Breaking in a Vanson Chopper

[pawineguy]

Any hot water before the dryer or toss it in dry? ...with a wet towel???

When I've used the dryer in the past, I have wet the jacket first with cold water, then put a few baseballs in a pillow case and let them beat on the jacket while it tumbled.

 

[kojax]

wow now you have a baseball jacket lol good luck

 

[2wheelgrplr]

Great pics, I'm pretty sure those are some of the shots that confirmed that I wanted a Chopper.

Might be - Carrie posted these same pics on the Insurrection thread some months ago. Thought I'd throw them on here as well - I always enjoy checking out other's jacket pics, pretty sure others might feel the same

I really like the list of jackets you have.. Hopefully within a year or two i'd like to add a lost worlds, aero and a schott to my closet!!

Thanks man. Yeah, I have way more jackets than I need right now. Recently moved from the US back home to Asia and before I left made sure to pick up some jackets that I fancied - lots more on my want list though!

 

[Simonoggio]

Simonnoggio, you won't go wrong with a Vanson. Like others have mentioned before, Vanson is definitely a bang for your buck in the best way possible. They make armored leather jackets too - racing suits, sport riding jackets, etc. Armored options in their regular classic line include the Drifter, Perforated Drifter and Armored Comet jackets. If you like their Model A then you'll be happy to know they've come out with an amored version, the AR3. I recently received my customized version of the AR3, will post pics in a separate thread. They also have a semi-perforated version of the Drifter jacket, the DRAC or Full Throttle, which I dutifully picked up too - lighter leather, armored, with option to open or the close perforated section - looking forward to rocking it in warmer weather.

This is great news, Damo! I'm really looking forward to those pictures! Actually, wearing an armored undershirt had never occured to me until pawineguy mentioned it. Seems like a good compromise between having the protection of an armored jacket yet still rock the look of a classical jacket like a Scott, Aero, etc. Though to be honest, I always wanted a jacket that I can wear on and off the bike withouth feeling like a skier walking the city. I didn't know they now produce an armored version of Model A. This might be exactly what I'm looking for. Gotta keep an eye out for this one... (and start saving money. There's also an Aero winter jacket in planing. Good stuff doesn't come cheap it seems)

Great pictures in the chopper, btw. It really suits the classic feel of your Enfield (that is yours, right?) and yet provides that little extra like some before me have already pointed out. :eusa_clap

 

[2wheelgrplr]

This is great news, Damo! I'm really looking forward to those pictures! Actually, wearing an armored undershirt had never occured to me until pawineguy mentioned it. Seems like a good compromise between having the protection of an armored jacket yet still rock the look of a classical jacket like a Scott, Aero, etc. Though to be honest, I always wanted a jacket that I can wear on and off the bike withouth feeling like a skier walking the city. I didn't know they now produce an armored version of Model A. This might be exactly what I'm looking for. Gotta keep an eye out for this one... (and start saving money. There's also an Aero winter jacket in planing. Good stuff doesn't come cheap it seems)

Great pictures in the chopper, btw. It really suits the classic feel of your Enfield (that is yours, right?) and yet provides that little extra like some before me have already pointed out. :eusa_clap

Yup, that;s my Royal Enfield - looks a bit worse off now after several multiple-day off-road riding trips. Hoping to add another bike to the stable soon. Let's see what's that gonna be, not as many options over here as in North America or Europe.

 

[Pushrod]

Yup, that;s my Royal Enfield - looks a bit worse off now after several multiple-day off-road riding trips. Hoping to add another bike to the stable soon. Let's see what's that gonna be, not as many options over here as in North America or Europe.

Great looking Vanson, I've had a few of them and think their great cycle jackets. My favorite is the CHP in comp leather and I still have it. I've got an Enfield Bullet too, mines an iron barrel.

 

[2wheelgrplr]

Great looking Vanson, I've had a few of them and think their great cycle jackets. My favorite is the CHP in comp leather and I still have it. I've got an Enfield Bullet too, mines an iron barrel.


View attachment 22529

Great looking Bullet you got there! Really like the military look. Thanks for sharing. Mine in the pic is the basic/standard Bullet 500 with the new unit construction engine, but running carburetor instead of fuel injection. I used to have an iron-barrel Enfield too, an old beat-up 350cc model, that I picked up for peanuts while in college 20-odd years ago. Lack of funds back then meant I never got it sorted out properly, probably spent as much time pushing it as riding it. Still, many good memories.

