Harley Davidson jackets are available in many different styles and materials. As a Harley rider, you are blessed with many great choices when shopping for a jacket.
The downside, of course, is sorting through all the options to choose the best one.
The two largest camps are a type of synthetic or leather. When you’ve made that choice, you’re halfway there. There are pros and cons to both, but in the end it’s probably a personal choice.
If you’re looking for a timeless Harley leather jacket, no reading will make you opt for a synthetic. Stay a moment, however, and allow me to discuss the various options available.
If you can’t wait, you can find a variety of Harley leather jackets presented, as you know, leather is well known for its stunning looks and ageless style. A good leather jacket has that heavy, silky feel that calls for luxury. The leather also offers top-notch abrasion resistance. Heavier material, of course, provides better protection, but at the expense of being extremely hot in hot weather. Some leather jackets are made with tiny holes for extra cooling. This will offset the extra heat in hot weather, but may be excessive in cold weather.
Leather jackets are generally limited to fewer color options than synthetics because they are more difficult to color. They will certainly suffer from a “break-in” period, when the new material is still stiff. This problem will fade over time as the material conforms to the shape of the body.
A word on leather thickness: leather measured at less than one millimeter thick would be light, while leather thicker than one and a half millimeters is very heavy. More information on leather measurements can be researched
Synthetic Jackets
If you are shopping for a wide variety of options, synthetics may be the way to go. A single template could have dozens of configuration options. Heavy coatings, for example, can be removed or upgraded. Zippered openings can be opened or closed to allow variable circulation. And the body protectors can be upgraded with CE approved protection or removed.
The most popular synthetic material for a motorcycle jacket these days is Cordura. It is a tear-resistant canvas-like material that can often be used in outdoor gear or luggage. When treated with a water-resistant coating, Cordura retains its ability to pass air through it to provide a combination similar to Gore-Tex. Synthetic jackets normally offer a wider (and wilder) range of color options, allowing them to look great, but for some, synthetics will never match the classic beauty of leather.
Nylon and Denim Jackets
Certainly, many types of jackets simply do not fit into the aforementioned categories. Take denim. It offers a unique proposition: a certain classic style that appeals to some, and cooler in summer than leather. Nylon offers configurability and some of the cooling options of a synthetic but, some say, may not provide the sleek style of leather.
