How to choose the right motorcycle pants?

There was a time when riding a motorcycle safely meant sporting a hard rock star look. And to protect your precious calves? Leather pants were a must. Good news: those days are gone. And now you can ride safely without looking like a BDSM fan on a night out. How do you choose the right motorcycle pants? By solving the tricky equation of combining comfort, style, protection and budget. We've got all the details!

French legislation is very light on compulsory equipment for motorcycling. The bare minimum? Helmet and gloves. In a way, this may be a way of educating the unaware who ride in shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops: by allowing them to wallow in such clothing.... In short, you're not like that! You're aware that motorcycling and physical integrity can go hand in hand. Motorcycle pants aren't compulsory, but they're just as important as your jacket.

Like all motorcycle gear, they must fulfill 3 missions: protect you in the event of an impact, resist abrasion during an impromptu belly-slide session, and insulate you from the outside elements. The added challenge? It also has to be comfortable. Secondarily - and this is a very recent concern - it has to look good too.

What about good old jeans?

Wouldn't they do the job perfectly and cheaply? Your "civilian" denim doesn't offer any protection against shocks, it doesn't insulate you from the wind or the rain, but it does offer (too) slight resistance to abrasion. Still, it's not as bad as elastane pants, which will melt when you slip and become one with your skin. The X-men Mystique look is yours, it's fantastic!

But which model should you choose? Technical or basic? Here are the criteria to consider when choosing your motorcycle pants.

Think about your use

It's important to remain humble. For example, you don't need arch-technical 4-season riding pants if you only ride in summer. Are you more of an occasional road-tripper? Then a road model will do just fine. Who's going to criticize your looks when you're doing a series of switchbacks in the Tarn gorges? On the other hand, if you see motorcycling as a means of transport to get to work, then the Jean moto is an excellent option. They allow you to get to your office without having to go through the changing room.

Check the protection provided

With the exception of enduro models, all motorcycle pants offer sufficient abrasion resistance to allow you to ride on the road without "melting". This is another advantage of the standards governing this market. What about impact resistance? That's up to you. Hip or knee reinforcements, the quality of the inserts used, the flexibility of the materials: the choice is yours. If in doubt, you can also opt for removable reinforcements.

Need versatility?

This is the criterion that will really guide your choice of motorcycle pants. Because while motorcycle jeans are perfectly breathable, they're absolutely useless against the rain. Do you plan to ride all year round, rain, snow or shine? Then you need a 4-season model with a removable thermal lining and a waterproof membrane. And don't forget ventilation, so you can ride comfortably even in summer!

Don't forget comfort

How can comfort come 4th? Let's not forget that it's all about compromise. Pants are pleasant to wear when the fabric in contact with your skin is soft - which explains the Mesh mesh on technical models. What's more, you don't want to be constrained in your pants! That's why it's important to try it out on your bike (especially for sportbike fans sporting that elegant frog position). The yoke system and any gussets guarantee optimum freedom of movement. A final point for optimum comfort? The ability to adjust pants to your body shape, whether at the hips, thighs or ankles. This is all the more important for women, whose body shape differences are even more marked than for men.

Respect your budget

And yes! As mentioned in the introduction, choosing the right motorcycle pants means weighing up the ideal compromise between use, protection, versatility, comfort and the price you think is right for you. Obviously, the higher you go, the more options you'll get, the better the overall quality and, indirectly, the longer the pants will last. What's the point? If you only ride in the summer, it's better to opt for quality motorcycle jeans, rather than a bad road model. So there you have it.

There are as many models of pants as there are bikers. Is that an exaggeration? A little. But there's no denying that the range is vast, with a plethora of styles, qualities and budgets to choose from. Here are the 5 main categories.

