Riding Pants

[walnut11]

Ok so it is too bluming cold to ride and chains on the LT just don't cut it.
So I need to get some new riding britches, anybody know Motoport/cycleport products. I am looking at Ultra ll kevlar or Ultra ll cordova(sp) pants.
Any input good bad or indifferent would be helpful.
TIA
David
Stockbridge Mi.

[sgborgstrom]

Back when I was sidecaring my way through Chicago winters I wore my roadcrafter with heavy fleece underneath and stayed fairly warm. The big knee pads worked great as an extra layer of insulation. The real problem areas turned out to be toes and fingers. Airheads are better than K's in the winter 'cause you get a little bit of warm air blowing over your feet. 3 fingered snowmobile gloves (think Spock giving the "live long and prosper" sign) allow more dexterity than mittens but let your fingers keep each other warm. An electric vest is a wonderful thing too.

Steve

[basketcase]

And then some.

Right now, my interest seems to be on Gerbings heated clothing. I am at the point in life in which layering up until I resemble the Pillsbury dough boy in a red Roadcrafter no longer appeals to me. So less layering and more electricity is the way I am headed.

Back to your question about riding pants.

I have a 'Stich, but there are othe products on the market that will serve as well. The argument over which apparel is best is endless, so one has to think in terms of function, riding style and needs -- and not to forget, total budget. BMW, IMHO, has priced itself out of the mainstream market with its $1,000 plus riding suits. And FWIW, I bought my 'Stich from the previous owner, "as new" for half of what it cost off the shelf.

If I were starting over today, I would opt for something in a versatile, belted, waterproof pant, with a decent 3/4 length jacket.

The new Competition Accessories catalogue came yesterday, and there is a pretty good deal on the back page. The color schemes in what is available now means you can mix and match manufacturers to get the features and fit that you really want.

[YB in IN]

I would stay away from Competition Accessories. A lot of people, including myself, have had some dealings with them that were shady around every corner. Just my $.02 worth.

[basketcase]

I've not bought truckloads of stuff ... just a battery tender, gloves, and a few other things. But I've never had a problem with them.

Two weekends ago, a friend and I went riding and I commented on his Joe Rocket riding pants. He bought them at Competion Accessories and did not have problems.

Another local acquaintance bought a leather jacket from them (something I would never purchase mail order) and he is well satisfied.

I work in retail, and a much as we hate to see it happen, an occasional screw up is both inevitable and unavoidable.

They have decent product line. Hopefully, if they have been through a rough period, they will stand good and recoup.

[Montana]

I have a Motoport jacket. I'd call the quality medium - one of the snaps came off, that holds the liner in at the cuff, and the collar rubbed my neck on a long trip last year, but it is a removable piece and it is now covered with better material. I wear it on long road trips, not around town, so maybe 6 times a year. I wish it had a hood for under the helmet, keeping the rain from running down my neck. It fits pretty well and I like the venting, with take-up straps so the vents can be open but the arms don't flap. For the price (I think I paid less than $200) it is great, but if I were wearing it more often I'd probably be willing to spend a little more and get the next level up in quality.

[jgr451]

I have a pair of First gear riding pants for sale,check out the IBMWR For Sale section.

Good luck finding what you want.

[The_Veg]

I just got Belstaff Pioneer pants and I am pleased beyond words with them except in one area- they are difficult to put on/take off over boots, as the only accomodation for such is a zipper that allows the bottom 12" or so to open into a wide flare. Even tougher with the liner in place! The knee armour seems to be the main culprit, and part of it may have to do with my big bulky size 12 hiking boots that I ride in. But they do stay quite warm and are designed with a high degree of intelligence. The Discovery jacket is now on my list.
About the thing regarding Airheads being better than K's in the winter, I'm not sure I agree. But it may depend on which K you have. I had a K100RT and its fairing extended all the way to mid-foot. Better still was the fact that I could remove the kneepads and enjoy more heat than I knew what to do with. I was even contemplating rigging up a 2- or 3-inch flexible hose and small computer-type fan from behind the radiator to plug into my jacket for active heat delivery. I've also heard that Baker-Built AirWings make the K-RT even better in all seasons since they can be positioned to either deflect or direct the airflow.

