Top Leather Suits

I have not seen this topic in a while. As such, I thought I would bring it up again. My old kushitani is about to all off my body. What other brands have been good for you guys. Held, Kushitani, . . . . What have you guys found. I just learned that BBill is not making full suits any longer.

 

I’ve had suits from all the major manufacturers over the years. Some of my favorites were Hein Gericke, IXS, Teknic, and Alpinestars. However, I’ve had all of them altered a bit by Alexa from Spyder Leatherworks and a few others.

FWIW, one of the British bike mags did a rather extensive test of many suits a couple years ago. They tested abrasion resistance, seam strength, zippers, etc. What they found was that some of the most expensive suits faired the worst. Some of the smaller brands and less expensive suits faired the best or close to it.

One thing I’ve learned over the years, and I’m sure the beeb can back me up, is that seam strength & construction is paramount. The best materials don’t mean jack shit if they’re held together with crappy thread and a single row of stitching.

 

i think Alexa and Bill stated that if you want to see if a suit is constructed well...turn it inside out.

 

Make sure it's a mail order,
Euro sizes for sure,
Made and shipped form Pakistan is preferred.

 

Snake skin preferrably I take it . . . Seriously, are there any good newcomers, or have others slacked off?

 

One-X

 

Isn't that that Cook suing WERA and everyone guy's brand or something?

 

He might use them but I know for a fact he has no affiliation with the company...

 

the airbag suits seem to be the way to go.

 

I always picture Chris Farley and the child's inflation vest when those things are mentioned.

 

This is the Beeb...you get one marginally useful answer for every 100 wise *ss remarks
Might help to state if you have a budget.
My 2c: I'll never forget Alexa's endorsement (based on handling many examples) of the RS Taichi stuff. I've owned a custom example myself. If I were coming off coin
and want the best hide and construction and performance in a crash (see YouStooj vid of Danny Eslicks light speed get off at Daytona a while back) I'd spring for TAichi in
the Japanese cow skin. Why? They don't drum dye their Japanese cow hide, dye does not saturate the hide and weaken it. So you get superior tear and abrasion performance.
Plus the hide is like Buttah. And no, I'm not on Moto Liberty's payroll - sadly. And if you want the latest/greatest, they of course (like every other MFG) offer it in a version
that is air bag compatible.

I would have recommended my current suit but it's discontinued. Axo Bullet Kangaroo. Great hide, has protected me in low side crashes with no failures so far.

 

Oh, I have been a lurker here for a long time. I appreciate the humor. My budget is around $1200-$1500. I was thinking about Vanson, Spidi and even Rs Taichi. I was just looking for some input and good humor as well, as I like to corner low and I need a suit that can handle that.

 

I've had Alpinestars, Taichi and Spidi.

Alpinestars Race Replica was the best and is still a great suit. Taichi suit was built like a tank and very high end. I just cuoldn't get comfortable in it because of the cut. Had I had one made to size, it would be 1/1 with Alpinestars. Spidi suit was fine and I'll keep it to wear in the rain or the cold but it's not my favorite.

 

RS Taichi

 

Vanson? Used to be considered one of the best in my limited opinion. Has that changed?

 

they are heavy

 

And last.

 

Vansons have more crashes in them than an asian woman's Mercedes e class before they are used up.

 

I crashed the hell out of my Z Leathers suit before it needed a repair.

Like a lot of the 'older' name suits,(fans on, BB, etc) its heavier than a lot of the new racer replica suits.

So by top do you mean suits you can wear and crash for years, or liteweight that might last a season, or less?

 

LMFAO!!!!! I want something that is going to be tough and last long. Those crash marks give you cred . . . don't you know : )