Question about riding gear: Kevlar jeans, motorcycle pants for New England summer

[juha_teuvonnen]

I have never owned a pair of Kevlar jeans or any other riding jeans. I have always ridden bikes while wearing leather pants with CE armor in the knees, etc. Given the hot and humid climate in New England, riding in leather pants isn't too comfortable. I am wondering if the "riding jeans" actually work in the event of a get-off? Looking at Scorpion Covert pro with additional CE armor for the knees, but will consider other options. I would really appreciate opinions from riders who had the misfortune of actually tested these riding jeans. How well do they work? Should I just get a pair of perforated leather pants instead? Also looking for opinions on other options for summer-friendly motorcycle pants.

[Stoneman]

Good thread. I've started getting interested in something like this too. I remember seeing a few comparos on the different brands & whatnot, but I can't remember where I found those. I'm sure a simple search will find 'em, I'm just too busy right now to do it (and I'm trying to skip out of work for the rest of the day!).

[Sheppo]

I have riding jeans with kevlar ass and knees and removable CE armor that positionable in the knees. Pretty comfortable. I've never tested them on a get off.

[SRTie4k]

Not all of these are available in the US, but I'd check https://motocap.com.au/ for safety and ventilation ratings on armored jeans. MotoCAP is pretty widely recognized as true objective info about safety and other aspects of moto gear, while a CE rating alone doesn't tell the whole story.

[OneCheekRider]

I had riding jeans and sold them after limited use. I didn't get the chance to crash test them. The jeans just weren't as comfortable as my textile mesh riding pants which have protected me in a get-off. I like the textile mesh because it's not as heavy (vs leather) and I can put them over my shorts. I typically ride to a destination in full gear and take off my textile mesh jacket and pants and swap my boots for some flip flops. If I'm doing more spirited riding, I have a perforated leather 1-piece.

[boosten lebaron]

I use riding jeans all the time. They have padding in the knees and thighs too. They are a good compromise between gear and no gear. Ive tested them at low speeds and they worked fine. The padding is probably the most useful aspect i think. I would say 60 and below they are probably worth it, above that and maybe switch to leathers

[SwiftTone]

Purchased a Klim Marrakesh suit that uses both Kevlar and Cordura. I really love it especially the pants. The pants vent well and also the material has good stretch factor so its very comfortable. My friend who also purchased a pair after seeing mine also agrees its very comfortable.

if you are open to something other than jeans i would take a look at them!

https://www.klim.com/Marrakesh-Pant-...color=9&page=1

[union]

I had riding jeans and sold them after limited use. I didn't get the chance to crash test them. The jeans just weren't as comfortable as my textile mesh riding pants which have protected me in a get-off. I like the textile mesh because it's not as heavy (vs leather) and I can put them over my shorts. I typically ride to a destination in full gear and take off my textile mesh jacket and pants and swap my boots for some flip flops. If I'm doing more spirited riding, I have a perforated leather 1-piece.

+1 for the mesh stuff. I'm a big fan of the over pants. I was sad when I finally had to replace my Icon Anthem pants. Buckle fell off after about 6 years of use. Replaced them with a pair of Sedici pants which aren't really over pants but can be used as those as long as youre not short and fat like me. Nice thing about the over pants is if you are going somewhere you can still have your normal stuff on.

[loudbeard]

Another in the textile crowd for street riding. I have a Scorpion 2-piece suit that is great for everything but rain. Have an AStars 2-piece waterproof shell in the event of heavy rain (tested in tropical storm last year.) Really hard to beat the breath ability, protection, and comfort of textile.

[RandyO]

I've always had Cordura, and worn it out from UV & road grime. I never made the trip to Vanson, cause of how my weight yo-yo's

Kevlar degrades from UV too https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs...rnalCode=jrpa&

[Garandman]

In summer wear Olympia AirGlide pants which have mesh panels. If it’s hot I wear shorts underneath.

[golden chicken]

I had some Icon Kevlar lined jeans without padding. The cut was so loose that there's no way any padding would be where you'd want it by the time you hit the ground. They were also not really much cooler than perforated leather due to the Kevlar lining being rather wind resistant.

[PeaPod]

A lot of answers about riding in different materials, but no crash reports. I have only crashed in leather so can't really add to this discussion other than, I use Bohn armor under a pair of riding jeans. Jeans/textiles/mesh are usually cut too loose to hold the armor in place so I recommend using something like the Bohn undergarments. I also use them in cooler weather under loose fitting, jean style, leather pants.

[PurplePackage]

A lot of answers about riding in different materials, but no crash reports. I have only crashed in leather so can't really add to this discussion other than, I use Bohn armor under a pair of riding jeans. Jeans/textiles/mesh are usually cut too loose to hold the armor in place so I recommend using something like the Bohn undergarments. I also use them in cooler weather under loose fitting, jean style, leather pants.

You can find anecdotes all over amazon, just be sure its a legit review

https://smile.amazon.com/product-rev...owViewpoints=1

[SwiftTone]

A lot of answers about riding in different materials, but no crash reports. I have only crashed in leather so can't really add to this discussion other than, I use Bohn armor under a pair of riding jeans. Jeans/textiles/mesh are usually cut too loose to hold the armor in place so I recommend using something like the Bohn undergarments. I also use them in cooler weather under loose fitting, jean style, leather pants.

You can look for gear that is CE rated. The Klim pants I mentioned about is CE AA rating.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[dontpanic]

Not all of these are available in the US, but I'd check https://motocap.com.au/ for safety and ventilation ratings on armored jeans. MotoCAP is pretty widely recognized as true objective info about safety and other aspects of moto gear, while a CE rating alone doesn't tell the whole story.

Thanks for the tip.

I used to use webbikeworld.com, but they got bought out by a retailer (though they claim their reviews remain independent).

[MattR302]

FYI, I’ve got a black Olympia Airglide jacket/pants set I’m going to post for sale. Mesh/cordura construction, flows a ton of air. Jacket is size L, pants are 36.

[LuvDog]

I had riding jeans too and hardly ever wore them. They were thick and hot. I much preferred textile pants over whatever I was wearing so that I could take them off after I reached my destination

[SRTie4k]

OP, if you're looking for a suit that flows good air but is also extremely abrasion/impact resistant, I'd probably start by checking out the Klim Baja S4. Pretty much the entire body of the suit is built of extremely heavy duty mesh which itself is what is abrasion resistant to a very high degree, unlike typical cheaper mesh. It's one of the highest rated mesh suits out there for it's protective qualities, and it has in-built stretch panels making it very comfortable.

You could also move laterally and check out something like the Rev'It Cayenne 2 (or the older Cayenne, which are on closeout on motorcyclegear.com), which is Rev'It's answer to the Baja S4 and is as protective, although it doesn't flow nearly as much air.

A lot of answers about riding in different materials, but no crash reports. I have only crashed in leather so can't really add to this discussion other than, I use Bohn armor under a pair of riding jeans. Jeans/textiles/mesh are usually cut too loose to hold the armor in place so I recommend using something like the Bohn undergarments. I also use them in cooler weather under loose fitting, jean style, leather pants.

I also wear Bohn armored pants (the mesh kind) on my dual sport. I'm pretty happy with them, but if you plan on riding in "regular" clothes they don't really make sense, and a pair of overpants or a looser cut pair of textiles/mesh is probably a better option.