10 Recommended Leather Motorcycle Jackets Under $500

A Note On Sizing

Sizing for jackets can vary wildly from manufacturer to manufacturer. To simply the sizing, we will use the following descriptions:

Sport: Expect a tighter fit, precurved arms, and should feel comfortable in a tuck or three-quarters position

Touring: Designed to fit a little looser so that the rider can comfortably ride sitting upright in a standard posture, but tight enough to not be billowing or flapping in the wind

Cruiser: A relaxed fit that fits comfortably around the shoulders and waist, allowing for great reach forwards to the handlebars.

Tight/Moderate/Generous: 

Tight fit is when the jacket will feel like it’s compressing you ever so slightly.

Moderate fit is where you have good range of motion, but may feel tight in some areas that are reinforced or designed for protection.

Loose fit is when the entire jacket feels loose in all areas of your torso without being too far from the body.

About Our Selections

When it comes to recommending gear, we consider everything from safety certifications to armor types and placement, quality of materials used, and everything in between. To make it on this list, a leather jacket has to provide the best protection for its price above all else, with considerations given to ventilation, intended riding style, natural and/or synthetic materials, and the like.

However, there is no "magic formula" that definitively says "This is the only leather jacket to use." These selections are made with educated opinions, sometimes even on-bike time with the jacket for a review, but the best way to find which leather jacket works for you is to is to head down to your local gear shop and try a few on. This is especially important because of the sizing of jackets varies wildly, as we noted above.

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First Manufacturing Top Performer

A classic cruiser style jacket for three season riding

Merlin Hixon II D3O

An adaptable touring jacket with removable liner so you can ride in both hot and cold weather

ICON Contra 2 Perforated

A street sport leather jacket that for warm weather is remarkably affordable

Cortech Apex V1

Everything you need in a track jacket at under $400!

First Manufacturing Women's Outlander

A versatile women's leather jacket that is suitable for both the cruiser and ADV rider.

Scorpion EXO 1909

A vintage leather jacket for motorway touring

Richa Toulon 2

Made for the weather and roads of France, which can get quite windy and cold

Joe Rocket Classic '92

Vintage design, modern materials and armor, a Spring/Fall jacket for the relaxed rider

Street & Steel Athena Woman's Jacket

A full featured leather jacket for women that is highly adjustable and very comfortable

ICON Motorhead3

A budget leather jacket that punches way above its price with premium features