Les Motocyclettistes - high quality French / Japanese Shinki, sheepskin,etc. jackets

[Robbie79]

Hello everyone,

Actually, I've heard of the brand Les Motocyclettistes the first time a couple of years ago (never tried one on).

End of last week when chatting with @Tusche (he already owns 4 Les Motocyclettistes horsehide jackets since a couple of years) he told me that the founder/owner of Les Motocyclettistes (Pierre Girard) will be there for a couple of days in order to show leather jackets and leather pants at Kentaurus Cologne.

Originally I had no time but as I was too curious I found some time and made a quick stop there (just 20 minutes) in order to talk to Pierre, try some jackets on and take a couple of pics for you guys. Pierre is a really nice guy and has been in this industry for decades and is a real expert like for instance Theodoros. Both he and Dirk (staff member) were very friendly and supportive during my short stay. Pierre is based in Paris and has also an Atelier in Paris but mainly sells through retailers like Kentaurus.

His Shinki horsehide jackets are hand crafted in Japan and they do also manufacturing in Paris (mainly the veg tanned sheepskin and goatskin if I remember correctly).

Btw. @Tusche always told me about the high quality standard of the jackets and that the jackets are in the same league as Freewheelers. The Shinki horsehide is definitely the same used by Freewheelers and one felt and smelled like Shinki used by RMC. Stitching is very laser precise (very narrow) like Freewheelers (I couldn't see any flaws, imperfections on stitching, neither on the leather). Hardware is nickel Waldes as standard and they usually use dark/navy blue quilted lining. The sleeves are a little bit longer as FW sleeves as most of Pierre's jackets are designed (these will become a bit shorter anyway).

I especially liked his vegtanned sheepskin as it is soft as butter and the jacket is rather heavy for a sheepskin jacket - I fell in love with one (I took pics below) and needs no break-in. He offers both black and brown color. He also offers vegtanned goatskin (rather thick and heavy and leather is softer as Aero's goatskin).


He has different MC jacket designs in his portfolio, e.g. D-pocket, BUCO J-31, Cafe Racer, etc. I also like his leather pants - not a style I would wear but I like it a lot.


https://www.les-motocyclettistes.com/en/clothing/surrey/

https://www.les-motocyclettistes.com/en/sales-location/

If you like the quality level of FW, then you will definitely like Les Motocyclettistes depending on your jacket style preferences as his portfolio is completely differenct (apart from BUCO J-31 which is similar to FW's Leathertogs / Centinela).

From pricing point of view they are in the same league - between ~2200 and 2950€ - I think till end of this month they offer special showroom deals.

If a FW jacket is worth it, these jackets are also worth it IMO. @Tusche knows it much better than I as he owns both FW and Les Motocyclettistes Shinki horsehide jackets.

I just wonder why this brand is not popular at all.

Last but not least I was really impressed by the quality of Les Motocyclettistes leather jackets and honestly I was tempted to grab the sheepskin jacket as it would have been one of my best fitting and one of my most comfy (maybe the most comfy) leather jackets I own.


Here are several pics:

More pics to follow

 

[Robbie79]

More pics:

 

[Tom71]

Thanks for the writeup and especially the pix, @Robbie79!

I was pretty tempted to go, but getting to Cologne and back would have taken all of Saturday, and this time of the year is super busy, so I gave it a pass. Plus, I have WAY too many black jackets already, and I fear, I wouldn´t have left without another one...

 

[MrProper]

Hello everyone,

Actually, I've heard of the brand Les Motocyclettistes the first time a couple of years ago (never tried one on).

End of last week when chatting with @Tusche (he already owns 4 Les Motocyclettistes horsehide jackets since a couple of years) he told me that the founder/owner of Les Motocyclettistes (Pierre Girard) will be there for a couple of days in order to show leather jackets and leather pants at Kentaurus Cologne.

Originally I had no time but as I was too curious I found some time and made a quick stop there (just 20 minutes) in order to talk to Pierre, try some jackets on and take a couple of pics for you guys. Pierre is a really nice guy and has been in this industry for decades and is a real expert like for instance Theodoros. Both he and Dirk (staff member) were very friendly and supportive during my short stay. Pierre is based in Paris and has also an Atelier in Paris but mainly sells through retailers like Kentaurus.

His Shinki horsehide jackets are hand crafted in Japan and they do also manufacturing in Paris (mainly the veg tanned sheepskin and goatskin if I remember correctly).

