how can I make leather softer?

[nwtrikette]

I have just bought a new set of motorbike leathers but the pants are solid which means I can't bend my legs to put my feet on the pegs!!! Is there anything I can do to soften them... besides 'wearing them in'.

ps, it's nothing to do with the armour it's just the leather.

[Thunderbird+]

I remember similar problems back in my old biking days (best days of my life)..so far that is Generaly speaking, just wearing them will soften them up and mould them to the shape of your body, also you can apply creams and waxes that make them mors supple and waterproofs them too, I used to put on some stuff called 'leatherfood' that did the trick but I dont know if its still available. Good Luck.

[nwtrikette]

Thanks Thunderbird (my dad rides a thunderbird! haha), I haven't got time to wear them in, I need them for June 16th for the ride to the Farmyard rally. Iv only had my licence a month so I dont want to risk riding such a long distance without my leathers. Better safe than sorry! Think I'll have a look on the net see what kind of creams or waxes I can find.

[mycats]

When I got my first leather jacket I took it outside and kicked it up and down the street ha ha that soon wore it in, though you might not be too keen on that idea

[electricblue]

HA,we used to do that except we used to tie them to the back of the bikes and take them up and down the road,made them look all nice and worn in!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thunderbird+]

Hi nwtrikette, I'm sure you will find some stuff to soften up your leathers

[Thunderbird+]

Oops, hit the submit button instead of scrolling down (its getting late) Your dads got good taste, one of the best bikes ever made!

Ps dont let mycats kick you up and down the street ha ha, its bad for your health! All the Best.

[sense4all]

http://www.uradsecurepayment.co.uk/acatalog/Leathercare.html

you want the tenderising stuff from here I think.

[Catso]

If you aren't bothered about the finish on the leather, the answer is dubbin. You can usually buy it in shoe repair/key cutting-type shops. It will also make your leathers more waterproof.

Re the finish: the dubbin tends to make the finish matt.

[nwtrikette]

Thanks for all the advice.

Kicking them up and down the street sounds like a good idea.... stress relief!!!! I think that will just make them look well worn though (which is a bonus as theres nowt worse than turning up at a meeting with shiny leathers) but Im not sure it will soften them enough.

sence4all.... thanks, I'll have a look at that now.