Don't believe everything you are told. See for yourself and make your own determination. Turn the seat over and look at the material. Some parts, like I said, are what we used to call "naugahyde" (imitation leather). Butthe top of the saddlebags and the main sitting part of the seats is a good grade of leather. Stuff that you would be well advised to treat with leather dressing of some sort. I had a Heritage for 5 years and treated the leather about twice a year and the bags/lids still start currling a bit which is the leather drying and twisting. I too had to come to grips a number of years ago about some parts aren't true leather but that is the cost-cutting techniques of today. Plus the techniques they use so the "leather" items retain their shapes. But I would imagine that the techniques are the same for American as well as international models.