Aero Bike jacket.

[moktabe]

Good reason to buy two.... The chrome on black is of course an absolute classic, though I often wonder how much that was established by screen-icons, where shiny brass and chrome looked the same in B&W? For me, shiny brass looks superb against black leather - see some colourise shots of Brando as Johnny Strabbler, or, of course, Johnny Depp as Wade 'Cry Baby' Walker. I have my eye on an Aero J106 in black with shiny brass. Really depends what you prefer, both are great, though brass is definitely more unusual these days if part of the kick for you of ordering a jacket like this is getting something you couldn't pick up just anywhere.



It's a range where you need to be sure what works for you, given they're cut to very much follow period styles, certainly. The basic MC / P style I like very much, but definitely would have to go up one size from normal in to fit at the waist. This is, of course, how they were worn back in the day - Brando in The Wild One is a great example. Big on the shoulders, tight on the waist. There's variation in the different models - if memory serves, the J106 is markedly less tapered. The period style isn't for everyone as you'll clearly see from comments here and there, though for me personally altering them to fit a modern perception of how various bits and bobs of the design works rather defeats the point of what Aero is doing. YMMV.

Buy 2? Any more good ideas?

Ref the cut following period style, to be honest that's exactly what I want. Said in a previous thread somewhere that the period style suits my shape. 6ft2ins, 43/44ins chest, broad shouldered,33ins waist and low body fat. Trousers, chinos and jeans are high-waisted and wide legged ( it's amazing the stuff you can find when in lockdown ) as that style fits my shape.
For example, the Sheene and the Windward I'm waiting to collect are a 24ins back length which although many will say "ooh way too short" that length suits me well. With the high-waisted stuff my belt will stay under the jacket.

Once I get to Aero to collect the above jackets I'll speak to them and see which MC they recommend to give the chest / waist taper I'll be looking for for a close fit. Currently have 3 kicking about in my mind as possibles....King of the Road, MotorCycle jacket and the J106. Will be interesting to see what they say!

I read in another thread here that popped up on one of my Google searches that many of the old Aero styles i.e. short, struggle to fit in with the cut of modern clothing whereas for crusties like me who prefers old fashioned styles of clothing they'll be just fine

 

[mendelboaz]

I have the Daytona and Indian Ranger. I can only recommend the Indian Ranger. It's quite special. Very short and tight in the waist and the puffy back that doesn't look all that slim. But it is the only style that's worth the money from Aero. I don't have the KOTR because I assumed it is based on the same J106 pattern block. I could be wrong.
My Indian Ranger is made in the Black Jerky, and it's about 3oz. And it works well for the jacket.
I would also advise against thicker CXL. The thicker they are the less I wear them.

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Be careful of the sizing though. The Indian Ranger is quite short, and at least two inches tighter at the hem. Best design in the Aero moto jacket range IMO.

Holy cripes, that is one fine looking jacket. I can totally see why you think the Indian Ranger is Aero's best MC crosszip jacket. Everything about it is fantastic. The only things that would make it better for me, design-wise, would be a full-action back instead of less functional shoulder gussets, and the addition of a reinforced kidney panel at the back. While I like a clean back on a jacket, the back on this jacket is too clean IMO.

 

[Rich22]

What's the long pocket under the arm for? For a potential passenger to use on a bike?

I like the design in the front too, though not brass with black (nonono), but agree that the back is perhaps too simple. I quite like seeing belts loops all the way around, rather than just from the front.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Crosszips in general are a different kind of animal of a jacket. The "King of Crosszips" @ton312 may have some deeper thoughts on what makes for the perfect fit. I will claim no crown myself, but thinking back since college, I have likely owned ~ 20 different crosszip style motorcycle jackets. Some were excellent, most were really awful in terms of fit. I wish I had done a blog about them with photos of every one. Many I have no photos of at all.

I'll offer my honest thoughts on the Indian Ranger. Full disclosure, when I pulled it out of the box I was deeply in love - all the details, the Horween FQHH leather (which is not offered on this model anymore) and even the Rob Roy lightweight tartan lining was just so perfect.

