Vanson cafe racer fit for riding

That's trim. Smaller would be wrong.

I own several Vanson jackets including a Model B and Vanson is just about the only jacket I wear on the bikes. Just from the pics, it looks like it fits you just fine; the sleeves are just right and the waist seems to give you plenty of room. I'm guessing that is a competition-weight jacket? If so, that leather ALWAYS feels like a suit of armor the first several times you wear it. Trust me, with EACH wearing it will get better and better but you must--I repeat, MUST--wear it all the time at first. A good treatment (or two) with Otter Wax leather oil or Lexol will help. Then roll it up and put it under your mattress to sleep on it a couple of times. Sounds like a lot to do with a jacket but, trust me, as it breaks in it will mold to your body like nothing else. When I first got my Manx it was constantly rubbing that back of my helmet and felt like a cardboard jacket. Two years later, it's like a second skin. And, oh by the way, that jacket will last you for YEARS.

I'm currently breaking in a new Vanson Thunderbird I got earlier this year and I expect it to be absolutely sweet by next fall.

Don't worry at all. That is a great jacket for riding and in no time at all it will feel like a trusted t-shirt. But a t-shirt that will most definitely protect you from road rash!

Congratulations on a superb riding jacket choice!

BTW, gtdean48 is right; the sleeves may shorten as it breaks in. Vansons don't shrink or expand, they just relax. As the sleeves develop horizontal creases it will draw the cuff up a tad. I've never had a Vanson draw the sleeves up more than .5 to .75 inch though.

A good rule of thumb I use is to put a jacket on over what I intend to wear under it. If I can take a deep breath comfortably and it still feels snug, then it fits and will break in nicely. Unfortunately, as someone said above, good riding jackets are designed to fit precisely. That's why I ended up with five of them. I can't wear my summer perf jacket over more than a t-shirt and that's fine. There are other jackets for other seasons.

If the sizing really bothers you, try to find a size down from a returnable dealer and give it a whirl.

It's good. Once it actually becomes your riding jacket you'll truly fall in love with it and forget any doubts you had, even if it is a size larger or smaller. If you're comfortable in it, it's good.

It's an ideal fit. Particularly if you intend to ride in it. It will literally take years to break in. When it does you'll laugh at this thread with a huge smile of satisfaction on your face. Enjoy the process!

I have about a dozen Vanson jackets, including two versions of the Model B. As for fit, it doesn't matter one whit whether or not some other guy wants his jacket to only fit over 'this' or to definitely fit over 'that." It's only what you want your jacket to fit over: if you need to wear a parka underneath, then you need more room than the guy who only wears Under-Roos, so size accordingly.

All of my Vansons with a wind strip try to garrote me in the beginning, when I sit down. They will indeed soften, as will the whole jacket. They tend to feel a bit alien to comfort when brand new. I hasten the breaking-in process by sitting on my wadded up jackets: not rolled, but roughly wadded, angled, bent, turned and crumpled. This will really help speed things along in the help---I've-become-the-tin-woodsman department. I'm sitting on one right now as I type this.

Good luck, and it appears to me you have a good fit!

Nice jacket and looks like a nice fit. I have a model b and hated it at first but I feel really confident when riding compared to my Areo Vicenza horsehide which is just too light but great for hot weather. I have the zip in liner for my model b and love it for riding in 45 degree weather. With the liner I can wear a thin shirt with a t-shirt and it's pretty snug but Vanson ' s are built like tanks and mine still feels fairly stiff. Beautiful jacket and I wouldn't change a thing, just wear the crap out of it and you'll never look back.

None of my new jackets have had sleeves get longer as they've broken in. All have gotten shorter with creases.

IXL said:

I have about a dozen Vanson jackets, including two versions of the Model B. As for fit, it doesn't matter one whit whether or not some other guy wants his jacket to only fit over 'this' or to definitely fit over 'that." It's only what you want your jacket to fit over: if you need to wear a parka underneath, then you need more room than the guy who only wears Under-Roos, so size accordingly.

All of my Vansons with a wind strip try to garrote me in the beginning, when I sit down. They will indeed soften, as will the whole jacket. They tend to feel a bit alien to comfort when brand new. I hasten the breaking-in process by sitting on my wadded up jackets: not rolled, but roughly wadded, angled, bent, turned and crumpled. This will really help speed things along in the help---I've-become-the-tin-woodsman department. I'm sitting on one right now as I type this.

Good luck, and it appears to me you have a good fit!

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I seriously gotta try this. I never had a Vanson that was brand new so far... Or rather, never kept a brand new Vanson 'cause I had but the size was off each time so I couldn't keep it (one five sizes too large and two that were too tight) but the Model E that I have now is perfect, just that it's so freaking unrelentingly new that if I'm tired at the end of the day, I'd rather grab some other jacket when going out for a walk with the dog.

Personally, I believe a riding jacket should fit snug. Not tight, but snug. It reduces both the risk of you sliding around in it in the event of a get off and the 'balloon' effect (air pushed inside the jacket causing it to inflate when at speed).

When I had Wade at Insurrection fit me for my Vanson PLU3, thought this dude was crazy and was just trying to sell me on a jacket too small for me. For a while I regretted not going one size larger, but as the jacket broke in, it proved Wade knew what the heck he was talking about.

Here are some shots of me taken today in my Vanson PLU3.

One Red Hot Chili Peppers concert t-shirt and medium weight hoodie sweatshirt: