Do you recommend Draggin Jeans?

[T.W.R]

What put me off riding for a while was my lack of safety gear then, and how easy my standard jeans got sliced into shreads when I hit the tarmac.

I had a Cordura jacket which got sold when I hit the tarmac last time.

That was a wee while ago

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...336#post988336

I'm wondering since the price difference isn't too great between the Draggin CE jeans and some leathers, which you riders recommend for a guy who wants to go out for a quick blast in the hills on the weekend, but also a few longer rides when the mood strikes.

Should I bite the bullet and look at leather pants, or are the draggin jeans actually as good as they say?

Most importantly remember it isn't a fashion parade out on a bike and in the long run jeans are just jeans no more no less and will still get munted just as quickly as a pair of levis if you go for a slide.
Progress your way to a GOOD quality kit of apparell or if fortune favours you in the future get a set made to measure. The common off the shelf gear is all generic one size fits all just doesn't cut in the long run for total comfort & correctly located areas of armour.
When you can afford it buy the best you can get that suits your body not what catches your eye.
Leather has stood the test of time & will continue to do so while other materials have come & gone, and leather was set as the bench mark when the majority of roads travelled were shingle.

[jack_hamma]

Have a pair, are good etc, only wear though in town really not on the open road. Good for just nipping to the shops but don't feel so safe at 100k's plus cause there's no knee armor etc and still really jeans at the end of the day and they not going to slide like leather

[Quasievil]

Dont start bashing me up people for giving advise, no brands are being bashed here.

Fact is and you should be aware of it, is that not all leather is good leather, there are a few grades and types being sold in the NZ market which is NOT so good.
I have had a customer come see me not to long ago who wanted pants to go with his leather jacket he just brought, sadly the leather jacket was reconstructed leather, fibre leather.......i.e leather bits left over ground down and re formed with glue, sad huh. but "it was a good deal" (really mate)
Also cheaper products you may find will likely have been treated with Non skin safe chemicals cheap tannery processes, this will give you a rash particularly in summer when you sweat a bit.

So do your homework and remember the golden rule, you get what you pay for and if its new and its cheap its likely crap.

reputable brands often have good clearance sales so hook into these if you see them.

[ital916]

Motorcycle gear doesn't usually feature steel anything. Steel gets very hot when you you slide it along tar seal. Think ouch.

Some motorcycle boots come with steel shank reinforced soles. They dont use steel caps as they crush down onto toes.

[jack_hamma]

Dainese Full Metal Pro Gloves..... oh it's titanium lol

[p.dath]

Fact is and you should be aware of it, is that not all leather is good leather, there are a few grades and types being sold in the NZ market which is NOT so good.

At the risk of hi-jacking the thread, are there any testing standards for leather motorcycle gear, like say SHARP or DOT for helmets? I see standards for impact protectors and the like (thank you Europe), but nothing for the leather itself (perhaps I have missed it)?

I'm not for regulating a standard for leather, but I wonder if there might be some room for some of voluntary industry grading, where the manufacturers can self grade, like DOT is done for Helmets?

This is way outside my area, so let me make some numbers up. Actual numbers not important.
Say fit a 50 grit sandpaper to a belt sander (something coarse like tar seal), apply 80kg of weight on belt sandpaper, and measure the number of seconds it takes to break through the leather. 1s bad. 4s good. 10s exceptional.
I like seconds, as it is something I can relate to.

[6ft5]

Ok, I came off a few years back now and was wearing a cordura jacket and draggin jeans. The jacket saved my arms and got torn a bit in the shoulder joins while i was skidding over the tarmack. My draggin jeans saved my legs and butt and as a result I had 2 small spots of skin missing on my wrist where the jacket was pushed up during the skid.

I now wear draggins all the time even in a more casual sense as they are comfortable. Make sure you get the right stuff, the ones with the kevlar on the inside that is.

My leathers are just sitting around waiting for a very long trip .. one of these days

[Quasievil]

At the risk of hi-jacking the thread, are there any testing standards for leather motorcycle gear, like say SHARP or DOT for helmets? I see standards for impact protectors and the like (thank you Europe), but nothing for the leather itself (perhaps I have missed it)?

I'm not for regulating a standard for leather, but I wonder if there might be some room for some of voluntary industry grading, where the manufacturers can self grade, like DOT is done for Helmets?

This is way outside my area, so let me make some numbers up. Actual numbers not important.
Say fit a 50 grit sandpaper to a belt sander (something coarse like tar seal), apply 80kg of weight on belt sandpaper, and measure the number of seconds it takes to break through the leather. 1s bad. 4s good. 10s exceptional.
I like seconds, as it is something I can relate to.

Wish there was dude, might get rid of some of these dodgey fuckers on the scene and there are heaps at the moment.
Its not just about leather tho, its about
leather/Stitching/Armour, predominantly anyway.