Btw. @Tusche always told me about the high quality standard of the jackets and that the jackets are in the same league as Freewheelers. The Shinki horsehide is definitely the same used by Freewheelers and one felt and smelled like Shinki used by RMC. Stitching is very laser precise (very narrow) like Freewheelers (I couldn't see any flaws, imperfections on stitching, neither on the leather). Hardware is nickel Waldes as standard and they usually use dark/navy blue quilted lining. The sleeves are a little bit longer as FW sleeves as most of Pierre's jackets are designed (these will become a bit shorter anyway).

I especially liked his vegtanned sheepskin as it is soft as butter and the jacket is rather heavy for a sheepskin jacket - I fell in love with one (I took pics below) and needs no break-in. He offers both black and brown color. He also offers vegtanned goatskin (rather thick and heavy and leather is softer as Aero's goatskin).


He has different MC jacket designs in his portfolio, e.g. D-pocket, BUCO J-31, Cafe Racer, etc. I also like his leather pants - not a style I would wear but I like it a lot.


https://www.les-motocyclettistes.com/en/clothing/surrey/

https://www.les-motocyclettistes.com/en/sales-location/

If you like the quality level of FW, then you will definitely like Les Motocyclettistes depending on your jacket style preferences as his portfolio is completely differenct (apart from BUCO J-31 which is similar to FW's Leathertogs / Centinela).

From pricing point of view they are in the same league - between ~2200 and 2950€ - I think till end of this month they offer special showroom deals.

If a FW jacket is worth it, these jackets are also worth it IMO. @Tusche knows it much better than I as he owns both FW and Les Motocyclettistes Shinki horsehide jackets.

I just wonder why this brand is not popular at all.

Last but not least I was really impressed by the quality of Les Motocyclettistes leather jackets and honestly I was tempted to grab the sheepskin jacket as it would have been one of my best fitting and one of my most comfy (maybe the most comfy) leather jackets I own.


Here are several pics:

View attachment 385134

View attachment 385135

View attachment 385136

View attachment 385137

View attachment 385138

View attachment 385139

View attachment 385140

View attachment 385141

View attachment 385142

View attachment 385143

More pics to follow

The jackets look really good on you.
I would say... buy

 

[Canuck Panda]

Love that Grand prix padded racer. Veg tan sheepskin looks really nice. French tanneries are really famous for that and their veg tan chevre goats. A little bit pricey for me. But definitely checking it out the next time I get there. Paris is always full of surprises, no matter how many times I've been there, every time something new and interesting pops up.

 

[Jin431]

the black/brown padded racing shirt suits you perfectly! thanks for spotlighting info on the maker and sharing your experience with the retailer as it seems like a lovely place to visit.

 

[marker2037]

That liner on the first one is insane. I'd buy that one in a heartbeat if I ever ran across it in Europe.

 

[MrProper]

I especially liked his vegtanned sheepskin as it is soft as butter and the jacket is rather heavy for a sheepskin jacket - I fell in love with one (I took pics below) and needs no break-in

I wonder if the veg tanned sheep might be the same one that Lewis leathers uses? LL's website says "Sheep Leather 1.2mm - 1.4mm, Sourced in France".
I would imagine there are not that many tanneries in France that do veg tanned sheep.

 

[MrProper]

That liner on the first one is insane.

That's exactly what I thought when I saw the picture.

 

[Robbie79]

Thanks for the writeup and especially the pix, @Robbie79!

I was pretty tempted to go, but getting to Cologne and back would have taken all of Saturday, and this time of the year is super busy, so I gave it a pass. Plus, I have WAY too many black jackets already, and I fear, I wouldn´t have left without another one...

@Tom71 I have the same "problem" as I also have too many black leather jackets - on the other hand black is my favorite leather jacket color (for other clothing blue is my favorite color). If I had had more time I would have tried on more jackets and would have posted more pics of their impressive craftmanship (stitching, lining, hardware, etc.) I actually tried on two more jackets (the unlined leather shirt and a Cafe Racer but the size was not right. Therefore I didn't post the pics.

The jackets look really good on you.
I would say... buy

@MrProper Thanks. It fits like a glove and besides their Shinki HH (which I already know from other makers) I was really impressed by the sheepskin.

Love that Grand prix padded racer. Veg tan sheepskin looks really nice. French tanneries are really famous for that and their veg tan chevre goats. A little bit pricey for me. But definitely checking it out the next time I get there. Paris is always full of surprises, no matter how many times I've been there, every time something new and interesting pops up.

