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Sugar Cane Indian Motorcycle Jacket

Messages
16,403
What's there to say that hasn't already been said a million times? It's a jacket made out of leather. It's got sleeves and pockets. And a belt.

But it also happens to be the most... Well, high end jacket I've had or seen sans that Toys McCoy B3 that I mentioned earlier, which is still an undisputed champion with this SC right at its tail.

The jacket is extremely premium. Every tiniest detail screams quality and I'm not gonna lie, most other brands I've handled barely even compare in the looks department. It's as much of a heritage repro jacket as it is a designer piece. Stunning piece of leather. The kind of thing you'd put on a display in a bike store.

The horsehide is beyond amazing. When I unboxed the jacket, I was immediately struck by a flashback of what I expected of premium horsehide to be like years and years ago and this is it. Stiff, glossy but not vinyl shiny, smooth, displaying only that HH texture, etc.
The finish is very tough but it's not that plastic-y coating that will peel off. It's just pigment that slowly fades off at the edges, showing deep red/brown tea-core.
Clocks around 3 to 3.5 oz thickness. Definitely heavy-weight. The jacket weighs 8 lbs or 3.7 kg and that's mostly just leather as neither the hardware nor the lining is particularly heavyweight.
In short, yeah, can't imagine a nicer looking leather.

The jacket itself is styled & designed to perfection and beyond. Tons of little details that stand out. Sleeves are fully leather lined all the way up over half the forearm. All pockets are leather backed so no holes going into the lining.
Shearling collar is 2" thick. It's beastly. Just every detail and part of the jacket is amazing. No expenses spared.
The belt is also ridiculously thick. I mean, just look at that thing! I can't find a regular belt this heavy. Perhaps even a bit overdone.

Gotta mention how practical the pocket setup is. I've always loved the pockets on my Lewis Leathers Phantom, just two slash pockets and this is basically it but with a D-pocket twist. Really convenient in any case.

The jacket fits very 50's. Or simply athletic. Roomy shoulders and chest quickly taper to a super narrow waist. This is kind of a problem as I can't even zip the jacket up over a hoodie while I've still got plenty of room in the shoulders and chest. Feels like a 44 tapering to 38. Kind of crazy. There's no way a larger jacket would even look good on me as this one is borderline large except for the waist so I don't know right now if I'm even going to keep it.

That said, the only other negative I can think of is the main zipper which is *sigh* once again a tiny #5 Talon, same one they used for the pockets. I can already tell it'll be the first thing to die and if I decide to keep it, I'll install something else. Anything.
But it's just crappy. These tiny zippers are inherently weaker than the leather they're supposed to hold together and I don't know why's everyone insisting on them.

All in all, this is, for all intents and purposes, mega-Grail of a leather jacket. I can't think of anything that outclasses it.
That might turn out to be a problem for me as it's definitely very... Fancy. People notice it and I don't like that.

I don't know what else to add. I just took a few photos of the jacket so here they are and if there's anything you'd like to know about this jacket that I haven't mentioned, ask.

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Last edited:

Colin G

One Too Many
Messages
1,194
Location
Canada
Real nice.

I bet the hide is just like my Rainbow Country jacket. Deceivingly heavier than you expected for a Japanese-made jacket. Kind of CXL-like in weight and dense feel but with no pull up effect and with an aniline finish.

I would not be surprised if Rainbow Country made that for Sugar Cane.

Cool jacket Monitor.
 
Last edited:

jonbuilder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,556
Location
Grass Valley CA Foothills
Extremely cool Monitor when can we expect to see fit pictures?
If it was my jacket I would consider cutting the pocket zip pulls leaving the ring at the slider and adding leather pulls
 
Messages
10,977
Location
SoCal
I’d swap out or dye the belt black. It doesn’t look like it belongs on that jacket (but would be great on jeans).
 
Messages
16,403
Real nice.

I bet the hide is just like my Rainbow Country jacket. Deceivingly heavier than you expected for a Japanese-made jacket. Kind of CXL-like in weight and dense feel but with no pull up effect and with an aniline finish.

I would not be surprised if Rainbow Country made that for Sugar Cane.

Cool jacket Monitor.

Yep, exactly how you described it! Spot on. It doesn't look particularly heavier than let's say any RMC but it's actually much different than Shinki and closer in weight to Vanson or LW and feel to CXL. Like CXL without oily-ness. Is that the pull up effect? If so, than yeah.