Then I put it on. It's a nice jacket to wear and I find the sleeves quite comfortable with fit, however the back is a touch large overall. The whole jacket seems a little large - like a regular Highwayman verses a Premier Fit HWM. The torso length is at the short edge of "ok" with me. The back length is fine. I agree the action back on this jacket is a little less functional than on the Vanson - HD collab jacket that I also own. Perhaps it's due to the design - note on the Vanson how more "straight down" the action back panels go verse the Aero. I agree with Mendel's statement that a rear outer kidney panel - although not offered on the original IR, would be a nice addition. I think a upper "V" yoke would also look good on this pattern, but by then the back looks a little more busy than it does now.

I'll try to get some better "Back side fit" -photos of this to post here. For me they are both acceptable. Not perhaps ideal. I've owned "ideal" fitting cross zips prior, and sold them along to try others.

 

[AeroFan_07]

What's the long pocket under the arm for? For a potential passenger to use on a bike?

I like the design in the front too, though not brass with black (nonono), but agree that the back is perhaps too simple. I quite like seeing belts loops all the way around, rather than just from the front.

Correct, handwarmer pockets for the passanger. Lost Worlds J24 & J24 have them too.

I actually like brass with black, especially with a bit of silver/nickle added in. But it has to be glossy black for me.
Brass hardware on black boots = even better!

I also prefer a full-around belt, but apparently that's not how the original IR's were made. For much more info on this, see here:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/aero-indian-ranger-design-updated.94239/#post-2434149

 

[ton312]

I like the j106 best of all Aero’s bike jacket patterns. I had quite a few over the years. They are excellent, beautiful pieces of streetwear. I would not suggest using Aero as an m/c jacket. They simply don’t work (even half as well) as Vanson. Here’s a few j’ s I had. I do kind of miss having a j but not enough to be moved to purchase one.

I had Aero’s straight up bike jacket too. Didn’t care for it at all, can’t find a pic but it felt strangely bulbous with an insane taper. Really didn’t like the fit and it would’ve been absolutely unusable on an actual motorcycle. I still believe if you want an actual m/c jacket, built for m/c use, you go with Vanson. Some will site other jackets look better. IMHO that isn’t true.

Not to derail from the thread. Aero makes a beautiful moto style jacket indeed.

 

[moktabe]

I like the j106 best of all Aero’s bike jacket patterns. I had quite a few over the years. They are excellent, beautiful pieces of streetwear. I would not suggest using Aero as an m/c jacket. They simply don’t work (even half as well) as Vanson. Here’s a few j’ s I had. I do kind of miss having a j but not enough to be moved to purchase one.
View attachment 361551
I had Aero’s straight up bike jacket too. Didn’t care for it at all, can’t find a pic but it felt strangely bulbous with an insane taper. Really didn’t like the fit and it would’ve been absolutely unusable on an actual motorcycle. I still believe if you want an actual m/c jacket, built for m/c use, you go with Vanson. Some will site other jackets look better. IMHO that isn’t true.
View attachment 361557
Not to derail from the thread. Aero makes a beautiful moto style jacket indeed.

Thanks for the photos and info.

I don't ride a bike and never will so, in reality, any jacket purchased would be for streetwear only. Have had a look on the Vanson site and am impressed with some of their stuff however, the thought of ordering a jacket from overseas fills me with dread if I'm honest purely down to me being fussy with the fit.. I suppose there can only be so many variations on styling when it comes to MC jackets.

The main reason for going with Aero is that I can go up and see them and, with wanting a specific fit, it's much easier to get what I want.

 

[Rich22]

I like the j106 best of all Aero’s bike jacket patterns. I had quite a few over the years. They are excellent, beautiful pieces of streetwear. I would not suggest using Aero as an m/c jacket. They simply don’t work (even half as well) as Vanson. Here’s a few j’ s I had. I do kind of miss having a j but not enough to be moved to purchase one.
View attachment 361551
I had Aero’s straight up bike jacket too. Didn’t care for it at all, can’t find a pic but it felt strangely bulbous with an insane taper. Really didn’t like the fit and it would’ve been absolutely unusable on an actual motorcycle. I still believe if you want an actual m/c jacket, built for m/c use, you go with Vanson. Some will site other jackets look better. IMHO that isn’t true.
View attachment 361557
Not to derail from the thread. Aero makes a beautiful moto style jacket indeed.

What is it about the Aero crosszips that don't work well on motorbikes? Limited mobility, or something else? Your photos of Aero crosszips (specifically the multiple Bootleggers) are one of the reasons I want to order one!

