Since the beginning of the age of motorcycling, it was evident that something was considered necessary to protect the bare human body from the elements. The natural solution was leather. The leather bike jacket, a style made popular by such movie giants as James Dean and “the Fonz”, not merely serves as a trend statement, but is an indispensable piece of equipment to any serious biker for keeping warm, dry, and in one section. motorcycle club A good “riding grade” leather jacket in combination with motorcycle chaps or leather pants, will operate as a second skin in between you and the road, and can quite factually “save your hide”. With all this in mind, let’s look at the things to consider while purchasing motorbike leathers. motorcycle bike club
The most universal material for motorcycle leather is cowhide, chosen for its strength and durability. Buffalo hide, a different high quality leather, is made not from the U.S. buffalo, but the water buffalo most normally found in India and Pakistan. A lot of leather products come from this part of the globe, and the Pakistanis are world renown for their expertise in the manufacturing of leather garments. Whichever type of hide you choose, you must comprehend the tanning process, and how it adds or degrades from the quality of the leather. motorcycle club macomb
Leather was certainly once the skin of an animal, and therefore must go through a tanning course to strengthen it, and to keep it from decomposing. Tanning makes the skin secure and rot proof without sacrificing its form and strength. The tanning process involves more than a few stages, including the removal of the hair and the external layer of skin, as well as the fatty portion of the flesh. The hide is then stabilized by one of numerous methods using animal oils, alum, chrome salts or vegetable tanning. How it is really finished determines the excellence, or riding grade, for our purposes.
Varietys of Leather
To fully understand the types of leather obtainable, one must first know the term “grain”. The grain is basically the epidermis, or outer layer of the animal’s skin. Despite the fact that blemishs such as cuts, scars, and scratches will be present, the grain in its genuine state has the best fiber concentration, and therefore the best toughness. The grain also has natural breathability, resulting in superior comfort to the wearer.
Completed Split Leather
The middle or lower part of a hide that has been split into two or more thicknesses. A polymer coating is sprayed on and stamped to mimic grain leather. Finished splits should only be used in low pressure applications because they in essence have no grain. If the plastic coating is left out it is frequently used to make suede. Not usually thought of to be riding grade, but can look respectable nevertheless.
Top Grain Leather
Top grain leather has been sanded to remove scars and blemishs, then sprayed or pasted for a uniform look. The smooth side is where the hair and the natural grain used to be. Top grain is not the same class as full grain or naked leather, but thicknesses of 1.2-3mm make this kind of leather a very strong and tough riding grade material.
Full-Grain and Naked Leather
Full-Grain leather is made from the premium hides, and has not been sanded to get rid of imperfections. Only the coat has been taken out. In the case of Naked Leather, where not anything other than the dye is added; this very soft material needs no breaking in period. Hides are on average 2mm thick, and have to be hand picked for uniformity. The natural full-grain naked leather will wear much better than other leather, and will actually improve over the years. This type of leather is the ultimate riding grade; the most sought after, and therefore, the most high-priced.
Now that we realize what type of material we want, we must comprehend the fact that leather is hot, and appreciate the options that we have for the type of weather we live in. For winter biking, a leather jacket with side laces and a belt will allow you to tweak the jacket to fit comfortably against the upper body. Of course, being able to fully zip up only adds to your safeguard from the wind. You can also wear a leather vest below your bike jacket for extra heat. For hot summer days, a leather jacket with air vents allows the air to move underneath the jacket and around your body. For an all year round jacket, contemplate one with a zip or snap out insulated lining.
Leather is not meant to get watery, as that tends to reduce the natural oils, and it is advisable to wear a rain suit over your leathers in inclement weather. Nevertheless if they do get soaked, allow them to dry naturally away from extreme warmth. If the leather seems to be losing its luster, it can be oiled to pick up its outward show. This supplements the genuine oils in the leather itself, which can be washed out through repeated exposure to water. Frequent oiling of leather with mink oil or further commercially accessible products will maintain your leathers supple and improve their lifespan dramatically.
Now that you have found the just what the doctor ordered biker jacket, take care of it, and it will reward you with years of wear. The usual lifetime of a heavy textile jacket will be from 3 to 6 years at the most. A well maintained top quality leather bike jacket will without problems give you 10 years and more of riding satisfaction!