REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle gear

Moto Guzzista

New Member
Hello everyone! I just found this site (wish I had found it many years ago!), and decided to give my review of the UD Replicas SAM jacket and pant, and the QUORRA jacket from the movie Tron. I will write this from a motorcycle gear standpoint and from a purely costume oriented standpoint. Oh, and most of the pics are from a mobile phone, so you'll have to forgive the quality; I didn't feel like getting out my photography gear and setting up some studio shots.

I would like to say that I have had several interactions with David on the phone, and he has impressed me with his courteous and professional manner. There was an issue with all three of the articles of Tron motorcycle gear I bought from him, as well as sizing issues ( No fault of David's, but more on that later), and David dealt with the situation professionally and quickly. I will note that UD Replicas is slow to respond to emails, and more than one of my emails apparently slipped through the system, and was forever lost to digital purgatory. Placing a call to UDR attains much better results. Although I am going to give my honest opinion about these products, some of which will not be stellar, I am in no way passing judgement on UD Replicas or on David, merely listing areas of improvement. (which I would be more than happy to help as a real world tester and consultant on future motorcycle gear design)

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First, I ride my motorcycle every day of the year, unless it's snowing (rarely happens here on the coast of NC) or raining heavily, so I have a LOT of riding experience, and I have a lot of experience with different brands of riding gear. Unfortunately, most people who ride motorcycles really only ride once in a while, so it's hard to find a truly subjective opinion on this matter. Well here I am, and here we go..

Me in the SAM jacket and pants.
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A REALLY bad shot of my wife in the QUORRA jacket, no flash.
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The easy part is reviewing this as a screen-accurate costume. In that standpoint, it's about as perfect as can be. The materials are all top quality, the leather is VERY thick over most of the jacket and the construction is superb. The screen-accuracy is about as close as can be while using these materials. There really are no faults in this area.

Sizing however is very strange. I am 6 ft tall and 175 lbs. I normally am right in between a medium and a large jacket. My shoulders and arms fit a large while my abdomen fits a medium. I had to get an XL just so my shoulders and arms would fit into the jacket at all, and my arms still BARELY fit into the jacket. The forearms are uncomfortably tight, which I know will subside as the leather stretches and breaks in, but that will take quite some time, considering how thick the leather is. The shoulders on the XL fit me well, if only just a little bit loose. The body is WAY too large for my body. I have so much room around my stomach, the jacket looks downright goofy viewed from the side. I will certainly have to bring the jacket to someone to have it taken in.. probably several inches in the sides.

The fit of the QUORRA jacket is also strange. My wife had to get the meduim, and she normally wears an extra small or small in motorcycle jackets, like this Scorpion leather jacket:
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While the jacket fits well around her chest (she's not large chested, being between a 34b and a 34c), the shoulders and body are too large for her, not excessively so, like mine, more like a size too large. The strangest part of the QUORRA jacket is how the jacket sits. It's like the leather is formed in a hard, forward curve, making it difficult for her to stand erect with proper posture, and because of the extra room in the body, if she does force the jacket straight erect, the back sticks out and looks very strange. The forward curve also makes the very high back of the neck push hard against the back of her neck, making it uncomfortable to wear. This may be alleviated after the leather breaks in, but considering how thick and stiff the leather is, how long does she have to wear an uncomfortable jacket before it drapes properly? There is also no consideration for the female chest. The chest of my wife's QUORRA jacket is pretty much a straight, flat panel, which is probably why she had to get a size too large for it to fit over her chest. If the jacket were designed more for the curve of the female chest, she would have easily been able to wear her proper size.

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Where this jacket starts to fall short is it's usability on a motorcycle. As I said, the leather is VERY thick. Too thick actually. None of my jackets made by motorcycle gear manufacturers are this thick or stiff, and I have several very good quality jackets by reputable manufacturers. They are in no way thin or light weight, just not excessively thick or stiff. I went down and slid down the road in one of my Scorpion brand jackets last winter, and the jacket held up so well and took so little damage, I still use it. It's leather is very pliable, moves with my body and drapes nicely, so leather jackets don't have to be super thick or stiff to protect. I have worn this jacket several times for over a month, and it is barely starting to break in.

The design of the jacket is wonderfully beautiful, but not good for the rider position. The front of the jacket is too long for the rider position (it goes down lower than the pivot of the waist), so when you're on a bike, the front of the jacket (being super thick and stiff), has no where to go, other than bunching up and digging into the legs. Most motorcycle jackets are made with a shorter front to avoid this problem.

