leather vs textile

[leprecaun jon]

sorry its like 4:30am i didnt feel like doing a search before posting a thread.

right now im stuck between the joe rocket radar leather jacket and the icon overlord textile jacket.... other than price im a little confused on what protection both offer and which one is better for what and which one over all is the best buy.... i tried a radar on in a store and really loved the feel it was snug and fit nicely a small wouldnt allow me to layer if i had too so i decided that a medium was probably best it wasnt to bagy and allowed for a little extra room.

any insight in this would be appreciated guys

also textile vs denim riding pants? i like the shift torque riding jeans because they look casual and offer protection while riding but i also like the white icon arc textile pants.

 

[TokenSSDD]

Perforated leather jackets is where it's at. I have a mesh one that I use in the summer but I want a perforated leather one instead.

 

[JSP]

Leather absolutely is going to protect you better and last longer in a crash. That said, I wear mesh textile jacket and textile pants. Just a personal preference with weight, heat, cost, etc.

 

[leprecaun jon]

anyone else care to elaborate on why they like the textile better?

thanks jay you got all the answers dont you? P

i like the look feel and what not of the leather, however i like the price, and design of the textile.... i need some more info on the function and what not...whats the best bang for your buck?

 

[JSP]

anyone else care to elaborate on why they like the textile better?

thanks jay you got all the answers dont you? P

i like the look feel and what not of the leather, however i like the price, and design of the textile.... i need some more info on the function and what not...whats the best bang for your buck?

The biggest thing with leather is that it can last through a crash. Textile will be pretty much done for after 1.

 

[Bloke]

Leather:

Best abrasion resistance
Best splinting effect (keeps broken limbs together)
Looks the nicest
Can now come with goretex waterproofing
Perforation keeps you cool

Textile:

Waterproof (kit worth buying comes with goretex lining)
Best impact resistance (even the extra padding afforded by liners offers a nice cushioning effect)
Often comes with vents and other nice things like masses of pockets.
Most are intended to be worn over normal clothes so suitable for commuting.

No idea why the guy above says textiles are a one shot affair, they're just as durable as leather when it comes down to it, whip out the armour, replace with new. Blam you're back on the road.

Me I'd like a 2 piece leather suit for riding jollies but cost is prohibitive, they're also not practical for commuting.

I own some textile over pants (joe rocket ballistic 5.0) and a textile jacket (Hein Gericke Cruise II GTX).

I also own a pair of textile pants that are intended to be worn with a pair of thermals or nothing, great for riding in the summer, cool and easy to walk around in just not very suitable for work. They look like leather but are textile.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

 

[leprecaun jon]

anyone have any crash testing with there gear? id like to know how everything held up.... i love the leather jackets but $$$ if they offer anything near the same if not better protection for that price.... textile may be worth it specially since ill be commuting a lot

thanks for all the input guys, you rock!

 

[Bloke]

check out atlasrider's crash on youtube. He was wearing a one piece textile suit called a roadcrafter.

80mph crash: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwbfUtOPk0o&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]Aerostich Roadcrafter Damage after 80 MPH Crash - YouTube[/ame]

Mesh jackets are questionable but a decent textile jacket will have comparable protection to leather for everyday riding.

In my own low speed offs...

wearing normal denim jeans, approx 5mph wheelied bike at lights by accident (high revs, dropped clutch too fast, panic accelerated) while learning to ride and fell straight off the rear - wore through to my boxers. Bruised and grazed my arse.

Wearing textiles, low speed drop after front washing out on a right hand turn, approx 20mph, no appreciable damage to kit, no injury aside from bruised inner thigh as the bike rested on it, got a little dirty but thats it. Bike got a bit banged up (bent levers and cracked fairing).

Anything above that like txjames says I'd be happy to replace kit if required.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

 

[txjames]

anyone have any crash testing with there gear? id like to know how everything held up.... i love the leather jackets but $$$ if they offer anything near the same if not better protection for that price.... textile may be worth it specially since ill be commuting a lot

thanks for all the input guys, you rock!

