Gasolina classics vs. lewis leather westway

revival of death

New Member
Well, I got my first bike, (cb350g) and I'd like a high quality boot to ride with. I was pretty much dead set on getting the Westways until I discovered the gasolina classics, which are about half the price and they offer custom fitting aswell.. Is there anyone here who has a pair of the westways? do they justify the price tag or would I be better off getting gasolinas? would anyone say the quality on gasolinas are bad..?
 
Being your first bike, you need to think about where/when you're going to ride when choosing your gear.

I love classic leather boots as much as anyone, but for all around riding, I have a pair of TCX mesh boots that can't be beat. Waterproof, breathable, comfortable, armoured. I've crashed in them and am pretty sure they saved my left ankle from breaking.

So if you're planning on all-weather riding, long distance (I wore my boots for 10 days straight on the bike) etc. you might broaden your selection a bit. Nothing wrong with classic leather boots and they'll treat you right, but there are other options.
 
I have a pair of Lewis Leather Trackmaster MKII boots, they are slightly different then the Westways in that mine zip up on the outside rather then the rear but over all they are made the same with the same material.
I also just received my Gasolina classics and have worn them a few times out now on the bike so I can compare the brands a little.

The leather on the Lewis boots is alot stiffer, the Gasolina's use a very nice but soft leather with a calf skin liner.
My Lewis Leathers Boots are height wise more like the Motorway boots so the Gasolina's are a little shorter up the calf, but the Westways look a bit shorter so they may be the same height?

The soles on the boots are quite different, the Westways have a Commando sole, where the Gasolina's have a flatter non-Lug sole. The Gasolina's don't feel like they have any steel shank in them and I think that the sole will probably wear out alot faster then the Lewis Leathers. But I think once they do I can get a good quality sole put on that will last a long time.

Overall I love both brands and don't know that I would buy the Lewis Leathers new as they are double the cost of the Gasolina's.

Also you can get custom stuff done on the Gasolina's, they will do the stitching in almost any color you want and will add straps as well. I asked about adding a strap across the top of the foot like the Lewis Leathers and they said it would be no problem. Just $30 more. The only bad part is it did take 4 weeks to get them to my door and if you ask for major changes, like the strap, it goes from 3 weeks plus shipping time to about 3 months.

I hope this helps, if you have any other questions feel free to ask!

Damon
 
fvtenfanatic said:
Also you can get custom stuff done on the Gasolina's, they will do the stitching in almost any color you want and will add straps as well. I asked about adding a strap across the top of the foot like the Lewis Leathers and they said it would be no problem. Just $30 more. The only bad part is it did take 4 weeks to get them to my door and if you ask for major changes, like the strap, it goes from 3 weeks plus shipping time to about 3 months.



Damon

I like that strap idea, care to post photos? does it help the fit at all..? I'm aware of their custom services which is why I'm leaning more towards that, I emailed them about a commando sole like the westways (still waiting on a reply) as I don't like the sole seen in the photos..
 
Sorry I ended up not getting the strap I just asked them about it. I couldn't bring myself to wait for over 3 months to get them. It was hard enough to wait 3 weeks.

Damon
 
Hello, I have the Gasolina Classics. They are awesome, well made, comfy and look great. I've been using them for more than a year and they have held up well with hardly any signs of wear. They took a while to come though, about 2-3 months and I had just about given up on them.
That said they are a classic leather boot with little in the way of support or added protection. I wear Sidi's for track riding.
 
I had gasolina make me a pair ( I got a big hoof) in size 15. I kid you not I got my boots in 3 weeks. From order to my door. Could not be happier with them. They fit better than any other boots I own and are made of a stiff yet supple leather and have a nice sole.
 
Hey, been awhile right? well I figured i'd give the boots time to see how they are in the long run. Now, I can't really compare the westways to the ton ups, but i can to the autobahns since that's what i got (no longer have them unfortunately)

the gasolina autobahns: these were pretty comfortable through and through, i'd wear these practically everyday and still would if I still had them

Now here's where I get PISSED OFF. The lewis leather westways.... Probably the worst pair of boots I ever owned.. I'd get blisters on my heels from walking half a mile.. Even after giving them a few months to break in. The zippers failed on both boots and i had to send them back to get repaired, and now just the other day, the zipper failed on the left boot. AGAIN. So now i'm stuck wearing canvas sneakers while i'm riding in the winter... Great.. Yours for years alright.. I emailed lewis to see if they could atleast give me a discount on the mechanic boots they're offering since apparently the westways can't hold up to... whatever.. I never really abused them at all and tried to take good care of them. I wore them daily as much as i could.. when they would function properly.. Lewis is too busy making facebook advertisement posts to respond to me yet though... So as far as I can say right now, AVOID LEWIS LEATHERS. it's not even worth the price. I'm not the only guy whose had issues with their boots either.. I will say though that the leather is definitely some of the best I've handled, the itshide commando sole is really good too.. but you can put those on any goodyear welted boots.

Now there's another company back in business, Goldtop. I'm hoping they roll around with some shorter boot styles. I've been in contact with them, and they are a lot more flexible than lewis when it comes to customization, and there prices are also better as well.
 
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