BKS Leather Jacket

[Graemsay]

I've just put a deposit down for a BKS Leathers suit. They make Aeros look like a bargain.

I think that I'd better explain...

I got into motorcycling last year, and it turns out that my Aero really wouldn't cut in a crash. What you need is a CE-rated one or two piece leather suit, and there are two or three companies in the UK that make them.

BKS is one of them, and probably make the nicest suits.

http://www.bksleather.co.uk/

You can buy off the peg, but I'm going for the full made-to-measure experience. I'll be heading down to Exeter at the end of March to get them taken, so there shouldn't be any fitting issues.

Most of their suits have a distinct modern, Power Ranger look to them, but a discontinued model is based on the Lancer or traditional biker jacket style:

http://www.bksleather.co.uk/pdfs/BKS_ORIGINALS_100SPL.pdf

I've seen a couple of the Lewis jackets with a similar collar, so reworking the zips could produce a slightly more retro look.

BKS don't offer horsehide, but I'm keen on their German Bull Hide, which is somewhat thicker than is normally found in leathers. It only comes in black, but, frankly, there should be a law against biker jackets in other colours.

I'll keep people posted.

As for the cost, my brother said that his bike cost less than I'm spending...

 

[Rufus]

I'll be interested to see how it turns out, Sir!

as you mentioned, most of them make you look like a lost Power ranger... which is so unfortunate.. I'd love to see a suit styled on a 1940s Dispatch rider, with the built in kevlar hidden etc..

It's a shame that most bike companies think we want to dress like sartorially challenged super heroes.. maybe it's to put our minds to rest, as we fly through the air on our way off our bikes in the rain.. :eusa_doh:

 

[Graemsay]

I'll keep you posted.

Belstaff make some retro styled biker jackets, and the ones designed for motorcycling actually feel pretty durable.

It would be worth suggesting to Lewis Leathers that there might be a market for retro-looking high-spec leathers...

 

[Twit]

Funny that one of my first posts is about bikes...

BKS are great leathers, certainly the best bike leathers you can get in the UK now that Crowtree seem to have retired. But they are a bit power ranger. I know Crowtree could make just about any style of jacket you wanted and put armour etc in it. It could be worth dropping an email to see if they would do a seperate commission for something a bit more suitable.

I have a 56 AJS and an old beamer. As the bikes do not go that quickly I just use my belstaff trailmaster with an armour vest on underneath if I really feel the need. I tend then just to risk jeans and red wing boots and of course my flame davida and flying goggles, I'm yet to come a cropper! As has been said some of the bike belstaff stuff actually seems robust. Do a google for holden if you are interested as their prices are not conduit street!

There is a real market for some decent bike quality leathers to use with pre-50s and 60s bikes.

 

[Graemsay]

The last I heard (and that was back in August), Crowtree were going into semi-retirement. The downside with that is that they might not be around to repair or alter garments in the future.

BKS made the leathers worn in the Honda "Power of Dreams" advert, which were a retro style.

I may well go for a more modern style, but whatever I go for will be very simple. And black.

 

[CodeRed]

I have a full BKS leather suit for my bike and they are indeed top notch! GL

 

[Graemsay]

Got Measured

I've been a bit slack with this update, but I went down to BKS in Exmouth about a fortnight ago, and got measured up by Brian (Keith Sampson) who's the company founder.

I went for their touring suit (after swinging backwards and forwards between this and another design), and it'll look something like this:

I've stripped all of the logos and badges off it. I don't go in for advertising.

The front is a double storm flap, similar to the Belstaff Mojave, which is one of the nicest looking jackets out there. Maybe I should have added some pockets...

The extras that I went for are:

• German Bullhide - The standard leather is 1.4 mm thick (3.5 oz) cowhide. BKS offer the thicker bullhide, which is 1.6 to 1.8 mm thick (4 to 4.5 oz), so equivalent to Aero's Front Quarter Horsehide.
• Soft Armour - 8 mm thick, vented rubber that exceeds the CE level 2 rating in how well it absorbs shock. So if (or when) I fall off it shouldn't hurt so badly.
• Back Protector - Fitted in a pocket. As per the armour (above).
• Polartec Lining - BKS use a zip-out Airtex nylon lining as standard. I'm also getting a Polartec one for colder days.
• Stretch Panels - In the shoulders and elbows, and possibly in the torso too. These are made out of leather sewn onto a heavy duty elastic backing, and allow for more movement. They apparently stand up to crashes better than plain leather.

The inner arms of the jacket are going to be stretch Kevlar. They do offer perforated leather, but it's not advised.

The suit is going to be plain black, as that's the only colour that the bullhide comes in. And that's the only real colour for biker leathers. I've gone for black stitching too, though I'm considering changing that to gold. (Any fashion advice is welcome...)

A couple of other things.

BKS don't use horsehide as they consider it too stiff. Although I have found out that the first one-piece leathers actually used it. I suspect that another issue might be that it would be difficult finding hides that are certified to the relevant CE standard.

Incidentally, the suit will meet the CE standard to Level 3, which is about as good as you can get.

I also swapped a couple of emails with an accident investigator. He doesn't rate the one-piece racing leathers for the road. Apparently they're much harder for roadside accident crews to remove, and this can lead to further complications.

At a racing circuit it's a different matter, as there's a fully staffed medical centre at hand.

Two pieces are considered less safe, because the zip might fail, but he's only ever heard of this happening in one case, and that's when it was modified by the owner. And even if it does, a decent jacket won't ride up and expose the back.

So don't think about going down the Power Ranger route on the roads. It's not as safe, and is a series stylistic faux pas. lol

 

[CodeRed]

I have the same exact suit...it will come in very handy should you take a spill. GL.