Hey guys. Live in Hot South Florida and I want to buy a vest. Any suggestions on what brand to look into? Anything good from HD? Not sure what most MC’s use for their cuts. Is their any advantage to a perforated leather or textile? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

When it comes to motorcycle jackets, a lot of ink is spilled over protectiveness, safety ratings, and what they mean. I'm not qualified to discuss that, and I won't be digging into the safety ratings today. But, jackets are fundamentally garments that you wear right? So I want to discuss a few traits that I think are terrible on motorcycle jackets, if you see a jacket that has one or multiple of the following traits, I think it is a good idea to stay far, far away.

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Motorcycle Jackets with Velcro cuffs

There are plenty of jackets that seem to sell well with Velcro cuffs, like the Rev'it Eclipse. In my experience, everyone who owns a jacket like this complains about two things - The Velcro comes apart at high speeds (the wind is blasting it straight up), and that it constantly gets caught on your gloves if you wear mesh or textile gloves.

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Semi perforated jackets with nonadjustable ventilation

My Dainese Mike 2 belongs in the hall of shame with this one - The arms are heavily perforated, while there's not a single vent or perforation on the torso. This means that you can't wear it on hot days because there's no ventilation on your torso and you can't wear it on cold days as your arms are getting a ton of air. Plenty of jackets are like this, and it effectively makes them a "no season" jacket. Either make the jacket fully ventilated (and thus a summer jacket), or fully not ventilated (thus a cold weather jacket), or hide the ventilation behind zippers!

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Vest Thermal Linings

Some motorcycle gear companies seem to believe that your arms don't get cold. So they make jackets with thermal linings that a vest, no arm coverage. Yeah, no, those thermal linings are terrible. On a cold day, you'd put on a sweater under your jacket, and now your chest is too warm and bulky! Either full sleeved thermal linings or no thermal lining!

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Waterproof liners that go under your jacket.

Let's say you are riding, and you suddenly hit some rain. If your jacket has a waterproof liner that goes under your jacket, you need to pull over, reach into your saddle bag or something to grab the liner, take your jacket off, zip the liner in, and put your jacket back on. By which time there's a good chance you're soaked already. Oh, and the waterproof liner on the inside means that your jacket will continue to soak up water making it even heavier and bulkier, and unless the pockets are waterproof the stuff in your pocket will get soaked.

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Hoods that cannot be removed.

I personally don't know why people love riding hoodies, but if you're going to buy one, make sure the hood can be zipped off. Plenty of motorcycle hoodies have irremovable hoods, which means that when you tuck, the only thing that hood is going to do is act like a sail to pull you off the bike. At best that hood just flaps loudly and acts annoying. Oh, and if you get a riding hoodie, make sure that it doesn't have draw string for the hood - All that does is flap in the wind and hit you in the face.

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Black mesh jackets

If the point of a mesh jacket is to get airflow in to cool you off on a hot day, a black mesh jacket is perhaps the worst type of mesh jacket you can buy. Sure, the air feels nice while you're moving, but the moment you stop or hit stop and go traffic, the heavy nylon sliding areas on the outside of your arms and your shoulders are just going to soak in heat. Get one in a color that isn't black, and you'll feel a lot cooler.

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Waterproof jackets with non-waterproof zippers

I get why manufactures do this - Waterproof zippers are very expensive. But seriously, what is the point of waterproofing your jacket if you and the stuff in your pockets are getting soaked anyways because all the water leaked in through the zipper?

Iv never really been a best guy but when I saw this it may have changed my view.

The leather collar is supple and comfy around the neck, plenty of pockets for my nick naks, and the weather wool is something else.

I LOVE my full patriot jacket but when it’s too much, this will be just right.

Thank you the Nicks team.

I no longer ride, so I don’t need this jacket anymore. These jackets are SUPER high quality and this one has a lot of life left in it. I once got run off the road by a terrible SUV driver and went into a 25 ft slide and stood up unscathed - me AND the jacket. The minor discoloration inside is just from all my time riding in torrential rain. It’ll probably wash out.

Removable CE Rated Knox® Armor in shoulders, elbows & back 1000 denier Cordura® abrasion and water resistant shell Reflective 3M Scotchlite™ trim for 360° degree nighttime visibility Superior venting for warm days Two-inch longer tail & arms designed for upright riding YKK® high-grade zippers throughout Fleece lined collar and cuffs

I understand bull riding is dangerous and no vest is going to make it “safe.” There’s always going to be risk, and I accept that. But I’m looking for the vest that offers the most protection possible—something that prioritizes safety over mobility or comfort.

I don’t care if it’s heavy, stiff, or overbuilt. I just want to know what gear gives you the best shot at walking away from a wreck. Thanks!

I know they’re meant to be for off-roading but they’re my now go to for street riding especially if it a hot day

I

Been wearing this vest for a few years, it’s been through some great shows and events with me, a real champion.