I sell a line of motorcycle and ATV bags and clothing. From time to time customers ask questions about some of the terms used to describe my products.  CHECK OUT MY STORE

I have listed the most commonly requested definitions below:

Duratex: is a very tough woven fabric made with a specialty performance yarn. It feels like cotton but offers 30% better tearing strength and durability with easy care characteristics.
 Duratex fabric gives a natural cotton feel while offering all the desirable characteristics from synthetics such as better,easy care, built-in shape retention function which last after repeated washing.

Goretex Gore-Tex is a proprietary teflonized textile material owned by W.L. Gore & Associates. It has the property that water vapor in the air may pass through its pores, but liquid water may not; commonly said to be 'breathable There are a number of companies developing materials very similar to Gore-Tex. When used in motorcycle gear it is very important to have sealed seams in order for these space age materials to work properly.

LUMIDEX®: is a retro-reflective fabric mixed with retro-reflective yarn such as Scotchlite

Kevlar: is the DuPont Company's brand name for material made out of synthetic fiber of poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide which is constructed of para-aramid fibers that is five times stronger than the same weight of steel, while being lightweight, flexible and comfortable. It is also very heat resistant and decomposes above 400 °C without melting.

Dynax® NYLON:  I looked everywhere and all I can tell you is that Dynax is a really strong nylon material. Resists tearing, heat and abrasion. This is often an important starting point of quality protective clothing. You can have all the pads and kevlar you want. If the jacket comes apart when you skid these little goodies don't help if the jacket doesn't stay together.

Top Grain: Leather whose top (outermost) layers have been left intact, in contrast to split leather.

Vegetable Tanning: A method of hide tanning which utilizes materials from organic materials such as bark instead of the traditional chemicals. Vegetable tanned leather has greater body and firmness than traditionally-tanned leather. 

Aniline: Leather that is colored all the way through with a transparent dye. The effect is applied by immersing the leather in a dye bath. Because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only the best quality hides can be used.

Buffalo Leather: Strong fairly stiff leather that resists abrasion often used in motorcycle jackets and chaps.

Buffed Leather: Leather from which the top surface has been removed by abrasion. Often known as suede or nubuc.

Corrected Grain: Leather that has been buffed to remove blemishes, then covered with a new, artificial grain created using pigments and other finishes.
 

Distressed: Another term for antiqued leather.

Drum Dying: The process of coloring leather by tumbling it in a rotating drum immersed in dye. A very effective method allowing maximum dye penetration.

Finish: Any enhancing effect applied to leather after it has been tanned. Examples are dyeing, embossing, buffing, antiquing, waxing, waterproofing, and so on.

Glazed Leather: Aniline-dyed leather which has been polished to a high luster by passing through glass or steel rollers under great pressure.

Glove Leather: Lambskin or other very soft leather typically used for gloves and quality jackets.

Grain: A word used to describe the natural characteristics of an unprocessed hide, such as its pores, wrinkles, markings, and texture.

Helmets:

DOT

 The Department of Transportation (DOT) rates motorcycle helmets. The rating is based on dropping the helmet containing a simulated head from a height of 10 feet.The "head" must receive no more than 400 Gs over a prescribed dwell time

SNELL

The Snell Memorial Foundation rates motorcycle helmets. The rating is based on dropping the helmet containing a simulated head from a height of 10 feet. The "head" must receive no more than 285 Gs. A second drop is done from a lower height. Helmets that meet Snell standards are considered safer than DOT helmets.

Full face 

A full face helmet covers the entire head, with a rear that covers the base of the skull, and a protective section over the front of the chin. Such helmets have an open area across the eyes and nose, with a plastic face shield that swivels up and down to allow access to the face. Most riders prefer a helmet with a ventilation system for comfort and to avoid fogging.

3/4 face 

This helmet's rear covers the back of the skull, but lacks the lower chin armor of the full face helmet, as well as the face shield. Many riders use goggles or a face shield with this type of helmet for confort and protection

1/2 helmet 
With essentially the same front design as a 3/4 face helmet, but a raised rear, the half helmet provides the minimum coverage generally allowed by law in the US. As with the 3/4 face, it is not uncommon to augment this helmet's eye protection with goggles.

NOVELTY

Novelty Helmets some times called Beanies. They are not certified and  used to provide minimum compliance with mandatory helmet laws.

Hump back: An aerodynamic hump built into the back of racing jackets to improve air flow at high speeds.

Naked Leather: The very best quality hides are hand picked for lack of imperfections and for uniformity. Only the hair is removed. The hide is tanned and dyed. No sanding or coating is performed. This leather requires no breaking in period. Hides are typically 2-3mm thick.  The natural full-grain naked leather will wear better than other leather and will improve over the years. This type of leather makes the best leather gear. Naked leather goods are often two to three times the cost of other leather products.

Oil Tanned: Leather that is tanned using oils to create a very soft, pliable finish.

Perforated: Leather in which a pattern of small holes is stamped using a die.

Pigmented Leather: Leather that has been coated with a flat surface color on top of or instead of the usual dye finish. Leather is usually pigmented to add durability and hide natural blemishes.

Semi-Aniline: Aniline leather to which a matching pigment layer is added to even out the color and add protection.

Pigmented Leather: Leather that has been coated with a flat surface color on top of or instead of the usual dye finish. Leather is usually pigmented to add durability and hide natural blemishes.

Weight: A term which describes the heaviness or thickness of leather. Typically given in ounces per square foot or millimeters (thickness). 

Patched leather: Leather produced by sewing several small pieces together.

Pucks: Also CE pucks & CE protectors; plastic skids that attach to areas of a motorcycle racing suit likely to come in comtact with the pavement during hard cornering. Yes believe it or not people need to replace these. You need em? I sell em!

Thinsulate: A high efficiency 3M insulating material. Insulations work in two ways: first, by trapping air. The more air trapped, the more efficient the insulation. Second, by reflecting back the body’s radiant heat. The  microfibers of Thinsulate insulation are about ten times smaller than the fibers of other synthetic insulations, which means they’re much more efficient at trapping air.

Throw over saddlebags: Saddle bags that mount to your motorcycle much the the same way saddlebags fit on a horse. You throw them over. Throw over saddlebags are designed so that you can modify them them to fit your motorcycle. Not the other way around.

Vents or vented : Adjustable openings in motorcycle jackets and helmets that can be opened or closed allowing air to flow through the jacket to cool the wearer.

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