Johnson vs. Vanson: Which has the best style, ventilation, and armor protection?

[Hammer Down]

I'm on the fence about an armored cafe racer jacket from Vanson or Johnson. Anyone have any thoughts? I am big on ventilation for summer riding and the Johnson seems a little better in that department. Also, the armor seems perhaps a tad better. Not sure.

I have not tried on a Drifter (Vanson) or an N-200-AFR (Johnson). Those models are the two respective offerings in cafe racer models with armor. At 45, I don't want to take chances on longer rides if I tumble. I want the maximum protection.

If you have a pic handy you can post of either jacket, or your favorite, I would be grateful. Believe it or not, Johnson's website is actually worse than Vanson's. Quite an achievement because Vanson's is fairly dismal when it comes to pictures to illustrate products. Johnson's is just a tiny thumbnail of each jacket with no back view!

Any other suggestions? Nonleather? Which jacket do you think offers the best ventilation and the best protection?

 

[ButteMT61]

Depends. I use non-leather except for track or short in town rides. More comfortable, better vents and armor works better (IMO)
I'm sold on them. I've got Motoport and Tourmaster jackets. There's two types of going down - sliding along pavement, and hitting something. I've slid in both textile and leather - both held up. But the textiles had better padding. If you hit something, well, good luck.

 

[ForestForTheTrees]

The more reading I do, the more convinced I become that the forcefield protection offered by Johnson (or other similar products) is the way to go.

 

[dr.velociraptor]

Look at any track where people race bikes including professional circuits and you will see tons of Vanson jackets, suits, etc... I think you would be hard pressed to find even one wearing a Johnsons Leather. If you're looking for a proper riding jacket with CE Armor then Vanson is the way to go. I love my Schott jacket but I don't pretend it's going to offer protection like a Vanson jacket.

 

[Otter]

I use a Hein Gericke ProSports jacket which offers both, good elbow/back/shoulder protection with a perforated and backed chest area to give ventilation on those warm days, not that we have had many of those in Scotland the last couple of years! I keep the Aero Motorcycle jacket for use when I know it is going to be dry.

 

[captaincaveman1]

If you want a trad style jacket with pockets for armor and vents, might want to check out Foxcreek's Grayson and Vented Racing too. I had a Grayson that looked 99% like a classic cafe racer but had some very subtle modern touches like hidden vents, detachable storm collar, zip-out liner, and pockets for armor.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I understand the Drifter doesn't have any vents. Googled pics of the N-200-AF and can't say I like the styling of that particular jacket, although I have heard only good things about the company's products.

 

[Hammer Down]

Otter: What type of Aero do you ride in?

 

[jimmer_5]

I have no experience with Johnson, but they seem to make a nice jacket. However, I just got a new Vanson Enfield, and despite the fact that it is a little more vintage looking, it is a performance built jacket. The sleeves are long, the zip cuffs zip up tight, and the cut is very functional. The armholes are high, and I can raise my arms without having the jacket lift up. The shoulders hardly even wrinkle when I lift them, and the action back keeps the sleeves from riding up (along with the snug zipper cuffs). Directly comparing it with my Aero ACE Half Belt, I was surprised how much better I could move about in the Vanson. The Aero is pure class and style, but the Vanson brings a lot of function to the table.

I have owned several Vansons before, but ended up selling them because I never found one where the measurements fit me right (too narrow in the shoulders and short in the sleeves). Now that I have the fit correct, I am really impressed. The thick leather definitely needs some break in - as a matter of fact, I almost sent it back the first day I had it. However, after a day or so of wear, the leather started to relax, and the fit felt much better. Despite being extra thick, it's very supple (it's thicker than my FQHH Aero ACE Half Belt). I am quite surprised and happy with this jacket.

I ahve also heard great things about Fox Creek leather - if I was in the market for another really functional jacket, I would pick up one of the Grayson jackets (like Capt Caveman mentioned).

Good luck!

 

[Otter]

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=65

This one, in heavy steerhide. Thick enough that I am not too worried about hitting the ground, still wear my gericke leather trousers though!

 

[Vespizzare]

I have a Vanson Teton and love the venting. Especially effective is the airs scoop you create when you unzip the elbow venting.

 

[OneEyeMan]

I currently own a Vanson Enfield and have owned their Sport Rider CSRX jacket, both in their competition weight leather.
The CSRX is a hard core racing/track jacket which accepts armor.
The Enfield is more casual and does not accept armor.
If you've never seen Vanson's Competition Weight jackets, do yourself a favor and check one out.
I believe at one time, the Army considered using this leather as the front armor on the M1A1 Tank.
Lenny

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I have a Johnson M-200 and three Vansons. I am not sure if Johnson uses their naked cowhide on their racing jackets but IMO the Vanson competition weight leather appears much thicker and more durable than Johnson's naked cowhide. The Johnson leather is high quality but IMO the finish and thickness leave a bit to be desired for an armored jacket.

That said, when I visited Johnson Leather's store in San Francisco, CA I was quite impressed by their armor (including the pants). I have Vanson hard armor for my jackets but my next armor purchase will be a set of Forcefield pants from Johnson.

 

[ForestForTheTrees]

If you're considering a custom jacket, Johnson can source other leather for your build without a problem. The turnaround time will be far shorter as well (likely 1 to 2 months depending on how much up front communication you have with them. Their level of construction is at least on par with the other premium motorcycle jacket makers. I'd recommend that you do some research into the virtues of the soft vs hard armor systems and go from there.