FOAK: Spyke Leathers

Any opinions?

I've seen a one piece racing suit in my size[1] on eBay, and although
there's a few days to go, it's currently fairly cheap.

[1] yes, I put in "leprechaun kawasaki leathers" into the search box.

 

uh oh, does this mean you'll be colour-coded with porl.

Kiran

 

at least partially.

The ones I'm looking at are green/white at the top, and black at the
bottom.

 

Super.

Spyke have a pretty good reputation, although I've never
personally owned or used a set. The new Golem suit uses
Kangaroo leather (lighter for the same strength as cow)
and come in at just over 600 new for one piece. The
"Cyber" suit is just under 800 new.

I read somewhere (may have been in MCN, so totally wrong)
that Gericke are replacing the Tribal suits with improved
versions, and (as we both know) these have always been
good quality and value in the past.

Other than that, I'm sure you'll get a good deal on some
old stock kicking around if you shop about.

 

sure, I'm still happy with my Gericke leathers - there's still plenty
of life left in them - I just fancy a one-piece.

I'm incredibly lazy, though.

ta for the info, but I'm going to keep an eye on this eBay auction -
currently sitting at well under a hundred quid.

 

I very rarely wear full leathers on the road. I want a one piece for
trackdays.

 

Marvellous idea - shame you can't do trackdays in 'real rufty tufty biker'
gear, but anyway.

 

what, say, like this?

http://www.zen13668.zen.co.uk/Snetterton 2002/slides/DSCF0020.html

Kiran

 

I'm assuming English isn't your first language?

 

Blimey, darsy's put on weight.

 

the ones I'm looking at are quite a bit different from that.

 

strength as cow)<

I've got some test data (generated as part of a personal injury
claim)which actively debunks that myth.

As always, it depends what type of hide it is being compared to. If
some of the low abrasion resistance, low tear strength stuff that
commonly finds its way into a fair percentage of motorcyclists'
clothing (like certain products from Italy one could mention), then
true: *good* kangaroo *is* stronger and lighter than weak leather.
Against the best hide, however, the strength roles are comprehensively
reversed.

Kangaroo also reaches the limit of its thickness at about 1.1 mm,
whereas hide can go on to 1.3 - 1.5 mm, and the abrasion resistance and
tear strength both rise exponentially with the increase in thickness.
Kangaroo skins are also significantly smaller than cowhides - kangaroo
hides represent the whole of the animal, whereas cowhide is generally
sold as "sides" (left or right of the animal), so there is less
opportunity to cut around the weaker areas of the kangaroo skin and
avoid incorporating them into garment panels - and particularly the
seams.

Furthermore, kangaroo hides come from animals which have been culled.
Those which are shot in the morning and left to sit in the blazing
Outback sun for the day will rapidly start to decompose and this will
be to the detriment of the finished leather, compared to those killed
at dusk and put into the preservative state before the onset of
putrefaction.

On the plus side, a skilled leather cutter will cut around the
kangaroo's pouch so the aerodynamic hump for the back of the suit can
be fitted into it. ;-)

Kangaroo is useful for gloves, where the panel sizes are naturally
smaller than for suits, but again only if a reasonable thicknes is
used. The gloves in the personal injury claim a colleague is dealing
with were made from kangaroo hide only 0.35 mm thick, Testing of
kangaroo in various thickness confirmed that it didn't start to return
anything approaching acceptable test results until the substance was
above 0.7 mm.

 

antonye wrote:

"The new Golem suit uses Kangaroo leather (lighter for the same
strength as cow)"


I've got some test data (generated as part of a personal injury
claim) which actively debunks that myth.


As always, it depends what type of cowhide it is being compared to. If
some of the low abrasion resistance, low tear strength stuff that
commonly finds its way into a fair percentage of motorcyclists'
clothing (like certain products from Italy one could mention), then
true: *good* kangaroo *is* stronger and lighter than weak cowhide.
Against the best cowhide, however, the strength roles are
comprehensively
reversed.


Kangaroo also reaches the limit of its thickness at about 1.1 mm,
whereas cowhide can go on to 1.3 - 1.5 mm, and the abrasion resistance
and
tear strength both rise exponentially with the increase in thickness.
Kangaroo skins are also significantly smaller than cowhides - kangaroo
hides represent the whole of the animal, whereas cowhide is generally
sold as "sides" (left or right of the animal), so there is less
opportunity to cut around the weaker areas of the kangaroo skin and
avoid incorporating them into garment panels - and particularly the
seams.


Furthermore, kangaroo hides come from animals which have been culled.
Those which are shot in the morning and left to sit in the blazing
Outback sun for the day will rapidly start to decompose and this will
be to the detriment of the finished leather, compared to those killed
at dusk and put into the preservative state before the onset of
putrefaction.


On the plus side, a skilled leather cutter will cut around the
kangaroo's pouch so the aerodynamic hump for the back of the suit can
be fitted into it. ;-)


Kangaroo is useful for gloves, where the panel sizes are naturally
smaller than for suits, but again only if a reasonable thickness is
used. The gloves in the personal injury claim a colleague is dealing
with were made from kangaroo hide only 0.35 mm thick, Testing of
kangaroo in various thickness confirmed that it didn't start to return
anything approaching acceptable test results until the substance was
above 0.7 mm.

 

As a matter of interest, how thick is human skin, and how does it compare in
terms of abrasion resistance etc to cow leather?

 

A lot of racers use them. Nuff said.

--
Molly
"Gower School" By Appointment".
GSX-R1000 (winter hack), Triumph Thunderbird,(year round hack)
GHPOTHUF#27 TGF, UKRMFBC#7, Two#24, BOTAFOF#11, YTC#9, GYASB#1.
SbS#23. DFWAG#2, DS#2, DIAABTCOD#20. remove "thisbit" in the reply
http://www.sportsbike.org
(our own race team)
http://www.bikegirl.co.uk/ladies/racingladies.html
"Nemo repente fuit turpissimus"

 

Neither as thick or as durable as cowhide, which is why sensible
motorcyclists' wear cowhide garments to protect them (and those who
don't keep the plastic surgeons in Porsches). If you want the raw (no
pun intended) data, I'll look into it and post it here some time
tomorrow.

 

If you could - I don't know why, but I'm interested

 

You've bought a bike that was built for the track.... get on with it

 

Molly says...

Most racers are too skint to afford proper protection. Ime they'd wrap
themselves in cardboard boxes if they thought they'd get through
scrutineering. If a racer can save 10p by buying shite leathers over the
best available, in order to put 5p of the saving towards a new tyre,
then he will.

 

They do one piece as well.

Sounds like a bargain if they fit. Have you tried some
on of that make and style in that size? Would be wise
to if you haven't already...