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What Jacket Are You Wearing Today?

jonesy86

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,610
Location
Kauai
Jacket is in storage but I have these from last fall. Great jacket.

View attachment 343658 View attachment 343659 View attachment 343660 View attachment 343661

I don't ride, and this is not a MC jacket but I picked up a Simmons Bilt Memphis a few years ago, a civilian A-2 made out of Shinki that is quite thick and heavy compared to other Shinki that I have now. It has great grain on some of the panels, but the panels are not all matched.

s-l1600.jpg
s-l1600-1.jpg
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,836
Location
East Java
When some professional on a track lays down the Vanson or Bates and saunters in wearing a FL or FW track suit, I’ll put them on the same level when it comes to MCs.

The question then becomes if a LW, Aero, FL, Schott, whatever is good enough to ride in day to day. Puttering around the city or some country road. I’d say yes, most of the time. If the leather is thick and/or abrasion-resistant enough, solid seams, and the hardware worth a sh!t. But no way are they better MC gear than Vanson, Bates, etc.

I have a feeling it is not that other jackets lack strength or will totally shredded upon contact with the tarmac... but I think what make vanson different is their business model deal with post crash jackets changing the panel resurfacing scratches and make it ready again to wear (maybe in motoGP dainese or alpinestar will deal with each rider's suit they crashed in and replace them with a brand new leather ASAP since the brand sponsor them but perhaps a hobbyist or amateur racers need to find gears they can send back in to fix without buying a brand new gear everytime, so I think vanson or bks, etc cater this market for customizable bike gear with maybe life long after sale post crash service), while if you slide with your Shinki, while it would probably safe your skin as fine.. but your jacket won't be serviceable, probably that batch of shinki is no longer available, or the leather ages showing teacore so fast so old and new panel would look jarringly different, etc.
I think there is the difference, and why you should not crash in your tea core jacket, since your jacket will then look like a post crash jacket and nothing can be done to it, especially those oil tanned impossible to fix the scuffed surface no paint would stick on it a re-dye will look patchy.
 
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Tom71

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,680
Location
Europe
Nice! You got this new right? I don't recall you having a Thedi cossack.

Ordered back in 2019 when I met Thedi and Alexandra in Saloniki.

Thedi has a dedicated following here, and all that is said, is absolutely true. I just don´t want to repeat the praise re craftmanship, hides and Thedi´s magical touch to get the sizing and fir right!
 

Cornelius

Practically Family
Messages
715
Location
Great Lakes
I have a feeling it is not that other jackets lack strength or will totally shredded upon contact with the tarmac... but I think what make vanson different is their business model deal with post crash jackets changing the panel resurfacing scratches and make it ready again to wear (maybe in motoGP dainese or alpinestar will deal with each rider's suit they crashed in and replace them with a brand new leather ASAP since the brand sponsor them but perhaps a hobbyist or amateur racers need to find gears they can send back in to fix without buying a brand new gear everytime, so I think vanson or bks, etc cater this market for customizable bike gear with maybe life long after sale post crash service), while if you slide with your Shinki, while it would probably safe your skin as fine.. but your jacket won't be serviceable, probably that batch of shinki is no longer available, or the leather ages showing teacore so fast so old and new panel would look jarringly different, etc.
I think there is the difference, and why you should not crash in your tea core jacket, since your jacket will then look like a post crash jacket and nothing can be done to it, especially those oil tanned impossible to fix the scuffed surface no paint would stick on it a re-dye will look patchy.

Just start hyping a "post-crash teacore jacket" look on Instagram, and suddenly designers will be dragging gorgeous jackets behind a truck & then selling them for USD$6,000 a piece.
 
Messages
10,607
I have a feeling it is not that other jackets lack strength or will totally shredded upon contact with the tarmac... but I think what make vanson different is their business model deal with post crash jackets changing the panel resurfacing scratches and make it ready again to wear (maybe in motoGP dainese or alpinestar will deal with each rider's suit they crashed in and replace them with a brand new leather ASAP since the brand sponsor them but perhaps a hobbyist or amateur racers need to find gears they can send back in to fix without buying a brand new gear everytime, so I think vanson or bks, etc cater this market for customizable bike gear with maybe life long after sale post crash service), while if you slide with your Shinki, while it would probably safe your skin as fine.. but your jacket won't be serviceable, probably that batch of shinki is no longer available, or the leather ages showing teacore so fast so old and new panel would look jarringly different, etc.
I think there is the difference, and why you should not crash in your tea core jacket, since your jacket will then look like a post crash jacket and nothing can be done to it, especially those oil tanned impossible to fix the scuffed surface no paint would stick on it a re-dye will look patchy.