The armor passes CE rating and that's about where it stops. the armor is bulky, stiff and noticeably cheap upon inspection. I switched out the elbow/forearm armor for some SAS-tech armor taken from one of my Scorpion jackets. This armor is thinner and very flexible, yet better than standard dual-density armor, because the material reacts to an impact by spreading the force throughout the armor by stiffening as it is compressed. Placing this armor in the elbow/arm of the SAM jacket gave me much more comfort in the forearm and allowed my arm to fit better in the jacket.

One other detail left out is vents. This jacket will be great during the winter, late autumn and early spring, but if you live south of about the 40th parallel north, you won't be wearing it any other time unless you love being drenched in sweat (trust me, I HAVE been wearing it to try and get it broken in). It seriously needs some zippered vents in the standard places front and back.

The SAM pants fit pretty good. I had to get a large, and the waist is definitely too large for me (I have a 32 waist) but the length and width of the legs are pretty good, though again, very stiff.

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I'm sure this jacket will be very protective in an incident, and the reflective parts are VERY reflective, which I love, both aesthetically and as a safety feature. All in all, I love the look and quality of materials/construction of these jackets, but there are several things that need to be redesigned to make them feasible as true riders jackets.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have, and thanks for reading!
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

Thanks for the review on the Sam pieces.

I just got my Sam jacket last week and within 5 minutes of wearing it noticed unusual wear on the reflective strips going along the front of the arm where my elbow bends. The black printed outline going around the reflective material began to wear away as I would bend my arm. This is a pic here:

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I tried emailing through the UD replicas website with no luck. I just called and got an answering machine that was full so I couldn't leave a message.

I will try calling again later, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this problem?

As for the fit, it fits much like the costume and I ordered it sized to near my measurements. I'm 6'2" and 175lbs and I got an XS! It takes a bit of effort getting my 2nd arm in but once it is on it is snug! Everything fits snugly and well enough except for the sleeve length. it's about 2 inches too short for me, but that was something I knew and had a plan for since this was specifically ordered for costuming. Although, I did decide that depending on how nice the jacket was I was going to order another in a larger size so I could wear it daily.

A pic of me in my full costume.
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Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

Bandit-Jedi,
The black trim is under the protective coating, and cannot wear away. It can only be an oversight on our part in manufacturing. Make sure you email me this photo and I'll arrange an exchange of product.
sales@udreplicas.com

This should not have slipped past me, sorry that it did....but I'll take care of it for you.
I'm not in the studio now, but do include your contact info in the email so I can follow up with you right away.

David
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

Thank you David!

I can say that I absolutely love the jacket and this minor issue did have me worried a little. I'm glad that you saw this thread.

Email with pics of both arms is sent.
 
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Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

DAVIDYR1,

I sent the email to you last week and didn't get a response, so I figure it might have gotten lost. I resent it today. It will be coming from "banditcar"
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

DAVIDYR1,

I sent the email to you last week and didn't get a response, so I figure it might have gotten lost. I resent it today. It will be coming from "banditcar"


Thanks, and sorry about that....I'll dig it up and contact you hopefully by tomorrow. We're a little backlogged on emails....:cry

David
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

I figured as much David, no problem. I'm a patient person and appreciate the correspondence on here.
Thanks!
Paul
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

David stepping up, how I wish everyone who sold a product was like that. A big thumbs up and added some Rep David.
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

David took great care of me. UD will now get more sales because of this.

I'm going to be a big advocate for David and Co. now.
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

That's some great customer service. And sheesh, even the returned jacket looks stupendous. :lol
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

That's some great customer service. And sheesh, even the returned jacket looks stupendous. :lol

Thanks,
It is definitely the most high quality clothing item I have ever seen. The care taken in getting even the smallest detail just blew me away. I'll be ordering the Tron jacket and gloves after Christmas.
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

wow.. im utterly impressed with the customer service!

im not a motor cyclist but ive always admired UD's costumes. Although the price is a tad too steep for me, im seriously considering saving up money if you guys are creating a Captain America suit for next yrs Avengers movie!
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

Just got my replacement jacket in from the last wave to go out. Their are two noticeable improvements in this last wave.
First, the leather used is much softer and easier to move around in. The first jacket I had was a very thick and stiff leather that really felt armored especially the molded disc area of the back. (someone could pat me on the back and I would not feel it) With this newer leather it is very soft and nice feeling. So it seems that issue that Moto posted about has been remedied.
Also a bonus to the leather being softer is that the molded details in some areas are now even better defined.

All in all I'm very pleased with the service that David and Rimma gave, even with a hectic schedule and with the product I got back from them. Yeah, no more wear areas on the arms!
Thanks UD and you will see an order for Tron jacket and gloves next week!
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

Just got my replacement jacket in from the last wave to go out. Their are two noticeable improvements in this last wave.
First, the leather used is much softer and easier to move around in. The first jacket I had was a very thick and stiff leather that really felt armored especially the molded disc area of the back. (someone could pat me on the back and I would not feel it) With this newer leather it is very soft and nice feeling. So it seems that issue that Moto posted about has been remedied.
Also a bonus to the leather being softer is that the molded details in some areas are now even better defined.

