Aero Horween horse hides

[Faux59]

CXL
Tumbled CXL
Pinnacle

What would you go with from this list if you were buying a jacket today?

I'm ordering a black motorcycle jacket soon. I have a good idea of which way I'm going. I just wanted to read people's opinions.

I'm only interested in these 3 leathers for this jacket but I will be getting a 2nd jacket with a different choice.

 

[photo2u]

CXL Steer hide specially for moto.

 

[AeroFan_07]

There seems to be a genuine fascination with Horse Hide and jackets. It's not completely a bad thing, but have you personally handled, or worn any of these leathers on an Aero or other-brand jacket?

I ask because I have. I have owned in excess of 14 Aero's and just from experience, if you want a jacket to actually ride a motorcycle, this is not what you really want. There are plenty of threads talking about this topic. They also discuss the leather, the patterns, the design, and honestly at this point for me most of it falls flat. I have one Aero left, an Indian Ranger in Horween FQHH and I do not think I'll even keep it around much longer.

I do agree with Photo2U that the CXL-Steerhide is at least a slightly more flexible choice for a M/C style jacket (it softens noticeably once you have had it on a while) it still cannot help the rest of pattern and design traits that have steered me away from this brand overall. Username or not, there are greener fields out there and I encourage you to research those out before you spend $$$.

 

[Faux59]

It's not completely a bad thing, but have you personally handled, or worn any of these leathers on an Aero or other-brand jacket?

Not in the 3 leather choices here (unless you count steer CXL boots) but I have 3 Aeros. A Vicenza, goat, and Badalassi that I just moved on. I have a Himel and Schott P571 too. I like Aero and want this to be a Horween HH of some sort and that's what I'm getting. I know there's a placebo aspect to HH and I'm OK with that.

 

[KBlake]

There seems to be a genuine fascination with Horse Hide and jackets. It's not completely a bad thing, but have you personally handled, or worn any of these leathers on an Aero or other-brand jacket?

I ask because I have. I have owned in excess of 14 Aero's and just from experience, if you want a jacket to actually ride a motorcycle, this is not what you really want. There are plenty of threads talking about this topic. They also discuss the leather, the patterns, the design, and honestly at this point for me most of it falls flat. I have one Aero left, an Indian Ranger in Horween FQHH and I do not think I'll even keep it around much longer.

I do agree with Photo2U that the CXL-Steerhide is at least a slightly more flexible choice for a M/C style jacket (it softens noticeably once you have had it on a while) it still cannot help the rest of pattern and design traits that have steered me away from this brand overall. Username or not, there are greener fields out there and I encourage you to research those out before you spend $$$.

Out of genuine curiosity, what pattern and design traits have steered you away? I haven’t owned many but the ones I did have weren’t the best fitting.

 

[MrProper]

CXL
Tumbled CXL
Pinnacle

What would you go with from this list if you were buying a jacket today?

I'm ordering a black motorcycle jacket soon. I have a good idea of which way I'm going. I just wanted to read people's opinions.

I'm only interested in these 3 leathers for this jacket but I will be getting a 2nd jacket with a different choice.

If I have to take one of the three, then tumbled.
If I don't have to, cxl steer or vicenza.

 

[TartuWolf]

My vote goes to black cxl steerhide. But most importantly pick a model with good mobility and get a good fit, that matters way more than leather choice.

 

[Canuck Panda]

CXL
Tumbled CXL
Pinnacle

Out of the three my first choice would be Pinnacle, then Tumbled CXL FQHH, then CXL FQHH. If you're open to CXL SH, then I would rate it before Tumbled CXL FQHH.

For context I have had all the leathers listed above. And while I am major fan for Horween CXL finish, there are a few things to keep in mind,

1) Black does not really have any pull up. So There really isn't much advantage of going CXL if you're getting a black jacket. The biggest aesthetic advantage CXL has over the other types of leather tannage is the surface glass finish and the pull up, so best in the brown tones or other color tones, to get the most outta CXL special finishing.

2) CXL FQHH takes FOREVER to break in. I have one from 5 years ago, and it is still not broken in to the point where I find it comfortable. CXL SH breaks in much faster, within the same year. This is why I say if you insist on CXL FQHH, get the tumbled version. However, the tumbled version is gonna be extra grainy and wild, so no glass finish.

Pinnacle is gonna be your safest bet for comfort and ease of wear, but it's struck through leather not surface dyed teacore. So if you are looking for teacore then you have to settle for the stiffer CXL FQHH or other options.

 

[panigale]

I have two Aero’s in CXL FQHH. I love them. Beautiful grain on day one. One in black and one in reddish brown.

My favorite Aero is in black Badalassi Steer hide. The jacket is tough as nails but it is more forgiving than the horse hide offerings.

 

[Alfredodelavega]

In fact, I think it all depends on how often you plan to wear the jacket!? If it's 10 times a year or maximum once a week then you will take more than 15 years to break in the cxl (especially the HH) and you will have gotten tired of it and you will have sold the jacket a long time ago. If this is a jacket that you plan to wear every day during the auspicious season then you may want to consider the cxl HH

 

[MrProper]

In fact, I think it all depends on how often you plan to wear the jacket!? If it's 10 times a year or maximum once a week then you will take more than 15 years to break in the cxl (especially the HH) and you will have gotten tired of it and you will have sold the jacket a long time ago. If this is a jacket that you plan to wear every day during the auspicious season then you may want to consider the cxl HH

I had a CXFQHH and wore it every day, in all weathers. It took an infinitely long time before they were even halfway broken in. Certain parts of the jacket weren't really worn in even after years.
That's why I'll only use it if it's the only way to get the colour I want. Always CXSH for black, brown and cordovan. Or then tumbled.
I don't know the Pinnacle, but from the pictures I don't like it so much that I would order a jacket from it (at least not a black one).

