Aero Cafe Racer in Battered Tan

[Edward]

I don't think ownership of a BR jacket necessitates a the purchase of a bike. It's a cool design, but nobody has ever asked me what a ride. But I live in Glasgow, and the weather makes biking a less common hobby.

I don't think any classic bike jackets are assumed to mean you're a biker these days. Never been mentioned to me, anyhow.... only the sheepskin flying jackets get that, and rarely.

I'm a Triumph fan:

Lovely bike!

I had a cafe racer jacket about ten years ago. Nice, steer, US made, can't recall the brand. I bought it because I wanted a simpler jacket to wear to work than a Perfecto style. Something a bit subtler. Fancied a Lewis Corsair, but the then £400 those cost seemed a bit much. That cafe racer was black, with two zipped handwarmer type pockrts. No chest pockets. The front had a yoke that extended to the bottom hem, very similar to an Aero Hercules'. Two G1 style inner pockets. Looked good. Simple. A nice touch was the collar. Two studs to fasten it to (with or without scarf, I think!). On the other side was a single stud, protruding inside so that the longer collar side could be folded back on itself and clipped neatly out of the way. I sold that jacket on years ago because I decided I didn't care for the look of a mandarin collar. It was nice, though.

oh... also owned a 1970s British cafe racer in burgundy (an ebay find that was intended to do til I found a good repro of the red and white one in Fight Club). Nice jacket, but too modern for my tastes now. Big chunky zips, whigh look really wrong for a pre 1970 vibe. (Never did get the Pitt jacket!) If I went for a Cafe Racer again, it would either be a stock Aero Board Track Racer, or a Vanson. Probably no handwarmers, though def inside pockets.

 

[Fanch]

I don't think anyone here is insisting on zips - it's all about personal preference. I do agree though that the zippered sleeves are part of what makes the Cafe Racer a Cafe Racer, but ... to each his own. Probably the same can be said about the mandarin collar as well, although my personal preference is the HWM collar as seen on the Sheene, primarily because the one and only time I tried on a Cafe Racer (in FQHH no less), the mandarin collar seemed to bite me in the neck very much the same as an A-2 with collar stand did too. It's interesting that jackets designed originally for wear in aircraft carried over to motorcycles and vice versa. I will say this has been a very interesting thread with ideas and impressions sent back and forth. :arated:

 

[pawineguy]

Sorry if I am a bit dense here but I am not the jacket expert many of you are.

If i had a collared cafe racer, an Aero Sheene or a similar Schott model, I already broke the mold, didn't i? The Luftwaffe WWII jackets were motorcycle jackets but had button cuffs and flap pockets sometimes. Historically there were variations. Why the insistence on the zips?

Again sorry if i am missing something really obvious.

Keep in mind that motorcycle jackets evolved from flight jackets, and as in all evolutions, these things took time. The early leather flight jackets with asymmetrical zips and large collars typically didn't have snap down collars, but that eventually evolved to be a feature of most motorcycle jackets of a similar design.

Edit: It appears Fanch and I had the same idea about the evolution of flight jackets to moto jackets.

I think it's more people stating their personal preference at this point, stylistically as opposed to functionality. For me, on a Cafe Racer design, the zips just look better. In terms of pockets, I'm always concerned about open pockets that are used regularly as hand warmers eventually sagging and gaping open, ruining the sleek look of the jacket.

 

[Fanch]

Edward, that's interesting your mentioning the Lewis Corsair, which IMO is a great looking jacket that is simple and understated and comes with the pointed collar.

 

[Fanch]

Keep in mind that motorcycle jackets evolved from flight jackets, and as in all evolutions, these things took time. The early leather flight jackets with asymmetrical zips and large collars typically didn't have snap down collars, but that eventually evolved to be a feature of most motorcycle jackets of a similar design.

Edit: It appears Fanch and I had the same idea about the evolution of flight jackets to moto jackets.

I think it's more people stating their personal preference at this point, stylistically as opposed to functionality. For me, on a Cafe Racer design, the zips just look better. In terms of pockets, I'm always concerned about open pockets that are used regularly as hand warmers eventually sagging and gaping open, ruining the sleek look of the jacket.

PAWG I agree with everything you just said; maybe brilliant minds think alike ... I have had a fascination with both aircraft and motorcycles all my life, and started riding cycles (Indian Arrow) when I was 14 years old and airplanes (Piper Cub) at age 16. I even used my USN issued G-1 to ride my bike as well as in the cockpit when I was on active duty in the Navy years ago. I think a Cafe Racer in any of its various iterations could be used for either. Those zippered sleeves would be particularly applicable for use on a cycle or in the cockpit.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Sorry if I am a bit dense here but I am not the jacket expert many of you are.

If i had a collared cafe racer, an Aero Sheene or a similar Schott model, I already broke the mold, didn't i? The Luftwaffe WWII jackets were motorcycle jackets but had button cuffs and flap pockets sometimes. Historically there were variations. Why the insistence on the zips?

Again sorry if i am missing something really obvious.

The point is sleeve zips are part of the cafe racer look. It's not easy to get the tapered cafe look on the sleeve without that zip. But you're right as soon as you "break the mold" with a spread collar, I guess you can do what you want.

 

[ericsanpablo31]

Heres an example of a cafe racer with a strap and buckle style cuff from Aero

 

[technovox]

Heres an example of a cafe racer with a strap and buckle style cuff from Aero

View attachment 25594

Nice!
If you wanted to lose the zippered sleeves on cafe racer, this is definitely the way to go.
I'm becoming a big fan of strap and buckle style cuffs.

 

[Edward]

Sorry if I am a bit dense here but I am not the jacket expert many of you are.

If i had a collared cafe racer, an Aero Sheene or a similar Schott model, I already broke the mold, didn't i? The Luftwaffe WWII jackets were motorcycle jackets but had button cuffs and flap pockets sometimes. Historically there were variations. Why the insistence on the zips?

Again sorry if i am missing something really obvious.

I'm not so sure I'd make such a direct link between the Luftwaffe and the later motorcycle jackets (whatever legends you see repeated as truth in Wikipedia / various 'fashion' blogs / Schott's marketing materials.... While I've often been dubious about Schott's claims to have invented the D pocket in 1928, dedicated motorcycle clothing (as distinct from motorcyclists choosing utilitarian, leather work jackets for protection) was a later thing.... didn't hit the mainstream til post-1945, in my belief, though some of it was around earlier. Anyhow, there's certainly no one, single "motorcycle jacket" design. The zips on the sleeves.... I'd be wary of removing them from a cafe racer because an integral part of its look is those slim sleeves. You'll lose that if you go for soemthing other than a decent length of a sleeve-zip starting at the cuffs. Without any form of fastening, you'll not be able to get it narrower than will let your hand through. You could try button or stud cuffs, though again that's gonig to lead to a slightly different shape than the zip can provide. All personal taste, of course, though I'd think very carefully about just how much you want to deviate from the Cafe Racer pattern and still use it as a base. If you want a whole lot of features that markedly alter the cafe racer, maybe there's another jacket that would be much closer to what you're after to begin with?

Edward, that's interesting your mentioning the Lewis Corsair, which IMO is a great looking jacket that is simple and understated and comes with the pointed collar.

Yes, it's really nice. Before Aero introduced the Sheen and the 30s HWM, I'd have seen this as the logical alternative for someone who wanted a HWM but wanted a much neater fit.

 

[zebedee]

I'm going with the totally standard design- none of those 'Was it sufficiently different to warrant purchase?' blues...
The battered tan should look good.