I'm in the market for some kevlar jeans with extra protection. I'd like something with removable knee armor, and hip padding if there's anything like that out there.
I do a lot of short commutes and errands and just don't want to leather-up for that. I want something with more protection than my Levi's and something I could potentially wear around the office for the day, so something comfortable and subdued (e.g. no big flashy logos, etc.).
Any recommendations?
for the past few years I've been using icon . . . they look a bit odd, sort of fitted at waist and wide legs . . . back then they costed around $100
I have a pair of Maple Jeans - http://www.maplemoto.com/collections/kevlar-motorcycle-jeans (http://www.maplemoto.com/collections/kevlar-motorcycle-jeans). They're kevlar lined where it matters and come with removable Forcefield knee and hip armor. These are raw denim which have a break in process and get more comfortable as you break them in. They aren't cheap but they don't look like motorcycle jeans one bit.
At an even higher price point, Rokker jeans are real nice too - http://www.revzilla.com/rokker-jeans (http://www.revzilla.com/rokker-jeans). Too pricey for me though, but I've seen them in person and they're well made, come with removable D3O armor and they have waterproof options as well.
These are the two I know of which you can wear all day off the bike and not look like you're wearing any motorcycle gear.
Oh and Rev'It has also just released some jeans as well. But I've never seen nor try them. Revzilla has them in stock.
Considering the price of those jeans, I'd get a pair of Aerostitch Darien overpants. More protection, and more useful. Wear whatever pants you want underneath! Not quite as easy for quick errands, but way better for going to the office.
http://www.aerostich.com/darien-pants.html (http://www.aerostich.com/darien-pants.html)
The Aerostich pants are a great option, you can get in and out of them in under 10 seconds, and they provide a high level of protection with water proof ness as well. They don't look half bad off the bike too.
I reccemend Dainese D1 jeans.
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d1-kevlar-jeans (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d1-kevlar-jeans)
They are the top Kevlar jeans they make and are made with a very thick fabric and are stylish. The only drawback is they are considered as "urban" jeans by Dainese and have thin knee pads installed. I removed these pads and ordered replacement forcefield knee pads, which are of the proper thickness.
There is also a new variation of the D1 jean that is cheaper, it has beefier knee pads (J kit) sold separately.
These are now my go to riding pants.
Dainese D6 look like normal jeans. If you have the means...
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d6-kevlar-jeans (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d6-kevlar-jeans)
They don't look anywhere close to the ones I have at home ;D
(http://media1.fashionfreax.net/outfits/1bYGiy.jpg)
You sir, have a lovely ass. ;D
Quote from: Skybarney on November 30, 2013, 09:14:48 AM
You sir, have a lovely ass. ;D
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
years ago people always said the draggin jeans from australia were the best. /shrug
I have a couple pair of Shift jeans but they don't make them any more. no padding inside tho, but I wouldn't trust inserts like that to stay in place when needed. I wear the Bohn adventure pants under my kevlar jeans.
There's a member on ADVrider that got together w/ his father from the garment industry and designed their on jeans. Expensive, but very nice.
http://leananglejeans.com/ (http://leananglejeans.com/)
Quote from: scoprire on February 17, 2014, 07:17:34 PM
There's a member on ADVrider that got together w/ his father from the garment industry and designed their on jeans. Expensive, but very nice.
http://leananglejeans.com/ (http://leananglejeans.com/)
I'm not much of a riding jeans guy due to the lack of real protection, but these look really nice and seem to offer great protection! [thumbsup]
If I still had a street bike I'd be all over a pair for weekend rides.
Quote from: scoprire on February 17, 2014, 07:17:34 PM
There's a member on ADVrider that got together w/ his father from the garment industry and designed their on jeans. Expensive, but very nice.
http://leananglejeans.com/ (http://leananglejeans.com/)
Nice find. That's pretty much what I've been looking for, but a bit out of my price range.
I'll probably end up going with something like the recommended Aerostitch overpants; okay protection, quick on/off, and won't break the bank.
Anyone runs into any other options, please post it up. Really good info so far.
Thanks!
Kinda a small thread jack here: but can you share more on your Darien pants, Triple J?
