[Elias]

I went gear shopping today, so that I’m ready to ride when I get the bike. (So expect some gear questions in the future from me)

Found a GREAT deal on a Dainese leather jacket at a local shop. They have black but I want the white in order to be more visible. My friend thinks I am crazy because it will get dirty, but the sales rep says it’s easy to clean leather. It’s timeless, beautiful, THE MOST COMFORTABLE leather I have ever worn and has protection in the shoulders elbows and forearm…but let’s focus on my main drag here:

WHITE leather jackets…yes or no?

[Munch]

For me…not only no but hell no. Sorry… reflective tape and some such will do me better then a white leather jacket….sorry personal preference. Some how that conjured up an image of the scene in Beverly Hills Cop when Axel was cruising down Rodeo Dr for the first time and started laughing at the M. Jackson leather jacket remakes like he wore in thriller.
You might could pull it off though. For me…by the time I got home… between the bug guts and the grease thats still hangs on me from work… it would be off white-ish with nice colorful dots all over the place.
However I always question the white is more visible idea. I thought it about the other day and noticed all the white, grey, beige…basically neutral and light colored cars that are on the road. I started to wonder how de-sensatized we have become to those colors now that almost every one has a vehicle of the same shade.

[RedFireBird]

my teknic jacket has a lot of white leather on it. as long as you clean it daily, you’re fine. but bug guts will be very noticeable.

[eternal05]

All of my bikes are black/white oriented. That’s my personal preference. I just never really dug color on bikes all that much. The color graphics always look 80s/90s to me. With the exception of a clearance SHIFT Streetfighter jacket I got (all they had was black with hints of Kawi green), all of my gear is leather and either black or white (black/white jacket, black pants, white suit).

Visibility-wise white isn’t as great as you think. Statistically speaking (though we all know how misleading some statistics can be), white and silver cars are the most likely to be in accidents during daylight hours. I rationalize a bit thinking that solid white rider on solid black bike creates contrast, but I think I’m mostly kidding myself.

Dainese makes AWESOME gear (AWESOME!!!!!!). Get the jacket, hands down. The only downside to Dainese is their prices, so if you can get a deal there shouldn’t even be a question in your mind. Whether or not you get white or black should be solely up to your aesthetic preferences. I don’t think either one will really be super visible.

[Elias]

Oh man I am still stuck then. I guess I am just picturing myself…Black bike, matte black helmet, black boots, ??? pants, and a black jacket?! I’m going to look like a freakin night rider. In my head it looks goofy as shit, but I get 60 days ‘good-as-cash’ when I buy the jacket tomorrow, so maybe I’ll give white a go. I have put it on, and it doesn’t have that Thriller look at all But if it doesn’t work for me after 60 days, then night rider it is…

BTW this Dainese is going to run me $410..for a Dainese leather I give that a thumbs up!!

[Clay Dowling]

I think you need sideburns and a cape to go with it.

I like it for the visibility, I’m just getting a very strong Elvis image off this thing. Which, if you’re into that kind of thing, is cool. I’m not.

Anyway, get some pictures of this thing. Maybe it won’t have the Elvis vibe going.

[Munch]

Knight Rider huh…… You sportin a Hasselhoff hair do? You should be fine with white….couldn’t help but mess with ya…. well as long as it isn’t skin tight and some what plastic looking…then we’re talking whole new ball park. Or as Clay says…. make sure that no one gets after it with the “be dazzler”…OMG or Fringes either…..lol.
It’s as much style as it is visibility matter of fact I need to go find me a good summer jacket myself. My winter one I bought a size to big so I could layer. Now without those layers the thing bunches up in front of me and I look like I have a spine coming out of my chest thanks to the zipper. I am going back with black…or maybe a distressed look… but that’s just me, though I find it hard locating one that has reflective piping on it. I am all about hte reflective stuff… especially since I ride in all types of lighting.

[Elias]

lol, yeah I am not worried about looking like Elvis or a bedazzled stuntman, lol. The jacket screams “street.”

I can’t find a picture of a white one anywhere, but it is essentially this jacket with the colors flipped:

[megaspaz]

on the street, I don’t bother much with visibility in terms of gear. drivers are gonna either see you or not see you. hell drivers don’t even see other drivers. On the track, though, in 95+F weather, I hear the white helps out with some of the heat. Don’t know for sure though, since I don’t own non-black gear…

[Elias]

Seems everyone is more worried about the way it looks than visibility. In that sense, I think it will look great, and that it will throw in some contrast to my other dark gear. I’m going in today to buy my helmet. I am going to put on the jacket and back protector with it to see how it all feels and looks. Put on a little fashion show for CycleGear lol

[Munch]

lol…have fun!

[Candice]

I was thinking of a white leather jacket but I bought a white non leather jacket. I was kind of wondering about the leather getting dirty but if you can clean it up then I vote for the white.

[Author]

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