Textile motorcycle pants: effective but aesthetically questionable

These pants, which could be described as "road" or "touring", offer an excellent compromise between protection and comfort. Versatile par excellence, they combine everything you could hope for in a pair of motorcycle pants. Stretch zones for optimum freedom of movement, ventilation zips and removable linings make them ideal for all-weather riding. What's more, they're generally the most affordable pair of motorcycle pants, offering an attractive price/protection ratio. Aesthetically, it's debatable. And while they're ideal for everyday riding or roadtripping, you'll have to go through the checkroom before going to the office.

Here's our selection of 3 models of textile motorcycle pants:

----> Rev'it FACTOR 4 motorcycle pants (men) // women

----> Bering GORE-TEX® HURRICANE motorcycle pants

----> Rukka ECUADO-R BLACK motorcycle pants

Adventure motorcycle pants: for inveterate adventurers

The concept is identical to that of the road model: it doesn't matter what the design is, as long as it's effective. The notable difference? Adventure pants are even more versatile and comfortable. With more pockets, an improved yoke for greater freedom of movement and high-tech materials to keep you warm and dry, these are THE pants for long-distance travel. Even higher quality than its predecessor, these pants are designed to stand up to the rigors of the long haul. The downside? Obviously, all this technology comes at a price. These technical models are therefore inevitably more expensive than "road" pants.

Here's our selection of 3 models of adventure motorcycle pants:

----> Alpinestars HALO DRYSTAR Pants Khaki/Black

----> Klim CARLSBAD 2021 motorcycle pants

----> Klim BADLANDS PRO 2022 Monument Gray motorcycle pants

Motorcycle jeans: style and protection (well, almost)

Motorcycle jeans are a revolution in their own right. That's right, they're the only style you can wear both on the bike and in the office. Isn't that great? No more full-leather or baroudeur coffee-break look. It's such a great product that we've devoted a detailed article to it.

Inserts in absorbent technical material protect your hips and knees in the event of impact. And what about abrasion resistance? You can count on space fabrics like Cordura, Kevlar or Armalith. Visually, these motorcycle pants may look like good old-fashioned denim, but they're actually a little jewel of technology. The only downside? Because of the fabric they're made from, they're not waterproof. So you'll need to combine them with waterproof overtrousers.

Here's our selection of 3 models of motorcycle jeans:

----> Furygan D03 TAPERED Raw Blue Motorcycle Jeans

----> Bering TRUST STRAIGHT motorcycle jeans BLUE

----> BOLID'STER HIP'STER INDIGO motorcycle jeans

Motorcycle leather: when the knee itches

A relic of the olden days, when the AC/DC look was the motorcycle norm, today it's reserved for fans of sporty bikes. And the reason? It offers unrivalled abrasion resistance. That's why it's the undisputed master on the racetrack (where it's fitted with sliders to avoid nibbling the skin at every turn). Weak points? Unfortunately, there are many. The material is not really waterproof. What' s more, since it's not breathable, it turns your shins into a 7-hour leg of lamb on long summer outings. And finally, it requires regular maintenance.

Here's our selection of 3 models of leather motorcycle pants:

----> Bering SNAP leather motorcycle pants

----> Furygan BOLT leather motorcycle pants

----> Alpinestars MISSILE V3 Black/White leather motorcycle pants

Enduro pants: no more abrasion resistance

How do you sum up enduro pants? Well, you have to think of them as shock-resistant jogging pants. They offer maximum freedom of movement, optimum ventilation and absorbent inserts to protect your joints when you're hard at work. Its special feature: it has low abrasion resistance. After all, off-road doesn't mean asphalt, does it? These pants are for off-road use only, not road use.

Here's our selection of 3 models of enduro motorcycle pants:

----> Acerbis ENDURO ONE BAGGY enduro pants

----> Alpinestars TECHDURA enduro pants

----> Klim MOJAVE OTB 2022 COOL GRAY enduro pants

And that's it, this article is coming to an end. Did it help you choose your pants? Don't hesitate to let us know in the comments section. And if there's a topic you'd like us to cover on our blog, let us know. It could be useful to more bikers than you think! On that note, we wish you all the best for the future, and a long life for your bike!

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Image credit: image with man from behind - Freepik image