AeroFan_07
I'll Lock Up
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Thought I would start a new Bates-thread for those who have, or want to own a Bates jacket.
My Background - The Bates padded Cafe Racer I recently picked up is the first Bates I have handled. It is also one of the first "50's" vintage jackets I have tired that actually fits me, so it seems to be a rare find here. This brand has quite a storied history, and it's neat that it is still out there working and building new jackets in California. I also found a near identical copy of my jacket in Rin Tanaka's book on Vintage Motorcycle Jackets. As I get time to find this again I will input more detail here.
It seems to be that this forum is, in many respects, a slight more accessible version of that book - lots of good information and photos, and very easy to access. I hope we can do the same here for the company of Bates, and I started this thread as I did not find a specific thread on this company. If I simply missed, the Moderators can feel free to merge this into the existing one.
So without further ado, here is the Bates CR I picked up and what I know about it so far:
Jacket Background - As can be seen in the three images posed above, this jacket is quite old. It has also lived quite the storied life, and I am personally under the impression that it has never had a lining to speak of. The two pocket bags are still in solid shape, and there is a slight lining material (not yet photographed) under each of the shoulder pads, which is clearly visible inside the jacket. The elastic straps across the jacket, which meet in the center seam of the back, appear to hold the jacket just a little more snugly on the wearer's back. This is, after-all a "racing shirt". So very little of the detailing is intended to be flashy. It's simply a very basic and functional jacket.
Leather & Fit - A word about the leather itself. I cannot tell if it's Horse or Steer. What it is, even after 60+ years, is very grainy, supple (after several applications of conditioner) and for the most part, a very usable, wearable jacket today. It is fairly thick - this jacket weighs around 6.0 lbs, which is partially due to being a larger size, but also it was made with thicker than standard leather. While still wearable, this is not for the bike anymore - it's a bit fragile in the upper back, shoulders and upper arm area. One has to handle it carefully for sure. It still retains a great, vintage leather smell. It is not musty, moldy or smoky of smell at all. It is actually very comfortable just to wear around. I hope to take it out in the community some in the coming weeks and simply see if anyone notices it.
Zippers & Hardware -
The Main zipper is a rather unusual Conmar and you can see here that the teeth are quite large and shaped differently than most other zippers I have witnessed. I do not know if the brass slider was added later - it's possible, as the rest of this zipper is nickel. There is a break in one side of the zipper toward the very top of the jacket, but that' not a problem as I only zip it 3/4of the way at the most. The main zipper is one of the smoothest-action zippers I have ever tried.
The pocket and sleeve zippers are all original and appear to also be Conmar. They all still work correctly and retain their original leather pulls (!) The tape on one pocket and one sleeve zipper are splitting, but the zips are in good working order.
Padding - Not sure if many other jacket companies used pads in this time period, I know Langlitz did, but these pads are still in great shape and still have some give to them.
Future plans - Repair nothing, keep it conditioned, wear it carefully as able, and perhaps look at a new Bates in the near future.
My Background - The Bates padded Cafe Racer I recently picked up is the first Bates I have handled. It is also one of the first "50's" vintage jackets I have tired that actually fits me, so it seems to be a rare find here. This brand has quite a storied history, and it's neat that it is still out there working and building new jackets in California. I also found a near identical copy of my jacket in Rin Tanaka's book on Vintage Motorcycle Jackets. As I get time to find this again I will input more detail here.
It seems to be that this forum is, in many respects, a slight more accessible version of that book - lots of good information and photos, and very easy to access. I hope we can do the same here for the company of Bates, and I started this thread as I did not find a specific thread on this company. If I simply missed, the Moderators can feel free to merge this into the existing one.
So without further ado, here is the Bates CR I picked up and what I know about it so far:
Jacket Background - As can be seen in the three images posed above, this jacket is quite old. It has also lived quite the storied life, and I am personally under the impression that it has never had a lining to speak of. The two pocket bags are still in solid shape, and there is a slight lining material (not yet photographed) under each of the shoulder pads, which is clearly visible inside the jacket. The elastic straps across the jacket, which meet in the center seam of the back, appear to hold the jacket just a little more snugly on the wearer's back. This is, after-all a "racing shirt". So very little of the detailing is intended to be flashy. It's simply a very basic and functional jacket.
Leather & Fit - A word about the leather itself. I cannot tell if it's Horse or Steer. What it is, even after 60+ years, is very grainy, supple (after several applications of conditioner) and for the most part, a very usable, wearable jacket today. It is fairly thick - this jacket weighs around 6.0 lbs, which is partially due to being a larger size, but also it was made with thicker than standard leather. While still wearable, this is not for the bike anymore - it's a bit fragile in the upper back, shoulders and upper arm area. One has to handle it carefully for sure. It still retains a great, vintage leather smell. It is not musty, moldy or smoky of smell at all. It is actually very comfortable just to wear around. I hope to take it out in the community some in the coming weeks and simply see if anyone notices it.
Zippers & Hardware -
The Main zipper is a rather unusual Conmar and you can see here that the teeth are quite large and shaped differently than most other zippers I have witnessed. I do not know if the brass slider was added later - it's possible, as the rest of this zipper is nickel. There is a break in one side of the zipper toward the very top of the jacket, but that' not a problem as I only zip it 3/4of the way at the most. The main zipper is one of the smoothest-action zippers I have ever tried.
The pocket and sleeve zippers are all original and appear to also be Conmar. They all still work correctly and retain their original leather pulls (!) The tape on one pocket and one sleeve zipper are splitting, but the zips are in good working order.
Padding - Not sure if many other jacket companies used pads in this time period, I know Langlitz did, but these pads are still in great shape and still have some give to them.
Future plans - Repair nothing, keep it conditioned, wear it carefully as able, and perhaps look at a new Bates in the near future.
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