One of the best Motorcycle Jacket styles of the 20th Century were the J21, J22, J23 and J24 styles from the design house of Joseph F. Buegeleisen of Detroit, MI. The company was better known as Buco. The J24 was hailed as the "coolest motorcycle jacket ever" by Rin Tanaka, motorcycle jacket historian and author of "Motorcycle Jackets - A Century of Design" published by Shiffer Books. Due to their popularity, vintage Buco Horsehide jackets fetch prices as high as $1000 or more on eBay and other auction houses and vintage boutiques. New "Buco clone" jackets are marketed at $1,200 (excluding belt) on other internet websites.

While the Black Stallion is not an exact replica of the original Buco, we believe it captures the style, quality and detail of the original - and then some! Manufactured to our "Legendary" specifications by a New Jersey motorcycle apparel company rich in biker jacket history since 1928.

• Let's Set the Record Straight!
  For those Customers shopping for a Buco Replica Horsehide Leather Motorcycle Jacket, there is much hype on other websites about what is "correct" and what is not. For those who may have contacted other companies for their rationale about their high price, and were subjected to the rambling elitist diatribe, you have our sympathy. We would like to set the record straight. We like to think of it this way - a $95K Mercedes Benz S550 may be considered the ultimate in quality and luxury, until you compare it to a $67K Lexus LS460 which has won several JD Power Awards. Sure the Lexus is less, but does it mean it's less in quality? Would your ego feel better if Lexus charged $30K more for the same car?
  
  Sure there are differences between ours and theirs. We've had actual Customers of theirs purchase the higher priced item, sell it on eBay and BUY OURS! Why? Better fit for them. We offer underarm gussets with vent grommets which allow more freedom of movement when raising arms or reaching forward. This is a plus - especially for riders with ape-hanger handlebars. The original Bucos did not offer this, nor does our competition.
  
  Our Horsehide is tanned in Italy, a country well known for their leather tanning process, and where horsehide is more plentiful than in the US. We use chrome tanned leather. Our jacket will last not for years, but decades! One of our Customers considered the Black Stallion "heirloom quality" - we'd have to agree!
  
  Our Legendary Black Stallion includes a fully removeable horsehide belt with belt keepers - no extra charge! We use USA made hardware (zippers, snaps, decorative trim, etc.) while our die-cast nickel-plated brass buckle is made in Canada. We use USA made nickel plated domed bar studs on epaulets. Customers can also purchase additional USA made studs and spots on our website in our Accessories category. We use antique brass zippers for that vintage look, rather than regular brass which would take a while to tarnish and blend in with jacket. We offer horsehide leather zipper pulls on all zippers.
  
  We use heavy nylon stitching in our garments, approx. 7 stitches per inch. We believe others use 8 stitches per inch, which takes slightly longer to sew and is closer to the original. Does one stitch per inch make a difference? You be the judge.
  
  Our Legendary Black Stallion is union made in Elizabeth, New Jersey under contract by Schott NYC - a leader in the outerwear garment industry. They have been in business since 1913 and have been creating motorcycle jackets since 1928! It is the parnership of Schott and Beck® that introduced the world to the quintessential "biker jacket". Their experience in outerwear garment manufacturing is second to none, and have a rich heritage in motorcycle apparel. So when comparing the pedigree of the Legendary Black Stallion to the others, there is no comparison!
  
  Ours is not an exact replica, nor do we market it as such. Guess what - there is NO SUCH THING as an exact Buco replica. If you want an exact garment, buy a genuine Buco. We have sized our jackets to be fuller cut to fit todays Customer, not the riders of yesteryear who were smaller in dimensions.
  
  We hope the above details were able to guide you in your purchase. The choice is yours - Lexus or Mercedes? But don't take our word for it - we're partial of course. Read actual Customer Reviews on the Legendary Black Stallion below.

Why Horsehide?

All measurements taken with garment laying flat on table. Chest width is measured from armpit to armpit.