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mscuddy · 03-21-2010, 01:27 PM

"Oh. You’re not going to wear that old thing again, are you?" asked the wife, as I reached for my black leather jacket. The old one.

"Yeah, I kind of like it, it's old and beat up, like me" I answered, as I held it up to the light, and took a good look at it.

It smells of gasoline and grease, is torn and ripped in a few places, with generous road-rash on the right shoulder, and has faded to a light-gray. But it's also been with me at over one hundred and forty miles an hour on evil handling Kawasaki’s, been pawed at by tree branches, and has saved yards of skin when my balls took over for my brain.

It was with me when I out-cornered that guy in full leathers on his Duck at 120+, and when I went over the bars, and slid about 20 feet on my chest after the basketball incident.

It was cuffed along with me for a wheelie-evading incident with Burbank's finest, and served as a pillow in Super Hunky's motor home at the Adelanto Grand Prix.

It's got a BSA pin in the left epaulette, and a Cal City Enduro finishers’ pin on the other. It's got too many zippers, studs and flaps, but those pockets and secret compartments have held many strange and wonderful items.

After giving it a good hard look, I answered the wife "Yeah, I guess you're right" and threw it on the couch. I put on my new shiny black leather jacket instead, you know, the one that will never know the thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat. Won't ever get to feel the chain lube up its back, or the soft caress of newly paved asphalt.

Should have wore the old one.

The_AirHawk · 03-21-2010, 03:16 PM

It's your Second Skin, Man. The Wife can never understand.

seruzawa · 03-21-2010, 04:08 PM

At least you still have it. The Navy work jacket that made it through 4 years including a war and had patches on it for every duty station and country I visited got ripped off by a hippie in 1972. I hate hippies.

mscuddy · 03-21-2010, 05:25 PM

Yeh, some hippie bytch stole my peacoat. Seemed to be an epidemic amongst hippies back in the day. If it wasn't bolted down, they ripped it off. I hate hippies too.

pplassm · 03-22-2010, 06:23 AM

I have one of those. I wore it yesterday. Don't throw it out, Matt!

sarnali2 · 03-22-2010, 08:39 AM

I don't wear my leather jacket anymore but my Darien's got it's share of stains plus it smells faintly of skunk now.

My old Foul Weather jacket made it into the '90's as a work jacket until a small oil pressure sensing line blew out and it (and me) got covered in Black Oil. It was in pretty bad shape anyway so I took it around back of the boiler house, wadded it up and burned it. Seemed like a fitting end. I hate hippies as well, useless f*cks....

The_AirHawk · 03-22-2010, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarnali2

I don't wear my leather jacket anymore but my Darien's got it's share of stains plus it smells faintly of skunk now.

My old Foul Weather jacket made it into the '90's as a work jacket until a small oil pressure sensing line blew out and it (and me) got covered in Black Oil. It was in pretty bad shape anyway so I took it around back of the boiler house, wadded it up and burned it. Seemed like a fitting end. I hate hippies as well, useless f*cks....

That Bunker is some nasty shyte. Glad as hell I don't work with it. Give me NatGas any day.

sarnali2 · 03-22-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_AirHawk

That Bunker is some nasty shyte. Glad as hell I don't work with it. Give me NatGas any day.

We converted to diesel as alternate fuel and NatGas as primary a couple of years ago, a lot easier to deal with. Bunker C isn't bad as long as you keep it around 200 degrees, if you get much below 180 it doesn't want to burn or pump. Plus if it gets on your clothes you have to wash them in gasoline or diesel to get it off.

seruzawa · 03-22-2010, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarnali2

We converted to diesel as alternate fuel and NatGas as primary a couple of years ago, a lot easier to deal with. Bunker C isn't bad as long as you keep it around 200 degrees, if you get much below 180 it doesn't want to burn or pump. Plus if it gets on your clothes you have to wash them in gasoline or diesel to get it off.

I still like the smell of that crap when I drive by a shipyard. Don't know why. Something about sea air and black oil.

Kenneth_Moore · 03-22-2010, 10:14 AM

Nice one, Matt. Good sentiment there.

My jacket story:

Back in my drinking days, I went to Daytona. This was my first year with my 77 Low Rider. I was over-served, and then taken advantage of by a unscrupulous vendor, who sold me this outrageous red, white, and blue leather jacket. It had a huge USA on the back, flags on the shoulders, stripes, it was just awful. Evil Knievel would be proud to wear that thing...

When I got home, which in those days was the boat, and sobered up, I realized I'd spent $200 on the damn thing, and I'd never wear it. The next day, one of the other boatyard residents came to my boat with a really nice black leather jacket. It was super heavy duty, silk lining, everything. He said he'd found it in the parking lot next to my bike, and didn't want to see it get stolen. I told him it wasn't mine, and he should keep it. Just then he saw the Evil Knievel jacket. "Where did you get that? Do you want to trade?" I told him maybe, but mine was brand new, and his was kinda weathered... But, since he was such a nice guy to think of me when he found it, ok!

