Wanted to do a write up for anyone considering Cycle Gear in-house products who may have had some trepidations like I did about spending my money on BILT or Sedici. Let me preface this by saying also that I have no affiliation with Cycle Gear or whatever the hell company owns them, these are just my own personal thoughts on the matter:
First, I Came across this website which presented some interesting information regarding motorcycle leathers and wanted to share it with everyone.
http://www.streetdirectory.com/trav...rcycle_jacket_weight___what_does_it_mean.html
Now, how did I get on this topic: Well, I've been trying to find some information about leather and thickness differentiation and what not as I'm highly considering buying a BILT predator leather jacket from Cycle Gear as a casual around town jacket. Also it would provide a good 360 degree connection to my Sedici track pants. Disclaimer* I own a few different jackets, ranging from A*'s, Teknic, Sedici, and Joe Rocket . The design of this jacket started to grow on me but I couldn't find much clarity on their website about it.
After speaking with one of the reps from Cycle Gear (online), they informed me that most of their leather ranges from 1.1 to 1.2mm thick, which, according to the article above, places it in the "middleweight" category for leather jackets. Most A*'s, AGV's, and Icons for instance, are 1.2 - 1.4mm (of course, that is obvious when you compare a BILT jacket and then a Alpinestars for example, as I own a GP-plus and it's clearly of better quality (duh).
Given this info, however, it would seem that based on the thickness of the leather, A BILT still would offer you a decent amount of protection in the event of a fall. That degree of protection, based on the above website's breakdown, would probably be dependent on the speed at which you fall, but for the average motorcyclist that isn't doing triple digits down the interstate (assuming you buy a properly fitted jacket where the armor is where it's supposed to be and not sagging anywhere) BILTs would give you proper protection, if not exactly the best protection available.
Yes I know Cycle Gear brands sometimes get a reputation for quality control issues but the point I'm making here is that, for the novice rider that doesn't have a lot of cash on hand, BILT and Sedici are great options that don't break the bank. Best of all, their warranties are best in the industry when you think about it. If a zipper breaks, you return it and get a brand new jacket. Threads start coming undone at the seam? Replaced! Nobody else offers that kind of warranty coverage. I wish Alpinestars would do that for me on some of the gloves I've purchased in the past (NO, i'll still never buy BILT gloves but I do have gauntlets by Sedici that I love!). I Can't stand how the A*'s start coming undone by the threads. The only way I was ever able to get a replacement was when one of the velcro straps seperated from the rubber material on top. There was NO WAY Alpinestars could refuse replacing them under warranty this time.
So there ya have it, hopefully this helps anybody that may be considering Cycle Gear branded products but is still concerned about quality of protection. As I said, there are way better manufacturers out there, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can't do well spending less money to get comparable protection. And at the very least, the old adage still rings true "Any gear is better than no gear".
OH and BTW, I crashed with my Sedici leather track pants up on deals gap a year ago and let me tell you they did their job fantastically! The armor protected me from any injury on my legs and rear, plus the leather held up so well that I have no qualms about taking them out again to the mountains or a track day.
Of course all this is just my own personal opinion so take it for what it's worth. Let me know your thoughts
First, I Came across this website which presented some interesting information regarding motorcycle leathers and wanted to share it with everyone.
http://www.streetdirectory.com/trav...rcycle_jacket_weight___what_does_it_mean.html
Now, how did I get on this topic: Well, I've been trying to find some information about leather and thickness differentiation and what not as I'm highly considering buying a BILT predator leather jacket from Cycle Gear as a casual around town jacket. Also it would provide a good 360 degree connection to my Sedici track pants. Disclaimer* I own a few different jackets, ranging from A*'s, Teknic, Sedici, and Joe Rocket . The design of this jacket started to grow on me but I couldn't find much clarity on their website about it.
After speaking with one of the reps from Cycle Gear (online), they informed me that most of their leather ranges from 1.1 to 1.2mm thick, which, according to the article above, places it in the "middleweight" category for leather jackets. Most A*'s, AGV's, and Icons for instance, are 1.2 - 1.4mm (of course, that is obvious when you compare a BILT jacket and then a Alpinestars for example, as I own a GP-plus and it's clearly of better quality (duh).
Given this info, however, it would seem that based on the thickness of the leather, A BILT still would offer you a decent amount of protection in the event of a fall. That degree of protection, based on the above website's breakdown, would probably be dependent on the speed at which you fall, but for the average motorcyclist that isn't doing triple digits down the interstate (assuming you buy a properly fitted jacket where the armor is where it's supposed to be and not sagging anywhere) BILTs would give you proper protection, if not exactly the best protection available.
Yes I know Cycle Gear brands sometimes get a reputation for quality control issues but the point I'm making here is that, for the novice rider that doesn't have a lot of cash on hand, BILT and Sedici are great options that don't break the bank. Best of all, their warranties are best in the industry when you think about it. If a zipper breaks, you return it and get a brand new jacket. Threads start coming undone at the seam? Replaced! Nobody else offers that kind of warranty coverage. I wish Alpinestars would do that for me on some of the gloves I've purchased in the past (NO, i'll still never buy BILT gloves but I do have gauntlets by Sedici that I love!). I Can't stand how the A*'s start coming undone by the threads. The only way I was ever able to get a replacement was when one of the velcro straps seperated from the rubber material on top. There was NO WAY Alpinestars could refuse replacing them under warranty this time.
So there ya have it, hopefully this helps anybody that may be considering Cycle Gear branded products but is still concerned about quality of protection. As I said, there are way better manufacturers out there, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can't do well spending less money to get comparable protection. And at the very least, the old adage still rings true "Any gear is better than no gear".
OH and BTW, I crashed with my Sedici leather track pants up on deals gap a year ago and let me tell you they did their job fantastically! The armor protected me from any injury on my legs and rear, plus the leather held up so well that I have no qualms about taking them out again to the mountains or a track day.
Of course all this is just my own personal opinion so take it for what it's worth. Let me know your thoughts
