years at the most. A well maintained top class leather motorbike jacket will with no trouble give you 10 years and more of riding pleasure!