Shopping for Leathers...Any Major Issues with common Road Racing Gear

[saltwheels262]

  i would get a set that was acceptable to all
sanctions with as much armor as possible. you never know where you
might end up running.(or falling)

  one pc. is probably the better choice.

franey

[saltwheels262]

  the suit maker can leave extra room for
an add on back protector; to be worn under leathers.

franey

[k.h.]

Barnacle Bill's Racing Leathers in Springfield, KY might be worth looking at.  They've done LSR leather, all cow, with the speed bump option behind the head for partial streamline classes.

[MiltonP]

I ended up getting a Revit Silica 1 piece suit.  Won't be legal for SCTA, due to the perf and stretch panels, but such is life.  I was impressed that I fit nicely in a standard size.  I was expecting that I might fit in a Joe Rocket but did not find anywhere to try one on and I think this is better, or at least similar, in build quality.  The local Ducati shop here, which is racing focused, stocked one in each common size for trying them on.  It includes removable armour for shoulders, elbows, knees and back though I am upgrading the back armour to a nicer one with that material that hardens when hit.

Only question I have is the legality of the small hump on the back which just about every suit has nowadays.  I am assuming it is the oversized ones that are a problem.

[Carl Johansson]

discount leather
http://www.discount-leather.net/

will have you send in measurements, pick your design -  and they will have a custom suit to you in 2 - 3 weeks to your specks!.  Last I checked -  about 500 bucks.  I think he has somebody in packistan sew em up and ship em over.  I've seen em -  good quality -  he can make em with or without the hump -  or have the hump pouch built in with a zipper so you can add the foam or remove it - depending on class.

Just another possible source for those of you looking for an affordable all leather option!

Carl Johansson

[saltwheels262]

  check bohn armour-couple diff. web sites ; don't know if they have morphing material though.

  i think fairing hump is only legal in partial streamline class with scta(?).

franey

[MiltonP]

I do see that SCTA only has it legal in PS however I don't see it mentioned in the ECTA rulebook and don't have anything on hand for BUB.  Would be a real bummer to go out there someday and be forced to configure the bike so it is legal to run in Partial Streamlined just so I could make runs.  Was thinking about cancelling the suit but it seems that 90% of the OTS suits I looked at online had the hump.  I figured they assume some kind of safety benefit in addition to providing ventilation down the back.  I did see some suits with oversized humps that seemed to specifically target aerodynamics.

   OK,  Found BUB AMA Supplement and appears OK there as well.  Would have been surprised if FIM had rule against them since just about every euro suit has one.

[1212FBGS]

There is a lot to think about in leathers than price.  The first and most obvious is the conformation to the rule requirements armor has been mentioned but I think the key most critical aspect is the stitching…. Look at it… is it just single stitched? Does it have additional patches sown OVER the critical joining like in the shoulders, elbows, knees etc? Can you stretch the sown pieces apart in inspection and see daylight? And what about the stitching? ASK! Is it Pakistani camel hair or American Kevlar thread? Do these guys just make race suits, or do they supply racers and know what it takes to make a crash worthy suit? How old are these leathers, ever wear a 10 year old pair of pants and blown the azz out of em? Yep the 10-year-old cotton stitching on those old ebay leathers will give up pretty quick…. And lastly, how much is your insurance deductible? Is it a wise thing to spend $500 instead of $1200 if your deductible for skin grafts is $3000? Buy the best suite that conforms to the toughest rules and you’ll be happy you did…
Kent


The Common Law of Business Balance
There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey. It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you loose a little money-that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes loose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The Common Law of Business Balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot-it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it's well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better

[Carl Johansson]

I agree with alot of the stuff you say Kent,  but sometimes it's not the quality that is driving the prices -  it's the "coolness Factor".  For example 2 helmets both meeting Snell 2005 -  both of the same materials -  one costs 2X as much as the other -  because of a brand name.
  I'm completely interested in safety -  as is anyone here.  What I am not interested in is someone charging me 2 or 3 times as much because the have the current cool color combination-  or graphics -  or brand name.  Particularly when often the 2 products are coming out of the same industrial complex - and cost the same to manufacture!  Building brand name is important - it allows you to charge 2X as much for the same piece of kit!

