What's the balance between style and function?

[tk1971]

The 78 is the 2nd to the last year of the 1st Gen.

The new ones even have air bags.

 

[Seb Lucas]

New here, but I've been lurking around for a while.

Recently bought myself a Vanson Comet in size 40.

It's quite a bit shorter than I would imagine, but it fits on my bike which has clip on bars.

But since my jacket has no provision for armor, I may or may not wear it on a bike (besides, I usually commute in a bright yellow Aerostich suit over my slacks/shirt).

Now comes the question... do I settle for a good fit on the bike and not worry about it off the bike, or get rid of it and go for something longer and stick with the Stich on the bike?

Seeking some opinions. Too short?

Thanks.


tk

Depends what look you're going for. I personally think that is way too short - by 3 inches easily.

 

[blazerbud]

I think it is perfect. Try wearing it with boot cut or cowboy cut jeans, dark grey. And Sleeves unzipped

 

[442go4broke]

Looks perfect, front and back. Wear it. Looks very cool.

 

[tk1971]

Well... I lengthened the jacket by 1.5". The alterations are 100% reversible in case I change my mind. Check it out:

 

[Edward]

I like it in both forms. The longer length is probably helpful if you bend over a sports bike. I would suspect the original design is short on the assumption the rider will also be wearing some form of protective trousers. Dedicated leather bike trousers I see are generally high enough in the waist to match a short jacket.

Why do they refer this style as a cafe racer? Most old rockers that ride cafe racer British bikes I know wore the lancer style jacket with the cross over zip.
JohnnyRocker

I assume it's in part a US/UK variation on what they wore... judging from the old photos, and what I read, 'cafe racer' was more a "wannabe" type insult in the US than it seems to have been in the UK? (At least in retrospect - I wasn't around at the time). Also I note that in a lot of photos of the original British Rockers, you see far more of the Highwayman style jackets than the Perfecto type... photos of the US Greasers seem vice versa.

On a more general level, the jackets emulated the racing leathers of the day, so the guys who wore them for a more racing look while hanging out at or biking between the cafe joints....

The classic cafe racer is a straight zip jacket and was popular (I believe) from back in the early days of the rockers which was the late 50's. Lancer fronted jackets which still had cafe style collars were European influenced and came later. The Lewis Leathers Monza didn't come out until 72 and the Super Monza came out in 78.

... there were lancer style jackets similar to the Aero Bootlegger and the Alexanders Detroit around in the late 30's ( not exact replicas but close enough to not be worth aguing about - although I'm there are some on here who would be delighted to) indeed these were common mail order items in the mid 40's ( Sears Roebuck Fall/Winter catalogues of 1945 - 1948 ... NOTE Major they also show the design fit of these jackets ) The Schott Perfecto was made famous in 1954 with th" The Wild Ones" but this and similar "lancer zip" motorcycle jackets had been around since the 1930's ( the oldest original designs for the Schott Perfecto are from 1928) they only became popular in the 1950's but had been around in D-pocket and older forms since the advent of motorcycling ( albeit in button up form). Mandirin style collars also started to be introduced in the 1930's ( albeit the early ones were elasticated similar to the A-1 jacket) ... it was only with the introduction of lancer style mandirin collars in US police motorcycle jackets in the 1940's ( through Leathertogs and others) that this style became popular.

Just trying to be factual and helpful

I assume Highwaymanman was referring specifically to Lancer front jackets with the mandarin collar, as opposed to with a Perfecto style collar? Either way.... you're right they were available much earlier, though the photographic records I've seen would all suggest that they weren't so popular much prior to the late 60s. The diamond padded sections and beginnings of armour etc seem to have been a late 60s / early 70s thing, which is logical - i.e. jacket safety design becoming more of a feature as the average bike got bigger and faster.... Sometimes I wonder too if the decline of the motorbike as a working man's transport (due to the rise of the affordable car) plays into the rise of dedicated safety gear as opposed to more generally used gear. By which I mean, does the market becoming more of a specialist, lifestyle choice lead to more of a market (albeit niche) for specialist equipment?

 

[leather-monkeys]

what about a Lewis Leathers Racing Jacket no. 442? it's a similar style to your jacket but it works on the bike or as a casual jacket.