Ok members, I am a believer!!!! For all the years I've been riding, I've never own 1 leather jacket. I did try on one of my friend many years ago but so HOT!!! Sweat like crazy..I hate hot, I have hyper sensitive sweat glands...meaning if I look at someone eating Tobasco, I'll be sweating soak for them...seriously. So I've been rocking mesh + armor ever since, until of late, I have read in some thread that if you go leather, you won't go back mesh.

So I've been hunting around for a good leather jacket that's suits my sweat problem...I run across a ICON OVERLORD....selling at about 25% discount...so I pull the trigger...

Got jacket for 2 weeks now and I gotta say WOW! Everytime I put jacket on, the weight of the leather feel secure. Make my body feel so much more important. Everytime putting on jacket I feel like turning into Superman!!!! I feel so much more protected...not that my other 2 mesh jacket with armor is not, it's just the feeling of leather...and the
Bad boy...fast & furious...ready for battle feeling. First time riding with the leather jacket, girls literally was checking me out...I feel handsome, which is not easy to feel at my age LOL...


Amazingly, ventilation was near my other mesh...how cool is that!!!

Now I know why many members chooses leather over mesh...because design now a days, they make leather jacket nicely ventilated + option removalable vest inside for colder riding...

 

yeah, once you do leather, it's hard to go back to mesh/textile jacket. Leather fits body so much better and not bulky. Ever since I got my leather, I never touched mesh one, although I just got kevlar hoodies, so I do that when I am going for short ride around the block

 

Yeah, today's armored, ventilated, and tailored leather is so much better than the "old school biker jackets" from years ago... I can see why textile gear is popular, but textile is much less durable than leather when you drag it across the asphalt. I feel much safer in leather.

 

i wear my heavy leather (joe rocket) when its 110 out. the way it circulates air around me keeps me cooler than no jacket at all. just gotta keep moving!

 

I love my leather jacket but during the summer when it is 100+ I shed the leather for the textile.

 

I luv how it feels when putting on leather jacket...the weight is much heavier than mesh...but it's comfort weight.

I'm not yet ready for leather pants yet though?

 

It is the secure feeling in the weight of the leather, like a big hug.

 

Estate, you'll get used to the weight very quickly as you wear it daily. As my sig-line says, *Sweat wipes off, road rash doesn't*. The leather jacket goes a very long way to preventing road rash. ;-)

Yes, get those leather riding pants!..especially if you're riding twisties. You'll get that same feeling of security knowing your legs & hips are well protected w/ CE armor & knee pucks.

I use the Alpinestars leather track pants w/ pucks. They attach via zipper to the jacket to complete the suit. You don't have to zip them together but if riding twisties, its just an added measure of security. Don't know if your Icon jacket has the zipper for the pants (my Icon Daytona didn't) but you can have one installed at any leather alterations place that does motorcycle gear repair & alterations. I usually wear my track pants w/ my Alpinestars jacket zipped together.

 

I'm at 80k+ on my jacket and chaps. Rain, hail, sleet, snow AND asphalt.
Leather is forever, if taken care of. I keep wearing out zippers, jacket once,
chaps twice.
Every once in a while, I start thinking about an upgrade....nah, I might get another
25 years out of these. Although, like the little texan, I did get a perforated, textile jacket
for the 105+ days we get in OK, in the summer months.

Glad to hear you're digging the switch.

Ern

 

I love my leather jacket, It feels great knowing in the back of your mind if you go down you are very well protected. During the summer months in the heat I ditch the leather and just wear a KNOX cross shirt ( this: KNOX Cross Shirt from SportbikeTrackGear.com ) I even took all the pads out of my leather jacket and wear it under the leather during cooler rides.

I can understand on the pants, I still don't ride in leather pants. I have a one piece leather suit that I bought for track use, but I don't ride with it on the streets. I like the ICON armored blue jean pants for street riding.