Custom leathers

[SpankMe]

Got told at the last Track Time my gear was not good enough and that I'd need to get some race leathers. After trying on gear from various bike shops and none of it fitting, I'm gonna get some custom gear made.

After looking around the net I might order a custom two piece from Tiger Angel in Oz. Anyone tried these guys or can recommend a place to get custom leathers from.

[bluninja]

I would Recommend Kerry at MSW (motorcycle safety wear). She'll do made to measure, andy colour, any pattern. One or 2 piece, and add CE armour if you want.

31 St Kevins Arcade Auckland
0-9-309 9522

TTFN

[SpankMe]

yeah, I went down to see her yesterday. She quoted $1,800 for a one or two peice. I'm leaning towords getting her to make me one.

[SPman]

Tiger Angel is really good gear - no doubt you've checked out their web site!

$1800 sounds like about what you'd expect to pay anyway and if MSW can make good custom leathers for that, I admit, I'd be inclined to go local. (if I already hadn't forked out $1800 for a set of el cheapo Spyke leathers already!)

[Skunk]

Try LEDA leathers if you're down this way. ($1800! yikes! )

[SpankMe]

Went down to MSW today and Kerrie measured me up for a two peice. $1,800 is too much to spend on a one peice that will only get worn once in a blue moon, so we've designed the top half of the two peice to be used as a jacket by itself as well. Looking forward to seeing/wearing the finished product.

[Coldkiwi]

Strewth... for 1,800 bucks I hope you're getting a speed hump, sliders, vents, armour and bar fridge!

And I thought consultants charged like wounded bulls!

[bluninja]

Well quality doesn't come cheap......you could always buy an off the peg branded suit and then have it taken in for a perfect fit....but it would probably still cost more than 1800.

My 2 piece has done well for the last year, just a little tear after a spill at Manfield. The tarmac was so pitted it was like a cheese grater....my sliders were really ripped up...but just torn on the side of the elbow. It's in being patched now.

TTFN

[Skunk]

You want quality - have a look around pit lane on raceday. LEDA, Tiger Angel, and some high priced euro stuff. LEDA is good stuff and cheap. I have a 15-20 year old jacket he made. Took it in for repair because the METAL zips had worn out. The jacket has been down the road a few times too. And I never care for it. Still use it as my daily jacket.

Try that with a 'cheap' brand.

[SpankMe]

Forgot to mention that Kerrie finished my two piece leather suit a few weeks ago and I'm very impressed. She's done a great job and I'm wearing the full suit more often than I thought I would. The top piece is now my regular jacket and looks and feels great. I thought the full suit would be too much to wear except on the track, but with the weather getting cooler it's not a problem. Also wearing a full leather outfit gives you an idea why some people like the full leather/latex outfits.

So if ya gonna get a full race suit I recommend getting one custom made. It's not much difference in price from one off the rack.

[wkid_one]

I wear a full suit pretty much everywhere I ride when pushing hard - something about wearing a suit makes you feel ten foot tall and bullet proof........wouldn't wear anything else now..

[Pickle]

Leathers - Custom made is definitely the way to go, normally about the same price as a so called good brand off the shelf. Always fit better which means more comfortable & you can have all the safety features, colours you want instead of the limited choice offered off the rack.

I have custom made Leda leathers & have worn these for years, my wife got a set of Tiger Angel's made for her & she comments these are the best leathers she has ever had.

Beware of cheap leathers made in India or Pakistan as they fall apart in even a small accident.

[Kwaka-Kid]

far out! EIGHTEEN HUNDRED BUCKS?! for f's sakes! i hope that comes with a 1990 kawasaki ZX6R.

I just ripped open my old mans leathers from back in around the mid eighties... they fited like shit, uncomfortable in the legs because im so tall, but i put up with it, its a little restrictive, so i just use a little more muscle inthe legs, i worked the body pretty hard @ tracktime 4 and only by the 5th time of 10laps did i really start feeling fatigued.  but even then i still went hard, just push urself harder.

leathers have no protective stuff @ all, just streight plain black leather with a white strip down the sides... single peice, i must admit the second i put them on it makes me feel like aaron slight :P mwahaha, which is why i never use them for street use -hey, at least i realise my problem, admit to it, and do somthing about it, i.e only use on track.

[merv]

Based on recommendations at the time I got Leda to custom make me a jacket back in the 80's. I still use it occasionally these days, but my comment would be no matter how much I explained to him what sort of riding I was going to do and what sort of clothes I might end up wearing under it summer and winter, he measured me up, made the jacket and it turned out to be too skin tight. With much grizzling from me he changed the zip and a few other things but was unwilling to go much further. Basically I can't say I was satisfied with the service as the product didn't fully meet my needs.

The moral of this story is that what he made for me may well have suited some of you more racing oriented types where at the track you would wear basically bugger all under the jacket, but for general purpose riding road and dirt, and to allow for the inevitable fact that we seem to grow in girth as we get older buying off the shelf where you get to try the products on first can be a better bet. That's my experience anyway and since that time I bought a Naturalwear Leather jacket off the shelf with the appropriate amount of room inside.

These days with revised consumer laws I guess you wouldn't accept a product not fit for purpose and if necessary you'd go to small claims to get your money back. In the 80's there was a bit of a like it or lump it attitude.

[Skunk]

Sorry to hear of your experience Merv.
I've always found Dusty helpful and caring about his product (and unwilling to charge enough!).

Can only guess you got him on a bad day (or three )