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Who wears leathers in the summer?

BikeSAG

Active Member
I just cannot do it. Summer time heat here in Oklahoma is just too hot for leather jacket or leather chaps. I do have a pair of leather legs I wear but I cannot survive in a leather jacket.

How many of you that ride down south wear leather jackets? I seen some talk about vented jackets but cannot find anything that would be cool (temperature cool) enough to wear.
 
I have heard that some of the vented leathers are actually quite comfotable to wear in the summertime. Actually I just read earlier tonight that as temperatures approach 100 degrees you are actually better off wearing leathers with cooling vest next to the skin to prevent heat stroke because as the temperature climbs to near or above triple digits your sweat will actually evaporate so fast that it doesn't have time to cool the body...here's the link to the article: Tips For Staying Cool On Blistering Hot Motorcycle Rides | U.S. Rider News
 
I wear my leathers pretty much year round, but a day above 90 here is a RARE thing.

I actually wish it was hot enough here that I could choose not to wear them more often...


Bill
 
I usually plan on wearing leathers unless I know at some point it will be hot all the way to my destination, then I will wear lighter leather/textile motorcycle gear, my Hein Gehricke jacket has a removable liner with flow thru perforated leather vents, which I simply open up. My "Harley" daily driver "Eagle" heavy jacket stays home...:s
 
I'm 64 years old so I ride in leather every day, the only thing though is that at this point it hasn't been tanned yet. I know I should use my leathers every day but I don't and I will pay the price if I have an accident. I don't always do what I know I should. Always practice your cycling handling skills.
 
To Doug 09Ultra.

Thanks for the link. I learned somehting here. I looked at the product and read the reviews. Not sure if the cooling vest goes over the shirt or under. For sure it goes under the leather jacket. Now where to find a vented leather jacket?
 
I live in North Texas and right now the temps are in the upper 90's to the 100's. I wear a mesh jacket that I bought from Harley a few years back. I stay cool enough with it as long as I'm moving. You can see it in my avatar picture. The picture was taken in late May and the temps were well into the 90's.

I also have a hydration vest but seldom wear it. I just doesn't seem to work well with me. If I have a cotton shirt on with it it feels like I'm wearing a wet wash rag. So I have also tried it with a micro-fiber shirt and it seems like I'm cooler without the vest. Make sure to drink more than what you think is plenty of water.

I too have the 1/2 chaps leather legs and wear them year around. I also wear a 3/4 helmet. I believe the helmet helps me to stay cool.

If you can't find a mesh jacket at lest wear a long sleeve with T-shirt. This will help you stay cool.
 
I always wear leather vest in summer, and will put on the chaps if going very far. May not be the best but sure beats the guy I've seen ridin around town in shorts, tank top, and flipflops.
 
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