Indeed they are on the higher price range but again, if people can/want to afford a Freewheelers, The Flat Head, RMC which are on the same price level, why not trying out Les Motocyclettistes as IMO the stitching is more accurate / cleaner compared to any RMC jacket I've handled so far. Leather, hardware, lining are on the same quality level. Of course this is not a well-known brand so far and re-selling value would probably be much lower because of that. But on the other hand every brand has started from zero (this is not the case for Les Motocyclettistes for sure) and built up a reputation over time

the black/brown padded racing shirt suits you perfectly! thanks for spotlighting info on the maker and sharing your experience with the retailer as it seems like a lovely place to visit.

@Jin431 Thanks. Yes, they do have other great stuff as well such as Clinch boots.

That liner on the first one is insane. I'd buy that one in a heartbeat if I ever ran across it in Europe.

@marker2037 They use the same liner on all jackets I've seen apart from the unlined ones

I wonder if the veg tanned sheep might be the same one that Lewis leathers uses? LL's website says "Sheep Leather 1.2mm - 1.4mm, Sourced in France".
I would imagine there are not that many tanneries in France that do veg tanned sheep.

@MrProper Good question. Maybe someone can answer this question who has ever handled sheepskin from both LL and Les Motocyclettistes. I've never handled a LL jacket so far. Of course you might be right as it's obvious that they use the same tannery.

 

[Monitor]

Review is great, jackets seem nice, prices are absolutely obscene.

 

[Robbie79]

I wonder if the veg tanned sheep might be the same one that Lewis leathers uses? LL's website says "Sheep Leather 1.2mm - 1.4mm, Sourced in France".
I would imagine there are not that many tanneries in France that do veg tanned sheep.

@MrProper I've just checked LL's homepage and it seems that LL don't offer vegtanned sheepskin, because they explicitly mention their vegtanned cowhide. Therefore sheepskin seems to be chrometanned (correct me if I'm wrong). Les Motocyclettistes only offer vegtanned sheep, goat and horsehide according to the owner Pierre.

 

[MrProper]

No, it should be veg tanned.
It says so on the website and also Rip never contradicted when I had mentioned veg tanned. So I assume that it really is veg tanned.
https://www.lewisleathers.com/custom-ordering

 

[navetsea]

Jackets looks cool on you, just the cuff kind of large for a zipped motorcycle style. seems like they really make neat diamond quilting they are all symmetrical left and right.

 

[Robbie79]

Review is great, jackets seem nice, prices are absolutely obscene.

@Monitor Thanks for your feedback and comments. At least they do offer special showroom prices right now (at Kentaurus shop). I'm not sure about pricing if you go direct (visit their Atelier in Paris) - probably same pricing since otherwise it doesn't make any sense.
Fashion brands like Tom Ford, Balmain, Saint Laurent do charge 4-7k for fashion leather jackets (I haven't handled one but according to pics they look flimsy) whereas brands like FW or Les Motocyclettistes do offer high quality leather jackets made of high quality materials which reflects the price (of course the same applies to FL, Thedi, etc. but every brand has its own price strategy).
On the other hand I have to admit that the price still is a show stopper at least for me as I already have my grail Shinki HH jackets from FW, RMC already which are all black colored and "investing" another 3k for a similar jacket I already have makes not a lot of sense (maybe the black sheepskin is an option but 2.2k is also quite an invest). If I hadn't my grail Shinki HH jackets already I think I would definitely buy a black Shinki jacket - most likely the "Charade" which I've seen on @Tusche riding on his motorcycle and it looks really cool - Tusche bought his 4 jackets a couple of years ago and I've only heard positive words from him - he owns most well-known brands for decades (Aero, LW, FW, etc.).

 

[Robbie79]

No, it should be veg tanned.
It says so on the website and also Rip never contradicted when I had mentioned veg tanned. So I assume that it really is veg tanned.
https://www.lewisleathers.com/custom-ordering

View attachment 385483

@MrProper Thanks for checking and confirming. Please excuse, I've overlooked that. Just checked the jackets and leather options. Kentaurus also sell LL sheepskin jackets (price is around 1k) and sheepskin can be compared in the shop

 

[Marc mndt]

Indeed they are on the higher price range but again, if people can/want to afford a Freewheelers, The Flat Head, RMC which are on the same price level, why not trying out Les Motocyclettistes as IMO the stitching is more accurate / cleaner compared to any RMC jacket I've handled so far.

I just checked some pics on their instagram account. Indeed, most of the stitching looks perfect. But it's also pretty easy to spot a couple of flaws. Not the kind of flaws I'd expect from a jacket in this price range.

 

[Edward]

Review is great, jackets seem nice, prices are absolutely obscene.

I think we're really into 'what the market will bear' here. It's above what I'd be comfortable spending, but that may be no bad thing as I can admire risk-free, without hitting the paypal button and then having to explain to the wife that it followed me home...

