Is the Buco J-24 overrated?

[ton312]

Pattern, materials, etc,etc. IMO they fell off hard long ago. But the tried and true IG cult brings the uninitiated to the table for a self devouring feast. And it always will as there seems to be a never ending supply of lack of experience. For me the brand is one of many that represent the death of originality. And it comes at a cost!

 

[Quan_love_leather]

Of course anything from RMC is overrated. I honestly can’t believe people still buy from them as they lost touch with true quality at least 10 years ago. But the IG engine grinds out new customers. So the cycle perpetuates. LW, Aero, Eastman and Schott all make a better replica IMO. One that can stand up to the jackets intended purpose. I remeber Ivan and I bought the same RMC halfbelt and literally raced to see who could return it first.

Yeah, honestly I got pulled in by Instagram too. The photos and styling are just too good.
At least you were able to return yours. I bought mine second-hand, so I basically just have to live with it and make the best out of it.
Funny enough, this whole experience is now making me want a Schott 618HH or maybe a 613SH even more.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

Pattern, materials, etc,etc. IMO they fell off hard long ago. But the tried and true IG cult brings the uninitiated to the table for a self devouring feast. And it always will as there seems to be a never ending supply of lack of experience. For me the brand is one of many that represent the death of originality. And it comes at a cost!
View attachment 787404

Now I can really feel and understand that clearly. In your opinion, are there still any Japanese brands worth trusting?

 

[ton312]

Now I can really feel and understand that clearly. In your opinion, are there still any Japanese brands worth trusting?

I am not the target audience tbh. There are certainly a myriad of Japanese brands that produce high quality gear. For me personally, the patterns are simply not correct. I do have one maker that I wish to pursue from Japan. And this is why:

I don’t really know of any Japanese brands worth trusting to make legitimate riding gear. But I do know that RMC is absolutely not that. And you do too. So you’re already way ahead of the game.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

I am not the target audience tbh. There are certainly a myriad of Japanese brands that produce high quality gear. For me personally, the patterns are simply not correct. I do have one maker that I wish to pursue from Japan. And this is why:
View attachment 787405
I don’t really know of any Japanese brands worth trusting to make legitimate riding gear. But I do know that RMC is absolutely not that. And you do too. So you’re already way ahead of the game.

Yeah… this lesson was definitely a painful one.
At this point I’ve already committed to the jacket anyway. I even sent it out for modifications already, and if I sold it now I’d lose a ridiculous amount of money.
So I guess I’ll just keep wearing it hard and turn it into my own version of a J-24.

As for Japanese makers, FourSpeed is probably one of the few that still feels genuinely honest and grounded to me.

 

[Leigh H]

I remember wanting one around 2012, back then there were only a few options for a buco d-pocket style reproduction jacket.

Real McCoys looked amazing on the Japanese guys on Instagram but were only sold in Japan, which felt at the time impossible to buy, or too risky with not knowing my sizing properly.

I remember there was Eastman leathers Roadster, and lost worlds (heavy weight) buco reproductions around that time and that was pretty much it.

Real McCoys opened a London store so around 2014 so I was able to walk in and try them out and buy one.

But today there are so many other options to choose from at different price points and their prices are expensive.

it really depends on your price point, I still believe they are one of the best buco reproductions.


The good.
The leather quality by the Real McCoys is probably one of the best shinki horsehide leathers I’ve ever experienced. I’ve had my jacket over ten years and I’ve never oiled it once. It still has its shine.

Real McCoys have established themselves as the best buco reproductions and their value holds up well if you ever resell it. Much like a Leica camera or a Rolex.

The bad.
The hardware / zippers could be much better, I agree with what others say. They’re not very durable, one of the pulls broke on my sleeve. The main zipper still works but the pull is missing. I don’t know why they have never bothered to improve their hardware.

I have the old Japanese fits, (they updated their fits about 5 years ago to be inline with the originals) it’s a very tight fit, skinny arms. If you’re a big guy you need to avoid their older fits.

Over the 10 years I’ve gone up in size so I’m really feeling the Japanese slim fit now.

 

[Tom71]

I remember wanting one around 2012, back then there were only a few options for a buco d-pocket style reproduction jacket.

Real McCoys looked amazing on the Japanese guys on Instagram but were only sold in Japan, which felt at the time impossible to buy, or too risky with not knowing my sizing properly.

