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Replacement motorcycle jacket

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Hi i need some advice i need to replace my jacket at the moment i wear a make do.
i,ve been looking at bellstaff jackets and shocked to find the prices of these jackets so much money new,

Even the used ones on flea bay are fetching a pretty pennie.
So i,m keen for any suggestions for a all season jacket 3/4 lenght but must be up to the job and not fall apart after a year
or 4.
Just curious as to what jackets people wear when ridding out.

I,ll be honest i like bellstaff and am leaning towards these jackets as i wore one back in the day but there are so many types of jackets around now its getting confusing.

Any advice greatly appreciated seeing as my bike is 40 years old i would like the retro look to match although not important its just i dont want to be buying something trendie like a onesie.

Thanks for reading,Mark.
Edit i think this might be in the wrong place sorry about that.
 
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Schott is the gold standard here. All mine (I have four) are many decades old and in fine shape. Wouldn't buy another brand.
 
It's not a 3/4 but I really like my Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket - it's essentially a mesh jacket with a removable textile cover and includes a liner for colder weather. When it gets real cold (30ish) i'll throw a couple of long sleeve shirts on as well and be fine
 
I'm with Rob on this one, I love my Schott 585 leather jacket. Yes, a little pricey but you get what you pay for. I do like the Bellstaff waxed cotton jacket. I just haven't pulled the trigger to buy one yet. I bought a Corrazo brand motorcycle jacket last year. Very stylish, but it's starting to tear around the cuffs, not the highest quality. I'm also looking for a new summer jacket for this year. Something vented, not to flashy, reasonable priced.
 
Forget that old waxed Belstaff crap....You've forgotten how the pants leaked up your crack after a week in use...and how rigid the stuff got in the cold. Nowadays, I don't know where the stuff is at but I wish I'd saved my beaten jacket to sell to some hairbunned cafe racer for big $$$. It did wear well and was well-made but leaked at the shoulders too, I seem to recall...and yes, I used to rewax it...bah.

another vote for the Joe Rocket Alter Ego stuff. I love mine winter and summer. Very adaptable to climates...but: their models change year by year and featurewise it's hard to review them exactly...still, I'd advise anyone to buy a set of wide suspenders to clip-on to the pants-the belting system is useless and suspenders are just more comfortable.
. I've never worn pants under the "overpants"-the rain liner and long underwear does to just near freezing... but would still say get a loose fit per their sizes.
Most people don't want the dayglo colour but I think mine has helped once or twice...certainly does when stopped on roadside...some people may be mistaking me for a policeman or security guard momentarily...
Also, the dayglo begins to bleach out in the sun and shows dirt and road stain too if that's important. Washing it gently helps brighten it up but textile stuff does stain pretty deep.
 
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Yes one of my friends who i ride with sometimes keeps on at me to forget the old crap and embrace the new,
Modern materials with armour inside for protection he says, lets face it your no spring chicken anymore.
he has a way with words rides a modern kawasaki likes to rub my face in it.
 
I don't know about vendors in the UK, but here in the States there are vendors selling last year's textile gear for a song.

I picked up some First Gear for my son for about $200, still holding up after 3 years.

Like leather, it needs cleaning and waterproofing annually.

Textile won't slide as well as leather. But, it will protect impact with the armor
 
markla said:
Yes one of my friends who i ride with sometimes keeps on at me to forget the old crap and embrace the new,
Modern materials with armour inside for protection he says, lets face it your no spring chicken anymore.
he has a way with words rides a modern kawasaki likes to rub my face in it.
Click to expand...

well, Belstaff makes more modern stuff too, I think. It may be a better deal where you are. I've sure never coated this JoeRocket stuff. It has a waterproof zip in liner that is also heat reflective and it does seem to do something but even without the liner , the coat is good enough for an hour so far...and I haven't had that icy cold enema yet with this kit.

Someone somewhere said the disadvantage of the textiles with WP liners is they get heavy because the fabric takes up water...but I haven't noticed.

Of course you can do well enough with a raincoat over your leather jacket...I did this ok until I was able to crowbar my wallet open...and, it does have the advantage that you can wear a bright yellow rainjacket when it really does help in town but still have a leather jacket under for protection. A good leather jacket is cooler than Belstaff. I mean. I don't see Prince Phillip in leather but I do believe the royals like Belstaff ? or is it Burberry. Oh well :)
 
Textiles will stay waterproof with a Nikwax washing every few years
 
My First Gear Kilamanjaro has held up great. It's now 10 plus years (may be closer to 20ish). The sleeves just above cuffs have just this year started to come apart a bit. Zip in liner, vented, armoured (padding inside). Its never been crash tested thankfully.

