(PERF)ect SUMMER MOTO JACK!!! Vanson mark2 sportrider properf REViEWED with a picture

[NOTE, as of today i am exchanging this size for ANOTHER one up, from 48 to 50. these are tight, well formed, and cut to be in riding position. i wear a 42 reg suit and need to take a 50 in this jacket, and that's without the protective padding shoulder/arm inserts. i do like a touch of looseness in my jackets, but i think in the photo here you'll see the jacket is a bit too tight. However, as a piece of riding equipment, that is probably totally justified, but called vanson and they have a 50 waiting for me when this gets back there.]


above, link to me wearing my new vanson sportrider mark2 properf, taken in the worst mirror in the world. it's a short jacket but not as short as looks in the mirror, raising my arm to hoist my canon 2ti hiked up the jacket. the bottom actually covers half my belt.


vanson ad picture of this jacket with a model dude, front side


vanson ad picture of back


Well, if you have about six bills to spend on a summer motorcycle jacket, or out here in cafilornia (sic) most of the year hot weather jack, there is none other to get than this baby. that’s not to even mention build and materials quality which, i dare proffer, is the best out there (am proud this is made in the U.S.!)

of course i could only be talking of the reeeemarkable Vanson Leathers mark 2 sportrider properf. this is the one for which the leather is perforated on the back, sleeves and front (they do have models with lesser sections perfed).

i had a little discretionary earned income and of course, like a heroin addict, had to spend it on my addiction, motorcycle jackets. but only the best. my last review was of the superb schott 641. this vanson mark 2 sportrider properf is a different beast altogether, which makes collecting moto jacks so much fun!

both U.S.made, though the schott has that off the shelf quality with a few overly long threads and a slightly generic fit which i very much like as it's authentic and cool looking.

the vanson, just for kix of comparing to the schott, is more a perfectly built creature. every i dotted, every t crossed, no long threads...no nothing that's not perfect. as for fit, these are more like a fitted suit vis a vis the schott's off the rack look...meaning the vanson is comparable to a hugo boss with it's lean to-the-body lines in this particular model, which is a bike racer style.

if anyone thought the retro sized/cut schott 641 was sized smaller, then welcome to a whole new concept in small sizing as the vanson sportriders (all the same basic jacket with different options for different models, such as the cobra, etc) are a full two sizes smaller than you need. my schott 641 is stated to be a size smaller than other schotts (stated on the schott website), and it is. the vanson sportrider is that small, and a bit smaller yet. i got a size 48 in the schott 641 and it's a nice comfortable fit. the vanson is about 1/3" smaller in the armpit to armpit measurement for a size 48, for a total circumference 2/3" smaller than the same size schott 641.

but still, this is a racer style, so really not meant to be too loosey goosey. and if you look at the pix around the net of people with these on, forgive me for saying but they all look like geeks, even though they've followed the vanson size chart perfectly. hopefully they don't wear their pants at floodwater level too.

so, get these bigger if you don't want to look like stuart smalley.

BUT, to the real reason for getting these (aside from it being an astounding moto racer style cafe racer jack...and i mean astounding). the unbelievable wearability in warm weather. i expected some coolness, but not the delightful feel of a breeze flowing through me that this fully perfed jack gives. it's almost metaphysical...spiritual even...like cool substance flowing through you. NEVER felt anything so cool...in multiple meanings of the word!
it's competition weight leather, but the thousands of drilled holes remove a bit of the weight of an unperfed vanson. sounds like i'm talking cop speak...i was a cop beat reporter for years so i know. but, you SHOULD be arrested if you DON'T get this jacket!

prior to my ordering it, vanson confirmed over the phone it is their coolest riding jacket (temp wise he meant...those guys at vanson are serious, no jokes...speaking of sounding like cops!).

back to fit, aside from the several sizes too small if you follow the sizing chart, i literally told the vanson guy on the phone i needed at least 25.5" armpit to armpit in this jacket. well, they are spare in boston...i got 25.3"! but it was too gawjus to send back. and with the perfed leather i'm expecting it might not only stretch a bit as it is wearing in, but vanson makes it clear these jackets are stiff out of the box (wish i was, but that's another story) and will conform to your shape as worn.

one thing also i love about this vanson is the cool hidden side straps that can pull in the waist another 1.5" per side, or a total of 3" off the waist if needed. with the six months it takes if you want to order your size custom (again, according to vanson), better to get an off the rack size if in stock, if you can.