[cuervo]

I have the Cordura II pants and like them but have two gripes:

1. They require the liner to be waterproof. The pants themselves are water resistant but aren't made to go beyond a few minutes. Not a problem in the winter if you're wearing the liners on a regular basis, though.

2. The liners (at least on mine) have the open-zipper in what seems to be the wrong direction with respect to the pants. With the pants, you fasten them at the waist and then zip down to close them.

With the liner, for the one open leg, you have to fasten it at the cuff and then zip up to close. This means that you have to fasten the pants at the waist to hold them on, zip down slightly, fasten the liner at the cuff, zip up to the pants zipper, take it down slightly to be able to bring the liner zipper all the way up.

Does that make sense?

Anyway, except for this annoyance, they are easy to put on over clothes, very warm, can be sealed for wind, and are a good value.

hth

[DesertRider]

A few weeks ago I bought a pair of FirstGear Sport Touring Overpants (which FirstGear curiously abbreviates to "STOP" -- bad acronym). I've been very happy with them, in fact even happier than I expected to be. They're all leather with a soft nylon taffeta liner, styled like a pair of jeans (with all the usual pockets), and I've found them comfortable enough for everyday wear. I hadn't planned on that; originally I planned to wear them when I ride to the office and change once there, but on the first day I thought I'd see how comfortable they would be to wear by themselves, and that's what I've been doing since. Because they're all-black, and because they're styled like regular pants, a lot of people don't even seem to notice they're leather, they look like a pair of regular pants. The ones that do notice usually look twice, then it pops in their mind, "Oh, that's right, you ride a motorcycle." They certainly do not scream "biker garb" as do most motorcycle pants.

Changing in and out of them is no problem: A zipper runs all the way up the side of each leg. Putting them on and off over motocross boots with knee guards is no problem. They come with minimal padding, but with pockets for slip-in pads and sewn-in Velcro patches so pads can be re-positioned.

All in all I've been very happy with these. I like having a pair of true leather riding pants that I don't feel I have to change out of anytime I arrive someplace. For $269 (at CycleGear) they're some of the best money I've ever spent on riding apparel -- highly recommended.

[RTRandy]

For what it's worth, I got these Firstgear "Sheltex" pants and love them!! I rode with them to the Hill Country here in Texas when the temperature was in the low thirtys and felt great in them. Even though I ride a RT with good wind protection, I'd bet they would be great on any bike. I bought them at the BMW dealer in Hurst, TX and they told me that they were very popular with the local police because of the good protection.

[BMWRider]

I'm a FirstGear fan. I'll have to check out their pants. I'm afraid I fall into the jeans-wearers ... Bad habit. I need to break that.

[RTRandy]

You're talkin to a guy that only wears jeans so I share your pain. For a compromise, I highly recommend Draggin Jeans. These are designed for riding so they have Kevlar® linings in the knees and butt area. The big protection is for sliding accross the pavement though no substitute for good padding from armor with proper pants. Draggin Jeans come in every waist and length imaginable and really work as far as abrasion. Cost is around $79 www.dragginjeans.com . . .and no I don't work for them.

[drmajor]

Look at the Belstaff Discovery.

The jacket is great and if they can fit you, the pants also. I had to go over the Joe Rocket goretex lined pants as I am larger than Belstaff thinks in pants.

I like the removable liners in jacket and pants. It allows you to modify what you are wearing.

On the other hand, I also am a firm believer in Gerbing! I use it in place of the Discovery liner when its cold, with it. This allows me to not feel like "Pilsbury Dough Boy", as mentioned above. I hate that......can't move on the bike. Can't feel the bike below me.

One asset of heavy multiple layers......If you crash, you'll bounce down the road!

