A Buyer's Guide to Leather Jackets - More Than Skin Deep

Firstgear Scout IV Jacket $400-$450
You know how we all want one product to do lots of tasks? Well, the fourth-generation Firstgear Scout IV is the Swiss Army knife of leather jackets. Construction is 1.2-1.3mm top-grain, drum-dyed cowhide with a water-resistant treatment, double-stitched seams and a heavy-duty metal zipper. Warmth is handled via a full, insulated, polyester-fiber liner, needle punctured to allow perspiration to escape, plus a clever fleece-lined detachable neck warmer. Too warm? Airflow can be generated via two zippered vents in front, two in the back and in the sleeve ends, with two-way zippers backed by mesh to let even more air inside. For impact protection you're covered with CE-approved vented armor in the elbows and forearms and nonvented armor in the shoulders. Where things really get wild is the cargo department; the Scout offers two zippered waist pockets, two front chest cargo pockets that are big enough for maps, with a total of five smaller pockets and a key lanyard inside of them, three inside jacket pockets and two more inside the liner.

RATINGS
Comfort	3
Protection	3
Versatility	5
Overall	3.7

Notes: An excellent do-everything jacket without any bling.
Specs
Leather: 1.2-1.3mm drum-dyed, water-resistant cowhide
Protection: CE-approved shoulder and elbow/forearm armor; optional back-protector pocket
Storage: 9 outside pockets; 3 inside pockets; 2 liner pockets
Venting: 2 front, 2 rear zippered vents; mesh-backed sleeve ends
Liner: Insulated full liner
Miscellaneous: Reflective piping; fleece-lined collar

Fox Creek Leather Vented Racing Jacket $412
Don't let the name of this jacket mislead you-it has "cruiser" written all over it. The modern look will be perfectly at home whether you ride a classic-style bike or one of the new power cruisers. The Vented Racing Jacket is downright sleek-no fancy buckles, no shiny chrome and no flaps over the pockets or vents. There are two zippered waist pockets, two inside pockets and two well-positioned zippered vents across the chest with two more down the back. The back is constructed of a single panel of leather, thus eliminating a seam from a crucial impact zone. The VRJ doesn't have any armor, but there is some open-cell foam in the shoulders and elbows, and they both get a double layer of leather. The 1.4-1.6mm cowhide will probably survive Armageddon, but it's still fairly pliable. The sleeve ends close with gusset-backed zippers, though when sitting on a motorcycle they feel a bit short. Inside there's a removable full liner with Thinsulate insulation plus a removable fleece neck gaiter.

RATINGS
Comfort	3
Protection	2
Versatility	3
Overall	2.7

Notes: Maybe it won't stop bullets, but it's the next best thing.
Specs
Leather: 1.4-1.6mm drum-dyed, full-grain cowhide
Protection: Open-cell foam in the shoulders and elbows
Storage: 2 zippered waist pockets; 2 inside pockets
Venting: 2 zippered chest vents; 2 back vents
Liner: Full, removable Thinsulate liner
Miscellaneous: Choice of lace or snap sides; single-panel back; no reflectivity

Harley-Davidson Complete Leather Jacket $425-$465
If you ride a Harley (or just want to look like you do) then the new-for-2008 Complete Leather Jacket will serve you well. "Harley-Davidson" is embroidered down both sleeves and across the back, with the bar-and-shield logo on the left chest. The fit of the jacket is on the snug side, with precurved sleeves and gusseting behind the shoulders for an easy reach to the bars. It also runs long, so shorter riders may experience contact between the mandarin collar and chin while riding. The Complete Leather Jacket has pockets in the shoulders and elbows that will accept H-D's FXRG armor. All stress points feature bar-tacked stitching. And for real stress relief the heavy-duty front metal zipper has two-way sliders so it can be opened at the bottom after that supersize hoagie lunch. If it gets warm, upper sleeve vents zip open and a patented zippered back vent can be opened and closed with pull cords inside the front pockets. With 11 more pockets inside, you won't run out of storage room, either.