the fully perf sportsrider mark 2 is amazing simply to wear and feel the air go through you as if you were a ghost or spirit. it's definitely a summer jack, especially if you get on a bike and increase airflow by riding (which i don't...totally a poser in these...tho wearing this makes me feel very kewl even in my car).

it's so comfie you feel like keeping the cafe racer collar buttoned and the jacket zipped, and wearing it like a leather shirt.

the back to front ratio is neato too. for moto riding the back has a kidney panel that is several inches lower in the back. if you are a poser (read that as NOT rider) like me, the lower 'rise' in the back is sort of like a lacoste polo shirt...a few inches higher in the front, and lower in the back. these are racer style (ad nauseum i shall say it) so it is a short jacket. even with the lower back, it's only a tad longer than 26" in the back in a size 48.

did i say i love this jacket? i never thought i'd be able to get a leather motorcycle jacket that could truly be worn in the summer...thought it was a pipe dream. thought i maybe might possibly come somewhere near that with this jacket...but wearing it makes the dream true for those of us living in warm/hot climes.

i'm wearing it as i type...allowing the jack to continue it's conforming. it's definitely a jacket that will fit better with the years. and with the construct quality and quality of the leather, you might be leaving this to someone in your will.

as for the protection, this comes with shoulder and elbow pads, but i always take them out. with the smaller sizing on this, it was crucial they do come out for this to even fit. and re the zip sleeves, i lovvvvvvve them. if i rode they would zip up and be skintite. but as a casual jacket, i leave them completely unzipped, the sleeve is so lean tapered.

no outer pockets on this, but i learned to do without them during my A-2 fetish phase...only milspec A-2s for me, so no side entry pocks did i ever have.

my only sadness is the big waist flap that replaces a normal buckle, but instead is sealed with velcro. for true riders, which this is built for, it's great. but for a poser like moi, i'd rather have a buckle than this velcro that flaps closed whenever i zip the jacket up at all. but what the heck, it looks pretty cool, like everything else with this jacket.

in fact that's what this jacket is all about in all respects. cool.

and to get that cool, believe me, it's worth the bucks. just make sure you get two full sizes bigger than your normal. enjoy. i am : D

Congrat on the jacket. They are certainly nice and yes it is eye opening the first time you wear a fully perf jacket and feel the breeze zip right through and out the back. Haha. And having tried on Vanson's perf stuff I've noticed the holes are noticeably bigger than other perf gear which facilitates even more air flow than usual. Heck u can feel a breeze just walking around!

BTW, while this jacket does indeed look pretty cool it is safety gear first and foremost. As such it is intended to be very form fitting and snug like a second skin. I've never splurged on Vanson's sport rider range only because I didn't like how high they cut the beltline. Well, these are designed to be zip into leather pants too so I guess that explains the cut.

And agreed.... going up a size or two really makes this cross function as a casual jacket too.

Great review! I like this jacket so much that I bought two of them. I normally wear a 40-42 reg. In this jacket, the 42 fits very well on me. The side tabs are right in the middle of the adjustment range. It is a trim fit, with no room for much layering, but since it's a warm weather jacket, that is fine. So I'm a bit surprised that you had to bump-up a couple of sizes. But, I only wear mine for riding, so that could be a factor: mine might not be so groovy for just walking around at the zoo, but it sure would look sharp! Mine pulls a bit tight when my arms are hanging down at the sides but feels just right when they are rotated up, which is where they are when riding.
The zippers are heavy duty, as is the leather and stitching. I know Vanson has had quite a few problems recently and is having their product produced south of the border now. Both of my jackets are USA production. Where was yours made? I ask because if yours is a recently made product of El Salvador, and is of the quality you describe, I would feel much better about buying newly-made Vanson jackets myself.
Oh, and not that it matters much to the non-riders, but a neat little feature of this model is a credit card pocket sewn into the wind flap of the main zipper; quite handy indeed.
I'm sure you will enjoy owning this jacket.

thanks capt cave, and yes, that air flowing almost through your skin is a mind blower (ooops, almost a pun). and yes, these are real holes about 1.5mm open area each, drilled i have read, not stamped dots like most perfed jackets. quite an alternative experience, and perfect for L.A.'s weather

IXL said:

a bit surprised that you had to bump-up a couple of sizes. But, I only wear mine for riding, so that could be a factor: mine might not be so groovy for just walking around at the zoo