I remember there was Eastman leathers Roadster, and lost worlds (heavy weight) buco reproductions around that time and that was pretty much it.

Real McCoys opened a London store so around 2014 so I was able to walk in and try them out and buy one.

But today there are so many other options to choose from at different price points and their prices are expensive.

it really depends on your price point, I still believe they are one of the best buco reproductions.


The good.
The leather quality by the Real McCoys is probably one of the best shinki horsehide leathers I’ve ever experienced. I’ve had my jacket over ten years and I’ve never oiled it once. It still has its shine.

Real McCoys have established themselves as the best buco reproductions and their value holds up well if you ever resell it. Much like a Leica camera or a Rolex.

The bad.
The hardware / zippers could be much better, I agree with what others say. They’re not very durable, one of the pulls broke on my sleeve. The main zipper still works but the pull is missing. I don’t know why they have never bothered to improve their hardware.

I have the old Japanese fits, (they updated their fits about 5 years ago to be inline with the originals) it’s a very tight fit, skinny arms. If you’re a big guy you need to avoid their older fits.

Over the 10 years I’ve gone up in size so I’m really feeling the Japanese slim fit now.

View attachment 787443

I agree with that.

RMC does not offer bad quality, it’s just that it’s absolutely no longer worth the ridiculous money they are now demanding on the western markets (EUR 3.900 for the J-24!?!).
Leather is great, models and pattern are ok (for my physique anyway) and craftsmanship is near perfect (at least I never had stitching coming away).

The hard wear is a nightmare and close to a rip-off at that price point. But so is Freewheelers and also the default zipper options at Aero or Eastman. They all call it period-correct as if the hides were NOS as well.

You always get better durability out of the hard wear with makers who don’t obsess over 1:1 replicas but rather make liberal adaptions.
Practically all American makers use very sturdy zippers, and the same is true for Lewis, Thedi or even SB. If you go with the Universal option at Aero, you can’t go wrong either. In Japan, Y2 offers size 8 or 10 zippers on their moto jackets as well.

For me, it’s not really about RMC being overrated (they are certainly by now overpriced), but for what you are paying. If it’s a great replica by a tier 1 maker, you are good to go. If you want a sturdy, functional Buco inspired crosszip, others are better positioned.

 

[Tom71]

I remember wanting one around 2012, back then there were only a few options for a buco d-pocket style reproduction jacket.

Real McCoys looked amazing on the Japanese guys on Instagram but were only sold in Japan, which felt at the time impossible to buy, or too risky with not knowing my sizing properly.

I remember there was Eastman leathers Roadster, and lost worlds (heavy weight) buco reproductions around that time and that was pretty much it.

Real McCoys opened a London store so around 2014 so I was able to walk in and try them out and buy one.

But today there are so many other options to choose from at different price points and their prices are expensive.

it really depends on your price point, I still believe they are one of the best buco reproductions.


The good.
The leather quality by the Real McCoys is probably one of the best shinki horsehide leathers I’ve ever experienced. I’ve had my jacket over ten years and I’ve never oiled it once. It still has its shine.

Real McCoys have established themselves as the best buco reproductions and their value holds up well if you ever resell it. Much like a Leica camera or a Rolex.

The bad.
The hardware / zippers could be much better, I agree with what others say. They’re not very durable, one of the pulls broke on my sleeve. The main zipper still works but the pull is missing. I don’t know why they have never bothered to improve their hardware.

I have the old Japanese fits, (they updated their fits about 5 years ago to be inline with the originals) it’s a very tight fit, skinny arms. If you’re a big guy you need to avoid their older fits.

Over the 10 years I’ve gone up in size so I’m really feeling the Japanese slim fit now.

View attachment 787443

Looks the bomb, btw!

 

[Quan_love_leather]

I remember wanting one around 2012, back then there were only a few options for a buco d-pocket style reproduction jacket.

Real McCoys looked amazing on the Japanese guys on Instagram but were only sold in Japan, which felt at the time impossible to buy, or too risky with not knowing my sizing properly.

I remember there was Eastman leathers Roadster, and lost worlds (heavy weight) buco reproductions around that time and that was pretty much it.

Real McCoys opened a London store so around 2014 so I was able to walk in and try them out and buy one.

