Best black biker for non-biker?

[Bigbenbs]

Hi all,

So Ive been trying to get my head around the various options for a classic, black biker jacket that would be used primarily as a style piece.

Now, I know that opinions differ, but I'd love to hear some thoughts about which brand/model people like best and why.

Thanks so much in advance.

Also, fit pics very much welcome.

 

[Guppy]

You have a lot of choices. There is no best. Pick the style you like best and look for the best fit you can find. For a non biker, you can skip armor pockets and vents. Beyond that it's all down to personal taste.

 

[Bigbenbs]

Yes, but I'd love to hear some other people's opinions about what they like best.

 

[Mich486]

I don’t think you can rationalise these things too much. Normally I see a style that in that moment gets my attention.

Speaking of biker styles jackets... last year I fell in love with the Lewis Leathers Cyclone which I’m still very fond of. Another cross zip that I really really like is the Buco jh-1 that Real McCoy’s does. Although I believe that one cross zip is more than enough for me.

I’m starting to appreciate the three leather jackets I have and trying to put in some serious wear. They aren’t perfect (I believe there will always be a detail you are not completely happy with and you think you can improve with your next jacket purchase) but the more I wear the more I like them.

I would say look the usual makers websites to get an idea of what is around and see if anything catches your attention. Your hooch hauler though I believe can be considered a biker jacket already? Do you need another? Will you have enough time to wear both?




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[Bigbenbs]

Not looking to buy right now, just enjoy the process of understanding, which may, admittedly, lead to a purchase. Also, it helps being on the lookout for eBay and classified deals.

My main issue is that I can't really see a difference after a certain point with the top makers. They all look great and about the same as far as black bikers go. So I was hoping that some people would have some strong opinions about which, if any brands, are doing something special. Again, doesn't mean I'm just going to just accept those opinions, but it's informative (and also fun to read).

 

[Mich486]

Any attempt to “rank” the top makers discussed here has always revealed a bit of a slippery slope as too many personal preferences are involved.

There is a certain degree of experience - read trial and error - that one has to make. You have to find your own path towards jacket-happiness!!! Lol

You seem to have started out with Aero which is a good maker that produces solid jackets. I think you made a great start.



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[DrSugarRay]

You mentioned you’re looking for a style piece. For me, a big question I always ask myself is ‘how often do I want to wear this?’. If this answer is ‘often’, then I’m going to get something that isn’t so stylish that I have to dress up every time I want to wear it.

 

[Bigbenbs]

Any attempt to “rank” the top makers discussed here has always revealed a bit of a slippery slope as too many personal preferences are involved.

There is a certain degree of experience - read trial and error - that one has to make. You have to find your own path towards jacket-happiness!!! Lol

You seems to have started out with Aero which is a good maker that produces solid jackets. I think you made a great start.



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True, the only thing is that I want to hear some strong personal preferences. It helps me figure out how others are making their choices.

 

[Guppy]

Yes, but I'd love to hear some other people's opinions about what they like best.

I think Thedi probably is doing the most unique, special designs in motorcycle jackets these days, and you don't have to ride to appreciate them.

If you want to go with something classic, then I guess Schott would be the way to go. Or possibly ELMC.

 

[TheMarriedHermit]

"...a classic, black biker jacket that would be used primarily as a style piece."
Budget: from $50 to 1500. Condition: from well-used to brand-spanking new. Hide: horse, steer, woolly mammoth, what have you. Heft: all the way to cast-iron. Style: from simplified (easy on the pockets and zippers, so you don't look like a Mad Max wanna-be) to one with more of motorcycle-utilitarian features (not too many, though, or you'll end up looking like a Hardly-Davidson type). On and on; the point being that everyone's preferences are the result of their own personality and lifestyle and taste, and more often than not cannot be easily defined. If you ask people for recommendations, all you're going to receive is opinions--some knowledgeable, some not. Being a newcomer to leather, too, I've found that the best way (for me) is to read what is already here in the archives, to check-out the websites of the makers, and to search Ebay listings, following my own yep-or-nope responses. "...a style piece." Your style, or some "fashion authority"-decreed trend?