RATINGS
Comfort	4
Protection	2
Versatility	2
Overall	2.7

Notes: Opt for the armor and raise the functionality of this well-made jacket.
Specs
Leather: Midweight drum-dyed, softened cowhide
Protection: None; optional shoulder and elbow armor available
Storage: 2 front zippered pockets; 11 inside pockets
Venting: Zippered sleeve vents and lower back vent
Liner: Polyester mesh
Miscellaneous: Reflective piping across chest and back

Icon Motosport Daytona $350
Icon's Daytona distinguishes itself with a straight-cut body for a more relaxed fit and a full sleeve liner. Its sleeves aren't precurved but are angled forward to accommodate a straighter riding position. The pebbled hide's a midweight 1.2-1.4mm leather with a matte finish, and removable CE-approved elbow and shoulder armor and a foam back pad handle impact duties. A zip-out liner and zippers at the sleeves (we like the additional snap closures at the cuffs) take care of inner climate changes. We also like the full-length side expansion panels that open for extra breathing room and additional adjustability. Both side panels are perforated, as is the underside of each sleeve, for extra airflow. We haven't fully tested it in the heat, but we're wagering the Daytona offers better airflow than most full-leather nonperforated jackets. As with all Icon jackets there are details aplenty; we dug the St. Christopher medallion inside the inner pocket. We didn't dig the nonadjustable, unpadded mandarin collar, though.

RATINGS
Comfort	3
Protection	4
Versatility	4
Overall	3.6

Notes: Solid feature set, nice details and good for at least two seasons a year.
Specs
Leather: 1.2-1.4mm cowhide
Protection: CE-approved elbow and shoulder armor; foam back pad
Storage: 2 zippered side pockets; 1 inner pocket
Venting: 2 zippered front; 2 zippered rear vents; zippered side-panel perforations
Liner: Removable, insulated full liner
Miscellaneous: Adjustable side panels; no reflectivity

Best Buy
Joe Rocket Sonic 2.0 Jacket $325-$350
Imagine a jacket that combines the weather and abrasion resistance of regular leather with the breathability of a mesh jacket. Not possible, right? Well, the Joe Rocket Sonic 2.0 comes pretty close. The shell is made of tough 1.2mm top-grain, uncorrected cowhide-high-quality stuff. Add a zip-in vest liner and the Sonic 2.0 is great for cool and average temperatures. If it gets too warm, you're handled: Running up the waist to the sleeve cuffs are nylon panels that zip off to reveal nylon mesh underneath. Brilliant! The jacket is close-fitting-the better to hold the double-density foam shoulder, elbow/forearm and back armor in place-with three-position elastic adjusters on each sleeve plus two Velcro waist belts. And the Joe Rocket patches on the shoulder double as reflectors, joined by reflective piping from the neck down the sleeves and across the back of the shoulders.

RATINGS
Comfort	4
Protection	4
Versatility	4
Overall	4

Notes: Style, comfort and protection? It's all here!
Specs
Leather: 1.2mm drum-dyed, top-grain, uncorrected cowhide
Protection: Dual-density armor in shoulders, elbows/forearms and back (CE-approved protector available)
Storage: 2 front zippered pockets; 1 inside pocket
Venting: Mesh-backed removable panels on sides/sleeves
Liner: Insulated nylon vest
Miscellaneous: Available with perforated sleeves but no removable panels

Leather Gallery 4-in-1 Jacket #429 CVO $270M
With modern styling, the Leather Gallery 4-in-1 Jacket will be equally at home commuting, on weekend trips and on cross-country jaunts. Aside from looking good it feels great straight off the rack. Helping with that are gussets under the arms and behind the shoulders, making the reach to the bars feel natural. There is removable dual-density foam armor in the shoulders/upper arms, elbows/forearms and back, as well as soft foam in the shoulders and elbows. The full, removable liner is waterproof and breathable. The material of the tabs inside the bottom of the sleeves leaves something to be desired, but that's a minor issue. One feature unique to the 4-in-1 is a removable comfort/kidney belt that stores in the back of the jacket. Which brings us to storage: In a word, it's ample. The front has three zippered pockets (with the waist pockets concealed by the chest vent seams), two more chest pockets inside the jacket and another two pockets inside the liner.

RATINGS
Comfort	4
Protection	4
Versatility	3
Overall	3.7

Notes: A solid choice laden with useful features and a proper riding cut.
Specs
Leather: 1.3-1.5mm (approx.) drum-dyed cowhide
Protection: Dual-density foam in shoulders/upper arms, elbows/forearms and back
Storage: 3 front pockets; 2 inside; 2 in liner
Venting: 2 zippered chest vents; 1 back vent
Liner: Full, removable, waterproof/breathable with Thinsulate insulation
Miscellaneous: No reflective material; jacket and liner collars are padded