Please Help Me Pick A Motorcycle Jacket

[robatsu]

I think I've narrowed it down to these two:

Legendary Black Horse

Hillside Brown D Pocket

I like the removable liners, horsehide, and classic motorcycle jacket styling on both of them. I can take a little more of the adornments (epaulets, snaps) on a brown jacket. Legendary is more of known quantity than Hillside, but Hillside seems like they may be coming up on the curve - the claim this is a new products for them.

Any comments appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[dr.velociraptor]

Legendary is a quality jacket but the Horsehide feels a bit thin in my opinion, it's not on par with a Vanson competition weight jacket at all (if you can use that as a reference).

 

[OneEyeMan]

I'd seriously consider Fox Creek or Vanson over either of those brands.
Lenny

 

[Peter Mackin]

Hi,i would go for a vanson jacket,i have two of them @ one on the way,,,another great jacket is belstaff,,,peter

 

[ShrunkinCowboy]

Hard to beat a Vanson jacket for overall quality.
I also happen to like Canadian-made Bristol jackets.
Don't see too many down here in the US.

Steve

 

[roadking04]

Hi. I HAD a "horsehide" vest from Hillside. Very thin in spots and appeared almost rubbery in some panels. Very poor quality in my opinion. You get what you pay for.

 

[robatsu]

Wow, less than ringing endorsements of my candidates... Back to the drawing board.

 

[garzo]

What about good ol' Schott?! Go for the classic Perfecto!

But if you're looking for real motorcycle wear with ventilation, Fox Creek can't be beat.

 

[Peacoat]

I agree with the man with one eye: Vanson and Foxcreek are excellent candidates. I have both and they are top of the line. The Vanson will have stiffer leather that will take a while to break in, and the wait time will be long as well.

Foxcreek comes broken in out of the box and has good quality thick leather. I wouldn't worry too much about a liner as you will want to use your favorite vest for warmth rather than an after thought liner by the manufacturer. At least that has been my experience. I used to want a jacket with a liner, but then found I would rather go with a sweater or one of my own vests, which was always warmer anyway. I got the Vanson liner, which is high quality--with a price to match--but never use it.

 

[CeeDee]

It looks like you're looking for an off-centered zipper riding jacket. +1 for Vanson. You might want to check out the Vanson CHP, Model C, Highwayman, and Colorado. Some of the Aero D-pocket jackets could be nice as well.

 

[injunjack]

I have Black Horse AND Vanson CHP. Both are very good jackets.
BH is more generous, modern cut, I could have easily sized down one to 42 on that. On the other hand my Vanson in 42 fits like a glove, no actual room for layering. BH ages nicely, and is pretty watertight. The zip-up liner is good option. The belt is a joke, I switched it immediatelly to a proper duty-belt

I'd say you cannot go wrong with Black Horse. It's just matter of taste IMHO. And Legendary jackets are made by Schott, so their horsehide is same as in Schott jackets.

HTH

 

[dr.velociraptor]

I'd say you cannot go wrong with Black Horse. It's just matter of taste IMHO. And Legendary jackets are made by Schott, so their horsehide is same as in Schott jackets.

HTH

That's part of the problem, I always thought Schott was basically a fashion jacket when compared to proper riding jackets. I have the cafe racer HH from Legendary not the model pictured and had a Vanson Model B and there was no comparison, one was like armor and thick, the other was a bit flimsy IMO.

 

[IXL]

I have the Legendary Wild Stallion D-pocket style, in brown. As others have posted, it is made by Schott and is a very good jacket. It is quite stiff.
I also have a Vanson CHP. It is thick and very stiff, more so than the Legendary, and is also heavier. Both jackets are a size 42 and fit well.
The Legendary has more pockets and comes supplied with a removable belt, while the CHP is equipped with belt loops, but no belt.
I also have a Schott model 118, also in size 42 and it is the roomiest of the three, as well as being the softest and most pliable. This jacket leaves a bit more room for layering in cold weather, but still has a nice fit.
All three jackets are a pleasure to wear and function well for their intended purpose, which I believe is to protect one from the elements. If concerned with crash/skid protection, I am of the opinion that something in the techno-whizzo-space-age-advanced-textile-crash-pad-armor-containing gear would do the trick nicely.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[robatsu]

Thanks for all the input (hope there is more to come...). I am pretty determined to get a horsehide jacket, so that sort of rules out the Fox Creek and Vanson stuff, which is wonderful otherwise.

