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Cal Leather White Two-tone Six Panel Cafe Racer

Kubatu

A-List Customer
Messages
458
Hi all,

This is a really unique Cal jacket I stumbled onto a while back. A standard six panel CR, but what makes it unusual is the two-tone coloring. It reminds me a lot of a Bates racing shirt. Cal CRs are fairly uncommon to begin with, but I don't think I've ever seen one like this. Condition-wise, it's in great condition. No wear to the zip hem, no cracking to the leather, minimal discoloration to the jacket's surface. Only thing that I need to note is that the jacket has a particular odor to it - a sweet, almost cloying smell. I think some TLC should be able to take care of that, though.

Price: $370 shipped, Paypal F&F. Forum regulars are welcome to make an offer.

Measurements:

Pit to pit: 22.75
Shoulder to shoulder: 19
Top of shoulder to sleeve cuff: 27.5 (left sleeve) and 26.75 (right sleeve)
Top of collar to hem: 27.5

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Any questions, please ask.
 

jonbuilder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,563
Location
Grass Valley CA Foothills
Cool, I purchased one of these jackets with matching pants but retunded the set to the eBay seller due to undisclosed road rash.
This jacket on the other hand looks to be in good condition with clear pictures
Good price for a clean Cal CR in a large size
 

technovox

One Too Many
Messages
1,241
Location
San Francisco
What a beauty! In amazing shape. And if Cal Leather racers weren't rare enough to begin with, this one is in a one-of-a-kind color configuration. And in my size too.
So tempting. Must... look...away...
 
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Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
Killer jacket with a very unique back for a Cafe Racer. Looks more like a 40s-50s Half Belt back. I have never seen a CR with a back pattern like this. A custom order I would think. This shouldn't last long..............
 

Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
What a beauty! In amazing shape. And if Cal Leather racers weren't rare enough to begin with, this one is in a one-of-a-kind color configuration. And in my size too.
So tempting. Must... look...away....
I know right?????? Its already gnawing at me.............. If I didn't already make a couple of purchases I am still waiting to receive, I would be all over this. Someone will get a special jacket here.
 

photo2u

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,347
Location
claremont california
Killer jacket with a very unique back for a Cafe Racer. Looks more like a 40s-50s Half Belt back. I have never seen a CR with a back pattern like this. A custom order I would think. This shouldn't last long..............

The jacket is very nice, no question. But the blue in white was a “trendy” color combo?. My personal favorite is the cal and the bates. Tony had one in a similar color combo, CR Bates, that I like very much. I wonder if he still has it? Also, @ jonbuilder has at least 3 CR delightful Cal's jackets, one in blue body and white sleeves
 
Last edited:
Messages
10,614
Killer jacket with a very unique back for a Cafe Racer. Looks more like a 40s-50s Half Belt back. I have never seen a CR with a back pattern like this. A custom order I would think. This shouldn't last long..............

This is the 6-panel back design Cal CRs are known for. The color combo is the custom part of the jacket. Im surprised it’s still for sale.
 

technovox

One Too Many
Messages
1,241
Location
San Francisco
The jacket is very nice, no question. But the blue in white was a “trendy” color combo?. My personal favorite is the cal and the bates. Tony had one in a similar color combo, CR Bates, that I like very much. I wonder if he still has it? Also, @ jonbuilder has at least 3 CR delightful Cal's jackets, one in blue with sleeves
Yeah, I remember Tony's Blue Bates CR . Very similar. If I recall correctly, it sold to ksozay and then back to Tony. But I believe Tony's CR was reverse of this one: blue body with white arms (and stripes on the arms.) Both very cool. I wouldn't be surprised if this one was horsehide- commonly used by Cal back then.
 

Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
The jacket is very nice, no question. But the blue in white was a “trendy” color combo?. My personal favorite is the cal and the bates. Tony had one in a similar color combo, CR Bates, that I like very much. I wonder if he still has it? Also, @ jonbuilder has at least 3 CR delightful Cal's jackets, one in blue with sleeves
This is the 6-panel back design Cal CRs are known for. The color combo is the custom part of the jacket. Im surprised it’s still for sale.

I am really green on Cal, Vanson and Bates knowledge and specifics. They all make REAL ride gear so not all of their garments are super casual wear friendly---which is clearly not their aim. As a non rider I have only handled 2 Cals and one Bates.

So you guys --- @photo2u, @JMax, @jonbuilder, and several others are providing good necessary foundational info on these. Personal knowledge of these brands --- moreso Bates, Cal, Langlitz -- is the best way to learn about these jackets because they don't show up every day, and many of their jackets out there are custom made. You can't just gauge the sleeve length off of a sized tagged jacket you have owned because they're have a higher rate of variance because of their nature as custom riding gear. So you have to glean info sorta a la carte and you guys that have handled these jackets more regularly are the best sources around.

and.now I NEED a Cal CR..............
 
Messages
17,490
Location
Chicago
Yeah, I remember Tony's Blue Bates CR . Very similar. If I recall correctly, it sold to ksozay and then back to Tony. But I believe Tony's CR was reverse of this one: blue body with white arms (and stripes on the arms.) Both very cool. I wouldn't be surprised if this one was horsehide- commonly used by Cal back then.
The shuttle commander!
C4EEE13E-92E9-4046-9708-0D656891CD07.jpeg
A0B0AF85-0C8D-4150-84F2-B6134D1074C1.jpeg

I bought it, sold it, bought it again, sold it again, bought it AGAIN and sold it again. This CAL looks much cleaner. I don’t wear CR’s or any M/C styles at all anymore but somebody did very well. Beautiful jacket
 

Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
The shuttle commander!
View attachment 441414 View attachment 441415
I bought it, sold it, bought it again, sold it again, bought it AGAIN and sold it again. This CAL looks much cleaner. I don’t wear CR’s or any M/C styles at all anymore but somebody did very well. Beautiful jacket
While this jacket visually is accurately named as THE SHUTTLE COMMANDER...... I think its dramatic BUY-SELL history dictates that it be hereinafter referred to as: THE LIZ (Liz Taylor) or THE BILLY (Billy Martin)....... .
 

dubpynchon

One Too Many
Messages
1,045
Location
Ireland
The shuttle commander!
View attachment 441414 View attachment 441415
I bought it, sold it, bought it again, sold it again, bought it AGAIN and sold it again. This CAL looks much cleaner. I don’t wear CR’s or any M/C styles at all anymore but somebody did very well. Beautiful jacket
That just shows you should have kept it! Get it back unless it's out of reach. I speak from painful experience... That B3 is never coming back... sniff...
 

yellowfever

One of the Regulars
Messages
193
I really love this blue and white CR jacket, a pinnacle cafe racer and the colour combo is perfection… can’t believe you sold it (again!). I missed out on a similar one (but my size) from Canada a couple of years back and I’m still grieving… can’t imagine how I’d feel if I bought it and sold it twice!
 

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