[LTOwner]

I have the First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket and matching pants, and think they are a very good buy for the protection offered. I have a full set of Gerbings, but my benchmark is 40 degrees and up I don't need them. I wear a set of polypro long johns, street clothes, and the First Gear suit over that, and it has to get pretty cool to need anything else. Just my .02¢.

[lorazepam]

I may be old school here, but for me nothing beats leather for protection when riding. I have an AGV viper jacket, lots of armor, and at 155.00 the best deal ever for a nice riding leather jacket. I have First gear leather pants , ergo Tech model. Well armored, and they feel great on the bike. I got them from motorcycle closeouts dot com for 119.00. They have a 10 year warranty and I expect muc more than that out of them. For the really humid days of summer I wear the mesh gear, Joe rocket Phoenix jacket and the Gericke mesh pants. They are both well armored, and way way more comfortable than leather in the summer. If you are skeptical about the Joe rocket jacket, you can read testimonials on their website from people who have crashed in them. I also have a First gear granite jacket for cold and wet weather. It works well with a gerbing vest. Here is a site you may want to check out, they have really great deals on stuff if you can find your size.
http://www.atvoverstock.com/mfg.asp?ps4lmfgid=5&LookUpRef=5GTech

[JimVonBaden1]

Originally posted by lorazepam
I may be old school here, but for me nothing beats leather for protection when riding. I have an AGV viper jacket, lots of armor, and at 155.00 the best deal ever for a nice riding leather jacket. I have First gear leather pants , ergo Tech model. Well armored, and they feel great on the bike. I got them from motorcycle closeouts dot com for 119.00. They have a 10 year warranty and I expect muc more than that out of them. For the really humid days of summer I wear the mesh gear, Joe rocket Phoenix jacket and the Gericke mesh pants. They are both well armored, and way way more comfortable than leather in the summer. If you are skeptical about the Joe rocket jacket, you can read testimonials on their website from people who have crashed in them. I also have a First gear granite jacket for cold and wet weather. It works well with a gerbing vest. Here is a site you may want to check out, they have really great deals on stuff if you can find your size.


I have Joe Rocket Ballistic for both Winter and Summer Jackets. The winter Jacket with a sweat shirt under it works down to about 25-30 degrees, and the Mesh Jacket is great up into the 90's. The winter Jacket is ¾ length and waterproof.

I use leather pants covered by Tourmaster Rain Pants for the cold weather and this is good to about 30 degrees. I intend to get some Joe Rocket Ballistic Mesh Pants for this summer instead of the jeans.

I definitely recommend Joe Rocket for both price and quality. I have no complaints at all, and love all the thoughtful accessories they come with, and the reasonable price.

Keep in mind, I have a lot of built in insulation and don't easily get cold. I do, however, get overheated easily!

Jim

[Gerald]

I am looking for riding pants too, I need summer pants and have been looking at BMW Airflow II and Dainese light weight pants.
I do not remember the model or style of the Dainese.

They both cost about the same, a little over $200. I am sort of
leaning toward the Airflow II since I have an Airflow II jacket
and they will zip together.

Has anyone had any experience with either of these. I do have
a heavy weight pair of Dainese pants and they are just fine. I
like the armor in the Dainese, but the BMW pants have kevlar
in them.

The dealer said Dainese has better armor and BMW has better material.

Gerald

[cgarr]

I am looking at the Joe Rocket mesh riding pants for summer use.... It gets sorta hot in the desert southwest and all :D

My question is what to wear under them........ yeah, I should be able to figure this out on my own, but I would like to hear some opinions. I was leaning toward mesh riding pants with shorts underneath, but I am concerned about the protective value of this mix....... the other option is something along the lines of Draggin jeans....

Anyone have any experience with the mesh pants they are willing to share??

[RTRandy]

I starting riding the end of July in Dallas so my first pants were mesh from Tour Master with the name "Cortech". I used them in super hot weather here until October and they were surprisingly pretty cool and have decent armor for sure. I ended up using bicycle riding shorts underneath which have extra padding on the butt which helps for long rides using the stock RT seat.
I plan on going with a custom seat within the next couple of months.

