Made in Germany in the 1950s, this is a heavy horsehide motorcycle jacket built for the rider who wanted to be noticed. It has an asymmetric front zip that opens into wide lapels, two zipped chest pockets with braided leather pulls, two zipped hand pockets, zipped cuffs, braided epaulettes, quilted armour panels at the shoulders, elbows and lower back, and a half belt with sliding steel buckles.
Every part of the cut was designed for the bike. Zipped to the collar, the asymmetric front leaves no gap at the chest for the wind to find, and on warmer days it folds back into broad lapels. The shoulders and elbows are padded with rows of quilting, which give a measure of protection where a rider lands in a fall. The concentric stitching at the elbows lets the sleeves bend forward to the bars without bunching. The half belt draws the back in tight against the wind, and below it a panel of diamond quilting keeps the lower back warm on long stretches. The cuff zips close the sleeves over gloves.
What sets this jacket apart is how carefully it was finished. Every zip is set in a fine line of red leather piping on green tape, the main zip included. The chest pockets open with loops of braided red and black leather that a gloved hand can catch. The same braid edges both epaulettes, which fasten with woven leather football buttons. Someone went to real trouble over this jacket. It was made to be looked at as well as ridden in.
The zips are by Ries, the Bavarian maker of heavy-duty garment fasteners. They are solid brass, chosen to take years of hard use and cold, gloved fingers.
It belongs to the great age of West German motorcycling. In the 1950s, as the country rebuilt, the motorbike was how millions of working people got about, and German factories built them in enormous numbers. NSU of Neckarsulm became the largest motorcycle maker in the world, turning out around 350,000 machines in 1955. In 1956 its streamlined Delphin III took the absolute motorcycle speed record at Bonneville at 211 mph. A jacket like this comes from the riders of that era, when a good leather was the most serious piece of kit a man owned.
The horsehide is heavy, dense and tight-grained, a hide prized for its strength against weather and road, and still so solid the jacket will almost stand up on its own. Seventy years of wear have set it into firm rolled creases at the elbows and across the back, and the black finish has taken on a glassy sheen where it has been handled.
Inside, the body is lined in taupe brushed cotton, warm against the skin and hard-wearing. There is an angled inside pocket trimmed in black leather and closed by a buttoned leather tab. The front facings are cut from leather rather than cloth, a detail you only find on well-made jackets.
It’s a jacket made by people who cared how it looked, for someone who cared how he rode.
Condition & Restoration
The jacket is in very good vintage condition. It has been specialist cleaned and conditioned in the workshop with our own Heritage Blend. There are no tears or splits, and the seams are sound throughout.
The horsehide shows natural creasing at the elbows, collar and back, with light rubbing to the collar edge and cuffs. The right chest pocket zip is missing a single tooth, but it still opens and closes as it should. The rest of the Ries zips all run smoothly. The steel buckles are sound with a light age patina, and the football buttons are all present. The cotton lining is clean and intact, with a faint shadow across the shoulders from wear. A few neat period repairs to the lining seams under the arms show the jacket was looked after and kept in use over the years. They are solid and need no further attention.
Key Features
- 1950s German horsehide motorcycle jacket
- Heavy, dense tight-grained horsehide that holds its shape
- Asymmetric brass Ries front zip that opens to wide lapels
- Every zip set in red leather piping on green tape
- Zipped chest pockets with braided red and black leather loop pulls
- Zipped hand pockets and zipped cuffs
- Braided epaulettes with woven leather football buttons
- Quilted shoulders, concentric quilted elbows and diamond-quilted lower back
- Half belt with sliding steel buckles
- Taupe brushed cotton lining with leather-trimmed inside pocket
- Leather front facings
Size & Fit
Measurements taken laid flat:
- Chest, armpit to armpit: 22" / 56 cm
- Shoulders, seam to seam: 18" / 46 cm
- Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 25" / 63.5 cm
- Underarm seam to cuff: 17.5" / 44.5 cm
- Back length, base of collar to hem: 24" / 61 cm
Best suited to: 38–40" chest / Size S/M
Fit: A short rider’s cut that finishes at the waist. It fits a 38" chest with a little room inside, or a 40" chest slim and close to the body, the way these jackets were made to be worn. The half belt draws the back in tight.
For the best indication of sizing, please compare the measurements above with a similar jacket you already own. For any sizing questions, please get in touch.
