Fox Creek Blog

Acworth, Georgia is about 30 miles northwest of Atlanta. What used to be “out in the country”, is now part of the big mess called “Metro Atlanta”. In this part of Georgia, we’re in just about the best motorcycle riding country in the USA.

The North Georgia Mountains, Southeastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina are full of some of the greatest “twisties” anywhere. The Tail of the Dragon, US Highway 129 connecting Western North Carolina and Tennessee is about a 3 hour ride to the north. TWO (Two Wheels Only) motorcycle campground in Suches, Georgia is only about 2 hours north. The Blue Ridge Parkway is an easy ride from Metro Atlanta. The beaches of the Florida Panhandle are an easy weekend trip to the south. Only problem with riding south in the summer is when you cross the “gnat line” in Macon, Georgia.

Patriot Guard Riders at the dedication of the
Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA

We have about 11 months of almost perfect riding weather here. Winter temps, early in the day can be “uncomfortable” in January and February. I’ve left home on Polar Bear Rides on January 1st with the temps in the mid 20’s. By 11:00AM, it’s in the 40’s and by 2PM, we’re usually in the 50’s.

My Classic I is perfect for riding in this part of the country. I take out the liner in spring and fall and really only use it in winter. The jacket is heavy enough to keep out the coldest temps. In warmer weather, the zipper vents allow me enough flexibility to open them up if I get hot.

End of September, plans were to meet some friends in Panama City, Florida for the Fall Thunder Beach Ralley. First really cool morning of the fall, so I decided to put on my Classic I before I headed out. Motorcycle packed, I turned out of my sub-division and traveled about a half a mile, when a four legged yard shark came out of nowhere. First, I saw he was about a foot away going for my front tire. My instinct was to hit the brake but I still ran over him with my front tire. The braking I did caused a skid and I went down on my left side. I rode the slide for a while, but eventually separated from the bike and rolled another fifteen or twenty feet after the bike came to a stop. Got up and checked to make sure my arms and legs were all there.

Dennis in his Fox Creek Classic I

I got the bike up on its tires and looked over at the dog, laying on his back in the other lane. His eyes were open and they were blinking real fast. I contemplated going over and putting him out of his misery with a swift kick to the head. I hate to see any animal suffer. When all of a sudden he stood up looking kind of dazed, he shook his head from side to side then stopped, looked directly at me and started barking. I started to move toward him and he took off running for parts unknown.

I pushed the bike off of the road and surveyed the damage. Scraped saddle bag, bent shifter, scratched mirror, crushed crash bar and thats it! Damage to me, small road rash on one knee. Damage to my Classic I was road rash on the left elbow and shoulder, a small amount of road rash on the right elbow and upper arm, scratches on the buckle and a little road rash on the front. Nothing on my body that was covered by my Classic I had any kind of injury. What a jacket! I quit smoking in August and unfortunately have gained about 30 lbs so I’m gonna need a new jacket. I think I’ll try the Classic II this time.

Roadie in his Fox Creek laced vest
2004 Yamaha Road Star Midnight Silverado

I have been impressed with my “Fox Creek experience” and totally satisfied. Especially now, since I’ve gotten to test it in a crash. In the only other motorcycle accident in which I was involved, I was wearing a blue jean jacket. About 50 stitches in one arm convinced me that leather would be a permanent part of my riding ensemble.

My next trip is Bike Week in Daytona Beach. This will be my 11th. I usually ride down with friends and spend three or four days. This year, I’m taking the whole week. Leaving home on March 3rd and coming home on March 11th. I plan on riding from Atlanta to Daytona, totally on back roads. I don’t want to get on an interstate highway at all, if possible. If you guys are going to be down there, let me know where and I’ll drop by.

Sounds like a fun trip, Dennis, but we’re not going to Daytona. So, folks, we’re depending on you to keep us up-to-date on what happens at Bike Week. Send us your stories and photos about Bike Week or any other interesting ride or experience you would like to tell us about.

Recently, I was standing in my doorway getting ready to go out for a ride. I looked in the mirror and saw that I had on my Harley-Davidson boots, Harley-Davidson shirt, Harley-Davidson jacket, Harley-Davidson fanny pack (with my Harley-Davidson handkerchief and Harley-Davidson wallet inside), Harley-Davidson bandanna, Harley-Davidson gloves, and Harley-Davidson helmet.