 

[Alfredodelavega]

I had a CXFQHH and wore it every day, in all weathers. It took an infinitely long time before they were even halfway broken in. Certain parts of the jacket weren't really worn in even after years.
That's why I'll only use it if it's the only way to get the colour I want. Always CXSH for black, brown and cordovan. Or then tumbled.
I don't know the Pinnacle, but from the pictures I don't like it so much that I would order a jacket from it (at least not a black one).

My experience of the CX fqhh is very variable some jackets are broken in from the start (but not without difficulty) others despite time, having braved the elements never showed real signs of breaking in starting to make them a little comfortable and yet on paper it is the same leather from the same tannery.

 

[Faux59]

Thanks for the responses!

I haven't 100% decided on the pattern yet. I know I want an offset zip and I'm leaning towards a J-106 though may get a Bootlegger again (the Badalassi I moved was a Bootlegger), Hooch Hauler or Vincent. I bought a leather sample set after making this thread to at least get a hands on feel of the 3 leathers.

Pull up doesn't matter to me on a black jacket and neither does teacore. I don't wear my black CXL boots that often but they're still jet black and don't show any signs of teacoring yet.

I ride my bike 2-3 times weekly anywhere between 5-20 hours per week from May to November..

My favorite Aero is in black Badalassi Steer hide. The jacket is tough as nails but it is more forgiving than the horse hide offerings.

Badalassi creeks too much. I hated every minute wearing it and won't buy that leather again. I posted this on another TFL thread. My wife asked me to stop wearing it when we went out, people would ask me if there was something wrong with the jacket, it wasn't a pleasant experience at all.

 

[AeroFan_07]

^^ good to know this, I had not ever tried the Badalassi, I have a Langlitz that is a creaky mess, but I love the jacket too much to part with it. Actually a good reminder to give it a little conditioning...

 

[Turnip]

For HWM or similar i‘d take CXL FQHH again, totally happy with that combo.
For short coats like my Cheyenne i‘d pick CXL SH again, completely satisfied with that combo as well.

 

[Edward]

I like a hefty hide in a bike jacket. All the Aero hides are nice.... I once tried on a Vicenza hide halfbelt when being sized for something else. Gorgeous hide, which I'd be very happy with if it came as standard in a particular jacket, though at that I'm not inclined to pay a significant upcharge for any one hide. The only hide I ever handled that didn't for me live up to the hype was a Shinki, but that was only one hide from a tannery with a wide range, so.

 

[Canuck Panda]

When I first saw this thread, I wanted to make a compare to show the stiffness of the different leathers, especially the CXLs. Got some time this morning to make this compare photo.

When CXL is considered, my vote still goes to SH before FQHH at this point. This is just for me. I am about 180lbs in body weight. If I were taller and weigh over 200 lbs then FQHH won't feel as stiff as I would have more kinetic energy by default. That was one thing I forgot to mention before. For the bigger dudes, FQHH may not feel as heavy or stiff, we all experience gravity just so slightly different.

Also I gotta give the credit on how to show how stiff the leathers are to The Shop, I saw a video of him showing how stiff the Eco horse leather was by tilting the jacket to its side and it held up like the CXL FQHH...

For most people, if you want the nice CXL finish but not the stiffness of the FQHH, SH is probably the safer choice. Horsehides are quite unpredictable ime. Even Vicenza I've had deerskin soft ones and almost CXL FQHH stiff ones. There is definitely a bigger variance in the horsehides than the more stable and consistent steerhides.

 

[Marc mndt]

There is definitely a bigger variance in the horsehides than the more stable and consistent steerhides.

Steerhides in general are more stable and consistent? Lol

What does that even mean, a leather being stable?

 

[MickeyPunch]

View attachment 654688

When I first saw this thread, I wanted to make a compare to show the stiffness of the different leathers, especially the CXLs. Got some time this morning to make this compare photo.

When CXL is considered, my vote still goes to SH before FQHH at this point. This is just for me. I am about 180lbs in body weight. If I were taller and weigh over 200 lbs then FQHH won't feel as stiff as I would have more kinetic energy by default. That was one thing I forgot to mention before. For the bigger dudes, FQHH may not feel as heavy or stiff, we all experience gravity just so slightly different.

Also I gotta give the credit on how to show how stiff the leathers are to The Shop, I saw a video of him showing how stiff the Eco horse leather was by tilting the jacket to its side and it held up like the CXL FQHH...

For most people, if you want the nice CXL finish but not the stiffness of the FQHH, SH is probably the safer choice. Horsehides are quite unpredictable ime. Even Vicenza I've had deerskin soft ones and almost CXL FQHH stiff ones. There is definitely a bigger variance in the horsehides than the more stable and consistent steerhides.

Do you have anything in Badalassi?

 

[cl206]

I ride a 2022 z400 and my main jacket currently is a schott 689HH (I do have a dedicated armored summer (scorpion) and winter jacket (first manufacturing). Fit is good and I can layer with no problem as I ride all year round in NY (i dont ride in inclement weather though or below 20F). Still breaking it in!
I have a j106 in chestnut badalassi coming and while that isn't a dedicated moto wear it still beats wearing a t shirt. Im quasi/semi ATGATT. I wanted something that looks good on and off the bike and provides some protection. The noise and mobility might not be the best but I am gonna wear the hell out of it