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ixl...thanks for the kind words. i'll say the only zoo i walk around is L.A. itself, but to your very well made point, this jacket is actually cut to be in riding position, which answers the question why i had to go up TWO full sizes to get a jacket i can wear standing up with shoulders back, not hunched over my bike (which i don't have). the jacket is made to be near skin tight as seen in the ad photos above, but i like some space (mannn)...so i'd recommend definitely one size more, but still possibly two. i talked with the very informative vanson folk this morning, nicole who really knows the sizing, and told her this did fit infinitesimaly smaller across just under the breastbone than i like when i stand, and she explained the riding cut...but also said the perforated leather will definitely conform and give to my upright form (an uninintended evolutionary statement...first we crawl, then we ride, then we stand...darwin take note). she also mentioned throwing it into a dryer on NO heat cycle with tennis balls and letting them beat around and soften up the jacket. sounds more like something i'll have my girlfriend do...but rather than tennisize my jacket, i'll just wear it a lot and let it stretch/conform a bit across the breastbone.

sorry my pic of myself in it doesn't show the jacket off to it's best advantage, lousy mirror and cramped space...but i'm a guy so i don't need no stinkin' mirrors.

Hey JX2;

Great jacket man..........glad to hear that your happy with it.
That's gotta be the narrowest bathroom I've ever seen.

Ride safely johnny!

regards,
coffee

Quote: "I'll say the only zoo I walk around is L.A. itself..."
That, sir, really busted me up!!!
Was your jacket made in the USA, or El Salvador? Thanks.

thanks for the laff. as for production,i keep hearing these are made down south, but as far as i know, as i was talking to vanson, they are made in the u.s., especially if you custom order. i have a drifter coming, stock with buckles added to the sides by their shop, and this one, both u.s. jackets.

live in a trailer...it's hollywood mannn ;D

GOT this jacket in the size 50 today

just an update since i returned the 48 you see in the picture for one size up at size 50.

fits perfectly and is the ultimate dream jacket for warmer climes. i'll probably get another picture with the 50 to compare to the 48 above. just a note that unless you like your jackets form-fitted like they were vacu-formed onto you, go up a good two full sizes for vansons.

but the sizing issue aside, these are simply amazing jackets. each style goes after something different, so when you decide what you're looking for (e.g. classic, casual, pure summer jacket for purely riding like mine), and order that style, it will be an amazing jacket from my experiences here.

JJ I'm a great fan of you and I read all your verbose reviews, I especially like the Luftwaffe thread...

P.S. You should also review the Schott 641XX and the Pegasus Luftwaffe.

You may also find this pic in topic:



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A guy, his Spidi jacket and his Bimota.

thanks cuth...or bert...or...well, just thanks. i especially nurture my verbosity as i grew up watching and enjoying william f. buckley jr. on firing line, and was always entertained despite his generally regressive viewpoints.

as for reviewing the jackets, i only review what i get, tho i'd love to have the money to waste on even more jackets to exceed what i can afford...which was bypassed long ago. i'll say the schott 641 steer is so perfect that i would not be moved to go for the xx. from pictures i don't like the long space between the end of the front zipper and the bottom front of the jacket, like a tooth gap, and i don't like the lack of side waist buckles to cinch it in, as with my ultra svelte figure i need to get side straps or spend mucho for custom jackets. i dO however love those slanted pockets, total winner.

which takes me to your next suggestion. i'll make the point that this looks virtually the same as eastman's luftwaffe, except for the slant front pockets. with pegasus stating on their website they just started making jackets, i'd much rather trust the esteemed and longstanding eastman for close to $1000. like the schott 641 i already have, the eastman luftwaffe couldn't be better unless it had a spitfire bullethole in it from an opposing plane, and it had actually flown in ww2. i do however, again, adore those slant front pockets, and would probably buy the jacket if it were at least half price.

but that i only review jax i buy, the vanson sportrider 2 might be it for awhile. i will say, i have some incredible winners with the schott 641, eastman luftwaffe and now the vanson perforated sportrider 2 in the proper size...these are the top jackets in the entire f'ing industry, and i own them, and they are each very different than the other (ok, the schott is a cafe racer version of the eastman...that's different enough). i love them, encourage everyone who loves leather jackets to buy them NOW...these are all wonderful.

in closing, i do thank you for your kind words. even the crack about verbosity, which, as i've said, i see as a virtue. tah........

JJ, there's no crack, your reviews are serious fun and informative. For the two jackets I mentioned, the XX has a "short zipper" because it's a long jacket, 27" like the old cafè racers of the 60s (think about Easy rider) but it was meant to be fastened like a short one for comfort, IMO it's way better than the original, but be warned that there aren't side pockets tough.

