Buying a biker jacket to protect you when you’re riding your motorbike is a far more serious purchase than buying a jacket for day to day, so if you have never bought one before, there are a few things you need to consider when it comes to buying a leather biker jacket.
There is more to buying a leather jacket than looking cool if you actually ride, as the jacket protects some of the most vital parts of your body in the case of an accident, so to help you through the process, here is our beginner’s guide to buying a leather biker jacket!
Why choose leather?
Leather is the traditional material that biker jackets have been made out of for years, and although there are now plenty of high tech synthetic materials on the market, leather is still a firm favourite, and with good reason.
Leather has good abrasion resistance and will do a brilliant job of protecting you from injury if you do have an accident. It’s denser than textile waves and when placed under strain it stretches slightly which protects it from ripping and exposing your skin, which of course, you do not want to happen if you are sliding across the tarmac.
What to look for in a leather jacket
When shopping for motorcycle jackets, you’ll want to make sure that you are choosing one that is well-constructed and will provide both the safety and comfort that you are after, so here are a few things to look out for.
Fit and comfort
Make sure that it fits you well, as a perfect fit is important for keeping you as safe as possible. A jacket that doesn’t fit you properly won’t protect you as well, so look at the manufacturer’s sizing guide or try on before you buy.
Make sure you don’t just try the jacket on stood up, as it’s really important that it’s comfortable when you’re sitting too, so always try on in the position you will be sitting on your bike too.
Make sure that your sleeves are long enough, so they reach your wrists when your arms are bent and extended, and that the cuffs have zippers to stop your jacket slipping up over your wrists in case of an accident.
Safety and practicality
A leather jacket will need a special waterproof membrane if you plan to wear it in poor conditions, otherwise, the material will absorb water and make your jacket heavier, so be sure to check this.
Make sure your jacket is practical and has enough pockets for all of the things you’ll want to keep on you, and that you can operate the zippers with gloves on to be sure you’ll be comfortable wearing it on a daily basis.
Safety is, of course, the most important thing, so check for a safety certification, and be sure it has adequate built-in padding and protectors. There is a big difference between a biker jacket intended to be worn for riding and those that mimic the style but are only intended to be worn for fashion purposes.
Of course, if you love the look and want a lighter jacket that you can wear to the pub or day to day when you’re not riding, then these men’s leather biker jackets would be perfect, but for safety, you really need to be looking at something more like these from Sports Bike Shop.
The protective padding needs to be large enough to distribute the energy of a crash efficiently and placed to protect the arms, elbows, back and chest of your jacket. For a close-fitting jacket the protectors should be attached to the outside, however for a looser fitting jacket look for larger protectors that fit close to your body.
We hope that this has given you plenty of insight to get started with if you are looking into buying your first leather biker jacket, or if you’re a seasoned biker looking to sell your motorbike quickly so you can upgrade, be sure to see to get a free motorbike valuation from us at Motorbike Trader.
