Novice's diary: My first jacket

Today we continue the series, Novice’s Diary, with an article related to jackets, in order to give you some guidelines for choosing a first jacket that is as practical and versatile as possible, and of course each person will choose what suits them best.

For me, the most important thing in a jacket is how light it is, since the journeys on a motorcycle are what they are and for urban use of our motorcycles, we have to keep in mind that we will be carrying it with us wherever we go. In this sense, how bulky it is also matters a lot.

The second point to consider is the time of year in which we will mainly use it. We can distinguish between people who ride all year round and people who only ride in good weather. The latter have it easier: a summer jacket is quite easy to choose, Cordura with large vents and a thin, waterproof liner, which is ideal for those cold mornings. Now, choosing one for the first type of rider, the one who never wants to get off their bike, is much more complicated.

Let us set the scene a little so you understand where I am going with this article. We have just bought our first motorcycle and have taken the preliminary step of buying a helmet. Now we are thinking about buying a jacket, and because of the large outlay we have made on the previous steps, we cannot afford three jackets: winter, spring/autumn and summer, which would be ideal but not everyone can afford. So what do we do? We buy one that more or less serves to cover the widest range possible.

It is very worthwhile choosing a jacket with a liner, since it can always be removed and gives us wider use throughout the year. In winter, in addition to the liner, we will probably wear some garment underneath, so you should not choose a jacket that looks like something for going to the snow; rather, one that allows the inner garment to be as thin as possible, which we will appreciate when moving and for reducing the weight of the clothing we wear. For summer we require that the liner be removable and that it also have several zips with perforations for better ventilation. I assure you that in this respect it is preferable to be hot in summer than cold in winter, at least from my point of view.

Speaking of the two materials par excellence, leather and Cordura (textile), for a first jacket I would choose Cordura without a doubt. Leather tends to deteriorate when it rains; moreover, it is a material that stretches and deforms with use, so a Cordura jacket will be much more useful for frequent use.

Pay attention to the labels: Gore-Tex or Thinsulate refer to waterproofing and thermal insulation. In this sense, asking the shop assistants is very helpful.

Another key point is size. Avoid phrases like “I’m going to lose weight,” “the clothes I wear are very bulky,” “this with a sweater underneath,” or “it will stretch”. We have to think about who we are at this moment and what the jacket is like. It will not stretch indefinitely, nor will we always wear that sweater underneath. We need to find the size that lets us feel the garment fitted to the body and gives us the necessary mobility: stretching and crossing our arms, bending over without bags forming at the chest, and so on. Large sizes will create those bags, the protectors will not fit well where they need to go, and they will feel “heavy” on the bike. We will tire more doing the same things, losing agility. On the other hand, small sizes will limit movement and in winter I do not recommend short sleeves: the glove will not fit, and any little draught that gets in will be very annoying.

Thinking that an uncomfortable jacket will make you not want to wear it, and spending money on something that just sits at home, feels very bad. Take advantage of sales times and don’t get tired of searching and looking; never settle. Small details are the ones that bother us most in the long run.

I want to stress that if you see that it is too big or too small for you, do not buy it; you will generally regret it.

As for prices, for this garment I recommend a moderate spend. We have jackets ranging from 50 euros up to more than 600 euros; my current range would be halfway between about 200 and 300 euros. It is surely the garment that wears out first, becomes outdated first, and that we change first, so buy it with care. If you can, invest a little in a back protector; they are very effective and can save us from serious injuries.

Although it may sound silly, pockets and their position are very important. Personally I prefer to keep my pockets empty: it saves me from worrying that something will fall out, and I also feel more agile. Their capacity is also important, so take a little inventory of the things you usually carry: phone, keys, papers, wallet, MP3 player, and so on.

Once again, for any questions, do not hesitate to contact us: equipo@plusmoto.com

Photos | Google Images, Dainese, Alpinestars, Spidi…