So I searched but couldn't find anything about perforated leather jackets anywhere, just perforated textile or something. Does anyone have experience using perforated leather. I live in Hawaii and it is hot all the time, but I still want some protection. Anybody used a leather jacket like this?

 

I have an HD leather one and you can definitely feel the air flowing through. I also have the HD mesh (textile) jacket and I like that one too.

 

Vanson is probably your best bet, but they don't exactly come cheap. Then again, neither do Harleys.

 

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I'd suggest going with a textile perforated. I've got both and they are both HD. The leather one is comfortable at a very narrow temperature range. Say about a low of 65 to a high of maybe 75 or 80. The textile or mesh one is comfortable up to about the low 90's assuming you aren't spending too much time sitting in traffic. Then again you get comfortable again as soon as you get moving again. The wind doesn't really stop from what I remember in Hawaii so that should help you out with either option you go with.

 

"Does anyone have experience using perforated leather. I live in Hawaii and it is hot all the time, but I still want some protection. Anybody used a leather jacket like this?"

I've used a FirstGear perforated heavy leather jacket for years, going back to around 1998 or so.

It's not "thin" leather, but full-weight, perforated everywhere, with extra shoulder and arm padding (not hard body armour, though). As heavy as it is, you can hold it up against the light and the light comes through it.

The air comes through it, too (once you're moving), yet it was strong enough that when a claw-tipped tree trimming pole fell off a truck and hit me right at the base of my throat back around 2002, all I got was a small red mark at the point of impact -- didn't even bleed. That sold me on wearing good protection in summer, even on the hotter days (if it's too hot to ride in my gear, I don't ride).

The cost was $400 even back then, but it's held up well, I still wear it.

Having written that, I bought it back when the very first mesh jackets were appearing on the market -- the first "Joe Rockets". Since then, mesh textile riding gear has come a long way, and I may switch over to an Olympia "Switchback" jacket come next summer, at least for some days. Looks to be one of the best compromises between comfort and protection, made better than a lot of other jackets, and about half the price of full-weight perforated leather.

The FirstGear remains a great summer jacket, however!

 

hmm, I was looking at one from river road because its perforated and its the old school look with the big flaps on the front and belt etc. Rock n roll style. I have seen that style in textile but it just seems wrong somehow to buy that style in anything but leather.

http://www.motosport.com/motorcycle/...LEATHER-JACKET

Here's the one I am eying, but its not out yet because its part of the 2013 line they tell me. What do you guys think of it quality wise?

 

I have a Fieldshear perforated leather jacket, and I love it. Granted it is not a "BIKER" jacket but a "street bike" type jacket. I never ride my bike without it. As long as you are moving, it keeps me cool even in the summer out in the desert in the Borrego desert region of East San Diego, CA county (usually around 102 to 105 degrees. It also came with a liner that keeps me warm when we ride up in the Mt. Laguna and Mt. Palomar mountains in the winter when it is covered in snow and below freezing temps before the wind chill factor is taken into effect. They don't make my model anymore but they do have one that is very similar to it here:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...WT.MC_ID=10010

Just like mine, it has a small section on each arm that is textile mesh but the rest is leather with a thin perforated cloth liner so you not up against the bare leather and has more than enough pockets for me. And it too comes with a zip out quilted/ padded winter liner. Weight wise it is still rather heavy even though it is full of holes. The only complaint is that the back shields don't make it easy to put on any patches if your so inclined, but if you want to defeat the purpose of the perforations you can wear a vest over the jacket and have all your patches on it.

 

I have the River Road. Its pretty good value. But I ride in hotter and wetter conditions than in Hawaii, textile is the way to go for very hot weather. Of course most everyone here just has a t shirt and vest.

 

I like the design but it looks like the upper and lower back area, the shoulders and, because of the flaps around the zipper, a large area of the chest are not perforated. Yes the upper chest looks perforated but the inside of the chest area isn't according to the looks of the flaps around the zipper. Except for the winter zip out liner, I would like the whole thing to be perforated. Other than those drawbacks it looks nice.