[cgarr]

Thanks for the input. I'll take a look at the Cortech gear.

So far the seat on the GS hasn't caused me any undue hardship, but then my longest ride on it has only been 400 miles. My real problem on the long trips seems to be my throttle wrist, but that is another topic altogether.....;)

[JimVonBaden1]

Originally posted by RT RANDY
I starting riding the end of July in Dallas so my first pants were mesh from Tour Master with the name "Cortech". I used them in super hot weather here until October and they were surprisingly pretty cool and have decent armor for sure. I ended up using bicycle riding shorts underneath which have extra padding on the butt which helps for long rides using the stock RT seat.
I plan on going with a custom seat within the next couple of months.

What he said! /\
I

Jim:clap

[MarkF]

I think I'm gonna go with a pair of First Gear TexMesh to match my summer jacket. Then I can wear shorts again! Anybody have them? Love 'em or hate 'em? Anybody know of ant low cost internet/mailorder venders? I got the jacket very cheap last year from new again leathers or something like that.

MarkF

[RTRandy]

You can try Moto Liberty located here in Dallas. They're reputable and have a web site:

www.motoliberty.com

[BradfordBenn]

I have the First Gear Hypertext Overpants. Holy cats are they good. This weekend when I left the house it was 18 degrees. No problem

[MarkF]

When can no pants get you in trouble?

Besides a crash?

MarkF

[JimVonBaden1]

Thank god it was at least good looking @$$, and not a fat one!:jawdrop

[RTRandy]

Great way to condition the rear seat.

[harpeaux]

Aerostich Darien pants year round, though I'm considering Darien Lite's this summer. They ain't cheap, but they just flat work.

[zoomnewm]

Hey gang-
For most of my riding, I just got a new Joe Rocket Sonic Jacket (perforated) and will zip it to Joe Rocket Blaster pants (also perforated). The colder days will require switching to my old, reliable Tour Master Cortech Jacket with the liner. The really hot,humid days will see me in Joe Rocket Mesh pants and Joe Rocket Phoenix 3.0 jacket.
I find Rocket apparel to have some well thought out features, and be well made for what I believe is a reasonable price. However, I'm lucky in that their off the rack sizes fit me perfect (6'1" and 185lbs. with more muscle than excess baggage). Each individual needs to find which manufacturer fits him or her best. There is plenty of great gear available, but the correct fit makes the difference to me.
As a side note, I've ordered from Competition Acc. many times over the years and never had a problem. But I have heard people had some issues. It might be some individual shipping outlets that Competition uses that is the cause. Hopefully it is a thing of the past. Cheers..........

[JimVonBaden1]

Originally posted by zoomnewm
Hey gang-
For most of my riding, I just got a new Joe Rocket Sonic Jacket (perforated) and will zip it to Joe Rocket Blaster pants (also perforated). The colder days will require switching to my old, reliable Tour Master Cortech Jacket with the liner. The really hot,humid days will see me in Joe Rocket Mesh pants and Joe Rocket Phoenix 3.0 jacket.
I find Rocket apparel to have some well thought out features, and be well made for what I believe is a reasonable price. However, I'm lucky in that their off the rack sizes fit me perfect (6'1" and 185lbs. with more muscle than excess baggage). Each individual needs to find which manufacturer fits him or her best. There is plenty of great gear available, but the correct fit makes the difference to me.
As a side note, I've ordered from Competition Acc. many times over the years and never had a problem. But I have heard people had some issues. It might be some individual shipping outlets that Competition uses that is the cause. Hopefully it is a thing of the past. Cheers..........

Here here! What he said! :bliss

Jim :brow

[lorazepam]

Check this place out. http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=50-9884
I have gotten good service, and everything has been as advertised. a 10 year warranty at that price is a good deal.

