* This article originally appeared in the April 1998 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News.

Leather motorcycle jackets are traditionally tight-fitting. we like 'em that way. they don't flap around in the wind when they're tight, and they make you look Bad--and that's good.

But perhaps your favorite jacket doesn't allow for the thickness of an electric vest, a thick sweater, or worse, even a long-sleeved shirt anymore? Have you gained a bit of weight--that kind that seems to collect around your waist with age? Are you supposed to put that jacket, the one that's been everywhere and done everything with you, away for posterity? No way. You'll get it zipped somehow, even though you may not be able to breathe while you ride and look like you've been shrink-wrapped for shipment.

There's now a solution to this age-old (or is it old-age?) problem that's so simple and clever, you'll be saying, "That's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that!" The patented design is a simple 2" wide strip of matching leather with one half of a zipper sewn on one side, and the other half sewn on the other. You just zip it into your jacket and everything fits. call Tom the Tailor for an order blank, match the style of zipper in your jacket to the templates in the brochure, specify the length of the zipper, length of the jacket beyond the zipper, which side your slide is on, leather finish, and enclose $34.95 + $5 for postage and handling, and in 2 - 4 weeks, you're back in that jacket. The strip rolls up to fit in a pocket when you don't need it, and looks sharp, like it could have been part of the original design.

We tried ours on a Z Custom Leathers Jacket and came away impressed. It fit perfectly and allowed for an extra layer of insulation that wasn't possible before.

-Dave Searle