For the Pegasus, I know that Kevin just started hsi business and this can be of some concern but on the other side I wanted to try different brands, so I went on his ebay shop and I made a resonable offer and he accepted. This week I received his brown D-pocket and it was very well worth the money (that was less than a Eastman roadstar), very good quality, excellent hide and unique design. I agree that his other designs are a little too conservative.

What do you think?Should I make a pair of "JJ style" reviews of these two jackets?

cuthbert said:

What do you think?Should I make a pair of "JJ style" reviews of these two jackets?

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If you do reviews, please don't use J2's style. Thanks to his Luftwaffe review, I ended up spending the bucks to get one. I am now considering the Vanson perfed jacket he just reviewed. So, I don't need any more jackets right now.

Peacoat said:

If you do reviews, please don't use J2's style. Thanks to his Luftwaffe review, I ended up spending the bucks to get one. I am now considering the Vanson perfed jacket he just reviewed. So, I don't need any more jackets right now.

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Are you sure you don't need another D-pocket jacket?

Just kidding...

guys guys...reeeeeeeeeeeLax.

cuthbert (r u related to dilbert?)...would love to hear reviews...you already enhanced my knowledge concerning the xx...no pun intended (or was it...hehehheh). but definitely pictures. i do actually live in a trailer as i live the dream (the lifestyle of being an artiste and spending too much money for leather jackets) so my pix are very limited by my 2x2' mirror and all the pits and corrosion on it. but photoshop and a great canon camera helps me remove some of that...but i try. so should you.

my old fren legume jacket...you never told me if you liked the luftwaffe as it blitzkrieged and strafed into your life. as for the vanson all perf sportrider 2...now that those jokers finally got me the right size (i told them my minimum armpit to armpit of 25.5" and they still told me a 48 would fit, when it turned out to have a 25.1" armpit to armpit...) after i had to send the 48 back and they got me a 50 (26" armpit to armpit)...what was i saying??? oh, now that they got me the right size in this jacket, it is in fact my very favorite. quality is second to nONE! the design of drilled holes in the entire jacket, turning it into the ultimo calif riding (or poser in my case) moto jacket is pure genius. it really is like wearing a nylon jacket temp wise...meaning incredible summer wearing of this jacket here in calif! yet it would protect you in a crash...where a crash for me means bumping into the girl on the cellphone at the sugar and cream table at starbucks (it's lalaland, remember). and...OMG! it has those very kewL vanson patches on each shoulder. my mr. cool quotient goes up 23% every time i put it on!

so let's hear about all these jackets guys...especially you peanut, since you got the most amazing incredible eastman lufty.

as for the pic of me in the vanson, it is horribly horribly nerdy the way that thing fits so tight! beware of the sizing of the vanson folk (have i said this before?) demand your size by knowing your minimum armpit to armpit and not accepting anything less! i promise another pic of me in the new size 50 vanson to show the diff one size will make...and show how all these people on the forum here who think they need skintite military and motojax are insane...get your right size.

ok, back to the rain. will await your reviews.

hi johnny,,i have been trying to break in my vanson csrx cobra @ vanson cobra with properf front,,had them both for 3years,,,still as stiff as when new,,i suppose i need to get bikes out more than 4 or 5 times a year tho [huh]

hi mack...yes, my sportrider perf, basically the same jacket, feels super strong and indestructable...they say they actually drill the 1-2mm holes in this jacket, rather than stamping them. i can believe it. i feel like a knight of the Roundtable with it on, like metalmesh. this leather seems like it would hold up more strongly than any other leather jacket i've ever seen. yet it is cooler (hip and temperature wise) than any jacket i've ever worn.

if it needs a lot of breakin, it will get it with me as here in lalaland, where it's summer most of the year, it will be about the only jacket i can wear year around.

by the way, if no one reading this review has understood it yet, despite my schott 641 steer, and amazing eastman horse luftwaffe, this vanson is my favorite jacket of all time. i can't deal with how much i love it. and, i shall post a photo of me in this jacket in the correct size 50 next to the pic of me in the wrong sized 48 currently at the beginning of this thread. it looks sooooooooooo much better in the correct size.

sorry to keep responding to everything written, but i'm so insane about his jacket i can't express it enough. do buy one. you will thank me, vanson, and the jacket Gods.

(note, with vanson taking 6 months to custom size a jacket for you, this is the jacket to get stock...the hidden side straps allow a decent size waist for those who have one, or just a small upper build (peter fonda/easy rider), but the straps can reduce the waist three to four full inches if you need to...so no need really to get a custom size...just be sure you KNOW your armpit to armpit and demand they send you a size that provides that...don't trust them at vanson...they try to size you down...but mannn, they make nice jackets!)