Vanson or ? Gear

[2strokebendejo]

So I've been rocking a beat a stars TZ 1 leather jacket for 7 yr

Always wanted dat sweet thick ,luxurious it seems Vanson
Same time Have been always liking the roadcrafter cause of versitality

I primarily use m/c for short rides and bombing/ errands around SF ,now that I have stenosis/ bulged disc that can make arm go numb after a while

Tried on the classic Vanson sturdy liked it (with perforation)
They have a new / kinda relaxed line called "drac". Can also double as street jacket ( armuored). Might save the lugging around of a m/c jacket when in public
Any suggestions? Thx !!

 

[crick]

mmm the nice thing about the roadcrafter is for commuting to work, where i can take the suit off and be in whatever clothes i feel like that day.

for short rides, i rather slap on some motorcycle/kevlar jeans and motorcycle jacket. more comfy.

the stitch gets hawwwwwwwt in summer.

 

[jwb]

I've had a Vanson jacket for almost 20 years and I love it. It's perforated but you can close the flaps. I wear it in the summer when it's warm enough or too hot for textile gear. It's hit the pavement more than once and survived.

 

[fast4d]

you need full perf if it is > 85F or humid even then it sucks if you are not moving

vanson is old tech but it is bulletproof and last forever.

the GP armor is heavy duty but bulkly. CE armor is comparible to other ones out there but not bulky

 

[ilikefood]

What size do you wear? I have a perforated Vanson jacket that I'm not using because it's too short on me but it looks awesome and is in basically new condition (several years old but not used much). I'd sell it for a lot cheaper than you'd pay for a new Vanson. Let me know if you want to check it out. It would be good for someone under 6' and medium build

 

[ZCrow]

Just know if you go custom sizing the wait from Vanson, is long, really long. I would rather hit up Zooni, get it local, better fit and quality. I was also underwhelmed by the armor and back protector slot in the Vanson jacket.

 

[Hank Wong]

Vanson sizing runs small. I wear a size 42. My size 44 vanson is snug on me, especially at the arms. They are cut short. Forget about it if you have a longish torso. Scuderia stocks them.

Roadcrafter is worth the money. It cannot be beat for the put on/ take off convenience if you have a topbox to store it at stops. With the zippers open and the collars folded open, it is not too hot for SF in my opinion. I have the R2 lined version and it is not too hot for me in Santa Cruz mountain riding. It comes in short medium and long so you know it will fit you well. No worries about returns. The brighter colors tend to fade sooner than the dark color.

I bought mine several years apart. They last and last. You could very well have both in your stable in the future.

 

[afm199]

I have Vanson and Roadcrafter. I wear the Roadcrafter on the road and the Vanson on the track. Both super high quality.

 

[Hawaiirider]

Have had a basic Vanson perforated jacket for nine years. Had to have all the zippers replaced 2 years ago because they would just split open after being zipped up - and I'm not over-stuffed into the jacket. - Factory service person said "You must have worn them out" - but I switch between several jackets and the Vanson was the newer one - my 'Stich, and Alpinestar jackets still work fine - and should zippers just start splitting at random on SAFTEY gear ???!?


After paying them to replace all the zippers the NEW main front zipper just fell apart at the car in less than 6 months.

I KNOW that the plural of anecdote isn't data, but....well - screw those clowns - their suppliers are shoddy and they don't give a damn - informed them of both simple failures and they didn't care one bit.

You can do much better. Sad to say it of an American company, but they just don't represent a value proposition to me anymore - they are nothing more than an expensive mistake on my part.

Now whenever I buy a new jacket I send a scan of the receipt to the 'customer service' rep that charged me $ 150 for a zipper that worked for 6 months (plus shipping !)

 

[moto-rama]

I'll say one thing about Aerostich Roadcrafter, last week I got mashed between my Bonneville and a curb, and I am only slightly sore, but if I had been wearing anything less able to protect me, I'd be hurtin' for certain.

I also got whaled on by about 120 yards of Hwy One after impacting a deer, and had zero abrasion injuries. Would've been no biggie, but the buck was way huge, and caught the right-hand clip-on, shearing it off, and breaking the crap outta my wrist.

 

[2strokebendejo]

Hmm. I've tried on for sizing. 44 for the tight track type leather
Also tried the "drac" which is the new street cut and is sized in L Xl etc

Thx for imput

 

[Rob]

I bought my first jacket (Vanson Cobra Mark II) 15 years ago. I've gone down twice in that time and you can't even tell where it hit now. I've taken out the hard armor, oil it every once and a while and hope my son wants it when he's grown.

Now, I ride a BMW GS so I pretty much had to buy a stitch.

 

[EastBayDave]

I got a Vanson 2-piece Leather Suit that I like a lot; but it wasn't always such as I had to have them re-fitted 3 times. They were way off when I got them (after using their Nationals racing guy 3 times), & off the 2nd time, & off the 3rd time. They then said they were done w/me.

Well gee, you haven't got it right yet, why would you be done? We only re-measure & alter 3 times, that's usually enough. Your just an odd size (6'3" & 265lbs. at time of measurement.) So to say I'm not very happy with them is an understatement.

I gained 10lbs. to 275lbs. now they don't fit even worse. Can't get them on anymore....wonderful...:x

 

[V4]

i have both stich and vanson and wear the stich exclusively ...more convenient and versatile...

matter of fact, i'm selling my vansons...

 

[Hawaiirider]

Heck, I'll GIVE mine away. But you'll need to have the main zipper replaced (again) .

Size 44, gray perf, never crashed.

 

[Unicorn Power]

44? I'll take 'em if you want 'em gone, but that drive to Hawai'i is kind of a bitch at this time of day.