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Shopping for Leather Online: The Cons
The biggest advantage a brick and mortar shop has over an Internet retailer is that you get to try it on! By far, the biggest problem with shopping for leather online is getting the size right. Most leather motorcycle apparel today is manufactured in India, Pakistan, or China, and sizing standards will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
So take the time to read the size chart, and measure! Just because you normally wear a large is not going to cut it. Some very reputable leather apparel manufacturers recommend that you size up one, two, even three sizes larger.
Motorcycle Jackets: Style Matters
Black leather motorcycle jackets have become the norm, but that is by no means the only choice available, and arguably not the wisest choice from a safety perspective. Bright, eye catching color combinations of leather and synthetics are widely available, and many styles come with reflective piping to improve visibility on the road.
Motorcycle Safety Gear: Saving Your Hide
Putting aside the cult of personality surrounding the leather motorcycle jacket, fact is that leather has been the material of choice for motorcyclist since the early 30’s for one very good reason: it serves as a second layer of skin, disposable and happily sacrificed in a high speed slide on an asphalt pavement.
While the properties of leather allow for a clean slide without bunching up or disintegrating, it should be noted that all leathers are not the same. Thus coined the phrase “riding grade” leather.
A History of the Leather Tanning Process
Over the years, a number of tanning methods have evolved. It was a stinky, environmentally unfriendly process that at times utilized dog feces, urine and brains. In Medieval times, tanneries were segregated and banished to the outskirts of town, the actual jobs being reserved for the lowliest of class.
Shopping for Leather Online
Shopping for leather motorcycle apparel online can be a daunting experience. There are literally hundreds of web sites that offer all types of leathers and styles. Who do you trust? Will your credit card and personal information be safe? How do you know if you’ll get what you want?
As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages of shopping for leather online. Informed consumers know what they want and how to find it. They know what to look for in a reputable site, and are able to avoid the pitfalls of the unscroupulous merchant.
Motorcycle Head Gear
Motorcycle Safety Rule # 1: Save the Head Let’s face it. If you are in a high speed motorcycle accident and your unprotected head hits the road with any kind of force (which it probably will), you are road kill! Bikers are an independent bunch that like their freedom and are willing to fight for [...]
The Traditional Motorcycle Jacket
The traditional motorcycle jacket is built to protect the rider from the road and the wind, and to provide secure storage in the form of zippered pockets tucked inside and out. Snaps, zippers, belts, and various side adjustments are designed to provide for a snug fit, and to keep things from flapping around in the wind at high speeds.
The Cruising Motorcycle Jacket
The cruising jacket implies a more casual style of motorcycle fashion, something one would wear for a slow ride to nowhere on a big, fat Hog. Cruising down a country road on a lazy day still requires attention to the road, and a good leather cruising jacket promises to provide all the comfort and protection typical of any motorcycle safety gear.
Understanding Your Choices of Leather
As a consumer of leather motorcycle apparel, the choices of leather are vast. One must judge the quality of a leather garment not only by touch, feel, or good looks, but by its origin, the animal that donated the skin, and the way in which it was prepared to keep it from rotting.
The Web 2.0 Motorcycle Leather Shop
Social Media opens up a brand new marketing frontier for small businesses of all types. Given the propensity of motorcyclists to join clubs, gather at rallies, and organize charity runs, building a community of like minded bikers that offers entertainment, communication, and collaboration gives the leather merchant an opportunity to build lasting relationships with potential customers world wide.