I have Dainese kevlar jeans (don't know the model #) and like them, but they don't have pad pockets. I've tried wearing separate under-padding, but it can be very uncomfortable and cuts off circulation to my knees on longer rides. Anyway, was looking for a new riding pant that could we used casually (i.e. no leather). I heard so many good things about Aerostitch in general, I'm considering the Darien. The Falstaff are appealing, too, but definitely a large bump in price.
My concern is really related to heat. I rarely ride in the rain and therefore don't require Gor-tex. I fear the Darien may be too warm for me in summer riding. There are the Darien Light on the Aerostitch website, but I worry that maybe the lightness sacrifices protection/durability.
Any thoughts?
I've never thought they were too hot, but that probably depends on your tolerance and what conditions you ride in. I'm in the pacific northwest, so 90-95 is about as hot as it gets...rarely. They're not tight though, so air can get between them and you...there isn't any venting though.
On hot days I would just wear shorts beneath them, and that helped.
Icon just released these: http://icon1000.com/collection/icon-1000-rouser-denim-pant/ (http://icon1000.com/collection/icon-1000-rouser-denim-pant/)
They're pretty pricey, in my book, at $230. They seem nice though.
www.uglybrosusa.com (//http://)
They have some stylish/ functional jeans!!!!
^^
Zero abrasion protection. [thumbsdown] Not to mention the odd styling of all but a couple of their styles.
Quote from: Triple J on February 21, 2014, 10:04:07 AM
^^
Zero abrasion protection. [thumbsdown] Not to mention the odd styling of all but a couple of their styles.
Did you read the product brochure? It states Kevlar weave (whatever that means), and shows padding inserts. The styling on all but one is not my cup of tea, but I am the last person who should do a fashion critique. ;)
Quote from: oldndumb on February 21, 2014, 01:50:06 PM
Did you read the product brochure? It states Kevlar weave (whatever that means), and shows padding inserts.
Padding isn't abrasion resistance, and I don't see "kevlar weave" anywhere in the brochure, just 12 oz. denim (97% cotton/3% spandex). They use YKK zippers though! [laugh]
edit...it's not in the brochure, but in the shop section. Looks like a couple of their models have either a kevlar weave or kevlar liner of some sort. OK...maybe some abrasion resistance. Most of their pants don't though, and they're very vague on what it means, so can't tell if it's in the fabric or if it's just the yarn they use on the seamsThe Lean Angle jeans are the only ones with tested protection...plus, they look normal.
I know some people dontu se a kevlar weave but use a full kevlar liner.
Fine for cooler temps, but try that in the summer. I rather wear perf leathers everywhere and look retarded than wear those jeans.
Quote from: He Man on February 21, 2014, 03:04:07 PM
I know some people dontu se a kevlar weave but use a full kevlar liner.
Fine for cooler temps, but try that in the summer. I rather wear perf leathers everywhere and look retarded than wear those jeans.
Agreed. And I don't get why the better jeans cost 2-3 times what I paid for my good leathers with full armor. But I still can't bring myself to walk up and down the grocery aisles looking like a stormtrooper.
I'm in the market for a pair of riding jeans. I have a pair of Rev'it jeans that are about worn out. I would buy them again, but the ones I've seen are around $200.00 I might try a pair of these Sliders for under $100.00 at Competition Accessories.
http://www.compacc.com/p/sliders-kevlar-motorcycle-riding-jeans-4-0 (http://www.compacc.com/p/sliders-kevlar-motorcycle-riding-jeans-4-0)
Has anybody has any experience with these? They use 13.5 oz. denim and Kevlar, which is better material than advertised for some of the $300.00 jeans.
Quote from: Desert Dust on June 24, 2014, 10:01:53 PM
I'm in the market for a pair of riding jeans. I have a pair of Rev'it jeans that are about worn out. I would buy them again, but the ones I've seen are around $200.00 I might try a pair of these Sliders for under $100.00 at Competition Accessories.
http://www.compacc.com/p/sliders-kevlar-motorcycle-riding-jeans-4-0 (http://www.compacc.com/p/sliders-kevlar-motorcycle-riding-jeans-4-0)
Has anybody has any experience with these? They use 13.5 oz. denim and Kevlar, which is better material than advertised for some of the $300.00 jeans.
