I was immediately attracted to the John Doe Storm leather jacket during a recent visit to The Bike Shed in downtown Los Angeles. The place is quite posh for a biker hangout, as are the prices, yet this German-designed, European-manufactured leather motorcycle jacket was priced at $400. It is slim and stylish with extensive leather perforations. I’m a sucker for perfed leather, and this jacket has all the right features and design.
Available in this Grey, as well as Tobacco, the John Doe Storm perforated leather jacket is cut slim. I had to go with XXL for my US 46 torso, as I did not want it to fit too tightly. Vents, mesh, and perforations only work well if the garment is loose enough to allow airflow.
Going up two sizes for me could have yielded an excessive arm length. However, this size is well-proportioned. The slim profile arms were just right when reaching for the grips, and the gussets behind the shoulders give a bit of extra room across the shoulders when in the riding position.
The Grey is kind of a steely tone, with a shiny yet dusty finish and a feel to the touch that is commensurate with this price point. The John Doe Storm is 100 percent cowhide leather (1.1-1.3mm), helping earn the jacket an AA CE certification, one level below race-level impact and abrasion resistance. CE Level 1 shoulder and elbow armor are included, plus a pocket for an optional CE Level 2 back protector ($25), which I did not test.
The tuck and roll, or tufted shoulder and elbow padding, is set off with top stitching on the entire garment. Along the waist at the back of the jacket is matching tuck and roll, plus a two-position snap adjuster on each side.
The interior lining is a close-knit poly allowing for unimpeded airflow. Internally, there is one small, zippered pocket on the left side and a hook-and-loop phone-style 6-by-3.5-inch pocket on the right side. My iPhone 11 is an exact fit.
There are plenty of zippered external options for carrying cargo on the John Doe Storm jacket—two breast and two handwarmer pockets, plus a coin pocket on the left forearm. All zippers are marked YKK.
Stitched over the right breast pocket is an embossed oval label of the same gray leather stating, “Made for Riding Est. 2001 High Quality Motorcycle Gear Germany”.
The snap-closure collar is Mandarin-style and lined with soft poly. The sleeves are slightly pre-curved for good looks and a comfortable fit.
The construction and stitching are top-quality, with no visible imperfections. It took only a few days of wear before the leather loosened nicely, making the jacket quite comfortable and good-looking.
I like the John Doe Storm jacket for both its fit and looks. I have a closet full of moto jackets, and this is the only one that is Grey—a color I rarely, if never, see on riders. John Doe does not offer the Storm in black, though you can get the unperforated Dexter version in Black or Brown.
The Grey jacket looks perfect with two other John Doe moto wear items—Pioneer Mono riding jeans in Used Black ($250) and quilted-and-perforated Tracker XTM gloves in Black ($65/pair).
As we move into autumn this year, I expect to have a few more days to ride with the John Doe Storm perforated leather jacket before storing it during colder weather. It is certainly a keeper.
Shown with John Doe Pioneer Mono Indigo riding jeans and John Doe Tracker Black XTM gloves.
Joe Doe Storm Jacket Fast Facts
- Sizes: S-3XL
- Colors: Grey; Tobacco
- CE Certification: AA
- CE Level 1 Armor: Shoulders and elbows (back optional, $25)
Joe Doe Storm Jacket Price: $400 MSRP
Joe Doe Storm Jacket Review Photo Gallery
