Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Is this a record

Mrs Image is currently sewing patches on her old flying jacket, having used it in the Morgan last weekend and liked it.

This repair started in 1976 when she crashed her motorcycle avoiding a cat .. the jacket got scuffed and ripped as she was bowling down the road and she started repairs before deciding it wasn't a great all-round biking jacket (it weighs about 5 tons when it gets wet for starters and she was a year-round exclusive biker) so put it in a wardrobe in the spare room ..... since then we've had bikes for open air trips and closed cars .... fast forward half a century and we have the Morgan .... the flying-jacket got remembered, tried, liked and the repairs recommenced.


Does anyone else have a repair job that has spanned more time between commencement and completion!!? 😆





K

All I can add is that my Irvin jacket has been in annual use for over 40 years now and still looks like new. I've used it in dry but cold weather once or twice on a bike and it was the most comfortable jacket I've ever used with the collar forming a windproof seal with helmet to allow superb insulation from outer environment.

Mrs Image would agree ... hence it coming out of retirement for use in the Morgan ... but back in the day when she used a bike for everything (including a 40 mile daily commute) the soakings on the all too frequent wet days made it not ideal so she switched to conventional leathers. She's really pleased to get the jacket fettled for use in the more protected Morgan cockpit. Real trip down memory lane for her! 🙂


K

So Mrs Image was/is of the sportier type!!!

Most definitely .... 76 and still riding motorcycles 🙂

K

I can't understand how some Morgan drivers can live without a sheepskin flying jacket. On cool days, there's nothing more comfortable when riding a motorcycle or driving an open roadster. Have bought mine almost 40 years ago.

Unfortunately not very vegan friendly!

I have an old Belstaff that I use, that I bought for about £40 in the early 90's. A couple of years ago I decided to have it repaired (lining, cuffs, neck and some hole darning), and the final bill was around £400...... Mind you, new ones are more expensive.

The (Belstaff approved) tailor was quite impressed as it was one of the oldest ones he'd worked on, and from Belstaffs 'Australian' period.

I still wear my Barbour Combat Smock that I purchased in 1976 for very many "beer tokens" when on military pay. It is a great jacket that were made to order and according to Barbour are now as rare as hens teeth, I have to say it is a bit like Triggers Broom with the amount of repairs that have been done over the years but still going strong.

TBM ... is there a niche vegan market for flying-jackets and leathers certified as from cows and sheep that died of old age? .. stops being animal exploitation and becomes prudent recycling! 🙂 ... as you say there are many good alternatives to animal skin for biking gear these days ....Mrs Image was a dedicated Belstaff wearer back in the day but now has some indestructable impervious nylon gear ... still in black though, far too old-school and set in her ways for hi-viz!! ... little risk-taking rebel that she is!! 🙂

K

I think it would be very niche

Yeah, the textile stuff is really good these days - I've been wearing Kevllar bike jeans for many years but the the stuff these days is virtually identical to normal denims, and the Ghost armour is almost undetectable.You do get what you pay for though - mine are near £200 a pair.....