| Can last as long as 30
years if looked after |
Dark in colour and thus
affecting visibility |
| Classic styling prevents
it looking dated |
Heavier in weight |
| A lot cheaper that synthetic
jackets |
Not as waterproof and
is not the best choice if you intend to tour a lot. |
| Professional motor cyclists
only use full body leather riding suits |
Few have zip out linings |
| Has an attitude, history
and tradition that is hard to beat |
Some leather jackets
are fashion garments and should not be used for serious biking |
| Sportbiker leather jackets
have very effective soft body armour sewn into the style of the jacket. (Touring
and cruiser jackets generally do not) |
Feels more restrictive
and heavy at first |
| Smells great especially
after it has been treated |
Traditionally shorter
in length |
| Can often be worn as
a regular garment (although the sleeves are a bit long) due to a huge variety
of available styles |
Must be treated to keep
it soft and water resistant |
| Does not show the dirt! |
Not as warm as a synthetic
jacket with a winter lining. Hot and uncomfortable in very hot weather. |
Synthetic Jackets
|
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Brightly coloured, often
with reflector strips |
Does not last as long. |
| Almost totally waterproof
thus making it an excellent choice for touring. |
Styling becomes dated,
begins to look grubby and the colours fade |
| Many have a zip out lining
to cope with extremes in weather, again making it a good choice for touring. |
A lot more expensive |
| For hot countries there
are special 'airflow' fabrics that allow the moving air to penetrate the jacket
and keep you cool. |
The 'airflow' fabric
mentioned alongside offers no waterproofing qualities at all. If the weather turns
cooler you freeze. In this case a separate windbreaker worn over the jacket has
to be used. |
| Usually longer in length |
Cannot usually be worn
as a regular garment except in extreme weather |
| Lighter in weight |
Cleaning
can be a complex process as damage to the waterproofing layer can result from
using detergents. |
| Has a body armour system
sewn into the inner part of the jacket. Soft body armour is regarded to be more
effective than hard. |
| Kevlar-lined denim-style
jackets and Cargo pants are available through companies like Draggin Jeans. These
garments can be comfortably worn into theatres and pubs. |
| |