As for the suits I am speaking of -  Yes they are used by road racers -  guys who use them 20 or 30X per year -  in applications where they are moving and bending and stretching all the time.  And they hold up great -  and skid across the pavement with the best of em! And get more use/and abuse during a year than a salt racer would get in 5 years!
 So I guess I wonder why other suits cost 3 or 4 X as much!

As for the hump -  there are companies out there (including Discount Leathers) who will put in a zipper into the hump compartment - so you can pull the foam -  or change the foams size -  or put a camelback unit into it if you wish!
Just my 2 cents worth
Carlk Johansson

[k.h.]

Good grief, I find myself in agreement with Mr. Riches on his points of both paragraphs. 

Most leather is tanned and stained overseas, due largely to environmental issues, but 45 years go we knew enough to bring our own thread to Tijuana for discount upholstery work and knowing there would be no customer service either. 

[saltwheels262]

milton p,

  bub rules are not out for 2009.

franey

[MiltonP]

If BUB has changed to an all-cow rule similar to SCTA based on analysis of last years incident(s) then I suppose I will join the many who will need a second suit to run out there.  Actually, I was a little surprised when I saw that professional road racers were wearing somewhat thin perforated suits with stretch panels, then again their incidents usually take place at lower speeds and relatively smooth asphalt.  If this protection isn't safe at higher speeds on our surfaces then I will make the change when my speeds progress.  It never hurts to have a road circuit type suit since I may want to attend a track day sometime down the road.   

[2fast4u2c]

IMO I would not allow anyone with any kind of perforation in the leathers.  ALL leather everywhere.  1 piece would be the best, but 2 piece zipped together at the leather not the stretch panels.  NO PERFORATIONS.  I saw what happens to a rider who wore perforated leathers.  Perforations are like pre-ripping the leathers.  Once they have a hole, no matter how small, it just rips apart from there when stressed during a crash.  Brass eyelets in the armpits and back of knees.  But this is just my 2 cents, but the rules committee should adopt these rules.  I believe in the SCTA ALL leather rules.  No discount leathers, your body should not be discounted.  All Leather Premium leathers for anyone who wants to travel faster than 175.  If you can afford a bike that will take you to those speeds, you should invest in the leathers.
I challenge any person to tell me that perforated leathers are better protection than all leather cowhide, not kangaroo, not lamb, but all COW!

my opinion only.

Guy

[fredvance]

Guy I agree 100%

[1mile14]

Here are some pictures of my 2 piece. I know DaMurf has said the rules have not been changed yet, but my suit has been a heavy thought. I would like to get a custom 1 piece, but the cards allow for me to modify this suit. I dont want a cheap suit, but if I can modify this suit to meet my needs and give me extra protection, I am all for it. Even if the rules dont change at least my suit will give me that extra piece of mind, and I can focus on racing.

This first pic shows what the strech panel looks like in the arm pit area.


The second pic shows the strech panels in the rear calf area.


The third pic shows the inside strech panel. The zipper is attached to strech materil then to the inner liner. I dont feel this is safe. I know this could be acceptable, but for safety sake, I want to change it. I have thought of 2 ways to fix this.
1: remove the zipper and add leather to replace the strech material attaching it to the leather of the jacket and adding a metal zipper.
2: converting this suit into a 1 piece.


So, using my suit as an example of a name brand offering, what should I be concerned with, and what should I focus on doing to make this suit better suited to protect me?

I found this site that deals with repairing leathers. http://www.angelfire.com/art2/speedsportleathers/AFrontPage.html
I was told they could make my 2 piece into a 1 piece for 150. And I can have it by the april meet. I still need to call tomorrow and find out what kind of stitching thread they use. But for the price, I can either get what I paid for, or get a deal? Does anyone have any experience with Speedsport Leathers?