The best leather jackets......

[FROSTY:Me]

Im racing in a KBC suit that has stood up to 3 seasons of abuse --nuff said
crashed top of piecock at hrmph and 4 track crashes

My advice when looking for leathers to last is KISS --keep it simple
the less colours the better--less colors means less stitching to get munched--usually the weak point in a suit
also when your trying a suit/ or even a jacket--see how it feels on the bike --

[Lou Girardin]

All the top brands are excellent quality, go for the style you like.

[lukelin250]

i love the alpinestars stuff it looks the best,

[TonyB]

Dynamytus50- I'm curious to know how you've come to the decision that Dainese aren't double stitched. Are you talking about having 1 row visible on the outside, with another hidden row that can only be seen when the liner is out? The most important thing is that there must be at least one row of stitching that is hidden, on EVERY seam- ie if the visible row(s) wear through, the hidden row will hold the suit together and can not be worn through. There is no way of telling whether the hidden stitching exists without actually removing the liner.

Dawnrazor... so I assume you already have armoured leather pants? Not much point in only getting a jacket.

[Scouse]

do they do them in normal sizes too? to conserve the number of cows slaughtered for one mans vanity............and protection of course.

Fuckin pot and the kettle

[dawnrazor]

Dawnrazor... so I assume you already have armoured leather pants? Not much point in only getting a jacket.

yeah, pants is all part of the plan, cooking something up right now, especially since I now need new gloves as well.

[diggydog]

i love the alpinestars stuff it looks the best,

i dont no which are good,but was impressed with what fishy was saying about his alpinestars leathers, when he came a cropper and slid 60m.

[TonyB]

Fair enough. If they aren't double stitched then don't bother with them.

[Quasievil]

I guess I cant let this one slide

Leathers well fair comment to say that I dont have the BIG BRAND NAME,
(yet)
however I will absolutely state that my brand gear is going to perform as good if not better than the big brand names, 25 crashes to date and every one of my pieces of kit are still being worn, some have had three crashes (thanks can) and with this performance comes with half the price of bigger brands, my $369 jacket in equivalent quality in a big brand would be over $700, I know its my job to find out. Additionally I would suspect Im the worst brand in the eyes of my competitiors as Im taking them to the fucken cleaners on sales and Im going to continue.
So support the faceless brands if you want and pay moon beams to those that have been creaming it for years or suport me, who will be there on the trackday you come off at and support KB and its members more than I care to mention.
Leather comes from mostly Australia and Pakistan (both excellent leather producing countries) Armor CE approved, tags supplied, liner 3M thinsulate, Double Stitched Kevlar, thicker leather than most, New stretchy mesh Liner, YKK Zips, and from the same factory as some of those previously mentioned, go figure that one out boys n girls!!!

thats the advert, now over to you Dover n Co for ya smart comments, cheeky pricks (in Advance)

Later me gotto go see me mate Bono!!

[Paulus]

A friend just bought a new Spyke one piece from Cycletreads and it seems well made and was under $2k.

This suit was tested in anger today in a lowside crash on the Akaroa GP. Survived pretty well really with only some light scuffing and some of the Spyke naming ripped off the lower sleeve. No injury to the rider at all. Bike looks a little second hand though.

Point Google Earth to 43.45.28.30 S and 172.51.19.00 E to see the offending corner.

[dawnrazor]

I guess I cant let this one slide

Leathers well fair comment to say that I dont have the BIG BRAND NAME,
(yet)
however I will absolutely state that my brand gear is going to perform as good if not better than the big brand names, 25 crashes to date and every one of my pieces of kit are still being worn, some have had three crashes (thanks can) and with this performance comes with half the price of bigger brands, my $369 jacket in equivalent quality in a big brand would be over $700, I know its my job to find out. Additionally I would suspect Im the worst brand in the eyes of my competitiors as Im taking them to the fucken cleaners on sales and Im going to continue.
So support the faceless brands if you want and pay moon beams to those that have been creaming it for years or suport me, who will be there on the trackday you come off at and support KB and its members more than I care to mention.
Leather comes from mostly Australia and Pakistan (both excellent leather producing countries) Armor CE approved, tags supplied, liner 3M thinsulate, Double Stitched Kevlar, thicker leather than most, New stretchy mesh Liner, YKK Zips, and from the same factory as some of those previously mentioned, go figure that one out boys n girls!!!

thats the advert, now over to you Dover n Co for ya smart comments, cheeky pricks (in Advance)

Later me gotto go see me mate Bono!!

so WHO makes your gear then? Its not you is it. I assume you bulk buy from an asian manufacturer or similiar. Who are they owned by? If you can tell me, that your stuff is made by the same people that make.....any recognised manufactures name, I might listen.

I don't doubt the facts and figures, I'm just, for whatever reason, not convinced. I've be burnt in the past, been tempted by the cheaper gear, and regretted it, the thing with bike gear in general is you do tend to get what you pay for.

To be perfectly frank, I have looked at your stuff and I just find it a bit basic and of a dated design, a bit too much function over form - that might all sound like crap, but just 'cus your stuff is cheap, doesn't mean I should want to abandon all esthetic aspirations with my money saving.

Look at IXON gear, bloody great gear and cheap as chips (makes you look expensive ), In fact I might buy some of their cordura stuff for winter. Its just a pity they don't import their leather gear yet!

It actually doesn't come down to just money, I'm not looking for the cheapest bargin I can get, I'm looking for something that fits like an old glove, isn't going to take a year to brake in, isn't so heavy I'll never wear it, has looks and design that I can live with everyday and that certain indefinable quality that make you go "thats the jacket for me".....

[TonyB]

Ahhhhh KiwiBiker. Where else in the world could you publicly accuse a manufacturer of having a crap product and not be sued?
Quasi, you must have a whole lot of patience!

[Quasievil]

Ahhhhh KiwiBiker. Where else in the world could you publicly accuse a manufacturer of having a crap product and not be sued?
Quasi, you must have a whole lot of patience!

I know, I dont bother sometimes, its just to hard !!
Proofs in the pudding anyway. Ive Checked out alot of the other big brands as well and find them full of little cool "form" ideas and crapola on the function areas.
I know what I would rather fall of on.
Here is a pic of our new Vengeance Jacket for your viewing pleasere, nice eh, if a name brand it would be $750 easy, and mine is better quality

[dawnrazor]

Where else in the world could you publicly accuse a manufacturer of having a crap product and not be sued?

Well pretty much EVERYWHERE its called the free market economy!!

Okay for starters I didn't call them crap and I have the right to judge them under my own esthetical terms, and to that end..they don't do anything for me. SORRY.

[dawnrazor]

I know, I dont bother sometimes, its just to hard !!

As Quasi has deemed me a lost cause, and not bothered to address any or the questions I posed - I have no other option then to look elsewhere. Which is a pity 'cus I'm now in the market for a jacket, a pair of pants and a pair of gloves!