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[JoeVibe]

After seeing the video of the guy in California that was drug under a pick up in an accident it got me wondering. I typically wear a HD mesh jacket when the weather is warmer. I'm sure it's better than nothing but am I kidding myself in thinking it's enough to protect me if I happened to go down?

[TinSpinner]

I wear mesh jackets too in warm weather. Mine have some built in body armor that would offer up better protection than nothing but I know the mesh fabric is nowhere near as abrasion resistant as cordura. I've grown fond of my FXRG textile jacket with the built in body armor, it actually can be comfortable in warm weather with the zipper vents open as long as I'm moving, sucks to be stuck in traffic though.

[SneakyPete]

As someone who has been there, done that.  No substitute for leathers, including textiles/cordura with body armor.  Issue that I have with body armor in those garments is that it can move.  If you are talking about the tight leather and armor clothing racers wear, that's another story.

[J-Carr]

Nothing but heavy Codura with body armer or good old dead cow skin is going to protect you if your drug down a highway with a truck taking a coffee break on your chest.  And to be honest, 99% of the time, road rash is going to be the least of your injuries to worry about in that situation.  That was a one in a million situation.

A mesh coat with body armor or at least reinforced shoulders and elbows is going to do a heck of a lot more than a T-shirt and ball cap.  It will protect you in the time it takes you to slide off a road if you low side on a tight turn or your foot goes out from under you in a toll booth.  So yes, IMHO its worth wearing.  And I too love my FXRG Codura jacket but I'm cold blooded and I can only wear mine up until about 80.  Anything over that and you take a real chance of dehydrating and getting dizzy or worse without realizing it.  That can be more dangerous than road rash.

Same with Leather.  Yeah, I wore it for years. And yes it is the best at protecting you.  But between the weight and the heat the fatigue factor can be a real danger.  Sure racers wear it.  And if your in that kind of physical shape and hydrate with gallons of electrolyte balanced liquid before during and after your ride, and don't mind roasting the boys off or going 160 MPH to get enough air flow, then I'd agree to go with leathers.

[slowoldguyxr]

I live in Texas. I'm ATGATT. I ride year round. I was given a Harley mesh and leather jacket I wouldn't trust in a parking lot tip over. Two years ago I slid down the road 100 feet after hitting a deer. Texas chip and seal. Old BMW Savanna 2 jacket and Airflow2 pants. Source what material that is made of. Couldn't have been better.  Well. 4 broken bones but.....No rash.

I am gonna go with full Perfed leather and my hydro vest soaked every hour this summer and see how it goes. If not tolerable, I'll be the Harley guy with the BMW Airflow suit.
All my old Harley gear is waay too big. Thank the Lord.

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[jfab6969]

Ive had falls in both leather & mesh. I haven't looked at the HD mesh jacket to be able to speak to the quality but typically a quality mesh jacket will protect you from road rash in minor - moderate spills. But they will only do it once, after its hit the ground replace it. The vast majority of the jackets with armor are sized to big for it to be totally effective. The armor needs to be snug against you and be able to move around for it to work its best. its always better than nothing but I haven't seen anyone in years that had jackets fit correctly for the armor to work well. It very hard to get a good fit with off the shelf gear. That being said any mesh jacket will protect you better than the long sleeve shirts I currently ride in. but opinions will always vary.

[CVODON]

Some of the newer Mesh stuff is pretty good, but as listed above only heavy cordura or leather, with CE armor will actually protect you.
I am currently wearing a mesh Vanson with CE armor in the back, shoulders and elbows. It has cinchable sleeves to help with retaining the location of the armor and is made of a heavy cordura looking mesh, nothing like the more popular, and cheaper, Jap brands. I refuse to ride without some sort of jacket with armor but living in south central Florida it is just to hot for leather in the summer even if vented. We both have the Vanson for summer and I wear a HD brand Cordura in winter and she wears a Leather one, both have full armor and vip out full sleeve liners, but winter only. Also for gloves the HELD summer line is pretty good with perforations and coolmax lining.

[screaminCVO]

Not sure about the truth in this but have been looking at the new FXRG Switchback leather jacket. I was told - it is recommended that you always wear leather over a textile jacket as textile will melt eventually when sliding on pavement.

[SDCVO]

Did a buch of research and ordered a Klim Induction jacket today. Very cutting edge mesh technology with huge tinsel strength that has full armor on the shoulders, elbows and back.
http://www.klim.com/Induction-Jacket-5060-000.html

[J-Carr]

Not sure about the truth in this but have been looking at the new FXRG Switchback leather jacket. I was told - it is recommended that you always wear leather over a textile jacket as textile will melt eventually when sliding on pavement.

True.  But I'll go back to my original statement - If you get drug (or slide) that far, you have a hell of a lot more to worry about then the little bit of road rash you'll get by the time you've slid far enough to melt through the textiles.

Please remind me to not ride with anyone on the street who thinks their going to go stupid fast enough to need racing leather quality protection in the even of an accident.  I'd rather wear something comfortable and non fatiguing and protect myself by not driving like Hoist!... just sayinzall.   

Oh, and whoever said you'll need to replace it after an accident - absolutely.  If you slide it on pavement, even for 10 feet its going to get cut up.  Of course, so will leather... which is why you never see those guys wear their leather race suits again after a crash.

[chaos901]

I always wear a leather jacket, when it gets hot I wear a perforated leather jacket.  Rode with a Trauma Nurse a couple of times and she mentioned the problems getting the melted synthetic out of road rash, did not sound pleasant at all.   

[slowoldguyxr]

lol. Well, I have been down 3 times in my BMW Savanna2 (twice on pavement) and once in my RallyePro 3. Barely a mark. Tough stuff.


Just got a HD Perfed leather jacket off eBay. Helluva lot better than my other one, and it will hold up for one crash. I don't trust mesh but I do trust the heavyweight textiles.


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[03Lightningrocks]

Is a leather jacket really going to mattter much? The darned things are fine for winter riding but in the heat of summer they are miserable.

[slowoldguyxr]

Ain't nothing comfortable at 100 degrees. But till about 88-90 I can stand Perfed leather. I ride year round in Texas. We're just off the road by noon in the summer.


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[03Lightningrocks]

With all the rain lately I was beginning to think I live in Seattle.

Seriously though. I ride my bike for anything and everything at all times of day or night. I find myself looking for excuses to go run an errand. There are times when I hated to stop for fear of haaaving to put my foot on the 120 plus degree pavement. As you are aware, there are times when we can literally friy an egg on the pavement in Texas. I may look into the perforated leather jackets you speak of but even with that, stopping means no air flow. I am a fat arse...LOL. Fat arse and heat don't mix well.