All in all I'm very pleased with the service that David and Rimma gave, even with a hectic schedule and with the product I got back from them. Yeah, no more wear areas on the arms!
Thanks UD and you will see an order for Tron jacket and gloves next week!


Awesome to hear! Thanks so much for the follow up here. We're truly grateful for the business, and most importantly work even harder to earn your respect...so this follow up post is very much welcomed. :thumbsup

We're always listening to what our customers are saying....and sometimes there are very valid critiques or suggestions that we not only take to heart, but introduce where and when possible throughout our product lines.

A sincere thanks for the kind words. Enjoy the jacket!

David
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

1 Year after the order.

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I've been debating posting my review for a while, as I dont want to come off as a negative jerk.

That said, I think its only fair to post my honest assessment of my suit purchase experience so that everyone has an opportunity to make an informed decisions.

I ordered the entire Sam Flynn suit from UD replicas almost a year ago (last Feb I think) and it was delivered for just a few days before the end of Q2.

Measurements: Before I ordered the suit, it became clear that getting proper measurements was key to a proper fit. Knowing that if I get the wrong size, I'm screwed, I took extra precauctions and took the size charts to a local seamstress / tailor and had them measure me up for the purchase. They measured me every way to Sunday and were able to ascertain that I was a Large Jacket and Large Pants.

When I finally went to place my order, I had David on the phone who wanted to doublecheck the measurements as there was some question as to if the seamstress / tailor met our needs, or at least, took measurement of the proper locations. I certainly would think that all experienced clothing designers / tailors speak the same languag, but hey, I'm not the expert. Me, not knowing the who's and what's of fitting clothes, followed Davids lead and proceeded to take my measurements as per David's real-time instructions on the phone (or at least to the best of my ability).

According to Davids phone assessment, I needed a Large Jacket and an Extra Large Pants. Ugh, really? While that seemed a bit out of my size range, especially considering my general pants waist size (generally 35 inch waist for those keeping score), I again take the advice of those who know better than me.

David and I talked a bit about the motive for my purchase (I wanted it more of a costume than rideable armor) and we agreed that tighter / form fitting is better, and that I would be best served if I removed the interior armor panels.
I used the handy dandy credit card 3 payment system and anxiously awaited the delivery.

When it finally arrived, it was well packed into a nice box with nice bags for each item and various protective bags, paper, and tape providing protection for the reflective components.

There were indeed a few spots where the tape was incomplete or bunched up allowing the dye from the leather to color the clear reflective tape covering material, giving it a purple paint color. Certainly nothing critical, or located in any key areas, so I have yet to 'clean' the dye off of these areas. I'll save that for another date.

Finally, I get to put it on.

I made the mistake of putting the jacket on with bare arms on a warm Summer day. BAD IDEA. Because the high quality leather is fresh and thick, it is stiff. That combined with the somewhat awkward arm position made it near impossible to remove when it stuck to my arms. HELP STRAIGHT JACKET!. When I finally got it off and put on a nice long sleeve compression tee, it came off like butter (cold butter that is).

The pants went on with no problem. In fact, this was another 'issue'. The XL, by my assessment, is way too big. If they did not have the optional rear zipper attachment that attached them to the jacket, there is no way these would stay up on my body. Extremely frustrating considering that my taylor and I both thought Large was the appropropriate size, but opted to follow Davids assessment based on the measurements I took while on the phone with David. I guess I got the measurements wrong somehow.

Lastly, the boots and gloves. The Boots were about a size too large for my feet but the zip-up section at the top were extremely tight. I found that somewhat strange as I do not have abnormal legs or large calves. This would become a bigger problem later.

The gloves fit like a champ.

I Emailed UD Replicas a few time to discuss my size issue but never did get a response. I know that they were busy and improvements are being made in regards to customer communication, but it is what it is.

Finally, GenCon arrives. I decided I was going to finally use the suit in public.
When I was in the hotel room suiting up, I broke the zipper on the boot.

ARRRRGH!

Apparently the boot was alot tighter than I had realized, and I must have over stressed to zipper.

I even had the zipper repaired locally, but the repair was inadequate (and overpriced).

So all in all, my first suit appearance after $1300+ and 6 months involved:

1 broken zipper and a boot held on with velcro strips wrapped around it.
1 pair of oversized pants that were being held up with suspenders under the jacket
and to top it all off, it was hotter than heck!

While at the event, I did Email David at UD Replicas again in frustration and did not get any kind of reply via Email.

When I got home (and even more frustrated) I called UD replicas and got David on the phone.

