SoCal guys... perforated leather for winter, or no?

[SVTNate]

I have never owned a leather jacket before, just mesh/textile.

I now have an '11 Speed Triple, and want to be sure I have the right gear to keep me comfy in daytime/evening temps during SoCal winter.  50-70 degrees.

I'm looking at the A* GP-R jacket, which has front/rear perforations, and the GP-Plus, which has no perforations.  

I'm afraid the Plus will be too hot, even for our "winter" and on a bike with no wind protection.  But, I've never worn leather, so I really don't know.

Both are 1.3mm full grain cowhide jackets with breathable stretch panels on the arms.

The GP-R is not only perforated, it does not come with a liner.  It's billed as a spring-summer jacket, but I am a big guy and hate being hot.  I just need something to keep me comfy down to 50 degrees or so.  I don't plan on taking any trips to colder climates any time soon.

For you guys with experience wearing leather jackets here, please let me know what you think!

[rgbeard]

Experience with all of the above, and I find VERY few days here that I don't ride with my mesh Triumph jacket.

I like having an alternative in the closet, but it gets used only on the coldest days.

[miles]

See- I'm the opposite.  I wear my unperfed leathers no matter how hot.

Remember, winter riding here in SoCal can mean riding in the mountains with snow on the sides of the road, and on a naked bike you don't have a big fairing to hide behind...

[rgbeard]

See- I'm the opposite.  I wear my unperfed leathers no matter how hot.

Remember, winter riding here in SoCal can mean riding in the mountains with snow on the sides of the road, and on a naked bike you don't have a big fairing to hide behind...

I wasn't fully thinking about the Speed Triple portion of the question.   Yes, skip the perfs for Winter.  Unperf'd is your friend.

I have a Trophy and GL-1200 that gets most of my street riding, and perfs are great 95% year-round.

[M.Brane]

 Perfed leather + Gerbings + poly undies if it's really cold works for me down to the mid 30s. One nice thing about the Gerbings is it's a better liner than the one that came with my jacket even when it's not plugged in.

 Heated grips too. Just the ticket for those chilly mornings when all you need is a little warmth in the fingers.

 Heated gear rocks. Just set the knobs for warm summer day, and you're good to go.

[Rogue]

I've owned just about every type of material/jacket out there.  I've come to the conclusion that there really is no perfect single solution even in SoCal.  I hate being hot and hate being cold even more.  I'd rather be hot than shivering cold.

In your case, because you have a naked bike and live in an area that, like Miles said, has terrain and micro-climates that can vary from warm to well below 50 degrees, I would recommend having at least two jacket types.  One for "all season", and the other for winter.  

All Season - nothing beats the convertible jackets out there now.  I'm talking about those leather/textile jackets that have different layers so you can go from cold, to hot simply by removing/installing layers.  Joe Rocket's Alter Ego jacket and pants come to mind as the original all season, layered jacket.  This one is on its second iteration so JR has refined the design further.  I believe Tourmaster calls their version the "Flex" jacket but I'm not sure.  JR also has a leather version of the Alter Ego (they call it something else though).  I do believe the textile versions work best because by their very design these layered jackets will get bulky when all layers are on.

Winter - Even if you plan to ride in days no lower than 50, you will still be quite cold.  On cold days, and even just cold mornings that get warmer in the day, nothing beats a heated liner.  NOTHING!  Don't mess around with polar fleece, sweaters, and whatever else they sell that claim to keep you warm.  Heated liners is the only thing that will keep you nice and toasty from 68-40 degrees without your body overworking itself to keep your body warm.  Below 40 and you will need to have a full sleeve heated liner inside a thick, non perforated jacket.  Heated liners will keep you warm without the bulk.  Period.

[Playinthestreet]

My jacket is not perforated but my pants are.  

[keepergale]

Where are your pants perforated?


Anyway my wife just bought me my first perforated leather jacket this year. Seems great 99% of the time. The zip in zip out liner makes all the difference.

[SVTNate]

Rogue,

I didn't mention that I already have an A* T-Breeze.  I also have a Tour Master Air Intake 2, which is basically a football jersey with stitched pockets for armor.  It's about as "hot weather" as a jacket can get.  The A* is brand new and I haven't been on the bike with it yet, but it's definitely going to be at least a bit warmed than the Air Intake 2.  It has chest protection and I bought the upgraded Bio Armor back protector, which I like.  It should be great for 80 degrees or so, but the Tour Master is tested and approved up to 103-105.  Not that its comfortable, but the jacket isn't making things worse at that point.

I just sold my Tour Master FSX Series 2.  I rarely wore it, as it doesn't breathe much and above 75 or so it's too hot.  Then again, most of the time I owned that jacket, I also owned an FJR, not the Speed.  You can crouch down behind the screen on an FJR and get nearly zero wind if you'd like.

[veefer800canuck]

I don't live in Socal, but I've seen guys with perfed leathers wear a thin windbreaker over the leathers if it's chilly.

When it warms up in the afternoon, doff the windbreaker, and a lot of them fold right up into themselves and zip shut.
Stash in the tailsection, tankbag, tail trunk, etc.

[DogBoy]

A windproof pullover or jersey works well and can be worn under leather (won't flap around and make a ton of noise like a windbreaker). You can find them in sports stores or golf shops. They pack small so you can slip it on or remove it at any point in the ride.

[jsanford]

FWIW, I have perforated leather pants on the inside front quarter-panels.

My $0.02--if you're going to be out on the naked bike for longer rides, go with unperforated for a jacket, with zipper vents.

[Playinthestreet]

Mine perfed on the inner thighs as well.  Ankles too IFRC.  Windstoppers underneath are good to 35 +/-.  Then the rain paints over the top down to 20.