Any motorcyclist knows that leather is an excellent material for protective riding gear. But how many of us know the various benefits of the different types of leather used in our jackets, gloves and boots?
As you can imagine, all leather is not created equal. These days, the sheer choice in available brands and the material they use can be overwhelming. Here’s a quick look at a few popular types of leather and some of their benefits:
Cowhide – The classic leather, used on everything from jackets to gloves to patent leather shoes. Depending on the quality of the leather, its thickness, and the tanning process it went through, cowhide can be very stiff and take months of steady wear to fully break in, or it could be soft and supple right from the start. While it can be very resistant to abrasion, cowhide leather must be of a certain thickness to maintain an adequate level of protection in motorcycle gear.
Deerskin – Leather made from deerskin has some distinct advantages over cowhide leather. Often much more supple and pliable than cowhide, deerskin is a very tough and puncture-resistant leather. While not waterproof by any means, deerskin does seem to resist stretching and warping better than cowhide when it gets wet.
Kangaroo – Kangaroo leather is of the toughest leather you can get. That’s why the majority of high-end race suits and gloves use it in key areas where abrasion-resistance is paramount. Due to its toughness, kangaroo leather can be used in much lighter weights than other leathers, thereby giving riders more comfort and range of movement without losing any level of protection.
That’s just a sample of the types of leather used in our modern riding gear. New production techniques and a widening world market are allowing the use of even more exotic types of leather (stingray leather, anyone?). Whatever the animal, wearing leather riding gear is still your best chance to save your own skin in case you hit the pavement.
A while back, we were fortunate enough to test Speed & Strength’s excellent Twist of Fate race gloves. We came away very impressed with the quality and feel of the gloves, and their more-than-competitive price also garnered kudos.
In fact, we were so impressed with those Twist of Fate mitts, we decided to try out another offering from Speed & Strength, this time sampling their Twist of Fate race suit. A full leather race suit already used by many top-level racers, the Twist of Fate comes ready to race with C.E. Approved, plastic reinforced armor in all critical areas, a removable, dual-density back protector, and the de rigueur aerodynamic race hump. Other features include a perforated front torso, quality knee sliders, and external thermoplastic shoulder protectors.
Fit for the Twist of Fate was true to size, with none of the smallish sizing typical of many European race suits. Our 6’4” test rider fit an off-the-rack Twist of Fate suit with no problems at all. That being said, keep in mind that this is a race suit, so its cut is meant to fit while on the bike. Don’t expect it to be very comfy while walking around and posing at your local biker hang out!
What else did we like? The stretch materials in non-critical areas (inside arms, behind the knees) greatly enhanced movement and helped erase the usual “break-in” time needed for leather garments. The suit’s armor all had a quality feel to it and did not impede on fit or comfort one bit. And the perforated torso was a boon during our hot test sessions in the summer sun, providing terrific airflow and helping us keep our cool. Sadly, or maybe gladly, we didn’t get to crash test our suit, but it’s comfort andquality feel definitely inspired confidence that it could do the job if needed. More »
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “Once you switch to synthetic oil, you can’t go back to non-synthetic!” We’ve all had this meatball thrown at us at one time or another…but is it true?
Short answer? No. Switching back and forth between synthetics and mineral-based oils is not the engine-blowing catastrophe many folks would have you believe. If you’ve been running synthetics and decide to switch back to the cheaper non-synthetic oils, your motor won’t suddenly curl up and die.
That’s not to say that synthetic oils don’t offer some pretty substantial advantages. They maintain a much more consistent viscosity in colder weather, allowing for easier starts and smoother running. And in extreme heat, synthetic oils are much more resistant to breakdown. Combine these together and you get longer lasting oil, and therefore, longer intervals between oil changes, helping offset the higher costs of synthetics.
So which oil should you use? First, it’s always good to stick with what your bike or ATV manufacturer recommends. These guys spent a lot of money figuring out how to properly maintain the motors they build, so why not follow their advice? If you live in areas that often see extreme temperatures, synthetic oils are probably a little more of a necessity. Beyond that, it all comes down to what you want to spend, how often you want to change your oil, and how hard you ride.
Our theory: Oil is cheap insurance. Use the best you can afford and change it on time…
