What jeans to wear for motorcycling: safety, comfort and style

When riding a motorcycle, protecting your shorts is not mandatory. And yeah, French law allows you to ride in shorts as long as you're wearing a helmet and gloves. Not so good, is it? What's more, until recently, protecting your legs meant wearing either leather or technical pants of dubious aesthetic appeal. Those days are gone! Make way for the era of wearable motorcycle jeans combining comfort, style and protection.

When you fall off your bike, there's no set routine. Salto, triple-axel, toe loop, you don't choose the program. The constant? In 70% of accidents, the legs are involved. Protecting them is therefore crucial. Motorcycle jeans offer you three types of protection: against abrasion in the event of a slip, against impact in the event of a fall, and against the elements (to a certain extent). And all the while remaining lightweight and breathable!

Resistant materials: Cordura, Kevlar, Armalith

How does it achieve this feat? Space technology! And we're only half joking. Cordura, Kevlar, Armalith, these innovative fabrics offer galactic abrasion resistance, preventing your skin from turning into pizza after a prolonged slip. These fibers are infusible. Meaning? They can't melt, unlike your favorite elastane jeans.

Discreet, supple impact protection

This little jewel of technology, the motorcycle jean, once again uses ultra-innovative technology. They feature shock-absorbing inserts to protect your hips and knees in the event of an unexpected encounter with a bumper. The real challenge with these shells is to combine protection, flexibility and finesse.

Breathable motorcycle jeans for everyday life

It's thanks to these innovations that motorcycle jeans are just as light and flexible as their non-motorized counterparts. But can you wear them in everyday life? Absolutely! They're designed for everyday wear. They're even better ventilated than your "normal" jeans. They're highly breathable, so you don't feel like you're sweltering in summer, and they keep the wind out - otherwise, at 130km/h on the freeway, you could freeze your kneecaps off.

Biker pants with biker cuts

The final argument to convince you: the cut is designed for motorcycling. Meaning? You'll be just as comfortable standing up as sitting down, or even in a frog for sportbike enthusiasts. No more feeling like your crotch is in a vice, your ankles are up to your calf in air, and your lower back is exposed, with its share of unpleasant draughts tickling your buttocks.

Motorcycle jeans follow an unstoppable logic: the more technical, the more expensive. So it's up to you to find the ideal compromise between comfort, technology and budget.

The most important criterion? The material used

Leather, Cordura, Kevlar, each offers different properties in terms of elasticity, breathability and abrasion resistance. The best of the best?Armalith. This revolutionary high-performance fiber is the quintessential ripstop denim. Jeans with the highest levels of Armalith allow up to 32m of improvised sledging, while preserving the integrity of the buttocks. Of course, the quality of the yoke and the presence of stretch zones ensure optimum mobility.

The second important point: protective shells

For ideal protection, we believe it's essential to have reinforcements at the hips and knees. The best way? Some denim models are modular. In other words, these inserts can be removed and put back on at your convenience, thanks to internal or external pockets. Reinforcements, yes, but in what material? Here again, you can rely on patented technologies. Poron XRD, for example, claims to absorb 90% of impact energy. As for the D30 label, it guarantees flexibility and protection. No more arthritic knees!

And what about comfort? And style?

Doesn't all this Nasa technology irritate the skin a little? Well, some models feature a mesh inner lining for added comfort and breathability. Armalith's fiber, for example, is made from cotton. Style, too, will motivate your choice of motorcycle jeans. From the hipster's slim to the casual biker's baggy and the rocker's denim, there's something for everyone.

How can you be sure of choosing the right size?

Try them on for size. Ideally, you should climb on your bike to see if the riding position is compatible with the cut of the jeans. Then check that your ankles are well covered, that your lower back isn't yawning and that your crotch isn't compressed. Don't skip? The belt. Most motorcycle jeans come with belt loops. Being properly tightened at the waist will prevent you from getting your knickers in a twist when sliding forward.

Slim moto jeans, stylish and affordable

Here's a pair of jeans with great value for money! Bering has succeeded in developing a product with urban styling without sacrificing protection, thanks to Cordura fibers and reinforcements at the knees and hips. And what about comfort? A cotton inner lining will give you a pleasant, voluptuous feeling.

----> Bering TRUST SLIM BLUE motorcycle jeans

Bolidster Hipster, Denim made in France

The Bolidster Hipster is indistinguishable from traditional jeans. And yes, on the surface there's nothing to suggest its extraordinary resistance to abrasion (up to 20m of slip). The major advantage of this model? Its Armalith mesh, which offers protection, comfort and lightness.

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

Klim K Fifty, for modern style

With its Tapered cut, tightened at the bottom of the legs, Klim offers a modern urban jean. What we love? They're super-secure. With Cordura mesh, Kevlar panels, Poron XRD reinforcements and D30 protection, they're a veritable condensation of technology! Comfort isn't sacrificed either, with a fixed inner lining in breathable mesh.

----> Klim K FIFTY 2 STRAIGHT Tapered motorcycle jeans

Patricia jeans, affordable and modular

Tough, supple and comfortable: this Patricia model ticks all the boxes of the ideal motorcycle jean. Its stretch knit reinforced with Kevlar fibers performs the minor miracle of combining mobility and non-tearability. The best part? The slim fit for super-modern style.

----> Bering LADY PATRICIA motorcycle jeans

Helstons Parade, comfort above all else

You see, at Helstons, they don't do things by halves. Why is that? Because they felt that cotton and Armalith pants weren't comfortable enough. So they added an inner lining of Lycra and cotton. The result? super-breathable, supple and comfortable motorcycle jeans.

----> Helstons PARADE women's motorcycle jeans

Bolidster Jeny, French haute couture

Slim and stretchy at the same time, these elegant jeans adapt to different women's morphologies. In addition to being extremely comfortable to wear, they are also extremely hard-wearing thanks to their Armalith knit. The killer detail? Bolidster makes its motorcycle jeans in France.

----> BOLID'STER JENY'STER 2 INDIGO women's motorcycle jeans - Slim

Motorcycle jeans are not very versatile. There are no models with a waterproof lining. You'll need to combine them with a pair of rain pants to get the most out of an outing in the rain. The same goes for cold weather. As these motorcycle jeans are cut close to the body, they are not designed to accommodate a fleece lining, unlike more modular motorcycle pants. So opt for a thermal underlayer.

Still on the fence about motorcycle jeans? There's a clever alternative: underpants. The Elite model from Bowtex, for example, is ultra-light, highly breathable, and offers the same protection as motorcycle pants (abrasion and impact). So you can continue wearing your favorite non-motorcycle jeans while enjoying optimum safety.

----> Bowtex ELITE motorcycle underpants - LEVEL AAA

Well, I hope this article has convinced you: modern motorcycle jeans manage to combine style, comfort and protection. What's more, with entry-level models available for under €100, it would be a mistake to go without, wouldn't it? If you'd like to try out a particular model and you're in the Paris region, don't hesitate to visit us in our showroom.