Jeff as “Harley Guy”

I was horrified. I had become “Harley Guy,” the type of guy that has Harley-Davidson stamped on everything he owns or wears. I hate that guy, but I had become him, the corporate sellout. I was rather disgusted with myself.

I immediately went inside the house and threw my Harley-Davidson jacket into the garbage can. Never wanted to see it again.

I started an internet search for leather motorcycle jackets. The name Fox Creek Leather kept coming up. I finally visited their site and thought that they had some beautiful products. Reading through their site, I was impressed by the thickness of their leather and the alleged care with which they are constructed.

Jeff’s Harley April, 2006BC (Before Crash)

I was very interested in purchasing one of their jackets, but was hesitant to buy anything because I would be buying it sight unseen via the internet from some place 8,000 miles away. So, I scoured the internet for personal reviews or comments on Fox Creek Leather Jackets. I visited many sites and many sources, but was unable to locate any negative comments or reviews. Not a single one.

I broke down and gave them a call. They went over specific measurements and eventually convinced me to get one size bigger than I thought I should. I bought the Classic Motorcycle Jacket II. I also bought a pair of braided chaps and some deerskin gauntlets.

They arrived in Pusan, Korea from Virginia, USA in 5 days.

As many reviews had said, the leather was very thick and weighed a ton, but was very soft. Everything fit absolutely perfectly. Although it is still a bit warm here in Korea, the vents on the jacket made it very comfortable to wear.

Jeff’s Bike October, 2006AD (After Drop)

Well. Just a few days after getting the jacket and other leather gear, I was wearing my new jacket and gloves and I slid on something, missed a corner, and slammed into a concrete telephone pole. I broke my leg and was launched off my bike. I tumbled along the ground for about 30 feet.

The leather jacket quite possible saved my life and definitely saved me from serious blood loss and significant upper-body injuries. I had one minor scrape on my right forearm, which I believe was just a bit of road burn caused by the inside zipper lining on the right sleeve.

Jeff and his Harley-Davidson repairman friend

There was absolutely NO damage to the jacket. There was a bit of dust on the right sleeve and right side of the jacket, but I dusted that off in the emergency room. There is not a single scratch on that leather jacket.

Reid at Prince Edward Island last summer. PEI is one
of the three Maritime provinces along with
New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

This part of the world is a motorcyclist’s wonderland - incredible scenery ranging from twists and turns along the coast of Nova Scotia (including the world famous Cabot Trail), to the gently rolling emerald farmland hills on Prince Edward Island, to the picturesque Saint John River valley in New Brunswick.

Wherever you ride, there are always lots of curves and hills, and often the traffic on the back roads is light. Here in the Halifax area we are on the coast so I ride from late March until late December - and sometimes the winters are mild enough I can get out during January and February.

Reid and Bonnie on their 2004 Yamaha Road Star

My wife Bonnie and I ride throughout the Maritime region (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island) - putting on about 18K kms (11K miles) each year. We do a lot of day trips on the bike, some overnighters and vacation on the bike often. Bonnie is a great fan of motorcycling - although packing for two weeks on a bike can be a challenge!

My 2004 Road Star Midnight Silverado has a 1700 cc (102 cubic inch) engine with lots of power for ‘two up’ riding and touring. It is our ‘dream bike’ - we wanted a Roadie for several years. Bonnie bought it for me from her inheritance after her father passed away in 2003. I’ve dressed it up with comfortable seats, backrests, and, of course, lots of chrome!

Motorcycle training class - Reid is on the far right

In addition to being the minister of a local church congregation, I am also a chief instructor with the ‘Gearing Up’ Motorcycle Training Program (the Canadian version of the MSF course). I train new motorcyclists every other weekend, from May to October and also teach some of the Experienced Rider Courses here in the city.

Fox Creek Protective Gear

Teaching the safety course has made me very aware of the necessity of good protective gear. I have to say, my Fox Creek jacket sure fits that description - thick, heavy weight leather - but very comfortable! It’s perfect for the constantly changing temperatures we find when riding along the coast - from really warm inland - mid to high 80s in the summer - to mid 60s along the coast. A quick zip of the jacket vents adjusts for the temperature variations. I’m really looking forward to the leather overpants I have on order - to complete a great looking, fantastic feeling, and very protective set of riding gear.

