Leather jacket suggestions for those that don't ride

In this budget, I would suggest you go with Aero & 'lighter than normal' CXL FQHH which Aero can definitely do on request. You could get in touch with Thurston and get them to start your fit jacket process. After you receive your fit jacket(try to get one in the same leather, & not only the same pattern) and before you confirm the order to Thurston, just wait for a week or so and research on the lounge for similar jackets (there are tons of threads on Aero Cafe & Board Racers) . Once you are convinced that the style you have decided is the one you really want to go with, you can confirm to Carrie. Aero & CXL FQHH is a more straightforward choice imo for a first jacket for non riders...

Thurston also carries Thedi jackets. They are lighter weight than Aero, and have lots of cool designs.

Matt1691 said:

Thank you everyone for the warm welcoming! I will definitely look into those suggestions mentioned above. Does Aero typically use leather that is a bit lighter than Vanson? If anyone can chime in on some more suggestions for leather that isn’t so heavy, I’d truly appreciate it.

Also, I notice that the company Thurston Bros carries both Vanson and Aero merchandise. Is there a difference between ordering through Thurston or directly through Vanson/Aero?

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Welcome.

Aero CXL is a bit lighter than Vanson Comp weight, but a bit heavier than Vanson X-150.
Vanson's X-150 is a nice leather to get started, it has a nice waxiness similar to CXL but without the wet blanket feel.

One thing to keep in mind is the quality of the pattern...
Vanson jackets are known for giving great range of movement, they are jackets that you really forget about as you wear them, they work with you when you move.
Aero on the other hands have pretty old school patterns, heavy on the neck, poor range of motion, they are not as comfortable, i always feel like they are working against me when i move.

Not saying Aero are bad jackets, i have a few and i like them, but they are just not as comfortbale.
I only wear my Aeros if i am going out only a few hours and i know i won't wear the jacket much, cinema, restaurant, something like that.
If i know i will have a jacket on my back all day long, i will most likely pick a Vanson or a Lost Worlds, they are the most comfortable in my collection.

Construction wise (precision of stitching and general attention to detail) i would rate both Aero and Vanson similarly. They are not as perfect as some fancy Japanese made jacket, or Lost Worlds, or Field Leathers, but are still slightly better than average.

I would hapilly order straight from Vanson ( i have done so twice), they have great Customer Service.

Here is a review of my Vanson COmmando if you want to see how X-150 looks compared to CXL:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/vanson-x-left-field-commando.98275/

Might help to narrow down things if there are some photos of jackets you've seen you like, then people can probably advise for the best matching leather and quality/value for something like that.