Went to my local bike shop yesterday to look at some new leathers and was really surprised at the lack of leather clothing they had in stock. It was mostly textile jackets and trousers. The salesman said that hardly anyone uses leathers now and that they use textile jacket and kevlar jeans. I don’t really think this combination is suitable for riding a fireblade but what are your thoughts on textile jacket and trousers over leather. I am still thinking leather but am i being short sited and old fashioned not moving along with development in textile clothing??
I have leathers for dry days and textiles for normal uk weather. Textiles make me sweat alot. I feel safer in leathers. Given the choice I'd go leathers but I dont commute any more so dont really use the textiles .
Wear what you want, if you feel more comfortable/safer in leather then wear leathers. End of the day the salesman was just trying to get you to buy something they have in stock.
Got to be leather, textile is ok but I'm not convinced that it's as good as quality leathers, and it's certainly not as sexy
I have 2 piece leather suit, textiles and kevlar jeans (knee+hip armour) to wear with full upper body armour. Overall, I feel most comfortable in textiles but only because I wear them more (work) - never felt it appropriate to arrive for a meeting in full (black) leathers! For a social ride out: leathers. For real hot sweaty days: jeans+body armour. All options meet the CE protection standards. Each to their own. Choose what you prefer and don't be swayed by sales patter.
I NEVER Listen to salesmen anyway, most are there just to sell things and make profits and talk rubbish, wear what you want to wear, simple as that, I always wear a one piece leather race suit, feels good on bike and feels safe I don t really ride in wet either BTW (unless caught out in shower) would wear textile if riding in rain
Textiles (Cordura) can be up to 5 times more abrasion resistant than leather, provided it is the heavier gauge cordura, but it will be a compromise in terms of protection because you will not get the skin tight fit that you get (or should have) with leather. In other words, it will allow you to slide, but it won't hold broken bones together like a good fitting leather will, but then the majority of serious injuries are to the lower part of the body rather than the upper half (but there are exceptions to every rule) So even on a sports bike, many go with leather bottoms and textile jackets as it tends to be the top half that gets wet most when it rains,. So it comes down to personal choice. Given all the crashes I have dealt with and the case studies I have done over the past 35+ years, I would rather wear a good quality textile than a poor quality leather. It comes down to personal choice.
Textiles and kevlar Jean's are more practical and I wear these on my little beemer or if on the blade when I know it's going to be a sensible ride I.e. like dropping the blade in for its service etc. If out for some fun on the blade its leathers everytime. I've bounced and slid some considerable distances in leathers and never had them 'wear through'. I should add that I've never had an off while in textiles but it wouldn't be a fair comparison for me anyway as I tend to ride slower in textiles. Just work out what your needing them for and go with your gut instinct if your wallet can handle it. Hell, hit the credit card and get both ! Good gear last years so you will get your monies worth
Maybe more people are riding styles of bikes that aren't sportsbikes and the demand for leather isn't as high any more. A local shop isn't going to want to stock 10 sizes of a few ranges of leathers that they aren't going to shift.
Serious question, if textiles are so much more abrasion resistant than leathers why don't manufacturers make tighter race suits from it for the top riders? Surely it would be lighter too? I know the textiles we buy would flap around too much but those guys have leathers custom fitted so that they are almost like a second skin, and I don't see why textiles couldn't be made the same way for them.
Always wear the 2 piece leathers in summmer on the blade, textiles in winter. Don't like soggy leathers
Thanks for all the replies. I think i am going to look for leather jacket and trousers, i would feel safer wearing those. I only ever ride in good weather unless i get caught out in rain. I think the textile jacket will be too hot, even trying a leather jacket and textile on in the shop the textile was a lot warmer. I have an Oxford Rain jacket to put on if the weather does take a turn whilst out. I only want to buy once and don’t mind spending a bit for quality if it will last. What do you guys recommend for a 2 piece suit?
