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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: moto on May 24, 2025, 08:17:26 PM

Title: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: moto on May 24, 2025, 08:17:26 PM
I'm 75. The other day I put on a blue jeans denim jacket for a ride through town. It took me back 60 years to the feeling I had when I first rode: exhilarated and free, and in the wind. I recommend it to other geezers who may have been riding around in sarcophagus-like protective gear all this time.

Over my 60 years of riding I would have done fine in denim, looking back. I hit a couple of dogs and a human and had a number of low sides in my California days. But never a high side crash and never a car collision, nor a deer. At this age I'm ready to risk a bit more denim jacket riding. No point in mummifying myself ahead of time.

By the way any similarity to Proust's book is purely coincidental. I am familiar with all the scientific arguments for all the gear all the time, and for not riding motorcycles at all, and for not going outside, either. Just sharing, as they say.

Best wishes.
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: Tkelly on May 24, 2025, 09:00:48 PM
Levi jacket was my first cycle jacket.Brando style leather was a huge upgrade.
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: Ncdan on May 25, 2025, 06:35:22 AM
Other than the Motor Officer uniform, jeans, mostly wrangler and leather, including work boots, has been my riding gear of choice.
The one time I had a bad spill after hitting a farm tractor that made an abrupt U-turn in the roadway as I was going around him, my old school Schott jacket and wranglers absorbed the road rash I would have received. However the blunt force of the initial impact cracked some ribs.
Disclaimer: I don’t recall ever seeing professional road racers wearing textile racing suits🤔
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: Kiwi_Roy on May 25, 2025, 02:22:57 PM
At 75 it's timee you started looking after your old bod.
buy something a bit better than jeans e.g some leather.
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: Motormike on May 26, 2025, 12:10:19 PM
Plain denim jeans are worthless in a spill.  Wear through virtually on contact.  The Kevlar stuff is better at taking a slide, but even they only offer a few seconds of resistance till it's your skin that's abrading. :shocked: I haven't worn plain jeans on a motorcycle in years.  Have several pairs of the Kevlar stuff.  An old pair of Draggin Jeans (which seem to have shrunk!) Diamond Gusset, some cheap stuff from Cycle Gear, and some expensive stuff from RevIt.
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: moto-uno on May 26, 2025, 03:03:18 PM
 My denim jacket just happens to be large enough to fit over my leather jacket, best of both worlds  :thumb: !
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: PeteS on May 27, 2025, 07:19:36 AM
Been so long I don’t remember what I wore in the beginning on my Yamaha 80. First leather jacket I got at the Harley dealer. Thin with no insulation. Froze in cold weather. Only leather pants I wore were for track days, otherwise jeans. On warm days when its too hot for a jacket its a denim shirt with snaps.
Go fast , take chances.

Pete
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: jrt on May 27, 2025, 01:20:33 PM
I still have my old Levi denim jacket.  It is 'enhanced' with Guzzi patches and other assorted weird stuff of a kid trying to be cool.  I'm with Tom, though-  my Brando leather jacket was a huge upgrade and I wore that thang for years.  Hein Gerike makes or made a damn good jacket. 
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: Alfetta on May 27, 2025, 01:42:56 PM
well.  I for one used to ALLWAYS wear Levi 501's (pants not jacket), but at my current age and shape, I just can't get them to fit like i want any longer...  large enough to fit my arse and the crotch is at my knees, or get the leg fit right and they restrict movement...... 

So it's spandex for ne these days....    and you can thank me for that mental image....
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: moto on May 27, 2025, 04:50:13 PM
well.  I for one used to ALLWAYS wear Levi 501's (pants not jacket), but at my current age and shape, I just can't get them to fit like i want any longer...  large enough to fit my arse and the crotch is at my knees, or get the leg fit right and they restrict movement...... 

So it's spandex for ne these days....    and you can thank me for that mental image....

I stopped wearing 501's. Wrangler makes some good relaxed fit substitutes that I wear. They are just as nice as 501's, but fit. No spandex, please. The mental image is not going away.

Wrangler Authentics Men's Classic 5-Pocket Relaxed Fit Cotton Jean
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: Dharma Bum on May 27, 2025, 05:50:38 PM
Still wearing the same size 501's I started with back in `71.
Title: Re: Remembrance of jeans past (NGC)
Post by: Ncdan on May 29, 2025, 02:05:54 PM
Still wearing the same size 501's I started with back in `71.
Me to, thanks to inherited type 2 diabetes and Ozempic.