But today there are so many other options to choose from at different price points and their prices are expensive.

it really depends on your price point, I still believe they are one of the best buco reproductions.


The good.
The leather quality by the Real McCoys is probably one of the best shinki horsehide leathers I’ve ever experienced. I’ve had my jacket over ten years and I’ve never oiled it once. It still has its shine.

Real McCoys have established themselves as the best buco reproductions and their value holds up well if you ever resell it. Much like a Leica camera or a Rolex.

The bad.
The hardware / zippers could be much better, I agree with what others say. They’re not very durable, one of the pulls broke on my sleeve. The main zipper still works but the pull is missing. I don’t know why they have never bothered to improve their hardware.

I have the old Japanese fits, (they updated their fits about 5 years ago to be inline with the originals) it’s a very tight fit, skinny arms. If you’re a big guy you need to avoid their older fits.

Over the 10 years I’ve gone up in size so I’m really feeling the Japanese slim fit now.

View attachment 787443

Your jacket still looks amazing after 10 years.
Today I’m honestly feeling a bit down because the repair shop seems quite intimidated by my J24. They told me that replacing the zippers and restitching it properly would require disturbing some of the permanently set snaps/rivets on the jacket, and there are just too many stitched sections involved.
What makes this difficult for me is that I absolutely love the leather on my J24. The hide itself still feels fantastic, so it’s hard for me to accept that the jacket is aging mechanically faster than the leather itself.
In your opinion, would it be worth having them take most of it apart for a proper restoration — replacing hardware, redoing stitching, and accepting that some original snaps may be destroyed in the process?

I paid around $1000 for it, and if I sell it now I’ll probably take quite a heavy loss.

 

[Leigh H]

Your jacket still looks amazing after 10 years.
Today I’m honestly feeling a bit down because the repair shop seems quite intimidated by my J24. They told me that replacing the zippers and restitching it properly would require disturbing some of the permanently set snaps/rivets on the jacket, and there are just too many stitched sections involved.
What makes this difficult for me is that I absolutely love the leather on my J24. The hide itself still feels fantastic, so it’s hard for me to accept that the jacket is aging mechanically faster than the leather itself.
In your opinion, would it be worth having them take most of it apart for a proper restoration — replacing hardware, redoing stitching, and accepting that some original snaps may be destroyed in the process?

I paid around $1000 for it, and if I sell it now I’ll probably take quite a heavy loss.

where are you based? i know Real McCoys offer a repair service you could send it to them directly.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

where are you based? i know Real McCoys offer a repair service you could send it to them directly.

I live in vietnam ((((

 

[NickD]

To the specific issue in this thread - if the problem is the zipper slider not working, that is a pretty easy fix, you can just replace the slider without disturbing the stitching.

The zippers on most of the Japanese repros aren't great, it's not just RMC.

In general RMC is very high quality, their sportswear and military stuff especially, contrary to what some people in this thread have said it's an equal to any high end clothing currently available, certainly anything I've tried.

The Bucos don't fit me (too short in the body) so I can't speak to their quality beyond trying them on. I bought a Flat Head instead and the build quality is incredible on that, much better than any of the other jackets I own bar my Freewheelers which I'd consider its equal.

In general I wouldn't wear street clothes on a bike - they aren't designed to protect in an impact or slide. Even fairly basic padding is going to save you broken bones or worse.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

To the specific issue in this thread - if the problem is the zipper slider not working, that is a pretty easy fix, you can just replace the slider without disturbing the stitching.

The zippers on most of the Japanese repros aren't great, it's not just RMC.

In general RMC is very high quality, their sportswear and military stuff especially, contrary to what some people in this thread have said it's an equal to any high end clothing currently available, certainly anything I've tried.

The Bucos don't fit me (too short in the body) so I can't speak to their quality beyond trying them on. I bought a Flat Head instead and the build quality is incredible on that, much better than any of the other jackets I own bar my Freewheelers which I'd consider its equal.

In general I wouldn't wear street clothes on a bike - they aren't designed to protect in an impact or slide. Even fairly basic padding is going to save you broken bones or worse.

My riding skills are pretty solid and I’m confident in that. For me, I mainly need a jacket that can resist rain, block wind, and keep me warm and honestly all of my leather jackets can already do that well enough.
If necessary, I already have proper motorcycle gear with armor, so protection isn’t really the main role of my Buco.

