Saving Your Skin:  Maintenance Tips for your Riding Leathers

Riding leathers have helped define the “biker” lifestyle and look for over a century.  From head to toe, leather not only looks good and feels comfortable, but it is often all that comes between our soft skin and the angry asphalt should we have the unfortunate meeting with each other on a ride.  Just like our bodies and our bikes, our leathers need maintenance and some occasional tlc to stay in tip-top shape.

Taking good care of your riding leathers is like taking care of your skin.  It needs balanced protection.  Too wet, and it will give too much and can pull apart at the seams or under duress.  Too dry, and you’re dealing with brittle, cracked leather that doesn’t do it’s job (keeping your skin intact, as well as your style points).  In order to help keep your leather at an optimal elasticity, you should use a good combination of leather soap and conditioner.

If you ride your hog more than every other Sunday, odds are you’re getting out in different weather conditions.  Heat, cold and humidity all have different effects on your leather as well as your body in general.  The salt your body excretes when you sweat can do significant damage.  As your sweat evaporates, it leaves behind a salty residue (think a sweaty old hat with sweat rings).  This excess salt can quickly degrade the liner and seams in your vest or jacket, even your pants and chaps.  Check around for a good de-salter spray that can desalinate your gear and keep you looking fresh (won’t help with the smell though, sorry).

Maintaining your leathers is easy.  You don’t need to treat them everytime you ride, but regular riders would do well to clean/condition/treat your riding leather about every two weeks or so, depending on your personal riding style.  Doing a few basic things like this can extend the life of your comfy riding wear and help you look good while riding safely.  Win-win!