 

[Bigbenbs]

"...a classic, black biker jacket that would be used primarily as a style piece."
Budget: from $50 to 1500. Condition: from well-used to brand-spanking new. Hide: horse, steer, woolly mammoth, what have you. Heft: all the way to cast-iron. Style: from simplified (easy on the pockets and zippers, so you don't look like a Mad Max wanna-be) to one with more of motorcycle-utilitarian features (not too many, though, or you'll end up looking like a Hardly-Davidson type). On and on; the point being that everyone's preferences are the result of their own personality and lifestyle and taste, and more often than not cannot be easily defined. If you ask people for recommendations, all you're going to receive is opinions--some knowledgeable, some not. Being a newcomer to leather, too, I've found that the best way (for me) is to read what is already here in the archives, to check-out the websites of the makers, and to search Ebay listings, following my own yep-and-nope responses. "...a style piece." Your style, or some "fashion authority"-decreed trend?

By style piece I just mean not to protect me from pavement.

 

[TheMarriedHermit]

By style piece I just mean not to protect me from pavement.

Alright. What, then, are the features you don't need?

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[marmalademan]

Block Bilt MC style like below is undoubtedly the best and most stylish option out there and only a fool would disagree. If you're size 40 check the classifieds

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[Bfd70]

I would go with an aero d-pocket ridley without belt. Blackened brown vicenza.

 

[TheMarriedHermit]

Block Bilt MC style like below is undoubtedly the best and most stylish option out there and only a fool would disagree. If you're size 40 check the classifieds

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It is a very nice jacket indeed, but only one of many "best and most stylish" options. Now, I don't mean to put a bee under your hat, neighbor, but in my old-fashioned neck of the woods folks don't go around calling those who disagree with their "undoubtedly" opinions "fools".

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[marmalademan]

It is a very nice jacket, indeed, but only one of many "best and most stylish" options. I don't mean to put a bee under your hat, neighbor, but in my old-fashioned neck of the woods folks don't go around calling people who disagree with their "undoubtedly" opinions "fools".

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Stick around brother, you're in the right place

 

[Bigbenbs]

It is a very nice jacket, indeed, but only one of many "best and most stylish" options. I don't mean to put a bee under your hat, neighbor, but in my old-fashioned neck of the woods folks don't go around calling those who disagree with their "undoubtedly" opinions "fools".

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I took it as a joke, meant to poke fun at the fact that he was baldly promoting his classified add.

 

[Jejupe]

Hi all,

So Ive been trying to get my head around the various options for a classic, black biker jacket that would be used primarily as a style piece.

Now, I know that opinions differ, but I'd love to hear some thoughts about which brand/model people like best and why.

Thanks so much in advance.

Also, fit pics very much welcome.

You didn't specify if you want a real MC jacket to wear as a style piece, or a style piece based on MC jacket style.

However, you could take a look at Vanson's offerings. They have it all, cafe racers, cross zips and you name it. Just be warned, these are made for riding and most of their leathers are very stiff and require a long break in period to reach their prime.

My personal favorites are their Enfield, Chopper and CHP models.

https://vansonleathers.com/mens-col...PQ-highway-patrol-motorcycle-jacket-CHP2.html

https://vansonleathers.com/mens-col...t-CHP2.html?search_query=california&results=1

https://vansonleathers.com/mens-col...-jacket-B.html?search_query=enfield&results=4

 

[Bigbenbs]

Okay, so I'll add some further specificity to the question.

On the one side, there is something like an Aero Bootlegger, which is a cross-zip but minimal in terms of the other accouterments (belts, buttons, etc.). I've got a jacket like that (Hooch Hauler, a bit more busy in the back than the Bootlegger) in Russett.


On the other side, there is the full-on riding jacket with armor, pads, and all sorts of dramatic bells and whistles. (See below)

My feeling is that the sweet spot with a black biker jacket for a non-rider like me falls somewhere in between these two. Which is to say it's not totally clean (a la Bootlegger) but that it's also not completely jazzed out (a la the Langlitz above).

So that gives a range of options.

I do very much like the Schott Perfecto. So maybe the thing to do is start with a vintage one and see what I like and don't like.

But then I see something like Diamond Dave's J-24 and I think that it might hit the business point even better.

Then I've been reading some of the effusions about Langlitz and the comfort and mobility of their jackets, and so perhaps just eventually doing a custom one with them might be the way to go.

Then I see the Lost World Speed Demon and think that might be the sweet spot.



And then I just end up thinking, how the hell is one supposed to reach any firm conclusions about all these beautiful creations?

 

[Bigbenbs]

And then I look back over those pictures and think, maybe it's the Lost Worlds...but then I've read posts saying LW is too heavy for a casual wearer...and so the cycle continues.