Re: Rain gear

Posted by sgtslag on Mar 19, 2013; 7:43pm
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/Rain-gear-tp4038112p4038138.html

Sees has some excellent points.  Here's the skinny on leather, and textile jackets:

Leather can withstand abrasion (sliding across the roadway) longer than any other material, including Kevlar; somewhere on the Internet, is an article where a fellow tested different materials wear resistance by putting them underneath a slab of concrete, and dragging them behind a pickup truck.  Denim (blue jeans) lasted around 0.3 seconds before it burned through; all other materials lasted much longer, but nylon had to be in the 600+ Denier thickness range, to be considered "good" for M/C's; leather left everything else far behind, in durability, and time-before-burn-through; never bookmarked the web page, sorry.

Leather is the only thing worn by/approved for use in professional racing.  It is hot, shrinks when it gets wet, as well as stiffening horribly when it dries out, and it is expensive...  Racing leathers typically start at $800, and rise to the sky from there.  Regular leather is hot, has terrible ventilation, and just is not comfortable for long rides; however, there are new forms which are perforated, with small holes across the majority of its surface, which have better ventilation, and are cooler to wear long distances -- they also tend to be higher priced.

Textiles have come a long way:  nearly all are waterproof; there are perforated/mesh types, which offer good protection, but tremendous air flow, so the excuse, "It's just too hot to wear my armored jacket," doesn't hold much truth anymore.  The mesh jackets vary widely in price, and quality.  With 600 Denier, and up, you get protection which comes closer than anything else, to leather (still far inferior for abrasion endurance, but plenty good for the real-world of amateur M/C'ing).  Even the bargain-priced jackets and pants offer excellent protection for the money spent (remember:  denim lasted around 0.3 seconds before the concrete slab was in direct contact with the roadway behind that pickup truck...).


If you have the cash, you can get a one-piece riding suit, waterproof, armored, ventilated, can be put on in less than 20 seconds/removed in around 10 seconds, if you are willing to make the investment (upwards of $600-$1,200).  Aerostitch makes some excellent suits, as described.  Although the price of entry is very steep, they will last for many years, barring an accident, or significant weight change.  They tend to develop a 'patena', over time, but that is a badge of longevity, and something to be proud of, IMO (I'm too cheap to invest in these, so far...).  Cheers!