Nice find. I did a bunch of reading last night after I saw your post. Seems a lot of folks preferred Draggin jeans over Sliders. MCN rated them as one of their top picks and they're not much more at $120.
http://www.dragginjeans.com/classic-mens/ (http://www.dragginjeans.com/classic-mens/)
Quote from: D3vi@nt on June 26, 2014, 07:23:13 PM
Nice find. I did a bunch of reading last night after I saw your post. Seems a lot of folks preferred Draggin jeans over Sliders. MCN rated them as one of their top picks and they're not much more at $120.
http://www.dragginjeans.com/classic-mens/ (http://www.dragginjeans.com/classic-mens/)
Those Draggin' jeans look nice- 14.5 oz. denim + Kevlar. They look great & well made. I ordered a pair of Sliders and knee armor earlier today.
Those Draggin Jeans should be called Mom Jeans. :-X
Now these are some good looking Jeans...
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d6-kevlar-jeans (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d6-kevlar-jeans)
Quote from: Duck Off on June 27, 2014, 05:24:11 PM
Now these are some good looking Jeans...
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d6-kevlar-jeans (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d6-kevlar-jeans)
I have these. Good jeans, look nice off the bike. Problem is they don't have inside pockets for knee inserts, just extra fabric for more protection. I believe these have the pocket, but of course they don't look as good:
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d1-kevlar-armor-ready-jeans (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d1-kevlar-armor-ready-jeans)
And for anyone with cash to burn, I tried a pair of these on at Revzilla this spring. Liked 'em but was not going to pay $500 for riding jeans. They do look pretty good and use a certain type of knee insert that is supposed to be very good in terms of protection and fit/feel.
http://www.therokkercompany.com/2012/?lang=en (http://www.therokkercompany.com/2012/?lang=en)
At 500.00 for jeans I think I would wear a regular pair under some ballistics over pants. That's just me though as I can't even come close to justifying 500.00 for something made of pre-washed denim, regardless of whats under it.
Quote from: 1.21GW on June 29, 2014, 07:58:28 PM
I have these. Good jeans, look nice off the bike. Problem is they don't have inside pockets for knee inserts, just extra fabric for more protection. I believe these have the pocket, but of course they don't look as good:
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d1-kevlar-armor-ready-jeans (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-d1-kevlar-armor-ready-jeans)
That was my beef with a lot of the jeans; many look good, but have no option for armor and cost more than my leathers. Any idea what weight they are? I could find a spec for that anywhere...
Quote from: D3vi@nt on July 03, 2014, 07:06:20 PM
That was my beef with a lot of the jeans; many look good, but have no option for armor and cost more than my leathers. Any idea what weight they are? I could find a spec for that anywhere...
These got shipped to my door today. I paid an extra $12.00 for Knee armor, so about $97.00 shipped. They are a thick 100% cotton denim and have a lot of Kevlar.
(http://www.roadrunner.travel/wp/wp-content/uploads/Sliders-4.0-Kevlar-Motorcycle-Riding-Jeans.jpg)
Quote from: Desert Dust on July 03, 2014, 08:39:28 PM
These got shipped to my door today. I paid an extra $12.00 for Knee armor, so about $97.00 shipped. They are a thick 100% cotton denim and have a lot of Kevlar.
(http://www.roadrunner.travel/wp/wp-content/uploads/Sliders-4.0-Kevlar-Motorcycle-Riding-Jeans.jpg)
Does the blue pair come pre-packaged or is it just happy to see me?
Quote from: Desert Dust on July 03, 2014, 08:39:28 PM
These got shipped to my door today. I paid an extra $12.00 for Knee armor, so about $97.00 shipped. They are a thick 100% cotton denim and have a lot of Kevlar.
(http://www.roadrunner.travel/wp/wp-content/uploads/Sliders-4.0-Kevlar-Motorcycle-Riding-Jeans.jpg)
Sweet. Please keep us posted on how they work out.
Quote from: D3vi@nt on July 04, 2014, 09:27:25 AM
Sweet. Please keep us posted on how they work out.
Went for a ride last night and they were very comfortable on the bike, but heavy walking jeans. Might be a bit warm during summer as they are made of heavy denim with loads of Kevlar lining possible impact areas.
Order a 2" smaller waste than you normally wear. Every other review recommended this, and it's true. I ordered 2" smaller wasted & they fit nicely.
Comfortable on the bike, but not "stylish" like some of the more $$$$ jeans.
Knee pads are adjustable to account for different heights of riders. Knee pads offer a great deal of extra protection, but are not cumbersome.