Maybe. I don’t know what else to say. They are built to ride in comfortably. They are built for the unplanned dismount at 150+ mph. The others aren’t. It’s kind of insulting (not you, we are talking here; but generally speaking) towards Vanson to claim a professional MC jacket company, with decades of experience, is not better at their stated goal than some dude somewhere making fashion jackets. Beautiful, incredible jackets in Shinki that I love, but…more fashion than anything else.

Would a LW “save” me in an accident, especially at “normal” speeds. I think so, so I wear them. But I don’t think they generally fit the way a serious MC jacket should. Would all of my jackets? I don’t think so (at least not as well), so I don’t wear them. The purpose built MC stuff? no doubt, up to the serious speeds too. I’m not really worried about the new panel on a future jacket as I’m sliding across the pavement. If I have time to think of that kind of stuff in that scenario, I’m probably in a Vanson lol.
 

dwilson

A-List Customer
Messages
320
Location
LA
I don't ride as well but I'd be really reluctant to ride in a $2k+ USD Japanese made jacket. At that price point the jacket is more fashion than function and road rashing that expensive a jacket would feel really bad. Plus haven't there been tons of advances in technology beyond leather like kevlar jackets with armor?
 

Bfd70

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,274
Location
Traverse city
Yes. If your primary goal is safety.
Problem is that jackets built safety first typically only look good (yes, i know not dying is important) on the bi,e.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,836
Location
East Java
Maybe. I don’t know what else to say. They are built to ride in comfortably. They are built for the unplanned dismount at 150+ mph. The others aren’t. It’s kind of insulting (not you, we are talking here; but generally speaking) towards Vanson to claim a professional MC jacket company, with decades of experience, is not better at their stated goal than some dude somewhere making fashion jackets. Beautiful, incredible jackets in Shinki that I love, but…more fashion than anything else.

Would a LW “save” me in an accident, especially at “normal” speeds. I think so, so I wear them. But I don’t think they generally fit the way a serious MC jacket should. Would all of my jackets? I don’t think so (at least not as well), so I don’t wear them. The purpose built MC stuff? no doubt, up to the serious speeds too. I’m not really worried about the new panel on a future jacket as I’m sliding across the pavement. If I have time to think of that kind of stuff in that scenario, I’m probably in a Vanson lol.

The jacket should be comfortable to move around in it in riding position and yet snug fitting, and should glide well , so no suede jacket or jacket with grabby details like tassle or pocket flaps, no lamb skin, any other spongey hide I can pick a chunk off if I try with my fingernails to begin with as a riding jacket.

in normal speed any jacket that match that criteria even when it's 5* (if spec'd with riding in mind) would perform equally I believe.

in high speed probably only several type of vanson that would save the rider against broken bones and spine if relying only on their jacket.

otherwise I believe there is nothing magical in the way they sew the panels that other makers don't know or can't do, by looking at this random no brand MC jacket surviving this abuse, I confidently say that

If I wear padded under armor or spine protector and elbow pad and wear just a goathide or any dense (non spongey) cowhide on top it might perform as well as long as the jacket fit well with those under armor on. the goathide would then need to be replaced probably and cowhide need to be repainted. and horsehide is overkill.
 
Messages
10,607
The jacket should be comfortable to move around in it in riding position and yet snug fitting, and should glide well , so no suede jacket or jacket with grabby details like tassle or pocket flaps, no lamb skin, any other spongey hide I can pick a chunk off if I try with my fingernails to begin with as a riding jacket.

in normal speed any jacket that match that criteria even when it's 5* (if spec'd with riding in mind) would perform equally I believe.

in high speed probably only several type of vanson that would save the rider against broken bones and spine if relying only on their jacket.

otherwise I believe there is nothing magical in the way they sew the panels that other makers don't know or can't do, by looking at this random no brand MC jacket surviving this abuse, I confidently say that

If I wear padded under armor or spine protector and elbow pad and wear just a goathide or any dense (non spongey) cowhide on top it might perform as well as long as the jacket fit well with those under armor on. the goathide would then need to be replaced probably and cowhide need to be repainted. and horsehide is overkill.

The jacket being pulled around like Hector outside of Troy was amazing.
 

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