Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

One thing I have noticed on the site is a real lack of reference to maintaining your riding gear.

Today, being really nice and sunny, and not too hot, was a *perfect* day to break out a new tin of 'Dubbin', and give the leathergoods a full going-over.

Once upon a time, I used "Ge-Wy" leather dressing, it is really good, but I haven't been able to find any for some time - so its the normal old 'Dubbin' in a neutral tone that was used today.

1 x leather jacket
1 x leather pants
1 x pair of Alpine Stars
1 x pair of Sidi r/race boots

all that lot required 1 full tin of Dubbin. If you haven't used this stuff before, you should do, it extends the life of your leather gear, helps with waterproofing, softens the leather (great for aged boots) and in general will 'lift' the appearance of your gear.

Easiest way to apply is in direct sunlight (allows Dubbin to penetrate the leather), and use a 2" paintbrush ( or even a basting brush from the kitchen drawers....).

I cannot recommend this stuff highly enough, and try to do at least 2 "Dubbins" over the warmer months, for all the gear I use regularly.

Can be used over coloured leathers (if you are in to that type of thing ), without any problems, and should be 'worked' into the seams etc, for best results.

You can get it at any leather-craft shop, or 'Horseland' etc etc, even K-Mart carry this stuff.

I used dubin on my leathers the first time but the guy at the local leathers place recomends lanomax so i just hung them up on the clothes line in the sun for a bit and spraypainted them so to speak and hung them up till they dried off/soaked up in the cupboard and they came out softish.

Boots just kept soaking this stuff up as fast as i sprayed like a sponge so to speak gloves too but i suspect my leathers are made of harder stuff.

ok, that is good, but how do ya get the smell out of the inside from sweat?

ZX9R King wrote:ok, that is good, but how do ya get the smell out of the inside from sweat?

You can sponge bath them. Or hand wash them. Just don't dry them in direct sunlight as they will harden. If you do hand wash them, make sure you rub in a lot of KY....err sorry Dubbin or other similiar leather treatment. Be careful not to overdo the leather treatment around the stitching, as this can cause the actual stitching to rot.

I have several leather garments still in circulation from years past, and I find the best way to look after them is not to wash them or treat them. I find that the bodies natural oils are much better for waterproofing and conditioning/softening the leather.

Gosling1 wrote:Today, being really nice and sunny, and not too hot, was a *perfect* day to break out a new tin of 'Dubbin', and give the leathergoods a full going-over.

Bugger!!!!

I wasted my day riding my motorcycle!

Most leather repairers do not recommend Dubbin for m-cycle apparel because it can rot the stitching. The leather colour on todays leather is spray painted on so the Dubbin cannot soak in like it used too, I still do my boots with it though and it does not seem to have affected them in any way as they are now 21 years old.

Neil

Neilp wrote:... I still do my boots with it though and it does not seem to have affected them in any way as they are now 21 years old.

thats a good life-span from a pair of boots.......I bet they are as comfy as slippers........my old Alpine Stars are 26 years old now, and are as comfy as a pair of old boots......

But, the whole "rot-the-stitching" thing is just a load of horseshit. If it were true, the stitching on my 30+ year old Stagg jacket would have *rotted* out years ago...........the reality is that I have worn this jacket for over 25 years, and it gets at least 2 'Dubbins' every year........... no stitching has rotted, in fact the waterproofing properties of Dubbin ( or Ge-Wy, its very similiar) help prolong the life of the stitching.........not reduce it.....

only my 2c worth.......

Gosling1 wrote:[
But, the whole "rot-the-stitching" thing is just a load of horseshit. If it were true, the stitching on my 30+ year old Stagg jacket would have *rotted* out years ago...........the reality is that I have worn this jacket for over 25 years, and it gets at least 2 'Dubbins' every year........... no stitching has rotted, in fact the waterproofing properties of Dubbin ( or Ge-Wy, its very similiar) help prolong the life of the stitching.........not reduce it.....

only my 2c worth.......

I don't Disagree with you you dickhead! Re-read my post! The only thing I said was, and I quote "Be careful not to overdo the leather treatment around the stitching, as this can cause the actual stitching to rot. "

Faark you had too much coffe tonight Gos??????

No, not at all. I did read your post, and Neils, and they both basically said the same thing......yours said overuse causes stitching to rot, his said not recommended to use because it will rot the stitching.....is there a difference here ?? I can't see one, and it boils down to the same urban myth. Its a load of old cobblers.

Thats all.

If you want any other proof, just ask how many bikers out there have had their leather jackets fall apart from being Dubbin'ed..... Even Neil's reply had the answer in his comment about the boots........no issues in 25 years........and boots have stitching, and are stitched up.........aren't they ??

If you choose not to Dubbin, then go for it ... I was just making an observation about the preservative qualities of Dubbin/Ge-Wy, but only after using it for the last quarter-century....I think that is a fair test of time, and is proof beyond any doubt that use and/or overuse of dubbin does not rot the stitching at all. (I always work a fair bit into the seams...)

