Purchasing Guide for Leather Motorcycle Jackets and Chaps

The Soft Leathers

Motorcycle leathers are divided into two categories: riding grade, or not! You will often find one style of jacket offered in a variety of leathers and thicknesses, and one rule of thumb is that the thicker the leather, the more protection it affords. That said, people make their purchasing decisions from a variety of factors, each unik to that individual.

Soft leather jackets and chaps include hides that come from a variety of animals. The leather is light weight and soft to the touch, and is used for the finest of leather fashion garments. Lambskin, goat, sheep, and pigskin are all quality leathers used to create a variety of garments, biker leather apparel included.
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The thing about soft leather for motorcyclist is that it is not considered riding grade, in that it is not thick or durable enough to survive a slide across a road without disintegrating to some extent. For some, however, any leather is better than no protection at all.

Why, you ask, would anyone purchase a motorcycle jacket that is not considered to be riding grade? The answer to that is as varied as there are buyers. Perhaps you live in a climate that would render the use of a thick riding grade jacket stifling and uncomfortable. Bikers in the southern U.S. often prefer a lightweight jacket worn without the zip out liner for a cooler, more enjoyable biking experience.

Soft leather jackets have a quality similar to naked leather (more on that later) in that they need no breaking in period and are soft to the touch from the beginning.

Another factor not to be discounted is fashion. Soft leather biker jackets come in a variety of styles and colors and are generally much less expensive than their riding grade counterparts. For a person that doesn't ride, or doesn't ride that often but likes the look, a lightweight soft leather motorcycle jacket may be just the thing!

Riding Grade Leather


Used to be horsehide was used in most leather motorcycle garments back when the Perfecto was introduced in 1928. Since then, the tanning industry has migrated to areas such as India, Pakistan, and China to a lesser extent. Most of the riding grade motorcycle jackets and chaps found in today's marketplace are made from Buffalo or Cowhide.

Whoa you say! Why would they make jackets out of an endangered species? Well, they don't. The animal that so generously donates its skin for the cause is the exotic and plentiful Water Buffalo so predominant in that region of the world.

Buffalo hide has the thickness and strength to endure a fall, and is coveted by many because of it's perceived uniqueness and exotic animal qualities. The fact is, while some buffalo hide jackets can indeed be of excellent quality, buffalo leather falls short of cowhide in thickness, strength, and durability and is considered to be an inferior type of leather. Nevertheless, a popular choice among bikers for its affordability, and light weight characteristics.

Although both Buffalo and Cow skins are more than suitable for a riding grade jacket or chap, what really determines the quality of any leather garment is not the animal, but the way it was treated, aka, the tanning process.

More about that later...

Motorcycle Jackets and Chaps
Biker Leather Ltd.