The only thing I dont like about leathers is the lack of breathability and water resistance. Cordura seems more practical, given that they provide reasonable protection as well as more water resistance and breathable materials.
The only thing I dont like about leathers is the lack of breathability and water resistance. Cordura seems more practical, given that they provide reasonable protection as well as more water resistance and breathable materials.
Yep Toaster. Quite correct. There is always a trade off. Leather does get colder too when conditions aren't right.
BUT, I carry a cheap, fully waterproof set of over jacket and trou which deals with the wet and the cold. Just a size or two bigger than normal and easily goes over the leathers.
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Cordura for winter and/or cold days and Draggins for summer (if it ever arrives!!).
When I first got my Draggins, about a month ago, it felt like the difference between a cage and an airconditioned cage. Cordura was fine whilst the bike was in motion, at traffic lights I melted. Agree that its hard to beat leather but then cordura is flexible and Draggins are cool.
Life is a compromise.
Back to the topic.... I'd use cordura over draggin jeans - why? because cordura is wind proof and water proof AND the pants have a winter lining you can put in/remove as necessary.
I've also crashed wearing cordura, and surprisingly, my jacket received less damage than my leather pants.
Thanks for the feed back.
Looks like it will be Cordura and then at a later date some Draggins.
Cheers.
Its realy a matter of how much value you put on your hide , if you want the best buy Draggin , if you are a little strapped for cash buy leather or cordura .The beauty of Draggin is that you can go on tour or short trips stop and blend into the local scene , feel comfortable and yet know when you mount your machine you are well protected.I gather that because you are rideing a cruiser you will be traveling at sensible speeds and rideing for pleasure rather than being an ultra high speed menace on the road.
Pat
I've seen several pretty impresive results from kevlar reinforced jeans after a slide down the road so i guess that they do live up to their reputation but for me it's leathers everytime and No compromise. My skin is rather attached to my body and i intend to keep it that way.
Cheers
I can't comment on Draggin as I've never worn them. Leather is super dooper comfy but sometimes you just want to look like a normal human being when you arrive at your destination. Another disadvantage is that leather is heavy. Either of them not being waterproof isn't really an issue as goretex gear is extremely light to carry.
Advantage of armoured cordura is that you can wear normal stuff (in my case often a shirt, tie and trousers) and then just take off the cordura gear when you arrive. Other advantage is that cordura is now pretty cheap.
As with leathers, there's good cordura jackets and there's bad ones.
http://www.motoport.com/saveyourhide...1-800-777-6499
From memory I believe Draggin do waterproof jeans too. I really wish someone would post a link to a proper "scientific" and independant study of Draggin' products vs cordura/leather.
As always, it's a trade off. For a lot of day to day riding are you really likely to be sliding along the road at 100kmph in the event of a mishap? More likely you'll come off at a lower speed, slide for a bit and then smack into something and this is where the armour comes in.
It is a matter of preference , all three are very good and at the end of the day each of us has to purchase what we are most comfortable with.One thing for sure they are far better than the gear that was availabe when I started rideing in the early 60's.I purchased from Vallantines Army Surplus in Hamilton a second world war leather flying officers jacket and a set of leather sheep skin lined flying boots the lot for 16 pounds or $32 in todays money.This was fairly standard equipment for milk bar cowboys of that erra.Cheers Pat
Someone on KB had a comparison between the 3 materials when subjected to abrasive substances (roads). Leather came off tops by a large margin.
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http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/productTesting/index.htm
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I've got a pair
they're cooler and breezier so are great for summer when it arrives. They're lighter than leather and padded cordura but hopeless in rain.
They also look the biz...
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Wear draggin jeans for short trips, but anything above 60kmph I wont trust them. I wear my armoured revit overpants over the top of them for mway/touring.
I recal an ad for the draggin jeans where the maker was dragged along a runway on his arse pulled along by a rope attached to a car. He just got a bit warm from the friction and that was it.
They (draggin) are good, cool in summer and good protection. Unfortunatly not waterproof, and a pain to wash... you have to be careful not to dry them in the sun... if the kevlar inner is exposed to direct sunlight it's protective quality will be reduced.
I like leather pants, a friend of mine lent me his for a while when he wrote his bike off. They were great but I just kept thinking "pulp fiction. Gimp".
"Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary - that's what gets you."
Jeremy Clarkson.
Kawasaki 200mph Club
I bought a pair of draggins, they feel good to wear and are comfy. They are warmer than the std levis jean. Also the kevlar does cut out a little of the cooler wind, when in the wet or longer trips I wear some thin over trou that are wet and wind proof. I have never hit the road so not sure of protection for real. I do have codura pants that I wear if going much longer and colder distances (winter).
It's all a personal pref' thing I guess, similer to open or full face helmets.
I don't own Draggins, but I do own a pair of Hood (which are the same concept - heavy denim, with Kevlar stitched inside) jeans - and I wear them most of the time on the bike.
OK, they're not windproof, and they're not waterproof - but in terms of sliding down the road I trust them totally to protect my skin.
Here is a review I wrote for the Hood jeans - if you look about halfway down the review, there is a link to the results of a drag-test Hood did with a pair of their jeans to simulate a real-life accident... and it is impressive.
I do also own a pair of textile trousers (Bering Corpus), which are a fibretech material - so totally rain and windproof, with knee armour, high-backed waistband and impact padding at the sides - but these only come out to play in the worst weather.
If you can afford both, I'd say get both. The jeans are the more comfortable option, do allow you to walk around looking 'normal' away from the bike, but textile will do better in wet, windy and cold conditions. That said, you can always buy a pair of cheap waterproof overtrousers to accompany the jeans!
Hope this helps,
Bob
http://www.motobke.co.uk
Essentially I do the same. I have Draggin's for commuting to work in the Summer or short trips to the shops etc.. I have a cheap pair of PVC waterproof overtrousers from The Warehouse in case it rains.
In Winter, I wear my cordura trousers. They provide better wind protection and have armour.
In general I feel more secure in the Cordura pants than Draggin's but the Cordura does get hot and sweaty at the height of Summer ( when it arrives!).
However, for any distance rides or weekend hooning..ummm I mean Sunday Cruises, I have full leather.
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