[9fingers]

Hi, after my recent run-in with the deer, and my contact with the pavement, I have decided it would have been much less painful if I had on a jacket with armor. I have been looking at Amazon and see cheap leather jackets from India, some with removable armor, and also better quality stuff from Joe Rocket, some with built in padding and some with removable armor. Links attached. I don't really need a jacket for Winter as it is unlikely I will ride below 40 degrees F, or thereabouts. I would rather wear something that looks more vintage but safety is the real reason for my question. Is the built-in "C.E approved" stuff all I need or do I want the removable hard stuff? I ride almost exclusively back roads and rarely go over 50mph. Highways in NJ are not worth riding on unless you go 75mph in heavy traffic. Any suggestions? Thanks as always,
9fingers

https://www.joerocketdirect.com/joe-rocket-reactor-3-0-hybrid-mesh-leather-jacket-234-507-rhm.html

https://www.joerocketdirect.com/joe-rocket-ballistic-revolution-waterproof-textile-jacket-236-529-brj.html

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mens-Vintage-Cafe-Racer-Motorcycle-Distressed-Leather-Armor-Biker-Jacket/232670611188?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D53209%26meid%3D3771c397da904a15ad1afc51126eb95a%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D113151594232%26itm%3D232670611188&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

[Bert Remington]

Protective clothing threads rank alongside oil threads for, shall we say, enthusiasm.  Given your recent deer event and low speeds, I think the Equipment forum at https://advrider.com/index.php?forums/equipment.6/ is worth a look before you make a purchase.  And check Cycle Gear, etc for sales and especially closeouts.  You can save significant money if they have your size.

[johno]

try wax cotton for a change.
I have a Pulford jacket from this company
https://www.speedwear.co.uk/collections/waxed-cotton-motorcycle-jackets
Armoured, removable liner and waterproof, suitable for Spring, Summer and Autmn.
Also looks good on an Enfield, especially with open face helmet, Mk9 goggles and a white scarf greta 50's/60's look
(dont forget the high leg boots with white socks rolled over the top!)

[Bert Remington]

Complete the look with a Flash Gordon sharkfin muffler.

[Desi Bike]

This is the one that i picked up. I think it's been discontinued but can still be found at some dealers and also Ebay.
It breathes fairly well. CE padding at shoulders,  back, elbow and forearm. It also has reflective piping for visibility at night. I haven't put in the zip in liner yet because it's not cool enough to need here.
There is an attachment point for a matching pair of pants of you desire.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/ROYAL-ENFIELD-TEXTILE-RIDING-JACKET-BLACK/182951323608?var=690268817604&hash=item2a98bfa7d8:m:mdKFo75-Xxsalw8jyYrcHbA

[gizzo]

The cheap Indian jacket looks nice and TBH it will probably work OK in a spill at suburban speeds. No way in hell would I trust one to do the job at 50mph though.  They say 1.3mm cowhide but that's just what they say.  I wouldn't trust them. The leather is probably sub pat and the stitching on Indian/pakistani leather is not the greatest.  Joe Rocket is a premium brand and excellently made. There are some nice looking retro leather jackets available but they're mostly made in Italy and pricey.  Mesh jackets with armour  are a great option. Easy to find one with a retro style that has shoulder, elbow and back armour.
Riding gear is a personal choice but I think that I'd you're going to wear it, you may as well get the real thing and not kid yourself with cheap fake eBay stuff. 50mph is plenty fast enough to really hurt yourself.   If cost is the problem, look on eBay, gumtree, Craigslist. There's so much cheap good riding gear out there it's not funny. I picked up a brand new Berik onesie for $200 (new cost about 800) because it didn't fit the guy properly.
IMO,  my 2c,  YMMV etc

[Bilgemaster]

I was lucky enough to find an old Belstaff waxed cotton Trialmaster jacket in tip-top condition with trousers to suit, both in my size, for a hundred bucks on craigslist. That's my cool weather riding getup...at least the jacket.

What with the ultra-torrid weather lately, I had been wearing an old J. Crew cotton jacket, which would sort of blow up like the Michelin man and keep me pretty cool. But I took Leonard's advice and got myself one of those Highway 21 Turbine Mesh jackets, and couldn't be happier with it. For just $65 on closeout, it's pretty hard to beat. It does have a liner for cooler weather and bits of armor here and there. If there are still any available, you could do worse. Links and other details are found in these  previous Forum postings.

[wildbill]

or you could buy a helite air bag jacket with armor and be very well protected

[mike_bike_kite]

My 2c: I've actually got quite a bit of experience crashing motorbikes and at all sorts of speeds (I'm a crap rider with little common sense). Up to a certain point, you get what you pay for with jackets. Sadly that point is usually quite a bit higher than $109. Modern hi-tech armour should only be used for one decent fall/impact. The replaceable armour should obviously be replaced after a fall. You can still ride with the old armour but the bits that absorbed the impact won't function as before. I never bothered to do this though and instead tried to avoid falling on the same bits twice

I commute to work and use a modern textile jacket if it's raining. I find it doesn't smell like a leather jacket can after a decent soak and it's also much drier. Problem is they look "modern". Textile jackets are also OK on the first fall but start to come apart after that (it obviously depends on speed and quality). Wax cotton is very vintage but I found they still tended to smell after a decent soak and they were also only good for one decent off - I had a good one from a reputable manufacturer but it ended up with holes after a only a moderate slide (<40mph). Decent leather jackets last for more than one good crash. I have one with removable armour and a removable thermal liner. It still smells if it rains though and it takes longer to dry.

Being a bit of a scientist, I also tried crashing without a jacket.  I don't recommend it as it takes ages for the skin to grow back even with modern medicine.  In all honesty though, most jackets tend to protect against abrasion rather than impacts so hitting dear is always going to be a bit painful no matter what you wear.

[sjbiat]

For anyone who likes Belstaff style classic jackets - check out Sun Stuff.  Made in Germany, less expensive, and very good.  I bought mine from Hickock.  The German source also sells an excellent liner.

[9fingers]

BTW, I did my research and did buy 2 protective, body armor jackets. I found some great end of season closeout deals and am very pleased.
I bought this one for $69 shipped and I think it lists for around $150. Very lightweight with hard protection at shoulders and elbows and a softer pad in the back. It totally ruins the vintage look I have but since my crash safety was much on my mind and I figured being more visible cars might be a good idea.
https://www.amazon.com/IXS-Andover-Jacket-Light-Medium/dp/B00STB06W4/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1539605414&sr=1-1&keywords=andover+jacket

This Joe Rocket jacket is perfect for riding between 40 and maybe 75 degrees if I take the zip out liner out, and it looks OK as long as I have the right pants, boots, and my chromed  LS2 helmet and aviator goggles. Bargain at $116 as it lists for $200. Very nice quality.
https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Rocket-Ballistic-Revolution-Textile/dp/B00GUFS0HY/ref=pd_sbs_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00GUFS0HY&pd_rd_r=ecea4cee-bdd2-11e8-9d90-8b493ea953ed&pd_rd_w=ykzvP&pd_rd_wg=pqQGu&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=53dead45-2b3d-4b73-bafb-fe26a7f14aac&pf_rd_r=5FJBEH78PJHHWMY8K47N&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=5FJBEH78PJHHWMY8K47N