leather vs. kevlar

[ninja79]

Hi all,

I haven't been able to find a comparison between kevlar and leather gear. Can anyone provide info & links about the protection they offer?

thanks,

Eugene

[Sobereality]

leather gets used once kevlar can be reused

[Skier]

Hi all,

I haven't been able to find a comparison between kevlar and leather gear. Can anyone provide info & links about the protection they offer?

thanks,

Eugene

A bit of google searching should find you a bunch of good sites. Save your hide, for example, shows the strengths of cotton jeans, kevlar, competition-grade leather and Cordura Nylon.

There is also a Sound Rider article on it, by David Hough:

Which is better for a riding suit, leather or man-made fabric? Leather is an excellent choice for riding gear. Leather is comfortable, stylish, doesn’t flap, has excellent heat and abrasion resistance, and wears well over the years. Thick leather is very abrasion resistant. For example, competition-weight cowhide will slide for something like 80 to 100 feet before grinding through. It isn’t uncommon for a leather-clad road racer to fall and slide at racing speeds, yet walk away with no injury other than bruises.

The down side of leather riding gear is that it is bulky, difficult to clean, and virtually impossible to make waterproof. Good leather is expensive, and you’ll need to frequently treat your leathers with a conditioner to keep the garments supple and control mildew. If you intend to ride in the rain, you’ll want to cover your expensive leathers with waterproof raingear. And if you get your leathers sweaty from a humid ride, expect them to take on an eye-watering odor. You can’t just throw your leathers in the washing machine, and few commercial cleaners can be trusted to clean leather without ruining it.

Kevlar, an extremely strong synthetic fiber, might seem to be an ideal fabric for riding gear, but abrasion resistance is not simply a matter of stronger fibers. Apparently, Cordura nylon fibers will stretch over the bumps and snap back to shape, while non-stretching Kevlar fibers will grab the surface bumps and pull apart. That’s why “Kevlar” riding suits are not pure Kevlar fabric, but a blend of special flexible Kevlar fibers, Cordura Nylon, and stretch Lycra. Only one company in the world produces Kevlar fabric suitable for motorcycle garments: Schoeller Textile Company, in Switzerland.

Motoport will custom build a Kevlar suit for you at their Carlsbad, California factory, using Schoeller fabric. Marsee advertises an Ultra Ballistics Kevlar Jacket. Aerostich continues to use only Cordura nylon in their highly respected Roadcrafter and Darien suits.