Also think about the "will I actually wear it" factor. I like the textile options because they are more flexible with different weather conditions (zip out liners, etc), are lighter weight. I wear textile over pants over my jeans.

I'm okay with replacing gear after a crash.

But seriously... as Lep asked... any real-world experience crashing w/ textile? Did it hold up enough to keep your skin from being cheese grated?

 

[UselessPickles]

Here's a description of a crash I was in, including pics of the damaged bike and riding gear (Joe Rocket textile jacket and pants): Hit & Run Accident - FJRForum

55mph crash with no road rash, but a broken leg (I think the car hit my leg), lots of bruising, and some painful neck and back problems that took over a year of physical therapy to fix up.

IMO, the extra abrasion protection of leather is not necessary for street riding. That extra protection is only helpful at high (racing) speeds. Real world street riding crashes happen at pretty low speeds: "The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph."

I think textile with armor is plenty of protection for street riding, plus it is more affordable and can be more comfortable. For example, my Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket is a year-round jacket for me. Outer panels zip off to reveal mesh for comfortable summer riding, and a water/wind-proof removable inner liner helps me stay warm into the 30's. Comfort is an important factor, because fatigue can lead to bad judgement and crashes.

 

[JSP]

Leather is indeed better protection IMO. Some may have offs with textile and not hurt the material but many do. More than leather from what I have seen.

Some things to consider...

Textiles vs Leathers

Don Tai (Canada) Blog » Blog Archive » Does Motorcycle Mesh Gear Melt in a Crash? You would re-use these textiles? (our very own spunky is in this link! )


And here is an actual test between a leather suit and a textile suit: You would not re-use the textile.

http://www.endurowanderer.de/pdf/kombitest.pdf

Sorry for the non-translation, but the pictures do the talking.


I agree for normal commute riding textile is fine. I wear it. But most of these pics are 60 mph and below. Even the one on the track was tested at 60 mph. Not doggin textile, I love it. But I know leather is better protection. Cannot really argue that. There is trade offs going with either one. My main point is that textile will usually not be able to be re-used after bailing in it. Some cases not though. But more than likely.

 

[leprecaun jon]

Leather is indeed better protection IMO. Some may have offs with textile and not hurt the material but many do. More than leather from what I have seen.

Some things to consider...

Textiles vs Leathers

Don Tai (Canada) Blog » Blog Archive » Does Motorcycle Mesh Gear Melt in a Crash? You would re-use these textiles? (our very own spunky is in this link! )


And here is an actual test between a leather suit and a textile suit: You would not re-use the textile.

http://www.endurowanderer.de/pdf/kombitest.pdf

Sorry for the non-translation, but the pictures do the talking.


I agree for normal commute riding textile is fine. I wear it. But most of these pics are 60 mph and below. Even the one on the track was tested at 60 mph. Not doggin textile, I love it. But I know leather is better protection. Cannot really argue that. There is trade offs going with either one. My main point is that textile will usually not be able to be re-used after bailing in it. Some cases not though. But more than likely.

jay for what its worth i think highly of your opinions, matter of fact i think highly of everyone here....but more than any other mod other member... id probably trust in jay....now with that said... over times table are you saying that it would be more worth my money down the road to just spend the $263 on the leather? or is the $155 textile a bargain for what ill be using it for i commute 3-4 days a week 18 miles one way.... the other days ill be driving between an hour-4 hours.... i need comfort, protection, weather options and most of all reliability... i need my gear to last... im not made of gold XD

 

[JSP]

jay for what its worth i think highly of your opinions, matter of fact i think highly of everyone here....but more than any other mod other member... id probably trust in jay....now with that said... over times table are you saying that it would be more worth my money down the road to just spend the $263 on the leather? or is the $155 textile a bargain for what ill be using it for i commute 3-4 days a week 18 miles one way.... the other days ill be driving between an hour-4 hours.... i need comfort, protection, weather options and most of all reliability... i need my gear to last... im not made of gold XD

I would go with the textile... Like said above, get what you WILL wear and are comfortable in. Textile will last, it is comfortable, great in warm weather and have waterproof liners and thermo liners for cold/rain. They are very versatile. It WILL protect you in a wreck. Just more times than not, it is not able to be worn after a wreck (with the same amount of protection as new). It all depends. But for most people, and what you say you want, Textile would be great. It is great priced stuff. Down the road, in the event of a wreck (God forbid), IF it is unusable after that, it is fairly cheap to replace. If you get out of the wreck without hurting your gear, even better! :thumbup:

Thanks for the kind words as well.

