Leather motorcycle jacket care and is this picture normal?

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Chris B.

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What is a good way to clean and condition a leather motor cycle jacket? I just bought a new Harley Davidson Leather jacket and I used Kiwi Camp Dry Leather Loation on it. It seemed to work but the next day I got rained on a little and know there are little white resadue spots all over the jacket where rain hit it.

Also When I was applying the Kiwi leather loation the rag I used to wipe it on with keept turning black like the leather die was coming off. Is that normal for new leather when applying a conditioner or is the Kiwi Camp Dry to harsh and not a good choice? Here are a couple pictures of the rag and jacket:
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Can you reccomend a good product to condition the leather and protect it? I use 303 protectant on my car but would it be good for this leather jacket? Would the 303 replact the oils leather need to keep from cracking and drying out? How could I water proof it bacause I know I'll be riding in the rain!
Thank you for any help!
 
I've tried a lot of different leather treatments over the years and still keep coming back to SnoSeal. It conditions when applied lightly to warm leather, rub in well, and waterproofs when applied heavily. Waterproofing for use on a bike will be difficult due to the pressure of the water from the speed, where 'breathable' materials like Goretex can still leak, and conditioned leather will start wetting after ebough exposure. I've seen guys complain about having spent a couple of hundred, or more, on a GoreTex jacket, and have it leak a lot; gotta know what technology is being used and how it works !

I used a Barbour jacket for years and as long as I kept the dresing touched up it wrked fine, but most will use an impermeable rain suit.
 
So why did the rag I used turn black?

I have never heard of Sno-Seal or Lexol. Where can I find some localy? Thank you!
 
I used to use Wilson's store brand leather care products for my jackets, but lately I have been treated them as I treat my (now retired) combat boots. That is, mink oil and saddle soap. Never has failed me, and it smells good too!
 
Pecards Motorcycle Leather Lotion is excellent on leather jacket. Google "Pecards." If the jacket has a plasticized finish, a product with silicone like Lexol may be good, too.

Don't use any leather conditioner or cleaner that contains any animal-derived oils and fats like neatsfoot oil (it actually dissolves leather fibers over time) and mink oil. Animal oil and fat gets rancid and also attracts insects and makes a good breeding ground for mold spores.
 
For cleaning and conditioning my various things made of leather, I use a name brand saddle soap, currently Kiwi. Some companies no longer call it saddle soap and instead call it a leather treatment or conditioner or some such word, and its no longer a hard paste (like it used to be) that you rub with a wet rag to produce a soap. It instead now usually comes in liquid form. It has very little waterproofing ability.

I've tried numerous leather waterproofers since the late 1950's, in a neverending search for the best. The best I've found for waterproofing purposes is Sno-Seal. Its primary ingredient is bees wax. I use it on the boots that I want water resistant. Generally, it is also an adequate cleaner and conditioner, tho on boots that I Sno-Seal I also use a saddle soap/leather cleaner or conditioner periodically, as well as Sno Seal as necessary.

When using Sno-Seal or any other waterproofer, I long ago found out that if you heat it up so that its just barely hot enough to touch (Sno Seal comes hard in the can but liquifies when heated), and also heat up the boots or shoes, and apply the waterproofer when warm to the boots or shoes when they are warm, you get much better, deeper, and faster penetration. You may have to periodically rewarm the waterproofer and boot or shoe. I warm my boots and shoes in the kitchen oven (yes its ok with my wife) and heat up the waterproofer on a burner on top of the stove or in the microwave. Warm the boots or shoes up at 200 degrees and remove them as soon as they're warm, and constantly keep an eye on the waterproofer during heating so it doesn't get too hot or boil over. Put what you think you'll need of the waterproofer in a small separate container for heating purposes. When applying it, keep rubbing it into the leather until you no longer have a wet layer on top -- the more you rub it in the better. Let the boots or shoes dry at room temperature.

Here's the Sno-Seal homepage:

http://www.atsko.com/snoseal.html
 
I forgot to say above, as to Sno-Seal, it is not for shoes and boots that are "polished". It is not compatible with shoe and boot polish. Its for "oil-tanned" shoes and boots. If you polish your shoes or boots, I recommend a spray-on waterproofer, most of which have a silicone or similar ingredient. I use that on my 5 pairs of western boots, which I polish, and it works quite well to make them very water resistant. Spray on a fairly heavy coat, followed by another fairly heavy coat about 24 hours later. Make sure that you spray it on liberally where the sole and heel meet the leather upper and on all seams on the upper. Do this each early fall and early spring. Then, polish as polishing is needed. Between the spray-on waterproofer and polish, you'll get good water resistance. Treat the boots twice a year (every 6 months, preferably mid-winter and mid-summer) with saddle soap or leather conditioner/treatment for added conditioning of the leather.

I've used the above treatment for cowboy boots for decades. I now have 3 pair that I wear interchangably all the time and that are 22-23 years old and look good enough to wear when my wife and I go out to dinner. Each pair has been resoled and reheeled at least 6 times, but the leather uppers are still in excellent shape.
 
Sno- Seal, Lexol can be found in outdoor supply stores. There should be a few camping and hunting stores in Colorado. good luck
 
quote:
Originally posted by moribundman:
Pecards Motorcycle Leather Lotion is excellent on leather jacket. Google "Pecards." If the jacket has a plasticized finish, a product with silicone like Lexol may be good, too.

Don't use any leather conditioner or cleaner that contains any animal-derived oils and fats like neatsfoot oil (it actually dissolves leather fibers over time) and mink oil. Animal oil and fat gets rancid and also attracts insects and makes a good breeding ground for mold spores.
Click to expand...
Interesting! Lots of folks at work and such told me to use Mink oil. I'll skip that. What is a Plasticized finish and how can I tell if the jacket has it? Will Pecards work on it too? Thank you!
 
Chris, Pecards makes a motorcycle leather dressing, a motorcycle leather lotion and a motorcycle high gloss spray lotion. The dressing is for thick leather like saddle bags, the lotion is for thinner leather like jackets and the spray is for glossy leather. For a regular motorcycle jacket, the lotion would be best, whether or not it's coated leather. It's mostly automotive leather and motorcycle jackets that have a plastic coating. By looks alone you can't really tell, because, for example, vegetable tanned leathers can have a plastic look and feel.
 
You can find Lexol in most car parts stores and even big box stores car sections.
 
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