Textile vs. leather jacket

Can anyone tell me the pros & cons of these 2 styles of jackets? I live in the Seattle area & am looking for 1 for safety & comfort. I won't be riding much in the rain (I guess I won't be riding much huh?d:( ) Our summers are mostly 70's & 80's with little humidity. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanx! NormanB

There is some pretty well made textile stuff made out there today. It's a little more breathable. I have both, and wear one or the other depending on the riding I'm doing. If you're aggressive and will be riding mostly in the spring/fall or early morning in the summer....get the leather. There is a reason racers don't wear textile. However, if you just tool around the Textile should be fine. Just be sure it's made well and imagine it being drug for 50 feet...will it still hold up? Good Luck, Bill

A decent textile should protect against abrasion up to about 60-70. I've personally seen a Joe Rocket after a 65Mph get off. The guy did fine. (Do not buy the JR, look at others like Fieldsheer -hard armor). Leather is always your best choice, but heat is a main preventor to wearing it.

Originally posted by NormanB Can anyone tell me the pros & cons of these 2 styles of jackets? I live in the Seattle area & am looking for 1 for safety & comfort. I won't be riding much in the rain (I guess I won't be riding much huh?d:( ) Our summers are mostly 70's & 80's with little humidity. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanx! NormanB Textile ups: I can throw them in the washing machine on gentle cycle to get them nice and clean. (I do this with the leather-tex FirstGear Speed Jacket and Pants even though the jacket has leather. it holds up fine.) They're cheaper than leather They're easier to care for and to repair than leather They're lighter in overall weight than leather They are generally cooler than leather They wad up into a nicer, smaller ball in your tank bag better than leather Spray scotchguard on 'em and they're more waterproof than leather They and their "style" won't last into the next decade like leather, which means you won't have to look like Don Knotts at an X Rave at some point in the future Textile downs: They don't hold up as well in a high-speed asphalt rubbing session They don't look as cool as leather They don't stop the wind as well as leather They won't last into the next decade like leather, so you won't be able to look like the Terminator forever without buying a new set

I bought a textile recently. Its called the Lightspeed by Joey Rocket. This jacket is heavy duty. I could of bought any jacket in the world and i bought this one. I live less than 3 minutes from the Vanson factory in Fall River, MA.