 

[leprecaun jon]

thanks jay!

and thank you everyone for helping me out, hopefully this thread will help others as well.

 

[chrisnlb]

leather, even in the summer. its the safest to wear

 

[Nastybutler]

My first actual dedicated motorcycle jacket (which I still have as a spare) was a Joe Rocket textile, with a lot of nice features, some of which I miss when I upgraded (and I do mean upgraded) to my Scorpion All In leather jacket.

I'm not sure what some of you guys are talking about as far as textile having better impact protection, or leather not having vents or liners. My jacket has removable back, shoulder and elbow padding, a removable liner, vents (not nearly as good as a textile's vents, but hey, what do I care, I live in Alaska?) and plenty of pockets, not to mention it looks badass. Well worth the money if you've got it, IMHO. I waited for mine to go on sale at MCSS, and haven't regretted it.

Another downside to leather is that it's not waterproof (and even those that are, water isn't good for leather), but I've coated mine with SnoSeal which helps for those times I'm caught w/o my rain jacket. Although my Joe Rocket jacket was suppposed to be waterproof, but the few times I used it in a good rain storm, it eventually soaked through, so I ended up using an over-rain-jacket anyway.

Don't know if this helps or if I'm rambleing, but that's my two cents.

 

[Detrich]

I started out with a textile jacket too, but I have not looked back since switching over to leather. A correctly sized/ fitted leather garment will hug your body snug, feel comfortable, not bunch up, and still move with you. At 80+ mph on the freeway, this makes a world of a difference. (There's a reason it's like a second skin.)

I absolutely hated how textile would flap around in the wind sometimes and bunch up even. I've seen funny photos of my friends riding around in textile and "ballooning up" into a bubble in the wind... Funny as heck. xP

 

[Nastybutler]

I started out with a textile jacket too, but I have not looked back since switching over to leather. A correctly sized/ fitted leather garment will hug your body snug, feel comfortable, not bunch up, and still move with you. At 80+ mph on the freeway, this makes a world of a difference. (There's a reason it's like a second skin.)

I absolutely hated how textile would flap around in the wind sometimes and bunch up even. I've seen funny photos of my friends riding around in textile and "ballooning up" into a bubble in the wind... Funny as heck. xP

I can't speak for your experience with textile jackets, but mine felt about the same while at speed as my leather one does. No bunching or flapping that I noticed.

 

[vengeance44]

i say there both good just dont get those ones that are leather with mesh combo thats what mine was it held up pretty well other than the leather and mesh seperating from each other and mine was a low speed slide so i have no idea how it would of held up if i was going faster

 

[UselessPickles]

I'm not sure what some of you guys are talking about as far as textile having better impact protection, or leather not having vents or liners.

They probably mean to qualify their statements with "in the same price range". A well-ventilated textile jacket with good armor and useful pockets is much more affordable than the same in leather.

If money was not an issue, then the only important differences between textile and leather would be that textile will not be damaged by water, and leather will resist abrasion better (but probably not significant at legal street riding speeds). Yes, leather gear is more likely to be reusable after a crash, but that shouldn't be an important factor for street riding gear.

If money is an issue (like it is for most people), then you can get a better combination of protection, comfort and practicality from a textile jacket. Don't underrate comfort/versatility (ventilation, insulation, etc.), because getting too warm, too cold, and/or wet will cause more fatigue while riding, and fatigue can lead to impaired judgement. Of course, much of the comfort factor depends on the climate of your area and your own personal weather condition limits.