David was friendly and helpful, and was willing to eat some of the cost to get the boot zipper replaced again. While that was generous, I did end up getting it taken care of at my own expense as the cost was nominal and not worth David's or my time to exchange the paltry funds.

That said, it became clear that there was no recourse on the sizing of the pants issue and I was simply stuck with them.

Now, since then I have worn the suit one more time for Halloween and have found that the inner seams on the jacket sleeves are splitting.

Additionally, I found other 'spots' on the jacket where the sewing of the clear plastic reflective cover was out of line and the cover was completely missed.

I have also noticed that the silicone hex print on the jacket is varying in color. On some spots it is purple, while others it is full black. Is the dye impregnating the silicone? Thats kind of new to me, especially since it has been stored hanging up.

I know this comes off as a gripe fest, and I genuinely believe that these are high quality items being produced by a stand up organization.

Make no mistake, it is an AWESOME suit. Even people who dont recognize TRON certainly appreciate the craftsmanship of the jacket. That does not mean that there isnt opportunity to make improvements to the product and processes.

That said, after the sale, I have felt like I am a man on an island. David and UD Replicas was very generous with his / their time to help me work out the issue with the boot zipper (no real discussion that it might be too tight up top for its relative boot size), but the issues of the sizing for the most part was left for me to deal with.

Recent Emails to UD Replicas have been less than successful as well.

So, the lesson:

1: Seriously, triple check the sizing. Based on observations on Ebay and FaceBook, there have been a few sizing errors, and when you get it, if there is no manufacturers defect, it appears that you are stuck.

2: Make sure you establish CLEAR lines of communication and know how to engage customer service. Email is fairly ineffective based on my experience. Call. Call. Call.

3: Check your garments VERY carefully. Line by line. You may actually find minor issues that if not found right away, like ANY product without some kind of warranty, you are stuck with them.

(Note: These garments may indeed have a warranty beyond initial delivery, I suppose I should check before I run my mouth too much)

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Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

Thanks for the honest review. I don't think it was negative at all, just to the point. I understand about the stiffness of the leather and difficulty in taking it off. UD, finally took care of that issue in the final run of the suit it seems. Hopefully it carries over to the Rinzler/Tron suit.
That stinks about the mis-sizing on the pants, but better that they are too big and you can still wear them rather that too small and not wearable.

David has mentioned that he is considering doing another run of the Sam suits. If he does I will be getting the pants and boots as well as another Jacket to wear on a daily basis. I'm guessing you could possibly order the right size pants then and sell your original pair.

Today while I was at work I was pondering the idea of a forum for UD Replicas suit owners to gather and discuss their suits but the main goal would be to use it as a trading post so members could swap sizes if desired.
 
Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

Awesome to hear! Thanks so much for the follow up here. We're truly grateful for the business, and most importantly work even harder to earn your respect...so this follow up post is very much welcomed. :thumbsup

We're always listening to what our customers are saying....and sometimes there are very valid critiques or suggestions that we not only take to heart, but introduce where and when possible throughout our product lines.

A sincere thanks for the kind words. Enjoy the jacket!

David

You're welcome David!
I thank you again for working with me.

On a side note,If you are going to have a booth at Star Wars Celebration this year, I will gladly volunteer to help out at the booth. I enjoy promoting products that I love. I worked a few cons for Bryan Ono when he was with Master Replicas.

I attended the New Orleans Comic Con this weekend and wore the Sam Flynn Jacket which was a HUGE hit. Lots of questions and great comments and I made sure to direct interested parties to the UD website.
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Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

How has everyone been storing and cleaning their suits?

I'd like to confer with other 1st Gen Sam Flynn suit owners to compare experiences to date.
 
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Re: REVIEW w/ pics!: an honest, unbias review of UD replicas leather Tron motorcycle

@ Bandit-Jedi
i was hoping u could give me some advice...
im in the mist of "planning to order" the Sam Flynn Legacy suit.

And i NOTICED that you order ur jacket in both...XS and M
i understand u order the XS for coplaying & the M for casual wear.
(note- im 5'11/140lbs, 35'chest, 32"bottom, 23"sleves, 19" shoulders = XXS size)

So the question is...whats ur advice on the COMFORT level?
That is the MAIN factor im looking for...for motorcycle use that is ;)
i just need to know, how must stretch & comfort do u really get?
And second...how breathable is the material?
Does the inside of the jacket have a linner?
And if so...does it cover the ENTIRE jacket? or is it a V type linner?
Are pockets included in the design of the linner?
Not to meantion...how comforting is the padding in the jacket?
Plus i remember u meantions about the differents in the leather...
could u please explain in little more detail about that...

At the moment that is ALL i can think of off the TOP of my head,
i wait to hear ur replay ;)
 
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