Extremely cool Monitor when can we expect to see fit pictures?
If it was my jacket I would consider cutting the pocket zip pulls leaving the ring at the slider and adding leather pulls

I've already ordered the replacement pulls for it (thanks @Carlos840 !), exactly like the ones it's already got and it's an easy fix so it'll be good.
As for the measurements...

P2P: 23"
Waist: 19" though feels 18"
Shoulders: 20"
Sleeves: 27"
Back: 24" but doesn't fall that short. Oddly so, Aero CR at 25.5" looks shorter.
 
Messages
16,403
I’d swap out or dye the belt black. It doesn’t look like it belongs on that jacket (but would be great on jeans).

Would you believe me that I just now noticed the same thing for the first time, when I took the photos? The belt is definitely black and the difference isn't as pronounced when you look at it in person. The belt comes out different only in direct sunlight.
 

Blackadder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,816
Location
China
Real nice.

I bet the hide is just like my Rainbow Country jacket. Deceivingly heavier than you expected for a Japanese-made jacket. Kind of CXL-like in weight and dense feel but with no pull up effect and with an aniline finish.

I would not be surprised if Rainbow Country made that for Sugar Cane.

Cool jacket Monitor.
One of the nicest Indian Motorcycle jackets. A little bit of background though, Toyo Enterprise owns the Indian Motorcycle trademark in Japan and a lot of leather jackets have come out of that product line. Not all are good. Many of IM's jackets were relatively cheap and were likely made in Korea
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r378036936
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r378298741
but every now and then, they would make a nice one like Monitor's and these.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u296891258
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w367187349
1) I don't think that is shiniki.
2) Toyo Enterprise is probably the biggest repro maker and would not need a small workshop like RC to make its jackets. In fact I bet most are made in Korea.
 
Messages
16,403
Why the reference to Indian Motorcycle, was the design once made under the Indian label for the motorcycle maker?

No idea. There's a reference to Indian in a couple of places on the jacket. Tags, patches and there's even a print on the leather saying "Indian Chief 50S Springfield, Massachusetts". No clue what the connection is, if there's any.
 

Blackadder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,816
Location
China
Why the reference to Indian Motorcycle, was the design once made under the Indian label for the motorcycle maker?
I don't think so. It is just Toyo Enterprise has acquired the trademark in Japan and decide to put most of its motorcycle related gear in this product line. Buzz Rickson's for military, Sugar Cane for workwear, Sun Surf for Hawaii shirt etc.
https://www.toyo-enterprise.co.jp/
 
Messages
16,403
One of the nicest Indian Motorcycle jackets. A little bit of background though, Toyo Enterprise owns the Indian Motorcycle trademark in Japan and a lot of leather jackets have come out of that product line. Not all are good. Many of IM's jackets were relatively cheap and were likely made in Korea
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r378036936
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r378298741
but every now and then, they would make a nice one like Monitor's and these.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u296891258
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w367187349
1) I don't think that is shiniki.
2) Toyo Enterprise is probably the biggest repro maker and would not need a small workshop like RC to make its jackets. In fact I bet most are made in Korea.

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it. Before I pulled the trigger on this one, I took a whole day to research this brand and came up with... Nothing. Most jackets I found didn't look particularly good as you mention, aside from literally two models - one I got, and the other one you linked to, the classic Perfecto styled cross zip which looked spectacular. I took a leap of faith and got this one. Definitely a very nice jacket.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,736
Location
London, UK
Would you believe me that I just now noticed the same thing for the first time, when I took the photos? The belt is definitely black and the difference isn't as pronounced when you look at it in person. The belt comes out different only in direct sunlight.

Interesting - I wondered if it was a 'teacore' effect showing up differently on the belt. Sounds like it. Great looking jacket. The collar is especially nice; not all the repops of models like that I've seen capture the 'volume' of the 50s mouton collars as well as this.
 
Messages
16,403
Interesting - I wondered if it was a 'teacore' effect showing up differently on the belt. Sounds like it. Great looking jacket. The collar is especially nice; not all the repops of models like that I've seen capture the 'volume' of the 50s mouton collars as well as this.

The belt is different kind of leather altogether. Not even sure it's horsehide. I'd find it real odd if it aged the same as the jacket. :)

Oh, you just reminded me I forgot to take the photos without the collar... It's super nice, very wide and pointy.
 