That’s why this experience has been a bit disappointing for me. I can accept wear on the leather over time, but having issues with something as basic as stitching and zippers is harder to overlook.

Originally I was actually planning to get a Flat Head Delraiser instead, but finding one second-hand is incredibly difficult. In the end I kept thinking “they’re both Shinki anyway,” so I went with the Buco.

 

[NickD]

My riding skills are pretty solid and I’m confident in that. For me, I mainly need a jacket that can resist rain, block wind, and keep me warm and honestly all of my leather jackets can already do that well enough.
If necessary, I already have proper motorcycle gear with armor, so protection isn’t really the main role of my Buco.

That’s why this experience has been a bit disappointing for me. I can accept wear on the leather over time, but having issues with something as basic as stitching and zippers is harder to overlook.

Originally I was actually planning to get a Flat Head Delraiser instead, but finding one second-hand is incredibly difficult. In the end I kept thinking “they’re both Shinki anyway,” so I went with the Buco.

I'd consider my riding skills pretty solid too, but it's not us we have to worry about, it's the idiocy of people in the big metal cages!

Anyway, try changing the slider on the zipper before going any further, there are tutorials on youtube. If that's a size 5 Talon then a size 5 YKK should fit.

I know how you feel about the zipper being disappointing, I've had similar experience with a Talon repro on a Japanese jacket. They just aren't good enough quality.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

I'd consider my riding skills pretty solid too, but it's not us we have to worry about, it's the idiocy of people in the big metal cages!

Anyway, try changing the slider on the zipper before going any further, there are tutorials on youtube. If that's a size 5 Talon then a size 5 YKK should fit.

I know how you feel about the zipper being disappointing, I've had similar experience with a Talon repro on a Japanese jacket. They just aren't good enough quality.

Thanks man, I’ll check it out

 

[MonsieurTK]

Of course anything from RMC is overrated. I honestly can’t believe people still buy from them as they lost touch with true quality at least 10 years ago. But the IG engine grinds out new customers. So the cycle perpetuates. LW, Aero, Eastman and Schott all make a better replica IMO. One that can stand up to the jackets intended purpose. I remeber Ivan and I bought the same RMC halfbelt and literally raced to see who could return it first.

Unfortunately when you make top-quality products, in the industry, you can set whatever price you want and you'll still have buyers just due to brand reputation. That's where they're currently at.

Overpriced when compared to similar brands, but priced accordingly to market demand.

 

[ton312]

Unfortunately when you make top-quality products, in the industry, you can set whatever price you want and you'll still have buyers just due to brand reputation. That's where they're currently at.

Overpriced when compared to similar brands, but priced accordingly to market demand.

Indeed. That’s kind of the point of the starter pack I created above. To me it’s the worst. A complete lack of originality reduced to an “add to cart” button on a website that might as well be Kohl’s. Priced according to some bs hype that is cultivated in a bubble.

In a larger way I see the brand as the absolute death of everything it claims to be. There was a time when I felt RMC made the absolute best repros actors a range of styles for the various periods they recreated. Now I see them as an opportunistic money grab, riding a wave of already passé styles.

 

[ton312]

I meant across not actors but my phone is a **** and I can’t edit.

 

[WithBongInHand]

No issues so far with the zipper on mine. I’d read a lot of folks had issues with them so I applied graphite to mine as soon as I bought it.

As for whether or not these jackets overrated, the look is so nice and the quality of the leather is just amazing! I don’t think they’re overrated but it definitely ***** that you need to baby the hardware.

 

[MonsieurTK]

Indeed. That’s kind of the point of the starter pack I created above. To me it’s the worst. A complete lack of originality reduced to an “add to cart” button on a website that might as well be Kohl’s. Priced according to some bs hype that is cultivated in a bubble.

In a larger way I see the brand as the absolute death of everything it claims to be. There was a time when I felt RMC made the absolute best repros actors a range of styles for the various periods they recreated. Now I see them as an opportunistic money grab, riding a wave of already passé styles.

I will agree with you in that they're 100% overrated and placed on a pedastal, though I cannot deny they make great products.

I'd have to say it's very similar to the whole 'Made in Japan' idea. Yes, the products are tremendously well-made. However, sometimes people become too enamored with Japan and neglect its faults.