Crowtree Leathers
 

I need a one-piece suit for next years activities so have been weighing up the options.

I am considering waiting until the 'supposed' factory trip to see whats in the shop there but I've also been considering getting some custom made by crowtree. I find that a lot of off-the-peg stuff doesn't fit me very well so custom made makes sense.

Does anyone have any experience of crowtree? Or any other place that does tailor made suits in the UK that they could balance with?

Cheers,

TP

tony , you should go and try some dainese on, just to see how they fit. if they suit you then 300 odd quid from the ducati staff place makes sence. if not maybe go down tailor made route.

p.s cheers for the grazes on my arm.

Grazes? No worries, it was that or help you pick up your teeth! You nobber!

true - cheers!

you tried dainese leathers before ???

Crowtree are superb.

Not only are they made to fit you, but they make them suit the type of riding you will be doing, eg. you sit very different when racing than if touring on a Multistrada. On places like hips they use up to three layers of leather for extra protection. Loads of my mates used them when racing and they coped very well with some HUGE crashes.

You won't be dissapointed
;)

No, I've tried their jackets but never a full suit. I've tried the Alpinestars suits but they just didn't feel right. With my similar experience with business suits (I'm glad I don't wear these at the moment) I was much better off in the tailored stuff.

I've heard similar things about them. The other thing about custom made is I don't have to go with some OTT colour scheme ...

It's for racing so I want the best protection - everything I can do to keep me at work whilst contracting will pay for itself. I can't wait to ring BUPA and my insurance company ... NOT. Thanks Steve.

[Edited on 1-12-2004 by tp-996]

Oh yeah, I think I remember seeing BKS on his No Limits leathers ...

Cheers Steve.

There is no guarentee that the "shop" will have leathers, - it is not a normal shop with stock nicely laid out, - it is more piles of stuff that is surplus to requirements or last years (or year before that) colour scheme. It is a bit like a jumble sale, - a great jumble sale mind you. Also it could be a case of we get there and "Maria" has phoned in sick and nobody has the key that day, - it really is not a commercial setup, - it is Italian laid-back-ness at its best.

Yup. The fit for a full-on race suit is very snug and specific, so I wouldn't advise that for general road use. They're a great company, and your £800ish is going into materials and manufacture rather than marketing and retailing. The downside is that you have to visit Louth twice (convenient for Cadwell) and wait a while cos they prefer quality control over company growth. Also, the industrial strength does make them less comfortable for allround road use.

For racing, there's absolutely no comparison against crash-once-then-replace off the peg leathers. Look at and ask around any club racing paddock for proof. Different animal really. Maybe not so relevant if you ride safely on the road, but a definite consideration if into trackdays.

Alternatives are Hideout (nr Cambridge, excellent too), BKS (bigger, more organised, more expensive), MW (London, intentionally lighter built I believe), 9-lives and others.

The £300 Daineses - wasn't that a one-off from the factory last year (usually a staff-only price?) or are they always available at that sort of money when you visit?

Andy

Louth you say! Bit of a mission from Twickenham :(

I think I'll check out the others as well ...

Not sure what I'm up to this Sat yet - it's my last weekend off before I go away and I promised my Rugby club I'd go down and run the water for the seconds (just like when I'm fit ;) ) so I should get down and do it really. Especially after the club sorted me with tickets for the Eng V Aus game last weekend.

Where are 9 lives?

I've been on the BKS website - holy crap batman, almost twice the price of crowtree although I admit they look like quality kit!

Need to check out 9 Lives now and Carrera.

I've had two sets of race leathers for myself,one for the missus & a couple of jackets from Crowtree,all of which have been faultless!! I'm quite an odd shape(no comments from you please Steve)ie long body/short legs,so i've always found off the peg a non-starter!
I've crashed in them( so as STEVE M,but we don't talk about that!) & walked away unharmed,they offer excellent value for money!!
I would recommend them to anybody!! Don't worry about the drive over to them,it's well worth it!!

TP, I have Carrera, and as Weeksy says, they are top chaps, and they will sell you a set of race leathers for cost. Mine were a tad over £600 with the writing and logo on the back.
You go to the factory to get fitted up, it's in Royston,not too far from you I think.
Call Martin on 07885465599, and tell him I sent you!!

P.S. One of my very good racer friends uses Crowtrees and swears by them, they are also top cheeses, but a bit more expensive than Carrera.

[Edited on 1-12-2004 by desmojen]

Thanks Jen, you're a champ :D

What about Scott Leathers? Are they any good?

Tony - if you do go to Nine Lives in Giuldford (3 mins off A3) - We are meeting some others at a cafe just down the road from there this sat. (about half a mile down the road, max)

AK is also going to be popping in there, tho prob early sat by car - to get his 1 piece altered.

C

[Edited on 1-12-2004 by CK and AK]

Well 9 Lives sounds pretty close.

Just have to sort out timings I guess - Rugby KO is at 2:30 but I don't know if they are at home or away yet.

'scuse my ignorance but what time you getting down there Charlotte?

No, you didn't see BKS leathers on WJB, but you did see MJK

They are available off the peg or made to measure and it'll cost you about the same for a made to measure suit as it would for a standard suit from the likes of Dainese (about £800-£1000 the last time I asked depending on spec)

They're made in Holland I think, but their UK distributor is a company called GLF Factors in Flitwick, Beds (opposite the railway station and about 40 mins from Kings Cross Thameslink). Graham, the owner is a really good bloke and really knowledgable about racing and all things to do with what it takes to make good racing leathers. I can't afford any yet, but I'm going to replace the old Spyke with a set just as soon as I can.

Thanks for the correction Jools :D

Got a few avenues to go down now - thanks very much peeps, very appreciated.

they all do 'stretch' fit do they?
;)

I'm just going to let you go next time, get some popcorn ...

