What are the best leathers?

[duc995@aol.com]

I want the BEST...best armour, thickest leather.  I have had two Dianese suits with no real complaints, but want to maximize protection.

[Nate R]

While I didnt personally buy them myself, from what I've been seeing, the Vanson's are superior.

[spyderchick]

Vansons, Vansons, Vansons. I see them only for minor repairs, and lettering and logo services.

As I've said before, the back protector is crap, get an aftermarket one.

[sdiver68]

Vanson.

I tested mine at 40, 60 (x2), 80 and 120 and they would have still been good had it not been for the emergency room shears the last time.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Alexa at Spyder Leatherworks says Vanson, and that's all you need to know.  But I too ride in Vanson, and I will never switch.  I could show you the scars from my pre-Vanson days...  Yes, and get a non-Vanson back protector.

[duc995@aol.com]

Thanks all!

[dylanfan53]

While I wear Vanson (best deal I ever made on Ebay) I wondered about the new Teknic Speedstar Kangaroo skin suit that was on 2 wheel tuesday last week.
I know it is expensive (like we all have an extra $2G's lying around), but the CE armour looked better than Vanson (I can't believe I'm dissing Vanson after saving my butt!) and the thinner Kangaroo hide has better abrasion qualities, meaning the leather can be thinner and more comfy (I can't believe I just used the word "comfy" around a bunch of m'cycle racers, either).
That said, this Vanson suit and the one prior served me well.  I also like the two zipper front, (yeah, like I ever need quick access at my age...)   ::)

[boo181]

i've got the teknic violater suit, it has the same armor aas the speedstar suit. it's made of cow, so it's not quite as lite but the armor works very well. i crashed at mam this last weekend in turn 9. i'm told it was pritty bad looking. i'm fine thow. a couple of bruises but thats about it. my leathers saved my ASS! and my soumy helmet saved what little brains i have left ;D

[hooter31]

vanson is the best,you may find lighter suits but they won't protect you as well...there's nothing better than cowhide if there was all the top gp riders would be wearing it... ;)

[Jeff]

Vansons custom size suits I think, so this is good...

I *JUST* got my custom tailored XES leathers.  They'll be on display at BHF in 1.5 weeks.

XES? who the hell are they?  Well, a good friend and old sponsor of mine, Phil Caudill owner of Moto-Heaven is custom making leathers to his specs.  They seem extremely well made with stitching that is correctly done (doubled over, stitched inside 2-4x).  Time will tell...

But in any event, a custom suit is absolutely the way to go.  A shelf-bought high-end suit will not protect as good as a custom fit high-end suit since you will shift in it while sliding/tumbling...

[spyderchick]

i've got the teknic violater suit, it has the same armor aas the speedstar suit. it's made of cow, so it's not quite as lite but the armor works very well. i crashed at mam this last weekend in turn 9. i'm told it was pritty bad looking. i'm fine thow. a couple of bruises but thats about it. my leathers saved my ASS! and my soumy helmet saved what little brains i have left ;D

I'm glad you're OK!
I'm surprised you like the violator suit. I've seen more of those come through than any other brand or style of suit. The seams are CRAP. I rarely dis a suit, but when I see someone with the Teknics Violator, I really should be handing them my card and saying, "you have my condolences". Unfortunately, that's not really necessary, cuz I know most of the guys around here who own 'em, because they see me whenever they crash.

My advice is to check this suit over THOUROUGHLY every time you crash, even if you don't think it was a big deal. I've seen those seams come apart just looking at pavement. Seriously, a minor graze can wear off those top seams in no time, and then you have a potential problem. Get 'em fixed ASAP.

[MZGirl]

XES? who the hell are they?  Well, a good friend and old sponsor of mine, Phil Caudill owner of Moto-Heaven is custom making leathers to his specs.  They seem extremely well made with stitching that is correctly done (doubled over, stitched inside 2-4x).  

Just turned in the design template to Phil for our team's new custom XES leathers.  Can't wait to see how they will turn out!   :)