When it comes to riding motorcycles, you need to be as safe as you can. A helmet is imperative, but it is only the beginning. You’re going to have to get a jacket as well to ensure your comfort as well as your safety throughout the ride. There are tons of jackets available online and in stores, ranging across a whole variety of styles and functions. You will, however, have to find the one jacket perfect for you, in terms of style sensibilities as well as certain standard factors, like:
Jacket Type
This is the first decision which you will have to make and is entirely dependent on your lifestyle. If you own a sports bike and care about aerodynamics at high speeds, or simply want to avoid the hassles of a flapping jacket, it is a great idea to go for a one-piece motorcycle suit. If instead, you want something more casual which you can change out of with ease on reaching your destination, a two-piece suit, that is pants and a motorcycle jacket, is perfect for you. You can carry your coat along and wear it instead of the motorcycle leather jacket once you reach. The motorcycle jacket will also have more storage space in terms of pockets and flaps and is arguably the more flexible option in terms of functionality.
Fabric
There is no doubt that your safety is of paramount importance. Leather is a very good choice and should be picked over textile weaves despite the price difference. Leather is denser, and under strain, redistributes the load by stretching just a little, thus preventing the jacket from ripping apart. This is something textile materials don’t do, which means they could tear easily, and in the case of an accident could lead to some unprotected part of your body making contact with the curb or the road, which would be disastrous. If you are hell-bent on a textile weave, at least ensure that it is reinforced with Kevlar or leather.
Quality and Manufacturing
While there are several grades of material and bad leather or faux leather jacket could well be a lot worse than a quality textile one, it is vital to keep in mind that the jacket’s performance is directly linked to the quality of the manufacturing, from the material to the weave and other aspects. It takes a lot of experience to recognize a good quality jacket, so if you are an entry-level rider, it is perhaps a good idea to seek some advice from more experienced ones.
A high-quality motorcycle leather jacket tends to offer excellent injury protection. When purchasing, ensure that your calfskin or goat leather jackets are at least 1.2-1.4 mm thick, which is perfect for protection. Kangaroo leather, on the other hand, is so sturdy that it would take as less as 1mm to get a perfectly resilient jacket.
Protectors
Integrated protectors in the jackets are vital. They are protective padding pieces on the back, arms, and chest, meant to shield you from physical impacts. The best motorcycle leather jacket is one that is “CE-approved” with the CE2 approval being better than CE1 in terms of protection.