... and a mop!

:lol:

Tony, I think Al is aiming to get there before the 'shopping' traffic' gets too bad - like about 9.30 latest.

He needs to be back by 10.30 - cos I'm off out on my bike without him if he isnt back!:lol:

C

ps: will u2u Als mobile to you

Yep, as Jools says. We use MJK from GLF Accessories in Flitwick, Beds. It is a stroll from the station, (you can see it from the train). Call Graham Falcke on 01525 717009.

Graham is extremely knowledgable about leathers and he only sells the best gear - MJK, Arai, Knox, Held, Daytona etc - the very best kit. He has a list of racers as long as your arm inc loads of BSB and WSB rides, he has a photo album of racers inc Zaus etc - if they're good enough for him to crash in, they'll do for me.

I only used Graham because No Limits get all their leathers made to measure there, but since I've met him, I now get all my gear there. He'll do a discount for ACU licence holders if you have one.

I have a full one piece Dainese Ducati Foggy type leathers and I thought they were the bizzo until I put on my MJK. I can wear them all day and forget I have them on, so comfortable from new. They have soft armour, (better than hard armour) and are designed as I want them - no collar and cuffs +++.

I've forgotten how many times I've crashed in them - five I think, inc 95mph at Mallory along the tarmac. Apart from the No Limits logo on my back peeling off a little and the MJK logo on the shoulder, you'd hardly know they'd been down the road.

I'm not on any commission or anything, just like to see a top bloke giving quality and good old fashioned service get the deal ahead of the mass produced stuff. Graham comes to watch club racing a lot, his son races and he also does several track days a year, so he knows what he's talking about.

Mine are about to go up there for a 'service', so tell him WeeJohnyB sent ya - he likes a laugh:lol:

WeeJohnyB

MJK for me too Tony, mine are plain black as seen in this issue of pronto(and my avatar) and cost about £540. Brilliant leathers-I crashed at Snetterton 1st November and apart from the MJK logo on the shoulder you couldn't tell I had been off-once I had cleaned all the mud off them like............:lol:
The other thing is that the leather used is VERY soft and so very comfortable.

John

[Edited on 2-12-2004 by Monty]

TP. have heard that Crowtree do excellent leathers, however they somehow conspired to sellboth my mate and his wife's leathers as second hand when all he had done was take them in for servicing! Sadly for Crowtree he was chief Exec of the MCA at the time!!!
(Motor Cycle Association and organisers of the NEC bike show)

Well - two ringing endorsements for MJK plus from Scottch on the messenger last night. I'll give them a call.

Weeksy, I can't come out to play tomorrow mate. Ange is out all day with the car and I have the kids to take to various parties so I'll be all over the place tomorrow. But I get to play cars on the car mat :D

I'd recommend MJK too if you want made to measure. As the others have said, speak to Graham or BigJ. But if you do, just don't mention anything about Captain Pugwash, ok?

Well, an off the peg suit from Dainese or Alpinestars can cost anywhere from £500 to £1200. If I can get one that fits me properly etc that costs somewhere near the halfway mark there or cheaper - I'm in! I'd probably even pay more for one that is of a much higher quality than off-the-peg stuff, which I am assured that most of them are.

Thanks again for your help peoples :D

Great post WJB. My ACU application form FINALLY arrived in the post this morning. The ball is not just rolling, but gathering momentum.

Why didn't you just download it off the website like everyone else?

Because they had taken it off as it was the 04 application form not the 05 application form.

They hadn't finished the 05 form so I rang them and they said they would send me one as soon as it was available, so I haven't gone back on to see if they've put it back on.

Kind of moot really as DP don't have their 05 application forms out yet either .... going round in circles a bit here ...

"Because they had taken it off as it was the 04 application form not the 05 application form."
Oh buggar-I have just got the optician's bit filled in on mine, but of course it's a 2004 form-I wonder if they will accept it??-I haven't had a race licence since 1971.......................

John

They will, John. Same thing happened to mine last year. Just include the eye report with the 2005 application.

Oh, and John, you might want to have a go on a post-Thatcherite race bike before your first race next year. Things have moved on a bit since '71...;)

[Edited on 3-12-2004 by Felix]

MMMEEEEEYYYYOOOOOOWWWW

:)

[Edited on 3-12-2004 by tp-996]

Michael's going for Hideout on the recommendation of the Bemsee boys. Not too expensive (£900ish I think), 10% off for ACU licence holders, 10mins or so from the next junction north of Stansted on the M11 and you get your inside leg measured by the attractive young lady who cuts the hides :lol:.

Excellent aftercare service too (after Alec upset my sister by a bit of crash-testing in his brand new leathers earlier this year). Lots of choice of spec, colours, etc, but be warned that the race suits take a fair bit of wearing in around the house apparently but are fantastically comfy once you get that done.

"Things have moved on a bit since '71"-they certainly have Felix-back then I was hanging off the side of a 1000 Vincent sidecar outfit..................I'm not that stupid any more, now I just let WJB race my TZ............on second thoughts............:lol::lol::lol:

Haven't heard of hideout yet, they're on the list now.

:D

The form is now online here:
http://www.acu.org.uk/pdfs/RegistrationForm2005.pdf

Lizzie, I'd agree with 'other' leathers about having to wear them for a month before you can stand up in them, and that's what my Dainese are still like after 4 years, but my MJK were like putting on an old t shirt and a pair of shorts, they're comfy from day one. This is due to the suppleness of the leather and the fact that they use soft armour in the elbows etc and not traditional hard armour. I'm raving a bit here, but they are very, very good. I've also heard great things about BKS, Hideout and Crowtree.

WeeJohnyB