- Reid, Dartmouth, Canada

“Thank you folks at Fox Creek for a jacket of outstanding quality and for your great customer service. A winning combination!” - Reid

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This morning I had another customer e-mail requesting that we explain how we are better than our competitors…Being that I get this a lot, I thought that I would share my thoughts on this question with the rest of you.

I am proud to work at Fox Creek Leather.  I really do love my job and the people I work with, and really, most people don’t have that privilege. 

We pride ourselves in offering only the best, beautiful, heavy naked leather that is available.  Really, we have got some leather in that did not meet our standards and we would not use it for our products.  We want our customers to have the best. 

Being that our products are American made, we do offer a much higher level of quality than the standard.  This gives us the ability to cover our leather clothing line with a lifetime guarantee. 

I don’t think I need to mention the excellent, in-house, American customer service from a friendly and knowledgeable staff.  We admit that we don’t know it all and if we don’t, we don’t mind investigating the situation, finding an answer, and getting back to you or referring you to someone who can help you. 

All these features combines with our no-hassle return and exchange policy speak loudly about who Fox Creek Leather is.  If you are not sure, just order the competitor’s jacket and then order the Fox Creek Leather Jacket, lay them all out side by side and compare.  Try them on. Ride around the block.  Then send back the one you don’t want to keep.  We are pretty confident that you will be keeping ours, but if not, we will issue a full refund. 

Well, we’ve come a long way from the restaurant at the old Black Rock motel. Renovations are nearly complete, and we expect to move into the new digs by the end of the month. I’ll tell ya — I’m about ready!

Since November, I’ve been here alone except for Rhudy and Trudy and the construction crew. Since I’m separated from the construction by a couple walls, I don’t get to talk with them very often. (Besides, do you know how hard it is to talk over a table saw or hammer?)

Rhudy and Trudy sorta keep to themselves - probably because someone has already talked their heads off… literally. They are my male and female mannequin buddies. Very patient models, can hold a pose for ages, but can’t follow instructions very well. And not at all talkative.

In other words, I’ll be glad to have someone to talk to other than myself!

These pictures show a little of the progress… the ‘Before’ picture was taken last fall and the ‘During’ picture was taken last week. In the next newsletter, I hope I can give you a peek inside our new building and provide you with an ‘After’ photo so you can see our new place all gussied up.

Those of you who visit our site regularly may of noticed a change. We are now proud to carry Easy Bracket’s Mounting Hardware for our customers.

If Easy Bracket’s doesn’t have the brackets to work for your bike or you have a personal preference for the Ghost Brackets, just let us know.

For further information on Easy Brackets, you can visit their website or read on here: Why Easy Brackets Bolt-on Saddlebag System?

The Easy Bracket bolt-on saddlebag system provides many benefits.

• Allows you to mount your saddlebags without damaging the paint on the rear fender which can often happen with throw-over saddlebag style mounts.
• Convenience of a quick-release mechanism which turns your saddlebags into portable pieces of luggage. A must if you road trip frequently and works great with our Easy Tote.
• Kits are made especially for the motorcycles. Forget the hassles from ‘Universal’ or ‘Adjustable’ kits that offer less than an ideal fit or make it difficult to line up the docking posts properly.
• Clean look when you remove the bag. No ugly hardware left behind.
• With some motorcycle models, you can avoid conflicts with high shotgun pipes.
• Superior design - enclosed locking areas, covered barrel locks and covered side panels that help keep road grime out and increase the durability and long-term functionality of Easy Brackets versus other popular models.
• Lower Incline Angle - Other popular saddlebag bolt-on systems have a 10 degree angle, making the bags stick out too far from the motorcycle. The Easy Brackets have a smaller 5 degree angle, making the bags sit more flush to the motorcycle for better looks.

It’s pretty hard to judge just what “thick” is.  Thick to someone in Michigan is totally different than thick to someone in Florida. 

Being that leather is sold in a variety of thicknesses, we offer the leather weight estimation on the Fox Creek Leather website. We actually describe the top-grain thickness using weight units of ounces (actually it is the ounces per square foot).  How is it figured?  Well, really all you have to know is this conversion:  1 oz/ft² = 1/64 inch (0.4 mm).

We give a range of thickness due to the fact that different hides have variability and will rarely measure the exact same measurements.  So, without a leather caliper, measuring the precise thickness of leather is a tough job.  Here is a run down of our leather’s thickness: