We all know that there is nothing better and safer than a well fitting leather jacket on your motorcycle. But can you wear a regular leather jacket on a motorcycle, and be as protected as when you would wear a motorcycle jacket?
Are regular leather jackets any good on a motorcycle?
Regular leather jackets don’t offer the protection that specific motorcycle jackets offer. They are usually thinner, don’t have double seems and they don’t have any armor what so ever. Regular jackets aren’t as safe as a specific motorcycle jacket.
There are several reasons not to wear a regular leather jacket on a motorcycle. They aren’t designed to wear on a motorcycle. They are designed to give you warmth and style, not to protect you in case of a crash. Allow me to point some differences out.
How thick is a leather motorcycle jacket?
Not every piece of leather is the same. Leather can vary in flexibility and thickness. A regular ‘fashion’ leather jacket usually too thin to wear on a motorcycle. Try to avoid these fashion leathers, which have a thickness of up to 0.7 mm.
A good motorcycle jacket should be between 1.0 and 1.6 mm thick. This gives you enough protection in a crash, but it isn’t that thick that you aren’t able to move anymore.
Thick thickness is important when you slide your jacket over the road. Leather is such good material because it stays intact when sliding over the road. However, the leather slowly scratches away. That’s why the thickness of the leather matters.
On the other side, there is comfort. A 2.5 mm leather jacket will be very stiff and won’t allow you to move properly, which will make it very hard to ride a motorcycle in a proper way. So the 1.0 to 1.6 mm is a good compromise between safety and comfort.
Double seems to protect your body
A chain is as strong as the weakest link, right? Well, the same goes for leather motorcycle jackets. A jacket can be made of the best leather, feature the best protectors and be made by the best brand. But the seems are the weakest link in this matter.
That’s why every serious motorcycle gear brand adds double stitching to their leather jackets. This is absolutely necessary, at least on the impact zones.
The double stitching is a special way of stitching, making the seems extra strong. You don’t want the seems to pop open during a crash.
A normal ‘fashion’ leather jacket doesn’t have double seems. You could ask a tailor to replace the seems for double seems if you really want to ride in your fashion jacket, but buying a motorcycle specific jacket is probably easier.
Armor in leather jackets
Armor can save your bones in case things go south during your ride. All my jackets have armor in the elbows and shoulders, protecting my bones during an impact. I also added a back protector to my jacket to give the most important bones, the spine, some extra protection.
Regular leather jackets obviously don’t have any armor what so ever. However, there is a solution. You could add loose armor in the jackets, sew them in, or wear a body protector.
The last option is the best option if you’d ask me. You simply put on the body armor and wear the leather jacket on top of it. This ensures that the armor stays in the right place at the right time.
You can read more about motorcycle armor in my recommended gear page regarding armor.
Loose vs. tight fit
Last but not least, there are big differences in fit between fashion leathers and motorcycle leathers.
Fashion leathers are usually a bit bigger and have accents like fur to make the jacket fashionable. Motorcycle jackets are tight, and they should! This ensures that the protectors stay in place during a crash. It also prevents burn wounds from the leather rubbing your skin in case of an impact.
Are you buying new motorcycle leathers? Make sure you buy them tight. Leathers will stretch over time and they will become less tight as you start using them. You shouldn’t feel like a squeezed fish in there, but don’t worry when your new leathers feel a bit tight on you.
Conclusion
Motorcycle specific leathers are definitely safer on a motorcycle, than regular fashion leathers. Do you still want to wear your regular leather jacket on a motorcycle? Make sure you look into these aspects:
- A leather jacket should be at least 1 mm thick
- Make sure the jacket has double seems
- Armor is not a must, but highly advisable. You could wear body armor under your regular leather jacket.
- Your jacket should be tight, except when you plan to wear the body armor underneath.