 

[ton312]

What is it about the Aero crosszips that don't work well on motorbikes? Limited mobility, or something else? Your photos of Aero crosszips (specifically the multiple Bootleggers) are one of the reasons I want to order one!

Shoulder mobility is extremely limited. Jackets tend to have lower cut armholes, so they ride up when arms are extended. The shoulder gussets (while improved quite a bit) are insufficient. Full AB is better, plain back…forget it. Not to mention cold CXL…good luck. I could and would never argue the beauty of an Aero CXL jacket, to this day, I hold them in the hugest regard. But if you were looking for functional riding gear, imho and experience, they just aren’t that. Of course if that’s of no consequence to how the jacket will be used, then the point is totally moot.

 

[Rich22]

It's a couple of years since I last rode a motorcycle, and I don't currently own one, but I have had jackets that it's uncomfortable even driving in! Has anyone tried getting Aero to plonk their 'premier' style higher armhole sleeves on a crosszip?

 

[Edward]

I suspect much also has to do with the style of motorcycle you choose. The riding position on a Harley Sportster, especially if you're into the ape-hanger style, is a completely different animal from that you'd need on something in the Honda CBR range.

Buy 2? Any more good ideas? [/quotr]

You should know we're all enablers here....

Worth mentioning, though, that the Indian Ranger comes with a mix of chrome and brass hardware. Might not be for everyone (and you can have it swapped out for all one tone, I believe), but I like it because it's what made the Indian Ranger different than all the others.

Ref the cut following period style, to be honest that's exactly what I want. Said in a previous thread somewhere that the period style suits my shape. 6ft2ins, 43/44ins chest, broad shouldered,33ins waist and low body fat. Trousers, chinos and jeans are high-waisted and wide legged ( it's amazing the stuff you can find when in lockdown ) as that style fits my shape.
For example, the Sheene and the Windward I'm waiting to collect are a 24ins back length which although many will say "ooh way too short" that length suits me well. With the high-waisted stuff my belt will stay under the jacket.

Good stuff. With that sort of C to W drop, you shouldn't have a problem with the tighter-waisted models at all.

Once I get to Aero to collect the above jackets I'll speak to them and see which MC they recommend to give the chest / waist taper I'll be looking for for a close fit. Currently have 3 kicking about in my mind as possibles....King of the Road, MotorCycle jacket and the J106. Will be interesting to see what they say!

Definitely no substitute for trying them on. They're all just a little different in fit, cut, details...

I read in another thread here that popped up on one of my Google searches that many of the old Aero styles i.e. short, struggle to fit in with the cut of modern clothing whereas for crusties like me who prefers old fashioned styles of clothing they'll be just fine

You and I are coming from the same place, it sounds like. Not everything I wear is strictly vintage repro, but in terms of the overall look, way I see it if I was dropped into 1956 and couldn't pass (whether as contemporary or someone wearing "old-fashioned" 320s or 40s styles - as many of a certain age still did then), what's the point? Men's fashion starts to go downhill from the mid late 50s, and much after 1960 why even bother...

What's the long pocket under the arm for? For a potential passenger to use on a bike?

Correct, handwarmer pockets for the passanger. Lost Worlds J24 & J24 have them too.

These have been referred to for years as "pillion pockets", and supposedly were often used for that purpose. On the originals at least, many didn't have pocket bags and just went straight into the lining of the jacket. TBH, I'm not sure I'd feel entirely safe using them that way- I can see how that could be an aggravating factor re injuries in a spill - but there we are. I'm not entirely sure that was the intended design purpose, though - as opposed to what they became used for, or known for. Quite a few jackets from back in the day had only one, on one side. I can't imagine those were intended for a one-armed pillion! Other uses for these included a place to stow gloves when off the bike. I've also read of riders using them to slip in a newspaper or two to provide a bit more padding in the kidney region for comfort's sake, or somewhere to slip a map in those pre-Google Maps days.

I also prefer a full-around belt, but apparently that's not how the original IR's were made. For much more info on this, see here:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/aero-indian-ranger-design-updated.94239/#post-2434149

Aero's approach to the IR is emblematic of the Aero design model. I interviewed Ken for The Chap a couple of years ago, and he was very clear that Aero has a set cut-off point at 1959 - "because the Sixties was when they started making crap." The Aero philosophy - military jackets aside - is, in the main, not to simply reproduce exact pre-1960 designs, but to build jackets with the techniques and styles around then that could have been made at that point in time. On this basis, the Aero Iron Ranger rather than reproducing a single model is a combination of what Ken considered to be the best features of several models, based originally on (from memory) three different, original Indian jackets.

