Riding Pants Styles
What Are Motorcycle Riding Pants Called?
Motorcycle riding pants go by riding pants, motorcycle trousers or leathers. Here is what each name means, and why search results show horse breeches.
Motorcycle riding pants are usually just called riding pants or motorcycle pants in the US, and motorcycle trousers in the UK, where "pants" means underwear. Leather ones, together with a jacket or as a one-piece suit, are called "leathers". If you meant horse riding, those pants are breeches or jodhpurs.
This page is part of our guide to motorcycle pants types and styles.
The names riders use
| Name | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Riding pants / motorcycle pants | The general US term for any protective pants for the bike |
| Motorcycle trousers | The same item in British English |
| Leathers | Leather riding gear: one-piece suits or two-piece jackets and trousers |
| Riding jeans | Jeans-cut pants combining denim with polymers for abrasion resistance |
| Leather jeans | Cowhide pants in a five-pocket jeans cut, worn on the bike and in town |
| Textile pants | Nylon or Kevlar-blend pants, often with a waterproof liner |
| Riding leggings | Stretchy riding pants, which MCN lists under women's riding pants |
| Over-trousers / over-pants | Pants sized to go on over other clothes |
Why the search gives you horse pants
Search "what are riding pants called" and the top results are about equestrian wear, not motorcycles. In that world, breeches cover the legs to just below the knee and stayed in use for horseback riding after they left everyday menswear. Jodhpurs run to the ankle and end in a snug cuff.
Neither is motorcycle gear. A motorcycle pair is built for a slide on the road: protective leather is thicker and stiffer than fashion leather, and riding jeans add a rated abrasion layer that regular denim lacks.
Are chaps riding pants?
No. Chaps have no seat; chaps with a seat would be trousers. They are two leather legs worn over your jeans, and the Leather Collection chaps carry no armor. The guide to motorcycle leather chaps covers how they differ from pants.
Which name to search when you shop
Use the name that matches what you want the pants to do. "Leather motorcycle pants" or "leathers" brings up cowhide riding pants; "riding jeans" brings up denim styles; "textile" or "touring pants" brings up all-weather pairs. Which style suits which riding is the subject of motorcycle riding pants styles and their uses. For leather in particular, see can men wear leather trousers and what motorcycle leather pants look like inside.
One store range shows both leather styles side by side: Leather Collection motorcycle riding pants has touring pants with knee and hip armor, and leather jeans.
Motorcycle Leather Pant Editorial Team
Motorcycle Leather Pant articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.