Motorcycle Safety Wear (Kerri 09-309-9522)
31 St Kevins Arcade K' Rd Auckland Central Auckland
This is my second set of leathers from Kerri. The first set she made me were in 1998 which I was able to hand down to a rider when they no longer fitted me. They were still in excellent condition.
Several months ago I purchases a set of leathers made by Revit. These were mid-price but just after a few months of use there were minor annoyances like the stitching failing in the zipper.
Along with the quality concerns of the Revit gear, I have some medical issues that make wearing a full leather suite difficult and uncomfortable for me so I went back to Kerri for another one of her custom leather suites.
Firstly, I was taken back by the price she charges for a fully custom leather two price suit (the two pieces zip together). It was only a little more than I had paid for the mid-range Revit gear, the cost is well below the high end gear imported into NZ and her leather’s are custom made for you to fit you.
One of her suites takes about six weeks to complete from the first appointment and it’s a little more involved than trying on a suite until you find one that fits.
1st appointment was the initial measurements and to go over what you are looking for in a suite (style, type, colors etc) and the type of ridding you do. It also includes going over the options for body armor which are included in her leathers. I also paid a small deposit.
2nd appointment there is a mock up made out of fabric which she uses to check the measurements for the leathers. It’s a good opportunity to go over any design changes.
3rd appointment the leathers are largely completed and they a tried on for fit & comfort to finalize the measurements and any adjustments needed.
4th appointment the leathers are complete. After putting them on Kerri checks the final fit and comfort. Once the leathers were on the neck collar felt a little tight and Kerri made a quick adjustment.
My leathers were significantly customized for me and as you can see from the pics I chose a Bib & Brace style of leathers, jacket and separate wearable vest. There is also body armor in all the usual places. The suite is two layers of cow leather, waterproof & breathable liner, and padding for warmth & comfort. The pants can be zipped to the jacket which adds to the overall safety of this suit.
The separate vest is made from two layers of merino sheep wool cloth with padded waterproof & breathable liner in between. It can be attached and worn with the leathers, or used as a separate vest to keep warm when off the bike.
Every part of this suit is hand made and uses top quality materials. It’s tight fitting but does not restrict my movement and even though it’s not broken in yet the leathers are really comfortable. Aside from the customizations that I needed in order to wear leathers, I was able to chose the style and add little details like additional pockets, different neck collar, having the bottom of the jacket zip moved up, detachable vest, zipped together etc. All of this for the cost of a mid-range suite picked off a rack.
If this review comes across as enthusiastic for Kerri’s leathers over shelf leathers it’s intended. This is my second set of her leathers I have purchased. They are a very reasonable price (lot less than I expected to pay), will last for many years of use, are repairable, made from quality materials, customized for you, provides protection as good as any, and best of all made by one of the few small business we have left in NZ still doing this work.
It’s up to us to support our small businesses in NZ if we want to retain them and have the option of New Zealand made. These are competitively priced against the mid-range imported leathers found on the shelf. My experience is that they are better quality wise as well. If you are looking for leathers go take a look at Kerri's.
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