I've not (Yet....!) owned one of these, but I do very much like them. They have an obvious similarity to the standard Perfecto type, but there's just a little more panache, somehow. Which is not to say the standard MC isn't great, because it is superb. I have one I need to sell at some point; it's current replacement is a used Schott 618, though I very much have my eye on getting one of the Aeros again eventually. Horses for courses an aw, but side by side the Aero is just so much nicer. I just made the mistake of buying a second hand Aero that fits me over the shoulders but has too much of a drop to the waist to accommodate my, eh, middle age. I'm still a growing boy at just turned 47. Unfortunately the growth is now mainly horizontal.

Thanks for the photos and info.

I don't ride a bike and never will so, in reality, any jacket purchased would be for streetwear only. Have had a look on the Vanson site and am impressed with some of their stuff however, the thought of ordering a jacket from overseas fills me with dread if I'm honest purely down to me being fussy with the fit.. I suppose there can only be so many variations on styling when it comes to MC jackets.

The main reason for going with Aero is that I can go up and see them and, with wanting a specific fit, it's much easier to get what I want.

Vanson do what they do and are also very nice. *Some* of their models edge into being too much of a "modern reinterpretation" of the styles. Can't quite put my finger on it, they just look too modern in *some* - not all - models for my tastes, BUT they are great. A few years ago, Vanson were in a fair few bike shops in London, at Schott-type money (no contest there). I don't see them so much around now it seems since the pound dropped hard against the dollar a few years ago and hasn't recovered much since. (Schotts really shot up in price here at that point, a combination of the currency impact and price rises.)

There's a lot to be said, though, for taking the opportunity for a try-on. The Aero factory is a fantastic place to visit; I was there in July 2014, and Murray, the head cutter, gave me the tour. We spent two hours there between being shown around and trying everything on, lovely folks. My big recommendations would be a] see what they have in stock by way of hides (sometimes they might have something 'different' there; I have a Dustbowl made from a Horween Bison that I think never went into full use on the website), and b] try on *everything*. The stock room is incredible. Try everything you can find in your size, even if it's not the styles you're looking at now - it'll be useful in future to have an idea how a USN or an A2 fits you for reference!

Galashiels is faster to get to now as well. When I visited, we had to take the bus from Edinburgh, which was close to two hours from memory - lovely journey, though, that Borders area of Scotland is gorgeous - ironically, perhaps, the scenery is very much the sort of thing people associate with the Highlands. Since then, Scotrail has reopened the old branch line, and there's now a train that gets there from Edinburgh in about an hour. Same great scenery! There are options to stay in Gala itself, though with the train so handy from Edinburgh it's an easy day trip too.

 

[moktabe]

This....now this is my idea of style!....without the throat latch though so, it's time for a bit of plagiarism.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...-hh-j-106-kotr-indian-mix-biker-jacket.97528/

I knew Aero did the odd bit of customization here and there but no idea they went to this extent.

Love the back of the KOR but not 100% on the front and vice-versa on the J106. Turns out the additional cost isn't unbearable either. Just need the sizing spot on as it'll be non-returnable.

With the dire petrol panic we're having here I decided against going back up to Aero and the Windward will be delivered hopefully soon. I'll ask for a brass pocket zip to be enclosed with the jacket so I can put it against the black CXLSH sample I have which makes it easier to decide on zip colour rather than look at a photo. The 2 jackets incoming, one has a nickel zip and the other an antique brass so I'll be able to see those colours in the light of day.

Still awaiting word as to when the tobacco Badalassi will be in stock however, if the wait goes beyond mid-October I'll have it done in Cordovan CXLSH instead.

Windward is a 46 and the Sheene is a 44 so once they're both with me I'll speak to Aero and see which size they recommend in my hybrid biker!

 

[Cheech]

Good choice. I keep returning to that thread to be inspired by @Feliksas' jacket. It's not a high priority at the moment, but I have in mind to re-create this one with a removable belt, no epaulettes, and a removable mouton collar. If you all ever see my Johnson cross-zip in the classifieds, you'll know that I'm making this move.

This....now this is my idea of style!....without the throat latch though so, it's time for a bit of plagiarism.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...-hh-j-106-kotr-indian-mix-biker-jacket.97528/