How to Choose Motorcycle Riding Pants: How We Judge Them

Judge motorcycle riding pants on five things: crash protection, how they're built, fit in the riding position, how they handle the weather, and how well they work with your jacket and boots. A lab rating can tell you about crash protection. The other four only show up when you wear the pants on the bike.

This hub explains the criteria and standards behind our riding pants reviews, and links to each review. We haven't published wear-test results yet. Results will be added to each review as the tests are done.

Our riding pants reviews

MCN groups riding pants into riding jeans, textile pants, leather pants and women's pants. It says leather pants lean toward sport and track riding, carry knee sliders and almost always have a zip to join a leather jacket. That's why the sportbike review gives more weight to leather and the connection zip.

The criteria at a glance

1. Crash protection: what lab ratings measure

We don't crash-test pants. For crash protection, we rely on published standards and independent ratings, and we check that a pair's claims match its label.

EN 17092 rates the whole garment in classes AAA, AA, A, B and C. Class AAA and AA pants must have knee and hip protectors, while hip protectors are optional in class A. Only class AAA trousers treat the seat as a high-risk zone. The riding pants protection, armor and ratings hub explains each class and the EN 1621-1 armor levels.

MotoCAP is a consumer rating program run by government agencies, private organizations and rider groups in Australia and New Zealand. It rates jackets, pants and gloves for protection and breathability. Its safety rating combines impact protection, seam burst resistance and abrasion resistance, weighted toward high-risk areas. Pants get a safety score and a breathability score, each from 0 to 5 stars in half-star steps.

MotoCAP tests leather, textile and denim pants the same way. A three-star denim pant has protection equal to a three-star leather pant. MotoCAP suggests at least two stars for urban riding and three stars for rural riding, because chip seal roads are 4.5 times more abrasive than asphalt. Its lab is NATA-accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

MotoCAP picks most products at random from what's on sale. Makers can also pay for a test, and every rated product is published. A MotoCAP rating only exists for gear sold in Australia and New Zealand, so pants sold only outside those markets won't have one.

2. Construction you can check by hand

Seams that split or burst are a common failure. MotoCAP advises two or three lines of stitching on major seams, with at least one concealed line on exposed seams. Some makers say how their seams are built. MotoSpeeds, for example, says every seam on its classic leather pants is triple stitched.

Look inside the armor pockets. Some pants hold foam fillers that may not protect you unless they're labeled EN 1621-1, and you can swap in EN 1621-1 protectors bought separately. Zips and fasteners should sit under flaps, and hard studs or extra pockets in exposed areas can cause injuries or become tear points.

Protective leather is usually thicker and stronger, and only moderately flexible, compared with fashion leather. To see what linings and armor pockets look like, read what motorcycle leather pants look like inside.

3. Fit in the riding position

Pants that fit standing up can fail on the bike. Try them on with the clothes you normally ride in. They should feel snug and comfortable in your riding position, with the protectors staying over your hips and knees. Knee and hip armor that slips down or rides up doesn't cover the joint.

Riding pants should look a little long when you stand, because bent knees pull the fabric up on the bike. If you ride leaned forward on a sport bike, D3O suggests pants that don't dig into your stomach, sized up and held with a belt or braces. Sizing and stretch are covered in the motorcycle pants sizing and fit guide, and seated leg length in how long motorcycle pants should be when seated.

4. Weather: rain, heat and cold

Breathability matters in all weather, not only in summer. MotoCAP scores it with a wet test, which measures how easily sweat escapes, and a dry test, which measures insulation. Waterproof gear should still breathe. PVC or plasticized nylon keeps rain out but traps sweat.

MotoCAP tests water protection only on gear sold as water resistant. A dressed dummy sits on a motorcycle under 20 minutes of high-pressure spray from about 6.5 ft (2 m), and its cotton underwear is weighed before and after. Our waterproof over-trousers review applies the same idea: what matters is how much water reaches your clothes.

Textile pants can have waterproof membranes, vents and a removable thermal liner. In leather, a mesh lining lets air move between the leather and your legs. Leather Collection says its riding pants use one.

5. Jacket and boot compatibility

Pants should sit high enough at the back that no gap opens to your jacket, which would leave skin exposed and let rain in. On two-piece suits, the zip at the waist is the one place that relies on a fastening rather than continuous leather. EN 17092 tests that join by pulling the joined pieces with 100 N for 60 seconds.

Connection zips don't always match between makers. How to zip a leather jacket to riding pants covers zip types and how to check them.

How our wear tests work

Each pair we review will go through the same steps, so results can be compared across pants:

1. Label and rating check. Record the EN 17092 class, the armor marking, and any MotoCAP rating for that exact model.
2. Hand inspection. Count the seam rows, open every armor pocket, and check the zips, flaps and hardware.
3. Seated fit. Wear the pants with the rider's own boots and jacket. Photograph the knee armor and hem standing and seated, and check the waist gap leaning forward.
4. Riding log. Ride in normal use and log the distance, temperature and rain for each ride.
5. Wear check. Inspect seams, zips and the knee and seat areas for wear at the end of the test period.

What ratings and wear tests can't tell you

MotoCAP says studies show up to 30% of motorcycle clothing fails in crashes. Ratings have limits too. According to Wikipedia's summary of the research, one study found motorcycle armor was not linked to fewer fractures, and another argued EN 1621-1 allows too much force through. The same source says the A, AA and AAA classes had no peer-reviewed independent validation.

A wear test can't measure crash protection. It shows comfort, fit and durability over time. That's why our reviews report lab ratings and wear findings separately and never mix them into one score.

Leather, textile or riding jeans?

Engineered textiles such as high-denier ballistic nylon are the main alternative to leather, often with a waterproof liner. Regular denim isn't strong enough for a slide. Riding jeans add polymers for abrasion resistance and can take armor. RevZilla describes most riding jeans as aimed at low-speed urban riding and commuting. Material alone doesn't decide protection: MotoCAP rates all three on one scale. Styles are compared in types of motorcycle pants.

Where to look at leather riding pants

In the Leather Collection leather motorcycle pants range there are two kinds of pants: touring pants with knee and hip armor, and leather jeans cut for riding and daily wear. Only the touring styles carry removable armor and replaceable knee sliders. Every pair can be made in a custom size. These pants haven't been through our wear tests yet, and we haven't seen test certificates, so ask the store which rating applies to the exact pair.

FAQ

What should I look for in motorcycle pants?

Start with crash protection: a garment class or independent rating, plus armor marked EN 1621-1 at the knees and hips. Then check the seams, fit in the riding position, weather protection and the zip to your jacket, as set out above.

How do I know what size motorcycle pants to get?

Measure yourself, then try the pants on in the riding position with the clothes you ride in. Riding pants should be snug at the waist with room to bend at the knee. The steps are in how to find your motorcycle pants size.

Do you wear normal pants under motorcycle pants?

It depends on the pants and the weather, so try them on over whatever you plan to ride in. The options are covered in what to wear under motorcycle pants.

What are the best motorcycle pants for daily riding?

For urban riding, MotoCAP suggests at least a two-star protection rating, with knee and hip protectors. Most riding jeans are aimed at urban riding and commuting. Our all-round review above compares the options for everyday use.