Vanson B Jacket
VANSON B JACKET
CW EVALUATION
Classically styled hide
ONCE UPON A TIME, A LEATHER MOTORcycle jacket was just that-a leather motorcycle jacket, no belts and buckles, no ultra-wide or fur-lined collars, no fringed leather, no pretense. Just a simple cut, a couple of pockets and a snap collar. Nothing special, just a traditional, straightforward look.
If this back-to-basics look strikes your fancy, you might want to check out Vanson’s simply named B jacket, a traditional design that, in both appearance and feel, hearkens back to an earlier era when 650 Bonnevilles or 850 Commandos ruled the road.
Slip into the Vanson B and it’s instantly clear that this is no lightweight jacket. It has a solid, substantial, sturdy feel, something you’d want to have on your back during a tumble along the asphalt. Vanson uses thick, 1.3mm top-
grain cowhide for the jacket, the same U.S.-produced hides it employs for its roadrace suits. The leather is drumdyed and tanned to Vanson specs by a top U.S. tannery, and is sewn together with heavy-duty nylon thread. Brass zippers handle closure at the front and
the sleeves, while four pockets-three zippered exterior pockets and one non-zippered on the inside right breast-add convenience.
Our test jacket fit perfectly, with enough room in the shoulders and chest for comfort, and just enough snugness in the waist and sleeves to minimize wind flapping. On-bike comfort was further aided by the B’s shoulder gussets, which allow an easy, unencumbered reach to the handlebar. The jacket’s long torso length means that it doesn’t ride up the wearer’s back while riding, though because the front of the jacket is cut as long as the rear, folding oneself into the cockpit of a sportbike causes some leather bunching in the waist. Fortunately, Vanson also offers the AZ jacket, which is similar to the B but has a shorter, more sport-oriented mid-section.
The B proved fairly warm, thanks to its zip-out Polar Cloth liner and adjustable side buckles, which allow enough expansion for layering. The mandarin-style snap collar can be fully closed or snapped back in the open position for increased ventilation. Initially, the collar was a bit stiff, chafing the wearer’s neck slightly, though this became less a problem as the leather softened with use.
Vanson offers the B in even-numbered chest sizes from 34 to 46 at a suggested retail price of $375; sizes 48 to 54 cost 10 percent more. These prices are for black leather, though Vanson offers other shades for additional cost. The company also has a complete repair service; even if the jacket is severely damaged, Vanson says its experts can make it as good as new.
All in all, we’d call the B a success. Though it may lack the bells and whistles of newer designs, it’s wellmade, comfortable, priced reasonably and classically good-looking. Even if you don’t own a Bonneville or 850 Commando. □
