Almost a Jacket?

[Wandering Man]

Vests are almost a jacket, so I'll put my question on this subforum.

Why vests?

Do you wear them for any other reason than as a fashion statement?

I've notice big guys on big bikes wearing vests, lately and my first thought was: A cool (temp-cool, not fashion-cool) substitute for my heavy leather jacket.

Then I thought: What about my arms?

So, is a vest a compromise? Are you thinking "in an accident, my arms will get shredded, but at least my torso will be OK"?

Or is a vest just another way to immerse yourself in biker culture?

WM

[WACB650]

A leather vest could prevent something sharp from sticking into your heart or lungs. Also a full coat sometimes is way too hot. Other times a vest could cool a rider down. I'm sure it is a fashion statement as well. I mean what does a tattoo do for a motorcyclist? Just my thoughts.

[Olivia Chillia]

I've been wondering about the vest thing too.

I suppose the "resistant to piercing trauma" argument could hold some water if the vest closes securely. The degree of piercing resistance would depend heavily upon the angle of impact, sectional density and other things. Though I do wonder whether any piercing objects turned by the vest would do significant impact damage.

From a comfort perspective, I'm guessing they reduce the number of uncomfortable torso bug impacts (they feel like tiny rocks!) and are cooler in hot weather than a full jacket.