Gosling1 wrote:No, not at all. I did read your post, and Neils, and they both basically said the same thing......yours said overuse causes stitching to rot, his said not recommended to use because it will rot the stitching.....is there a difference here ?? I can't see one, and it boils down to the same urban myth. Its a load of old cobblers.

Thats all.

If you want any other proof, just ask how many bikers out there have had their leather jackets fall apart from being Dubbin'ed..... Even Neil's reply had the answer in his comment about the boots........no issues in 25 years........and boots have stitching, and are stitched up.........aren't they ??

If you choose not to Dubbin, then go for it ... I was just making an observation about the preservative qualities of Dubbin/Ge-Wy, but only after using it for the last quarter-century....I think that is a fair test of time, and is proof beyond any doubt that dubbin does not rot the stitching at all.

Mate, the latest AMCN has an article in it on leather maintenance which says Dubbin rots stiching but I've used it for 26 years and I too have a Stagg Leather jacket that I bought in 19 (fucikn' before most people were born) seventy something and It's always been Dubbined and it's still in one piece (wouldn't fit around my guts any more but it is fine).

I've used it on every set of leathers I've had and not one has ever had a problem with stitching rotting. Having said that I now use some shit called Zorbel which I reckon cleans 'em better and doesn't get as greasy, but I'd use Dubbin in a flash.

Just had a quick read of the latest issue, at that article.......

I cannot believe those idiots at AMCN are peddling this garbage. I have had that Stagg jacket since 1980, and it has never had one single issue with being dubbined / stitches falling apart. Neither have the boots. Neither have some old gloves that I also dubbin......I am glad to hear that your old Stagg has also survived the thermo-nuclear Dubbin 'Attack Those Stitches' holocaust........

Fair dinkum, I am going to write to those idiots and tell them to stop printing that crap. Its just more proof that the more times you tell an untruth, the more likely it is that the general populace will believe it as a truth.

I wonder where they got their information from ? Probably the distibutors of those new-age leather cleaners.....now there is a surprise......lets push our product at the expense of another competitors product.....fair dinkum

But I might give that Zorbel a nudge, Dubbin is a bit greasy until you have worn the jacket on a few rides.......

USE MORE DUBBIN I SAY......... and AMCN can get fcuked

I've always used Dubbin and never had a problem
my old jacket is 22 yrs old and all the stiching is fine

Gosling1 wrote:No, not at all. I did read your post, and Neils, and they both basically said the same thing......yours said overuse causes stitching to rot, his said not recommended to use because it will rot the stitching.....is there a difference here ?? I can't see one, and it boils down to the same urban myth. Its a load of old cobblers.

Thats all.

If you want any other proof, just ask how many bikers out there have had their leather jackets fall apart from being Dubbin'ed..... Even Neil's reply had the answer in his comment about the boots........no issues in 25 years........and boots have stitching, and are stitched up.........aren't they ??

If you choose not to Dubbin, then go for it ... I was just making an observation about the preservative qualities of Dubbin/Ge-Wy, but only after using it for the last quarter-century....I think that is a fair test of time, and is proof beyond any doubt that use and/or overuse of dubbin does not rot the stitching at all. (I always work a fair bit into the seams...)

oh so just cos u use sumthin for 25yrs u think u kno everything...y dont u do a REAL test on the product....

actually im sure smitty told us last time we spoke of this, that dubbin rots the stitching..and i believe him cos he's YODA and he knows EVERYTHING...

ok..so i guess i better have some kinda serious input...ive had my leathers abt 7 yrs or so now...i dont do shit to em, i have in the past dubbined em but im mostly too lazy...my leathers are cheap & not real comfy nemore, but thats life...the only thing i do is occasionally (ie- every yr b4 i go to gp) spray em with a leather waterproofer ....

have never washed em either...thats the fun of being a biker..the lovely sweaty smell of ur leathers...

cheers Lucas, and Neka, we can always rely on your for some *serious* input. One thing that gets up my goat is that people who don't even use this stuff reckon it rots the stitching.........how the hell would they know ?? they don't use it !! I guess it was something their Dad told them when they were a young tacker...... (I ain't referring to you Strika, or Neil, but I have heard this crap from some other people, who don't even own leather jackets FFS !!)

This wasn't meant to be a controversial thread :oops: I have had far too many Bourbons, and am now going to stumble off to the fartsack........

Glen wrote:[
I've used it on every set of leathers I've had and not one has ever had a problem with stitching rotting. Having said that I now use some shit called Zorbel which I reckon cleans 'em better and doesn't get as greasy, but I'd use Dubbin in a flash.

OK Well Maybe you wernt a d/h and didn't overuse it as I HAVE SEEN SOME PEOPLE DO. Following your theory by the way, I have a Mars Leather Jacket that I bought in 197? as well. It is soft and supple and hasn't split or cracked. I have ridden in the rain, sun, hail, snow, sand, and never, ever, ever treated it with anything. So does that mean thats the best way to look after leathers? NO.

I still stand by My comment "overuse of any leather treatment almost around stiching can cause rot" !