Ride in Style - Show your vintage motorcycle riding gear

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

Ride in Style
Vintage motorcycle riding gear (golden era would be nice)

What gear are you wearing on your vintage iron?

Show your leather breeches, whipcord pegs and pinkies.
Motorcycle jackets in their natural enviorment.
Grab out your studded riding belts.
Dust off your high laced cavalry and engineers boots.
Riding hats, gauntlets and all that vintage stuff is very welcome!

Let´s start with that photo of my yesterday’s ride out.
I´m wearing 1930s german horsehide breeches in chocolate brow with matching motorcycle boots. A 1948 Indian Motocycle riding belt and an old hat from my grandpa. Also a woolen pullover, oxblood red Indian gauntlets from the 1920s.
My ride is a 1923 Indian Big Chief.
When dressed up period correct, it´s like a time warp while meandering on lonesome backroads.

 

[Pandemic]

Very very cool!!

 

[Yamahana]

Awesome!! Love it all, great thread!

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

Awesome!! Love it all, great thread!

Thank you. Hopefully this seed will grow.....and I won´t be the only one with that passion.

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

Very very cool!!

Thank you!

 

[Mandarin]

Great idea, and an impressive start. The colors come out particularly well. Kudos to the photographer.

 

[Monitor]

Really, really cool! Color balance is strong, too.

 

[Marc mndt]

Thank you. Hopefully this seed will grow.....and I won´t be the only one with that passion.

We have a member from France @41eiffel who rode the "traversée de Paris" wearing his awesome European gear:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/lets-see-those-motorcycle-jackets.96730/page-26#post-2832866

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

Great idea, and an impressive start. The colors come out particularly well. Kudos to the photographer.

Thank you so much. I will tell my son.

 

[Will Zach]

^^
Yeah, strong pics. Your son captured the vintage look very well. Congrats. And of course the gear is impressive.

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

^^
Yeah, strong pics. Your son captured the vintage look very well. Congrats. And of course the gear is impressive.

Thanx a lot.

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

@41eiffel
Ce serait super si tu montrais tes photos ici.
Would be great if you join this thread with some photos of your riding gear.

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

We have a member from France @41eiffel who rode the "traversée de Paris" wearing his awesome European gear:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/lets-see-those-motorcycle-jackets.96730/page-26#post-2832866

Thanks for the link. Hope he joins this thread.

 

[lina]

I love that the motorcycle is almost 100 years old -- and still cruising along!

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

I love that the motorcycle is almost 100 years old -- and still cruising along!

Yes. Almost 100 years old an no pension in sight......

 

[Yamahana]

Thank you. Hopefully this seed will grow.....and I won´t be the only one with that passion.

Oh I damn well have the passion, just not the awesome scarce vintage motorbike and gear. I’ve got 5 vintage bikes with the oldest being 1973.
Some of my older vintage MC jackets are very short 20”-21” as was the style then, I’m starting to realize the importance/need for the kidney belts with the shorter jacket length. I now have a valid excuse and need for a couple of vintage kidney belts to wear with these jackets.
Did you do the restoration work on the Indian?

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

Oh I damn well have the passion, just not the awesome scarce vintage motorbike and gear. I’ve got 5 vintage bikes with the oldest being 1973.
Some of my older vintage MC jackets are very short 20”-21” as was the style then, I’m starting to realize the importance/need for the kidney belts with the shorter jacket length. I now have a valid excuse and need for a couple of vintage kidney belts to wear with these jackets.
Did you do the restoration work on the Indian?

They made great designs and powerful bikes in the 70s. Show something,if you like.
Yes, it´s good to wear a kidney belt alog with the short M/C jackets. I do that also with my oldest jackets from the 1920s and 30s. There were such cool kidney belt designs back then....love them.
I do the restoration along with friends. Here we worked on the carb, pipes, tranny, primary, wheels, brakes.........it´s a running restoration.

 

[Edward]

Ride in Style
Vintage motorcycle riding gear (golden era would be nice)

What gear are you wearing on your vintage iron?

Show your leather breeches, whipcord pegs and pinkies.
Motorcycle jackets in their natural enviorment.
Grab out your studded riding belts.
Dust off your high laced cavalry and engineers boots.
Riding hats, gauntlets and all that vintage stuff is very welcome!

Let´s start with that photo of my yesterday’s ride out.
I´m wearing 1930s german horsehide breeches in chocolate brow with matching motorcycle boots. A 1948 Indian Motocycle riding belt and an old hat from my grandpa. Also a woolen pullover, oxblood red Indian gauntlets from the 1920s.
My ride is a 1923 Indian Big Chief.
When dressed up period correct, it´s like a time warp while meandering on lonesome backroads.

View attachment 370315
View attachment 370313

Fantastic look! Particularly like the sweater, is that a repro piece?

I love a good kidney belt. Something I have my eye half on when I shift a bot more weight.

Oh I damn well have the passion, just not the awesome scarce vintage motorbike and gear. I’ve got 5 vintage bikes with the oldest being 1973.
Some of my older vintage MC jackets are very short 20”-21” as was the style then, I’m starting to realize the importance/need for the kidney belts with the shorter jacket length. I now have a valid excuse and need for a couple of vintage kidney belts to wear with these jackets.
Did you do the restoration work on the Indian?

I think kidney belts were originally intended more to be about posture and riding comfort. Much like a shorter, waist-cinch corset, they were intended to keep the rider in a more upright position, avoiding stress on the lower back when riding long-distance especially. I certainly imagine they would offer a little extra protection for the lower back in the event of an off, though - especially when worn in the absence of a jacket or under a short jacket. They went out of fashion here in the UK I believe pretty early on, with the trend towards bikes which encouraged a different, more crouched forward, riding position. I see some of them coming back in aimed at tourers especially - though they're generally nasty, neoprene looking things with no style... There's a regular debate goes on in motorcycle forums over whether they offer an advantage or not; I expect it's a fairly subjective thing. Those earlier, American style leather ones look fantastic, though.

 

[Antique Indian Motocycles]

Fantastic look! Particularly like the sweater, is that a repro piece?

Thank you so much. Yes, the sweater is repro, but matches the red wine leaves well.

I am with you, 40s / 50s kidney belts were more a stylish accessoir than useful. Often worn along with rayon club shirts. I love the chainbelts, they are more comfy.

 

[Edward]

Thank you so much. Yes, the sweater is repro, but matches the red wine leaves well.

I am with you, 40s / 50s kidney belts were more a stylish accessoir than useful. Often worn along with rayon club shirts. I love the chainbelts, they are more comfy.

To be clear, asking if it's a repro is not a criticism - more a hope that this means I can get one for myself! It looks fantastic. I have a repro with a Buco logo somewhere in pale blue and while, but I do really fancy the Indian red!

The bike itself, needless to stay, is a stunning piece of machinery. Lovely to see it out and being enjoyed!