One piece leather suit..... Always! Nothing is safer or more confidence inspiring as a good quality race suit. I have a textile jacket and matching trousers for that occasional winter ride. If I commute which isn't often, I'd also go for the textiles. They feel safe enough with all the thermal linings and armour but take all the thermal out for a summer ride and they don't quite feel as snugly fitted.... Nothing beats leather Recommendation brand wise..... All I'd say is try a few suits on and see which you're most comfortable in, you might end up with a brand you didn't think of before. I was always for alpinestsrs because I thought they were the best, don't get me wrong they're good..... But Ixon fitted me better so I've had them the last few years
On the whole leather gives the best overall protection. I'm sure someone probably has proved that a cordura can be more abrasion resistant than leather but that's not the whole story really is it. Textiles are certainly good enough though, I have both. Tend to wear the 1 piece leather suit when it's just a ride for ridings sake. If I'm touring, commuting or going somewhere then I'll wear 2 piece textiles. All my gear is RST, find it gives the best value.
Think about the protection that's in it as well, ,,,, knees elbow shoulders and back . Leather for me on a spirited ride or Kevlar jeans n leather jacket with the Mrs on the back
I probably am a bit old fashioned in my approach but I won't ride any bike without full leathers on. I just wouldn't have the same level of confidence in textiles. That's very much a personal, rather than scientific view. When the Moto GP or TT lads and lasses start donning textiles I might reconsider.
Race suits are skin tight as much as you can only go so far before it starts to cut off the circulation, but in any case, 1 piece are designed differently because of the racing crouch and position on the bike. On top of this, leather will give by up to an inch to inch and a half over a very short period of time which is why you look at the majority of riders in 1 piece it looks like they have sh1t themselves when they are off the bike because the arse goes all baggy due to the difference in stress areas. With a textile suit, you cannot get the tighter fit because there is no give in the material. You could add in loads of elasticated panels but this would compromise the integrity of the strength of the garment. 1 piece suits are designed for use on the track where everyone travels in the same direction, with nice large run off areas and, importantly, none of the road side furniture that you get on your average A class road. In the event of an accident, medical help is usually with the fallen rider before they have stopped sliding, and everything is contained within a tightly controlled environment. On the road however we are not afforded that luxury. In the event of a serious crash we could be waiting for a considerable time before medical help arrives. This is where the main issue arises between wearing a 2 piece and 1 piece. A well fitting leather (and this can apply equally to jacket and trouser combination) will, in the event of serious injury, act as a splint for broken bones and, in some cases, reduce blood loss. With a 2 piece, if the rider is suffering from lower body injuries the trousers can be removed quite easily allowing medical personnel quick and easy access to the injury and minimizing the amount of discomfort suffered by the rider. If there is a combination of lower and upper body injuries and it is obvious that, for example, the rider has broken his collar bone, then the jacket can be left alone as it will be supportive leaving the paramedics to concentrate on the area most in need of attention. Put the rider into the same scenario but this time wearing a 1 piece. The leathers will not be able to be easily removed without great discomfort or the risk of further injury to the rider. Although the paramedics may be able to eventually cut through the leather to gain access to the injured part of the body, this will be time consuming and, in the golden hour, could prove to be critical. Then there is the issue of practicality. How many times have you been to an event on a hot or even just a warm day, and seen riders walking about with their 1 piece race suits tied in a knot by the arms around their waists, while those who choose to stay covered up tend to look like they are carrying a couple of kilos in their underpants? This is due to the different stress panels on a 1 piece compared to a 2 piece since the 1 piece is designed for the racing/sports bike crouch. 2 piece leathers actually keeps their shape better for longer, not to mention the fact that when you are off the bike you can remove your jacket and remain more comfortable. The issue of 1 piece versus 2 piece leathers has kicked off many lengthy discussions during presentations I have made to motorcycling clubs up and down the country, and I could take up another two or three pages going into the pro’s and cons of the two styles. It does come down to personal preference, but give me a 2 piece every time. I will try and post some case studies up later if you are interested.