Overall- [thumbsup] [thumbsup]
Sliders have a khaki version which may pass in the office. They are baggy.
Draggin jeans I feel are the best but only have blue and black. Wear like Levis or a baggy version.
Both have available pads but probably not the best pad fastening.
So in the protective jeans category it seems like a juggling act among:
-cost
-level of protection
-comfort on and off the bike
-style
If you had to rate each in terms of importance from 1 to 5 (5 being most important) how would you rate each?
Style is perhaps a bit too personal to rate. I doubt you youngins would like my 60 year old man jeans.
I just finished a 4 day 700 mile Baja run in the Sliders Denim, jeans. Yes, this was the only pair of pants I brought. Travel light, I always say.
1.) Max protection for jeans.
2.) Knee pads felt out of place at times.
3.) Very comfortable on and off the bike.
4.) High quality denim with generous amounts of Kevlar in key areas.
5.) I would buy them again.
Quote from: monster 795 on August 01, 2014, 09:21:36 PM
So in the protective jeans category it seems like a juggling act among:
-cost
-level of protection
-comfort on and off the bike
-style
If you had to rate each in terms of importance from 1 to 5 (5 being most important) how would you rate each?
I know lots of people wont agree but being honest my criteria ranks like this:
1. Cost - spending money on the bike is just what we do and compared to some items jeans arent that expensive
2. Level of Protecction - I know this should be more important but considering I typically ride in regular jeans any level of protection would be better
3. Comfort - cant tolerate being uncomfortable. Why ride if you cant enjoy it? Thats why I had to sell the Dainese Protective Boxers that tailbone pad felt like someone stuck a piece of plywood in the back of your underwear every time you sat down! This is a deal breaker for me.
4. Style - I go to a lot of trouble to make my bike look as esthetically appealing to me as possible so it wouldnt make a lot of sense for me to throw on a pair of Mom Jeans or Frankenstein pants that I feel ridiculous in and go riding. I would just think "Who put that ugly thing on my beautiful bike? Wait! Thats me!!!" no that wouldnt fly. Also a dealbreaker.
Of course ideally I would want Max Protection, max comfort and max style at a reasonable price but that is not so easy to find.
I concur that style is kinda important for riding jeans simply because if it wasn't a consideration then we'd just wear full riding pants instead. Which, as it turns out, is what I wear. My dainese d6 jeans looked good but I never felt safe in them. But not trying to turn this into an AGATT discussion...
My point: I you're going to go the jeans route, presumably for comfort and off-the-bike use, no sense buying some ugly baggy pair. Kinda defeats the purpose.
Luckily, the quality and style range of moto jeans has grown considerably in recent years. Lot of good looking options out there.
Quote from: monster 795 on August 01, 2014, 09:21:36 PM
So in the protective jeans category it seems like a juggling act among:
-cost
-level of protection
-comfort on and off the bike
-style
If you had to rate each in terms of importance from 1 to 5 (5 being most important) how would you rate each?
For me, I'm interested in more protection than regular jeans at a commensurate cost; I can't justify spending more than my leathers cost for jeans that offer less than half the protection. I also can't justify spending twice as much as my Levi's on a pair of jeans with a little bit of Kevlar added. And I'm not going to win any fashion shows, so as long as they don't look god awful, I'm fine. But that's just me...
@Desert Dust - thanks for posting your review. Good stuff.
Just got my Dainese Montana M4's. Great slim fit for skinny guys like me. Not baggy but not hipster-tight either. The smaller sizes run a bit long so I had them altered. They look like any other pair of jeans that I'd be comfortable to wear off the bike even with the knee armor in place. The knee armor sits where it needs to be when on the bike. The denim is soft but feels a bit thicker than normal jeans. They were generous with the Kevlar but don't have any hip armoring. Straight cut and still fit well over boots. Didn't feel a lot of air flow while riding so these might be good for cooler weather. No crash-durability data yet...
Yeah, I don't get how these companies get the prices they do for these jeans. Well, I guess because people will pay for it.
Quote from: monster 795 on August 13, 2014, 10:12:22 PM
Yeah, I don't get how these companies get the prices they do for these jeans. Well, I guess because people will pay for it.
People pay big money for designer Jeans with no protection. I remember when I was shopping for leather jackets the insane prices for "designer" leather jackets that looked like they'd last about 3 years tops and wouldnt protect you from a strong wind.