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,638
What's there to say that hasn't already been said a million times? It's a jacket made out of leather. It's got sleeves and pockets. And a belt.

But it also happens to be the most... Well, high end jacket I've had or seen sans that Toys McCoy B3 that I mentioned earlier, which is still an undisputed champion with this SC right at its tail.

The jacket is extremely premium. Every tiniest detail screams quality and I'm not gonna lie, most other brands I've handled barely even compare in the looks department. It's as much of a heritage repro jacket as it is a designer piece. Stunning piece of leather. The kind of thing you'd put on a display in a bike store.

The horsehide is beyond amazing. When I unboxed the jacket, I was immediately struck by a flashback of what I expected of premium horsehide to be like years and years ago and this is it. Stiff, glossy but not vinyl shiny, smooth, displaying only that HH texture, etc.
The finish is very tough but it's not that plastic-y coating that will peel off. It's just pigment that slowly fades off at the edges, showing deep red/brown tea-core.
Clocks around 3 to 3.5 oz thickness. Definitely heavy-weight. The jacket weighs 8 lbs or 3.7 kg and that's mostly just leather as neither the hardware nor the lining is particularly heavyweight.
In short, yeah, can't imagine a nicer looking leather.

The jacket itself is styled & designed to perfection and beyond. Tons of little details that stand out. Sleeves are fully leather lined all the way up over half the forearm. All pockets are leather backed so no holes going into the lining.
Shearling collar is 2" thick. It's beastly. Just every detail and part of the jacket is amazing. No expenses spared.
The belt is also ridiculously thick. I mean, just look at that thing! I can't find a regular belt this heavy. Perhaps even a bit overdone.

Gotta mention how practical the pocket setup is. I've always loved the pockets on my Lewis Leathers Phantom, just two slash pockets and this is basically it but with a D-pocket twist. Really convenient in any case.

The jacket fits very 50's. Or simply athletic. Roomy shoulders and chest quickly taper to a super narrow waist. This is kind of a problem as I can't even zip the jacket up over a hoodie while I've still got plenty of room in the shoulders and chest. Feels like a 44 tapering to 38. Kind of crazy. There's no way a larger jacket would even look good on me as this one is borderline large except for the waist so I don't know right now if I'm even going to keep it.

That said, the only other negative I can think of is the main zipper which is *sigh* once again a tiny #5 Talon, same one they used for the pockets. I can already tell it'll be the first thing to die and if I decide to keep it, I'll install something else. Anything.
But it's just crappy. These tiny zippers are inherently weaker than the leather they're supposed to hold together and I don't know why's everyone insisting on them.

All in all, this is, for all intents and purposes, mega-Grail of a leather jacket. I can't think of anything that outclasses it.
That might turn out to be a problem for me as it's definitely very... Fancy. People notice it and I don't like that.

I don't know what else to add. I just took a few photos of the jacket so here they are and if there's anything you'd like to know about this jacket that I haven't mentioned, ask.

20200208-130001-0.jpg

20200208-130006.jpg

20200208-130012.jpg

20200208-130019.jpg

20200208-130024.jpg

20200208-130039.jpg

20200208-130050-1.jpg

20200208-130057.jpg

20200208-130101.jpg

20200208-130123.jpg

20200208-130129.jpg

20200208-130136-0.jpg

20200208-130141-0.jpg

20200208-130147.jpg

20200208-130152.jpg

20200208-130229.jpg

20200208-130221-0.jpg
Legend jacket right there Ivan!!
Cool as a fan in a freezer!
Is that an autonomous belt that slides through a channel on the rear kidney panel? Appears so.
Smooth....best of both belt worlds. Loop snaps are a drag.
This jacket could make me want to buy more. Hope it fits you cause it’s super epic!
Thanks for the review.
B
 
Messages
16,403
@Blackadder , you sure? Then again, the few I did see on Yahoo Auctions didn't have the belt either. Well, even better, then! The belt is also very, very nice. I wonder who made it?

Legend jacket right there Ivan!!
Cool as a fan in a freezer!
Is that an autonomous belt that slides through a channel on the rear kidney panel? Appears so.
Smooth....best of both belt worlds. Loop snaps are a drag.
This jacket could make me want to buy more. Hope it fits you cause it’s super epic!
Thanks for the review.
B

Yep, there belt goes thru the kidney panel. Just like on Aero's King of the Road or an older Sears Hercules. That's always been my favorite feature though this is the first such jacket I have.
 

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