Can someone help me pick out a motorcycle jacket? (5k reps)

[samsuperjew]

i'd appreciate it, my only req's are:

below 150 dollars
semi cruiser style (not covered with patches etc, but some variation is acceptable)
pref. black with some reflectors
approved armor
vented (i live in florida, you know how it is)


that's pretty much it, i've been trying to find a jacket for a month, but just can't make my decision, so far, i've came up with nothing

[2k10SS]

Icon is nice, they have black ones without all of the crap on it.

[samsuperjew]

does scorpion make good jackets? this looks decent http://newenough.com/street/closeout...le_jacket.html

[2k10SS]

Like anything you get what you pay for. I would stop at a couple bike shops and try some on.

[samsuperjew]

i've tried a few on for size, but local bike shops are like way over priced (we'd pay an extra 20 to support a local business.... but they want like 80 more)

[caesarpua]

This is what i would go with. As a jacket and helmet

Yoshimura track leather jacket



Iron Man Helmet

[181]

does scorpion make good jackets? this looks decent http://newenough.com/street/closeout...le_jacket.html

Take it from someone that has gone down @ 80mph in a textile jacket. Do yourself a favor and get leather. Even if you cant find one with as much ventilation as you would like you can have a seamstress put perforations in it. I had the perforations in my alpinestars jacket opened up larger when I got it by a local leather shop and it flows better than my old nylon jacket ever did and it won't shred to pieces if I'm unfortunate enough to go down again.

[samsuperjew]

what were you wearing when you went down and how did it hold up?

[imcodie07]

nice

[bendosia]

I echo that sentimate...Get leather, nothing else. I live in Austin, Texas, which can get really hot in the summers. The perforated leather jacket I had from Alpinestar (was a two peice suit), was perfect when the motorcycle was moving. Sitting at a light or in traffic...you will definiately sweat. I will never wear anything less than leather, because I want the best protection for my skin in case I ever go down.
Since I only ride sports bikes, I have not really looked at gear that is aimed towards the cruiser demo. But I can tell you that the general mindset of cruisers is "less gear, the cooler I look." I'm really happy you are interested in wearing gear! I know it's not within your budget, but really, don't skimp when it comes to protection and get some high quality leather jackets.
I'm an alpinestar fan, so check some of their stuff out. Here's something you might like:
http://www.newenough.com/street/prot...le_jacket.html

[HairyScandinavian]

I bought my wife a nice pink Icon jacket and the damn logo started peeling off the first time she rode. Best price I found while shopping for her was kneedraggers.com I have to go look at mine, it was the absolute cheapest I could find locally and it's been a damn fine jacket for years. Good armor and everything is holding up well, very cool while you're moving with good air flow, but quite a bit too cold in the winter even though it's got a liner. Will edit after I look at it and figure out the brand.

[181]

what were you wearing when you went down and how did it hold up?

A Fieldsheer textile jacket. It wasn't even one of the mesh ones. All the stitching held up but it instantly ground right through the nylon/kevlar material it was made out in the elbow and half way through the plastic armor underneath. Luckily I slid off in to the grass or else I probably would have been looking at skin grafts. My leather gloves I had on held up fine on and I still wore them for about a year afterwards. This was about 5 years ago but they are still made out of the same **** now days. I hear a few companies make hemp jackets now and that they are much more abrasion resistant than that nylon/kevlar composite stuff but but not nearly as much as quality cow or roo hide.

kinda looked like this...