Haven't heard much on the Hillside stuff, that is sort of an unknown. Looking at their site, it looks like they are going after the Schott/Legendary market (some of their stuff looks like it may have come out of the same factory...).

 

[Seb Lucas]

Couple of questions:

Why do you want horse hide?

Is it to ride a bike?

 

[robatsu]

Couple of questions:

Why do you want horse hide?

Well, I got in the market for a leather jacket recently, first time in some years. After a little reading, I decided I wanted to give this material a try for the claimed toughness, post break-in comfort, and water resistance. Test it myself...

I'm figuring (hoping?), perhaps wrongly, that while these choices (Legendary/Hillside) may not be the pinnacle of horsehide-dom (Aero/Lost Worlds type stuff), I should still be getting a reasonably decent example of a horsehide jacket at that price.

Is it to ride a bike?

Yes. I've been a motorcyclist 30+ years, have had lotsa jackets in this time, this purchase I'm looking for something that is both reasonably functional/protective as well as having a traditional/classic look.

 

[1087]

What size jacket are you looking to get?

 

[Seb Lucas]

Well, I got in the market for a leather jacket recently, first time in some years. After a little reading, I decided I wanted to give this material a try for the claimed toughness, post break-in comfort, and water resistance. Test it myself...

I'm figuring (hoping?), perhaps wrongly, that while these choices (Legendary/Hillside) may not be the pinnacle of horsehide-dom (Aero/Lost Worlds type stuff), I should still be getting a reasonably decent example of a horsehide jacket at that price.



Yes. I've been a motorcyclist 30+ years, have had lotsa jackets in this time, this purchase I'm looking for something that is both reasonably functional/protective as well as having a traditional/classic look.

All sounds very reasonable.

Why not consult with Wade from Insurrection. He's a bike guy and a jacket expert. His view is that 3.5oz cow will be more comfortable and perform better than horse. Here's what he wrote:

However, if it's performance you want, you DO NOT want horsehide. Horsehide will never move as well as cowhide, nor does it have the abrasion resistance of competition weight cowhide.

Worth checking out for another persepctive. But I know that horsehide is a religion around here. I would buy no cheaper than Schott myself or perhaps go with a used jacket.

 

[bretron]

Langlitz Cascade with Cossack collar or Langlitz Timberline. In black, of course!

 

[caffeinated]

I have a Fox Creek cafe style jacket and a horsehide Aero cafe racer. Both are great jackets in their own way, but they tick different boxes. Fit and finish on both are outstanding, they look good and deliver exactly what they promise.

Fox Creek promised a heavy leather jacket with vents and a supple feel from the start. That's exactly what it is. It's super comfortable and the leather is heavy and thick. It's a great motorcycle jacket. I took a low-speed tumble wearing it and it barely shows scuffing.

Aero promised a heavy horse-hide that would take on certain characteristics as it aged, a trim fit and high quality construction. I got all that. It's just a beautiful jacket on and off the bike and it's gotten better looking over time, and hopefully will for years. What it isn't is supple, and I don't consider it all-day comfortable like the Fox Creek or some other bike jackets I've owned. In fact, I can't hold my cell phone to my ear for a long period of time due to the thickness and stiffness of the leather at the bend of the elbow, lol. Hopefully that will change as it breaks in over the years, but I knew this going into it and in fact it was a selling point for me.

Some would consider this ridiculous. It probably is. It is form over function, but I don't care. If I was interested in function over form I'd ride a BMW and wear an Aerostich suit. But I ride a Buell and wear a horsehide jacket. I consider both a little bit of self-expression and just plain fun.

You have to decide what is more important to you. If you can't decide though, the Fox Creek is probably the best compromise. The leather is every bit as impressive as the Aero horsehide, just in a different way.

Good luck and have fun!
Steve