Leather or fabric?

[discotex]

Leather for the top half of your body is the way to go mate, and whatever your comfortable in down below (leather/cordura)

I used to think the same but it seems your arse and legs are most likely to need abrasion resistance and armour.

The ride forver site has some interesting stats on risk to the different parts of the body plus info on different gear etc.

http://www.rideforever.co.nz/gear_up/risk.html

If anything you probably want armoured leather pants with whatever on top.

[Moki]

Whatever you choose, get the best QUALITY you can afford. Don't just go for the cheap brand name knock-offs from China. Look around and listen for recommendations based on the type of riding you are planning to do.

[rocketman1]

I have a R-Jays leather jacket and Spool trousers, the Jacket is great in winter all I do is put a thin pullover under it and I'm warm as toast.
It can get a bit hot on a very hot summers day but I just open up the zips and it helps to cool down. I dont ride alot if its wet.
The fabric trousers are fine summer & winter, but I do worry a little about protection if I ever came off.
I am looking around for a cheap set of leather trou with a bit of padding and knee armour.
Too be sure i believe you would have too be safer copying what the Moto GP and superbike riders use , plenty of leather & padding.
If fabric was better they would be wearing it as it would probably be lighter, but they dont, so ask yourself?

[Biggles2000]

I have a foot in both camps.

Fabric water proof winter weight lined suit for wet and cold conditions, cant think of the brand but it has an armadillo on it and its great in bad weather. In spring a "dusty" leather jacket and usually dragon jeans. In summer a dragon jacket and jeans. I do have a pair of leather pants but don't wear them anymore. I also have a dry rider over jacket and pants that pack down to nothing that I take on summer trips.

[grusomhat]

i see qausi has a jacket and pant combo that is half leather half cordura, and at a great price

This stuff http://www.quasimoto.co.nz/products/?product_id=57 ?

I just bought that and it arrived yesterday. Fucking brilliant looking stuff and it all looks nicely stiched. Stuff I got though was a bit small so I'm sending it back to 'em for a larger size.

I also picked up a two piece leather suit from an ex-biker. Brilliant looking stuff and he charged me extremely reasonable. So now I've got codura and a leather suit for less than $1000 couldn't ask for much better .

I plan on wearing the condura round town and short trips. But anything out of town will probably be the leather which also came with wet weather gear.

[EnzoYug]

My leather jacket and boots have survived 4 crashes / bins. 2 of those were high speed and 2 were also bike vs cage.

I've never had the time for leather pants and as such I've had to replace fabric / kevlar pants 3 times. When I went down in jeans I got horrible, terrible burns. Don't wear jeans. Leather is the way to go for safety. If you want convenience think about fabric - but it won't last. It's a one-shot gig.

[vifferman]

I've crashed a couple of times wearing leather pants and a textile jacket. The jacket ended up with small holes abraded through the Cordura which needed patching, whereas the pants needed only a touch-up with shoe polish to fix them.

[Swoop]

My leather jacket and boots have survived 4 crashes / bins. 2 of those were high speed and 2 were also bike vs cage.

Hopefully you replaced your helmet after each of those?

[EnzoYug]

I doubt I'd be talking coherently about it afterwards If I hadn't. I like my brain. And it's always nice to go new-helmet shopping.
I used the crashed ones as trophies!

[EnzoYug]

I've crashed a couple of times wearing leather pants and a textile jacket. The jacket ended up with small holes abraded through the Cordura which needed patching, whereas the pants needed only a touch-up with shoe polish to fix them.

No shit? Maybe I'm buying the wrong pants. Or maybe I'm sliding on my as too much...

[Jorja]

Yeah, why is that? They've usually got at least spine padding, and sometimes elbow padding but I don't recall seeing a leather jacket with the full hard armour inserts usually available with gortex...

Your custom setup sounds like close to the best of both worlds, does anyone offer something like that off-the-shelf?

My leather jacket (quasi) has full armour. Never had a problem with being water proof either. Was more wet around my boots and gloves.

Mind you I chose it for the size and price. None of the codura fit properly cause of my height.

[Pixie]

Coretex, Goretex ???????? dont ya mean Cordura ?

Get the best your budget will allow mate, think if your a commuter or a sunny day rider, Cordura for commuting and leather for riding for fun.

We can fit you out in gear from $150 to over a Grand for a race suit, pm me your sizes if you like

Cordura was originally a rayon fabric made by Dupont.It is now a nylon material.There are a whole bunch of synthetic fibers,with different brand names in use in motorcycle safetyware.

Goretex is an expanded PTFE (teflon) breathable membrane.Other breathable membranes used are Reissa (DriRider),H2out (Spidi) Nibo (Orina) etc.Some of these are expanded polyurethane membranes

Go on admit it.Apart from the latent sexual thing leather is crap.It's too hot or too cold or too wet.
I also refute that quality textile ware is inferior to leather in abrasion resistence

[nick69]

I was in a bad accident in September which left my in a coma and a lot of injuries. I was wearing BMW textile gear which saved me from worse injuries. I came off at more than 80kmh onto the road and other than broken bones i only got a gash on my shoulder. I have always had leathers but my job supplied the textile BMW kit which is bloody brilliant. I cannot tell you enough how good this kit is and really versatile aswell. I wont wear anything else now. Buy the best you can cos at the end of the day you only have one body. Luckily i was wearing a BMW helmet aswell which saved my life! you can see from my avatar picture!

[discotex]

I was in a bad accident in September which left my in a coma and a lot of injuries. I was wearing BMW textile gear which saved me from worse injuries. I came off at more than 80kmh onto the road and other than broken bones i only got a gash on my shoulder. I have always had leathers but my job supplied the textile BMW kit which is bloody brilliant. I cannot tell you enough how good this kit is and really versatile aswell. I wont wear anything else now. Buy the best you can cos at the end of the day you only have one body. Luckily i was wearing a BMW helmet aswell which saved my life! you can see from my avatar picture!

Shit that sounds like a nasty crash. Is that the same kit that Charlie and Ewan wear on the Long Way Round/Down on their beemers?

[Nagash]

Well I would hope it's deadly obvious does (actual fact here) absorb more shock and can withstand alot more friction burning than textiles. This does not mean to say that textile is unsuitable, it does the job to an amazing standard aswell just leather does it that extra bit better.

Obviously leather is heavy, hot, uncomfortable, tight, bulky, unflexible, usually not good when it gets wet, needs more care, costs more, but it does look cool and it protects you better (I feel like I could walk away from getting hit by a bus when i'm in my full leather's, boots to neck-warmer.)

Textile is more comfortable, easy breathing, light, you may get away with it in public, still not completely water proof and you're not really a true 'biker' (I jest) but they definately do the job. Oh, and they're cheaper!

So i'm all for leather.. but if I had the cash I wouldn't mind a pair of draggin' jeans and a textile jacket for those short, summer trips.

~Nagash, Out.