The whole subject of (re) waterproofing of textiles came up a while ago, which I still need to do.... It did lose that quality 3-4 years in.
 
I crashed and burned in a Schott leather jacket in the early 80s. Didn't end up with a scratch on me, at least my upper body. I had a Vanson leather jacket from 1980, but couldn't fit in it anymore. I currently have a First Gear Leather-Tex jacket. I like it a lot.
 
Take a look over here www.motorcyclegear.com Formerly "New Enough"
Good prices and a lot if different brands and styles.
I've purchased, jackets, gloves and boots from them.
Any returns were handled with no issues
 
I'm happy with the service I've gotten from my Tourmaster Sabre Series 3 jacket. It was $100 on clearance maybe 5 years ago. Unfortunately, it has been crash tested twice. 25 mph drop by myself and a 10-15 mph drop by my son. Jacket did a great job of protecting us. I decided to go for the gusto and just bought a used Aerostich Roadcrafter one piece on ebay for $450 shipped. New price is $1300 and up. If I were going for just a jacket, I'd still go with an Aerostich Roadcrafter. I agree with your friend about more effective gear. We don't bounce or heal like we did when we were considerably younger. That and I really don't care for road rash.
 
Rob S. said:
That was my first motorcycle jacket (43 years ago). It's in excellent condition today.

View attachment 57146

Yes, that's rabbit's fur it's lined with. I consider it one of a kind. :clap:
Click to expand...

Wow Rob that is a nice jacket! The 618 is nice but I didn't like the belt. I didn't want it to bang or scratch anything. This is my 585
 

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I have a leather jacket made in Pakistan.

No big name brand, just a very nice jacket......vame with full padding, wears well, waterproof and quite warm.

I do not wear it in hot weather as it is too hot. Have a fabric mesh for those days.


As to wax for water resistance....in my earlier years I used to use Neat's Foot Oil, a saddlery product.

It leaves the leather soft, pliable, and feeling a bit damp, but it NEVER leaks.

On the downside...I got some chemical substance on it and had it professionally cleaned. That was not a great idea. I guess the cleaners worked hard to get the oil out and it came back like frozen cardboard.
Wearing it was not even possible until it was re-loaded with oil.

After twenty years it was as soft, wearable and durable as when I first began oiling it.
 
storm 64 said:
Wow Rob that is a nice jacket! The 618 is nice but I didn't like the belt. I didn't want it to bang or scratch anything. This is my 585
Click to expand...

This is the one I wear whenever I ride in chilly weather. I don't know what Schott model it is, but I call it the 'racing style'. It has a removable liner.

image.jpg

I like the look. My fur lined jacket (Marlon Brando wore it in "The Wild One"), which looks pretty much like your new one, I wore the first few years I rode. I found the neck wind sealing quality less than ideal, and yeah, you better have that buckle all strapped up or your tank will pay.

BTW, that 'Wild One' style was wildly popular with the late 1970's punk rock crowd here in NY City (CBGB's, the 'Mud Club', etc.), and very few of them actually rode.

I had my racing jacket repaired after a fall. It had some pretty severe rash of it's own, not to mention a good amount of blood gushing from my face. After two months the repair man called me to pick it up.

He said , "It looks brand new, right?" I said, "it looks brand blue. What's up?" He said, "It's gray. You wanted it gray, right?"

It's not too bad, it'll age back black and then to a brownish color. I read that all black leather is dyed, and after years of exposure it fades to a well-aged brown look.
 
Joe Rocket and Tour Master have nice Textile stuff at good prices. I also have a HD FXRG leather jacket. Its expensive, very heavy, durable in a crash, with the removable liner its very warm(needed in Mn.!), with liner out its vented well enough to wear in hot weather provided your moving. Waterproof. Built in removeable kidney belt. Never seen a better leather jacket.
 
I bought a leather jacket from Leatherup.ca last year, I was shocked by the quality. I'm going to buy pants this year. Another option would be Motosport, top made gear. Best quality out there apparently.
 
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