[p.dath]

Wish there was dude, might get rid of some of these dodgey fuckers on the scene and there are heaps at the moment.
Its not just about leather tho, its about
leather/Stitching/Armour, predominantly anyway.

Measuring the protection of the combined product would be so much harder. At least having a comparitive measure for the base leather that the product is made from would give some indication of the overall product, in that a leather that wears through quickly is going to be poor protection no matter how it is manufactured into the final product.

Even just the word "leather" is a problem. It can come from several different animals, be made made, and come in different thicknesses. There is no way a consumer can determine how "good" that leather is.

[scracha]

At the risk of hi-jacking the thread, are there any testing standards for leather motorcycle gear, like say SHARP or DOT for helmets? I see standards for impact protectors and the like (thank you Europe), but nothing for the leather itself (perhaps I have missed it)?

AFAIK nope. Was a great magazine in blightly called "Ride" wot did semi scientific tests of bike stuff in conjunction with proper labs. Some of the PDF's of their product tests are here:-

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/Ride/

Say fit a 50 grit sandpaper to a belt sander (something coarse like tar seal), apply 80kg of weight on belt sandpaper, and measure the number of seconds it takes to break through the leather. 1s bad. 4s good. 10s exceptional.
I like seconds, as it is something I can relate to.

Kinda wot Ride magazine did.


You don't have to spend stupid money for reasonable protection. Best thing the instructors ever told me was to first spend my money on good all round protection. By that I mean don't go out and spend $800 on a helmet and then have no money left for decent gloves, jacket, boots and troosers. Bike shops often have damanged "seconds" or returns with some stiching missing or shit like that (as a Scotsman I got the girlfriend a cordura jacket, trousers, boots and gloves from Boyds stand at the fielddays for. $120 all in....30 minutes on the sewing machine and they're stronger than new). A much better idea than a lot of the $hit available on trademe.

A $100 Oxford helmet, $20 gloves, $50 cordura jacket, $80 second hand leather motorcycle trousers and a pair of army surplus boots will give you much better protection than the wax jacket wearing idiot with a 10 year old Arai helmet, fingerless gloves and the pair of designer leather trousers (a.k.a. SHITE) but don't be under any illusion that you'll be able to bounce off a car and slide along the road at 100kays and come out as well (ok...not as bad) as you would were you riding with higher priced gear. Ride according to what you're wearing....if you're in draggin jeans and ride hard out on the open road then you're a fuckin idiot.

BTW was advised that steel toe capped boots were to be avoided because of the risk of having your toes chopped off in the event of a nasty accident. However, upon reflection...if that much force was applied to my boots I'd rather have the toes slice off cleanly as it'd be less painful and there's a chance they could be reattached (no chance if they're squished). Good leather boots will offer at least some ankle/calf protection compared to shoes / sneakers.

[Ratti]

I have to agree with the call for a NZ standard on gear. I dont have any affiliation to any brands in particular so Im not supporting anyone except us, the riders who are out there every day trusting our arses to this gear.

IM (not very) HO...there is some complete crap for sale and I would dearly love to see a NZ standard applied to riding gear. Not to make it compulsory to wear it, just have it available as a comparison. At the very least riders would be able to ask 'does it meet XYZ standard' and make a choice from there.

[Quasievil]

IM (not very) HO...there is some complete crap for sale and I would dearly love to see a NZ standard applied to riding gear.

here Here, only when I say it I get bagged lol

[Number One]

Dag nabbit man this could've been a poll!!!! Oh well opportunity lost...as for your comment below...

Should I bite the bullet and look at leather pants, or are the draggin jeans actually as good as they say?

If you got nothing else get the leather...especially if you plan to ride further than your letter box and for a time that extends beyond next week

[Number One]

Even just the word "leather" is a problem. It can come from several different animals, be made made, and come in different thicknesses. There is no way a consumer can determine how "good" that leather is.

I reckon! I found this little gem of a description on wiki the other day and had a retailer up about what they were saying their 'bonded leather was' and what infact is actually "IS"...

There are different types of bonded leather, but the type being used on upholstered furniture today is a polyurethane or vinyl product, backed with fabric and then a layer of latex or other material mixed with a small percentage of leather fibers in the product's backing material. The actual leather content of bonded leather upholstery is typically about 17%. None of it is contained in the surface of the bonded leather. The polyurethane surface is stamped to give it a leather-like texture.

[Ratti]

yup, I occasionaly get that rubbish over my bench. I refuse to fix it unless its a fashion garment and is only going to be used as a fashion garment.

All the leather I use for repairs is cut out of the hide by moi. Expensive, but what is the point of using substandard products?

Quasi-M, dear, I get bagged for daring to voice opinions too. Remember that dozy 'trader' a few weeks ago flogging rubbish pretend cordura? That was fun, but if we keep speaking up then maybe the message will get through. I figure if my opinion saves just one person from a preventable injury then its worth the bagging.