First Leather - The Real McCoy's Buco J-100

[navetsea]

you need to emulate riding in the rain at home too

best I can imagine is standing under a shower until the leather is wet, and then read a book while sitting on the toilet from start to finish

 

[Seb Lucas]

This one wasn't mine (Technovox.)
Although I wish it belonged to me!

Sorry - fixed.

 

[Seb Lucas]

So I thought it might be helpful if we could list the basic differences between the various J-100s offered (nice to have options to fit various body types.) I don't want to hi-jack the thread, but since we're on the subject...here’s what I’ve got so far, gleaned from your fit conversations and experiences out there. Feel free to correct, add, or modify:

RMC- Shorter style body, narrow sleeves, peaked shoulder seams, flat angle between neck and shoulder, zippers on top of sleeves, offers smooth Shinki Horsehide

Diamond Dave- longer style body, wider sleeves, steep angle between neck and shoulder seam, zippers on top of sleeves, offers grainy Shinki Horsehide

Goodwear-- longer style body, wider sleeves, steep angle between neck and shoulder seam, zippers on bottom of sleeves, offers grainy Shinki Horsehide,

Aero Board Racer- Shorter style body, narrow sleeves, flat angle between neck and shoulder, zippers on top of sleeves, offers Italian Horsehide

Himel Kensington- Longer style body, narrow sleeves, drop front, steep angle between neck and shoulder, zippers on top of sleeves (exposed wrists), offers grainy Shinki Horsehide.

Sound about right?

Techno have you noticed any collar variations? It seems to me (in a brief unstudied look) that they vary slightly in terms of thickness and gap between the snaps where the zipper starts.

 

[Benj]

I like where this thread is going! I know that some kensingtons have two snaps on the collar, although I'm sure he could give you just one.

Another one of the main reasons why I didn't go with the Himel route, other than it being about 800 more, is that it seems the leather he uses is very prone to showing the brown underneath. I've seen one that was worn for a few months and there was a huge armpit fade where it was completely brown...

I know that people have worn these RMC's for years regularly and there's still only the slightest hints of brown near the seams.

 

[Jägernaut]

Whom did you buy your buck through, Benjamin?

 

[handymike]

So I thought it might be helpful if we could list the basic differences between the various J-100s offered (nice to have options to fit various body types.) I don't want to hi-jack the thread, but since we're on the subject...here’s what I’ve got so far, gleaned from your fit conversations and experiences out there. Feel free to correct, add, or modify:

RMC- Shorter style body, narrow sleeves, peaked shoullder seams, flat angle between neck and shoulder, zippers on top of sleeves, offers smooth Shinki Horsehide

Diamond Dave- longer style body, wider sleeves, steep angle between neck and shoulder seam, zippers on top of sleeves, offers grainy Shinki Horsehide

Goodwear-- longer style body, wider sleeves, steep angle between neck and shoulder seam ( I think), zippers on bottom of sleeves, offers grainy Shinki Horsehide,

Aero Board Racer- Shorter style body, narrow sleeves, flat angle between neck and shoulder, zippers on top of sleeves, offers Italian Vicenza Horsehide

Himel Kensington- Longer style body, narrow sleeves, drop front, steep angle between neck and shoulder, zippers on top of sleeves (exposed wrists), offers grainy Shinki Horsehide.

Sound about right?

This is a great idea for its own thread!!!!!

 

[technovox]

This is a great idea for its own thread!!!!!

Yeah, maybe that's a better idea.
Apologies to Benj- didn't want to hi-jack the conversation about your amazing new jacket.
The leather on your RMC looks fantastic- and it will only get better with age!
I'd love to see some wear pics in about 6 months.

 

[Benj]

Of course I'll update! I wore it today and it felt great - even the waiter liked it... It's amazing because it was so hot yesterday, but today it cooled down enough.

No worries on the thread it's a great convo. I think it's helpful to have info on all the different types of leathers! The forums I use have a thread for a single brand, so I thought it was funny that I'd post an entire thread for just my jacket... Haha

 

[Carlos840]

Great fit, i hope mine fits me like this when it arrives!

 

[mattp]

Great looking jacket mate, congrats on the purchase. It is pretty amazing leather isn't it, light enough to wear comfortably but still feels substantial. I love the 'smooth' teacore Shinki; before I got mine I didn't know quite what to expect but there is great grain and texture there right from the get go and it should get better and better. I've only worn mine for a day so far too, and found the arms have relaxed quite a bit already as you commented on.

Here's some shots of mine:





This has gone straight to the top of my favourite jackets of all time list

 

[Monitor]

So my first question is how does one define exactly what is a Buco J-100? It seems to me that John Chapman's iteration is derived from the cafe racer model made by California Sportswear rather than the Buco J-100? Both John's and Aero's cafe racer designs have the zip sleeves in the back, whereas the Buco J-100's in front. I think that Aero's Board Racer is a derivative of the Buco J-100 (sort of) and has its zip sleeves in front rather than the back. Expert input anyone?