15 years later, I still have the jacket, although these days, I wear my textile jacket with armor.

03-21-2010, 01:27 PM	#1
mscuddy MODERATOR X Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Next to my still checkin the temp. Posts: 5,444	My Old Jacket "Oh. You’re not going to wear that old thing again, are you?" asked the wife, as I reached for my black leather jacket. The old one. "Yeah, I kind of like it, it's old and beat up, like me" I answered, as I held it up to the light, and took a good look at it. It smells of gasoline and grease, is torn and ripped in a few places, with generous road-rash on the right shoulder, and has faded to a light-gray. But it's also been with me at over one hundred and forty miles an hour on evil handling Kawasaki’s, been pawed at by tree branches, and has saved yards of skin when my balls took over for my brain. It was with me when I out-cornered that guy in full leathers on his Duck at 120+, and when I went over the bars, and slid about 20 feet on my chest after the basketball incident. It was cuffed along with me for a wheelie-evading incident with Burbank's finest, and served as a pillow in Super Hunky's motor home at the Adelanto Grand Prix. It's got a BSA pin in the left epaulette, and a Cal City Enduro finishers’ pin on the other. It's got too many zippers, studs and flaps, but those pockets and secret compartments have held many strange and wonderful items. After giving it a good hard look, I answered the wife "Yeah, I guess you're right" and threw it on the couch. I put on my new shiny black leather jacket instead, you know, the one that will never know the thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat. Won't ever get to feel the chain lube up its back, or the soft caress of newly paved asphalt. Should have wore the old one. __________________ A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

03-21-2010, 03:16 PM	#2
The_AirHawk Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Livin' in a Van: down by the Mariana Trench Posts: 10,891	It's your Second Skin, Man. The Wife can never understand. __________________ *Parfois, on fait pas semblant* Sometimes, it's not pretend Oderint Dum Metuant Let them hate so long as they fear политики предпочитают безоружных крестьян Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants Nothing to see here, Citizen. Move along now...

03-21-2010, 04:08 PM	#3
seruzawa Robby Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: 8501 ft. Posts: 16,803	At least you still have it. The Navy work jacket that made it through 4 years including a war and had patches on it for every duty station and country I visited got ripped off by a hippie in 1972. I hate hippies. __________________ I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.

03-21-2010, 05:25 PM	#4
mscuddy MODERATOR X Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Next to my still checkin the temp. Posts: 5,444	Yeh, some hippie bytch stole my peacoat. Seemed to be an epidemic amongst hippies back in the day. If it wasn't bolted down, they ripped it off. I hate hippies too. __________________ A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

03-22-2010, 06:23 AM	#5
pplassm Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 3,875	I have one of those. I wore it yesterday. Don't throw it out, Matt! __________________ Mongo just pawn in game of life.

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03-22-2010, 08:39 AM	#6
sarnali2 Aging Cafe` Racer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sittin' down by my window, lookin' at the rain. Posts: 8,132	I don't wear my leather jacket anymore but my Darien's got it's share of stains plus it smells faintly of skunk now. My old Foul Weather jacket made it into the '90's as a work jacket until a small oil pressure sensing line blew out and it (and me) got covered in Black Oil. It was in pretty bad shape anyway so I took it around back of the boiler house, wadded it up and burned it. Seemed like a fitting end. I hate hippies as well, useless f*cks.... __________________ "Carpe` Throttelum -Loud Suits Save Lives" "All the BMW riders in the room, I want you to leave. Now. Out. "

03-22-2010, 10:14 AM	#10
Kenneth_Moore Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: VIsiting the GIft Shop in the Pit of DIspair Posts: 7,118	Nice one, Matt. Good sentiment there. My jacket story: Back in my drinking days, I went to Daytona. This was my first year with my 77 Low Rider. I was over-served, and then taken advantage of by a unscrupulous vendor, who sold me this outrageous red, white, and blue leather jacket. It had a huge USA on the back, flags on the shoulders, stripes, it was just awful. Evil Knievel would be proud to wear that thing... When I got home, which in those days was the boat, and sobered up, I realized I'd spent $200 on the damn thing, and I'd never wear it. The next day, one of the other boatyard residents came to my boat with a really nice black leather jacket. It was super heavy duty, silk lining, everything. He said he'd found it in the parking lot next to my bike, and didn't want to see it get stolen. I told him it wasn't mine, and he should keep it. Just then he saw the Evil Knievel jacket. "Where did you get that? Do you want to trade?" I told him maybe, but mine was brand new, and his was kinda weathered... But, since he was such a nice guy to think of me when he found it, ok! 15 years later, I still have the jacket, although these days, I wear my textile jacket with armor. __________________ www.kennethmoore.org