[gezerbike]

Back to your original question, Motoport makes very good quality clothing......they have been around for years. I've had the Voyager Ax pants and they are simply great. There is alot of truth in the saying " you get what you pay for " and in this case you get more.........

[crvalley]

I just purchased First Gear's Speed Jacket and Pants. I think, overall, it is the most versatile riding gear I've ever owned. The jacket's patented quilted liner with the wrap around "neck-up" will be great for cold weather riding. The zippered vents allow plenty of ventilation in hot weather riding, too, and provide far greater protection than mesh-type products. Personally, I'd stay away from mesh, but that is just my opinion. I'm sure it DOES beat just wearing a t-shirt, however.

In hot weather, the pants work great, and in cold weather, all one needs a pair of long-johns underneath (maybe light-weight fleece) and you're good to go.

With the two garments zipped together, the ride is great!

I highly recommend this set up...

[jhelming]

Kinda surprised there's no posts along this thread re the good ol' one-piece Roadcrafter. After much thought, that's the way I've decided to go:

1. Reputation

2. Eliminates the temptation to leave home without donning pants, which is important to me, since half my riding is commuting. For trips, I always pack a light, lined windbreaker for 'walking around' at the destination.

3. Acceptable ('tho not ideal) for the occasional track day, while I decide if track days are something I want to do a lot of. If yes, I'll invest in leathers, but in the meantime...

4. Continued testimonials: '...the overwhelming favorite of the staff of this magazine', or someting to that effect from a recent issue of Cycle World.

I was THIS close to bidding on a couple of R'crafters on eBay recently when my bride said 'Fuggetaboutit, I'll by you a new one for your birthday!' That took care of the $$ issue!

For hot weather, I'll add my praise of the Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket and pants (don't forget to put on the pants!). I bought the first-generation Phoenix, and it's great -- well made, lots of armor, and the 'large' jacket and pants fit me perfect (6'2", 180 lb., 'tho there's a lot of adjustability built in), and it really flows air! The price is very reasonable -- I think I paid ~$240 for both.

Re Competition Accessories: They did go through some upheavals a couple of years ago (bankruptcy?, new management?), but I've ordered sporadically from them, both before and after that period, and never had a problem.

Well, 70F and sunny here in beautiful southeast CT on my day off...guess I'll rake the lawn (yea, right!!)

Cheers, John H

[JimVonBaden1]

Originally posted by jhelming
...

2. Eliminates the temptation to leave home without donning pants, which is important to me, since half my riding is commuting. For trips, I always pack a light, lined windbreaker for 'walking around' at the destination.
...

For hot weather, I'll add my praise of the Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket and pants (don't forget to put on the pants!). I bought the first-generation Phoenix, and it's great -- well made, lots of armor, and the 'large' jacket and pants fit me perfect (6'2", 180 lb., 'tho there's a lot of adjustability built in), and it really flows air! ...Cheers, John H

John,

I rarely leave the house without pants. Is this really an issue for you? :D

Jim :brow

[jhelming]

Geez, never thought of it that way. Do you 'spose that's why people stare at me when I leave the house?? ;- )

[JimVonBaden1]

Originally posted by jhelming
Geez, never thought of it that way. Do you 'spose that's why people stare at me when I leave the house?? ;- )

Could be.

Back in the old days I would occasionally leave the house without pants. I finally solved the issue by gaining enough weight that I became repugnant, even to myself, without pants on.:D

Jim :brow

[BMWBeauty]

Jim, now that would have been a sight to see....:eek ,
Glad you gained enough weight to wear pants..... :p

[JimVonBaden1]

Originally posted by BMW Beauty
Jim, now that would have been a sight to see....:eek ,
Glad you gained enough weight to wear pants..... :p

Definitely a sight, but not what I would want most to see! Only a select few! ;)

Jim :brow

[gambrinus]

Some have mentioned other models but is there anyone with experiece with the Voyager pants by First Gear? $262 is getting close to the price of the 'Stitch pants...


RW