Care & conditioning
Motorcycle Leather Care & Install Guides
Treat your leather right and it'll outlast the bike.
Short, no-nonsense guides from our shop. If you don't see your situation here, email us — we've probably seen it.
- Measuring your tank for a tank bra
Four measurements is all it takes for us to design and cut a tank bra to fit your bike.
2 min read
- Measuring your bike for a fender bib
Rear fenders vary wildly between brands and models. Here's how to get the measurements right the first time.
3 min read
- Installing lever & grip covers
If you can lace a shoe, you can lace these. We'll walk you through it.
4 min read
- Installing floorboard fringe
Fifteen minutes of work and you're on the road in forty-five.
2 min read
- Installing engine guard chaps
They ship pre-laced. Pull, snap, adjust. About as quick as a custom install gets.
2 min read
- Installing saddlebag fringe
About 30 minutes with Barge cement. Sticks like crazy — line it up right the first time.
3 min read
- Installing leather mud flaps
This one needs a drill. Careful, patient, accurate — but the result is worth it.
4 min read
- Installing floorboard trim
Companion to the floorboard fringe. Same Barge cement, same 30-minute install.
2 min read
- Studding your own leather
DIY studs on a tank bib, bag, or seat. Two cheap exacto knives and you're set.
2 min read
- Tying a bleed knot
The right way to attach a concho with leather lacing — clean, secure, classic.
3 min read
- Dye bleed on deerskin gloves
Pulled your gloves off to find your hands stained black? Here's why, and what to do about it.
2 min read
- Breaking in a new piece of leather
What to do the first week with a brand-new tank bib, fender bib, or chap so it shapes to your bike (not the other way around).
3 min read
- After a wet ride
Rain happens. Here's how to dry and recondition leather so it doesn't crack or stiffen.
2 min read
- Reconditioning older leather
Got a piece that's been on the bike for a few seasons and looking tired? Here's the fix.
4 min read
- Long-term storage
Putting the bike (and the leather) up for the winter? A few minutes now saves a re-stretching project in the spring.
2 min read