Riding Jacket

[Talltec]

I been wondering for a while what i should look for in a riding jacket?

I'm 6'9" about 315lb i wear mostly 4xl tshirt since most of them if they shrink they still long enough if i'm bending over.

so i want something that fitting and long enough when i'm on a bike i done scare the person behind me. something safe is also very important.

so what brand suggest do you suggest?
so what options should i look for ?

and who do you recommend for brands with the larger men options


thanks
manny

[Wild-Bill]

Look for something specifically made for riding. I'd avoid anything with fringes just because those are generally designed with looks in mind more than protection. Living in TN, you're going to want a nice 3-season jacket. I really like my Fieldsheer mesh with the insulated liner. I take the liner out in the summer and it's nice and cool. With the liner I'm good down to about 50 degrees (45 for short rides) and I can ride in colder weather than that if I layer up.

Another nice thing about the mesh and fabric jackets is that they frequently come with reflective piping and panels. Lights you up like a christmas tree at night without making you look like a dork.

Leather is slightly better protection and, depending on the slide, may last through more than one drop. Mesh protects fine but you can expect it to be good for one wreck, no more. In either case, make sure that whatever you buy has integrated CE padding in the elbows, shoulders and along your spine.

I don't know about the super sizing (I'm a scrawny little runt) but check the fit while leaning forward and holding your arms out in front of you to make sure the back doesn't ride up and the sleeves are long enough.

[scottynoface]

Textile at minimum, preferably leather.

Anything from a decent name brand.

https://www.motorcyclegear.com

[MikeyZ]

I have a couple Speed and Strength jackets and love them.

They are cheaply priced- but good quality.

[Nero]

Try some on at a local dealership to learn about available brands and features. If you order online, go with a site that is hassle-free on returns, like Revzilla, Leatherup, Motorcycle Superstore or New Enough.com

[Wild-Bill]

Try some on at a local dealership...

Definitely! When I bought my last jacket I ended up getting it from the local shop. Figured I'd spent enough time there checking out the jackets that I ought to. I talked to the owner about the price and he ended up coming close enough to the online price that it was a wash. Had the jacket in my exact size and color choice two days later.

If you've got a smartphone, there's an app called Redline that scans a barcode and searches the internet for prices. Makes haggling over price a lot easier if you can show a shop owner ten prices that beat theirs. They may not be able/willing to match the lowest price but they did have to pay something to maintain stock on hand, have a showroom, etc.

[Nero]

Indeed. Good point, Bill. I think it's pretty crappy that people will go down to a local shop and fondle their gear for an hour before returning home to order the same thing online. Support your local shops when you can. They may not be able to match the prices of the big Internet retailers, but as long as the price is reasonable, you can support them so they'll be there for you in the future.

[Wild-Bill]

Don't get me wrong. When the store prices are twice what I can get it for online and they're not willing to budge then I leave. I'm all for a business making a profit but I'm not interested at all in getting screwed. When their markup is over 100% I'm out of there. At that point they deserve to go out of business.