The Vanson CHP looks solid, at least the pics I've seen - any chance you can share pics? Thanks!

 

[Simonoggio]

pawineguy, did you size up to accommodate your armoured shirt? I just came across this vanson dealer not to far from where I live (it was a good day, indeed!). He has the chopper, model B and I believe the comet in octagon (nice leather, but a bit too much red for my taste) in store, but not the armoured model A. So, I was thinking I might go for your jacket + armoured shirt option instead. Their size 38 fit me nicely and even allowed me to wear my hoodie underneath, so there is some room for armour. Think this might be enough room for an armoured undershirt?

 

[pawineguy]

pawineguy, did you size up to accommodate your armoured shirt? I just came across this vanson dealer not to far from where I live (it was a good day, indeed!). He has the chopper, model B and I believe the comet in octagon (nice leather, but a bit too much red for my taste) in store, but not the armoured model A. So, I was thinking I might go for your jacket + armoured shirt option instead. Their size 38 fit me nicely and even allowed me to wear my hoodie underneath, so there is some room for armour. Think this might be enough room for an armoured undershirt?

Most likely that's going to be enough room, if you can fit a hoodie comfortably underneath. The armored shirt really should fit like a second skin, and modern armor is pretty thin. I have fit my armored shirts under very slim fit jackets that look like I can't even fit a second regular shirt under. The sleeves on Vansons are not very fitted, so there should be plenty of room in the elbow and forearm area. Just make sure you can feel a little bit of room in the shoulders and around your back where the rest of the armor will sit. Good luck, they are all great looking jackets and very sturdy as you know. Using the armored shirt is going to give you more flexibility to wear the jacket off the bike.

 

[trapp]

Pushrod - that's a beautiful bike.

 

[mattp]

Just a heads up for anyone thinking about buying a Chopper - Iron & Resin in San Francisco have them for $725 (USD; usually RRP is $769) and had most sizes in stock when I was in there a week or so ago. They weren't listed on the Vanson dealer site, so it was pure luck that I was able to try on and buy a jacket on the spot; I'd been thinking about one for a long time but having had to send back a couple of previous jackets due to sizing issues I was reluctant to pull the trigger online.
It really is an awesome jacket, the red liner is a nice touch and the quality and leather are up there with the best. I've only been for quick ride in it, but first impressions on the bike are good. I don't know if it's just variations in the batches, but the leather is much nicer than my Vanson PLU-3, and the overall feel is that it's better quality (USA made vs. El Salvador, perhaps?). The plastic box on the end of the zipper and cheap looking aluminium cap on the top of the zipper are disappointing touches, but I guess at some point the zip could get replaced and then it'd be close to perfect. I don't buy the 'it's so it doesn't scratch your tank' spiel (I read this online so it must be true); it just looks cheap on an otherwise very high quality jacket, but overall it's not enough to take much away.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[IXL]

Matt, I too have a PLU-3, and am not sure on the S-M-L sizing of the Chopper. May I ask what size you have in each jacket, and how the roominess compares? The price you discovered seems a very good one.
Thanks.

 

[mattp]

Hi IXL, my PLU-3 is a 44, and the Chopper is a Large. The torso and arms are a little roomier in the Chopper, but cinching the waist straps to their tightest setting makes for an overall excellent fit. I can wear the Chopper comfortably over a hoodie or a t-shirt, whereas the PLU-3 is wearable but on the tight side with a hoodie underneath. Take some measurements from your PLU-3 and compare them to these Chopper sizes:

Size Small
Pit-to-pit: 20"
Shoulder-to-shoulder: 18"
Back length, neck seam to bottom hem: 26"
Sleeve length, top of shoulder to cuff: 25.5"

Size Medium
Pit-to-pit: 21.5"
Shoulder-to-shoulder: 18.75"
Back length, neck seam to bottom hem: 26.25"
Sleeve length, top of shoulder to cuff: 25.75"

Size Large
Pit-to-pit: 23.5"
Shoulder-to-shoulder: 19.5"
Back length, neck seam to bottom hem: 26.75
Sleeve length, top of shoulder to cuff: 26.0"

That should give you the best indication of fit; I've found measuring jackets I've got that I know fit well, and comparing measurements, is the most reliable way of ending up with a good fit other than trying a jacket on.

Cheers,
Matt