That quilted lining on these looks fantastic. Interesting range of styling, too, from vintage designs to a couple that look much more modern to my eye. It would be fascinating to know which they sell more of!

Interesting too to see this sort of very high end (price-wise) product coming out of Europe; used to be you'd only see this kind of thing in Japan. I wonder is this a reflection of the Japanese top-price brands creating a niche market which has attracted newer players elsewhere?

Very nice stuff, definitely worth a visit if and when I ever have time in Paris again. Hope to be back - finally - again in September, though I'll mainly be teaching those couple of days so I may or may not have time to myself.

 

[Robbie79]

I just checked some pics on their instagram account. Indeed, most of the stitching looks perfect. But it's also pretty easy to spot a couple of flaws. Not the kind of flaws I'd expect from a jacket in this price range.

View attachment 385489 View attachment 385490 View attachment 385491

@Marc mndt Thanks for your feedback and for checking their Insta. To my eyes it doesn't look dramatic (honestly I guess I wouldn't have noticed it - you are younger and have better eyes...lol) and I haven't seen obvious flaws on the two or three jackets I had a closer look on while I visited them, but of course it was not a 100% quality inspection with my >40 years old eyes RMC jackets for instance I have and saw from others and The Flat Head had many more "more dramatic" flaws and they are in the same price league. Moreover I really can't imagine that there's a product out there which is 100% perfect and flawless (at least items manufactured by hand)

 

[jonbuilder]

Hello everyone,

Actually, I've heard of the brand Les Motocyclettistes the first time a couple of years ago (never tried one on).

End of last week when chatting with @Tusche (he already owns 4 Les Motocyclettistes horsehide jackets since a couple of years) he told me that the founder/owner of Les Motocyclettistes (Pierre Girard) will be there for a couple of days in order to show leather jackets and leather pants at Kentaurus Cologne.

Originally I had no time but as I was too curious I found some time and made a quick stop there (just 20 minutes) in order to talk to Pierre, try some jackets on and take a couple of pics for you guys. Pierre is a really nice guy and has been in this industry for decades and is a real expert like for instance Theodoros. Both he and Dirk (staff member) were very friendly and supportive during my short stay. Pierre is based in Paris and has also an Atelier in Paris but mainly sells through retailers like Kentaurus.

His Shinki horsehide jackets are hand crafted in Japan and they do also manufacturing in Paris (mainly the veg tanned sheepskin and goatskin if I remember correctly).

Btw. @Tusche always told me about the high quality standard of the jackets and that the jackets are in the same league as Freewheelers. The Shinki horsehide is definitely the same used by Freewheelers and one felt and smelled like Shinki used by RMC. Stitching is very laser precise (very narrow) like Freewheelers (I couldn't see any flaws, imperfections on stitching, neither on the leather). Hardware is nickel Waldes as standard and they usually use dark/navy blue quilted lining. The sleeves are a little bit longer as FW sleeves as most of Pierre's jackets are designed (these will become a bit shorter anyway).

I especially liked his vegtanned sheepskin as it is soft as butter and the jacket is rather heavy for a sheepskin jacket - I fell in love with one (I took pics below) and needs no break-in. He offers both black and brown color. He also offers vegtanned goatskin (rather thick and heavy and leather is softer as Aero's goatskin).


He has different MC jacket designs in his portfolio, e.g. D-pocket, BUCO J-31, Cafe Racer, etc. I also like his leather pants - not a style I would wear but I like it a lot.


https://www.les-motocyclettistes.com/en/clothing/surrey/

https://www.les-motocyclettistes.com/en/sales-location/

If you like the quality level of FW, then you will definitely like Les Motocyclettistes depending on your jacket style preferences as his portfolio is completely differenct (apart from BUCO J-31 which is similar to FW's Leathertogs / Centinela).

From pricing point of view they are in the same league - between ~2200 and 2950€ - I think till end of this month they offer special showroom deals.

If a FW jacket is worth it, these jackets are also worth it IMO. @Tusche knows it much better than I as he owns both FW and Les Motocyclettistes Shinki horsehide jackets.

I just wonder why this brand is not popular at all.

Last but not least I was really impressed by the quality of Les Motocyclettistes leather jackets and honestly I was tempted to grab the sheepskin jacket as it would have been one of my best fitting and one of my most comfy (maybe the most comfy) leather jackets I own.


Here are several pics:

View attachment 385134

View attachment 385135

View attachment 385136

View attachment 385137

View attachment 385138

View attachment 385139

View attachment 385140

View attachment 385141

View attachment 385142

View attachment 385143

More pics to follow

Fantastic write-up Robbie. Thank you for sharing