Cycle Leather

From the very beginning of the motorcycle age, people have wanted a way to protect themselves from the elements (and the road, should misfortune strike). For many good reasons, the logical choice has been leather. Not only because of it’s durability and toughness but also because of it’s good looks. Hollywood has also done it’s part to make the motorcycle jacket a fashionable part of our wardrobe, who can forget Peter Fonda in “Easy Rider” or Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator”. But beyond the obvious cosmetic aesthetics of leather, a good quality leather motorcycle jacket along with chaps and some gloves can quite literally save your skin in the event of a mishap. But how do you know what to buy? What does all of the terminology mean? Let’s explore that…Most motorcycle jackets on the market today are made from cowhide in varying weights. The next most popular is water-buffalo hide, usually billed as just “buffalo” or “buffalo hide”.

India and Pakistan are a common source of quality motorcycle leather today, as the Pakistani people are world-renown for producing high quality leather products of all kinds. Quality leather apparel begins with quality leather, and quality leather begins with the tanning process, so lets explore that first.All leather starts out as the skin of an animal. This skin must be processed in some way to halt the natural processes of decomposition and rot, while preserving the strength, durability and beauty of the hide itself. This process is called tanning. Tanning takes it’s name from “tannin”, a natural chemical resin found in tree bark, leaves, and other vegetable matter that composed the principal part of the one of the original leather tanning methods known as “vegetable tanning”. Modified versions of vegetable tanning are still used to this day. Other popular tanning methods use chrome and/or chromium salts, alum, animal oils, and synthetic resins. Depending on the type of leather being produced, this process normally starts with the removal of the fleshy, fatty layer on the back of the hide, followed by removal of the hair, pickling of the raw hides in the various chemicals and resins previously mentioned, stretching, dying, splitting, dyeing, and finally applying various finishing methods, if applicable.The second, but probably most important, characteristic determining the strength and durability of leather is “grain”. Common terms related to leather grain are: Full-grain, Top-grain, Finished-split, Naked Leather, and Analine.

Full-Grain leather or Top-Grain is referring to the upper section of a hide that contains the epidermis or skin layer. These are hides that have not been sanded or buffed in order to remove imperfections, such as cuts, scratches or scars, on the surface of the hide. Only the hair has been removed from the hide. The ‘grain’ remains in its natural state which results in the greatest strength, and durability.

Analine or Semi-Analine leather are very common variants, with regard to cycle leather, of full-grain or top-grain leather. This means that the leather has been dyed using aniline-black dye but not pigmented. This produces a soft, supple leather that breathes very well, making it more comfortable in both warm and cold weather. Analine leathers are somewhat more susceptible to damage from water and sunlight so they require a little more care to keep them protected. Most people who own jackets made of analine leather feel the comfort is worth the extra care. This type of leather is often also referred to as Naked Leather.

Split leather is leather that is created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the Top-Grain of the raw hide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation the grain and drop-split are separated. The ‘grain’ becomes top-grain leather and the drop-split becomes the split-leather. Split leather used in cycle jackets and other cycle leather is usually only split once, leaving a high-quality though slightly less durable leather than full- or top-grain. Split leather normally has a synthetic finish applied that is embossed with a natural grain pattern, giving it a full-grain appearance. Jackets made if this type of leather often include vents with zip or snap closures or perforations to improve breath-ability. When shopping for a leather jacket one thing must be understood, leather is hot and you need to choose options that are appropriate for the climate where you live. For winter-time biking, choose a jacket that zips all the way to the top of the collar and has adjustable closures on the cuffs. It may also be helpful to buy a jacket that is a size larger to allow for wearing extra clothing or a vest underneath and a pair of long-cuff gloves to keep the air out of your sleeves. For warmer climates or summertime riding in temperate climates, choose a jacket that has a removable liner and vents that will allow airflow inside between you and the jacket.

Finally, if you have been riding any time at all you know that sooner or later, you are going to get caught in the rain. While wearing a rain-suit in wet weather is the ideal, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Be sure to use a good quality leather moisturizer/preservative such as mink oil, neats foot oil, or other commercially available leather treatments. This will replace natural oils lost through water exposure. Periodic application of one of these treatments will dramatically increase the life of your cycle leather, this is particularly important with full-grain, top-grain, and naked-leather. Split-leather is more resistant to water damage due to the synthetic synthetic finish applied to it during the manufacturing process, but this should not be taken for granted - it needs love too. If properly maintained, a top quality leather motorcycle jacket should give you several seasons of riding pleasure. Go Ride!!

You must be logged in to post a comment.