From very little I know of it, Buco J-100 is actually a racing shirt, and is more closely related to today's sportsriders gear, than to a Cafe Racer - despite the (very) similar appearance. Being primarily a racing jacket, this style is worn even trimmer than the CR (or any other MC jacket style) as it is sculptured to fit best on a motorcycle, whereas Cafe Racer is a more straightforward, casual jacket... So these racing shirts were supposed to be worn on a track, in a combo with leather pants and boots - not unlike how professional motorcycle riders wear their gear nowadays. That's the idea behind the design of these jackets. It's why you see so many of these with numbers and motorcycle club insignia painted on 'em. Not the 1%ers but the actual ones.

Mostly all repro makers are copying Buco J-100 model, though there were other, very similar jackets that appeared at the same time.

 

[Benj]

I'm sure it's wrong, but if I see a black leather jacket with only two chest zips, a mandarin collar, and zipped sleeves, I just call it a BUCO, or at least an iteration of one.

Just realized I never showed any closeups, hopefully this captures the magnificence of the leather... It's downright stunning. Maybe I should post these in the beginning of the thread too?

 

[Monitor]

I've heard talk of how perfect RMC stitching is, but this is insane. Beautiful photos.

 

[ProteinNerd]

The Buco J-100 has some very specific characteristics that separate it from other similar longer styled moto jackets.

Mandarin collar with single snap.
2 horizontal chest pockets.
No side pockets.
Sleeve zips on the top of the arm unlike most Cafe Racers now that have them underneath.
No action back or shoulder gussets.
Straight yoke on the back.
Front main zip that ends at belt level yet jacket extends further down the body for approx 3-4 inches.

There are quite a few out there that come VERY close but have a few slight differences, some of the original 60's Brooks Cafe Racers are similar but have a slightly different (longer) collar and an action back. The Aero Board Racer is also very similar but has angled chest pockets, longer collar strap and a different back configuration.

 

[technovox]

The Buco J-100 has some very specific characteristics that separate it from other similar longer styled moto jackets.

Mandarin collar with single snap.
2 horizontal chest pockets.
No side pockets.
Sleeve zips on the top of the arm unlike most Cafe Racers now that have them underneath.
No action back or shoulder gussets.
Straight yoke on the back.
Front main zip that ends at belt level yet jacket extends further down the body for approx 3-4 inches.

There are quite a few out there that come VERY close but have a few slight differences, some of the original 60's Brooks Cafe Racers are similar but have a slightly different (longer) collar and an action back. The Aero Board Racer is also very similar but has angled chest pockets, longer collar strap and a different back configuration.

Good list. From what I've observed, the two things that most distinguish a Buco (and Buco repro) from the rest of the cafe racers is the plain back with upper straight yoke, and zippers on the top side of the sleeves.

 

[Fanch]

I think what makes the Buco J-100 and Cafe Racer jackets so appealing is their simple, understated designs. I think ProteinNerd's summation is great. Technovox illustrated Buco's separation from the cafe racers with the plain back with upper straight yoke and zippers on the top side of the sleeves. The other Buco characteristic is the the front zipper that appears to stop 3-4" short of the bottom of the hem so as not to cause the jacket to bunch up at the bottom while riding (or sitting). I will say Benj's Real McCoy's Buco J-100 is one incredibly well executed repro, likely far better than the originals, and am increasingly impressed the more that I read about this and look at Benj's fine pictures!

 

[navetsea]

very nice detail photos, the pocket cutout is perfectly rectangular

 

[technovox]

The other Buco characteristic is the the front zipper that appears to stop 3-4" short of the bottom of the hem so as not to cause the jacket to bunch up at the bottom while riding (or sitting).

Good point. But then I was looking at an original Buco on ebay that just got posted today, and the main zip looks like it goes all the way down. But perhaps the zip was replaced? Later model?

 

[el_gato]

I'm not sure but is the diamond J-100 longer than the RMC one?

 

[Monitor]

The other Buco characteristic is the the front zipper that appears to stop 3-4" short of the bottom of the hem so as not to cause the jacket to bunch up at the bottom while riding (or sitting).

Brooks, Bates, Taubers, Schott, etc. have the same feature. Fidelity, among others, produced CR with the exact same collar as J-100; single snap mandarin collar. Up until recently, Brimaco's were probably the only CR's with side pockets; all the other CR's had only two chest pockets (except earlier Harley jackets). Top sleeve zippers can be seen on many Fidelity and Brooks jackets... Apart from the lack of bi-swing back, there isn't really anything overly distinctive about the J-100.