Pants can be jeans and jeans are pants.

Really, though, the two aren't the same. And when you add motorcycle to the description then you get two almost vastly different styles and uses. But, their purpose? Identical.

Both riding pants and riding jeans have their place on the motorcycle. You can wear one or the other, both if you want to but it's totally unnecessary. Either way, you wear pants or jeans to protect you from the elements and as a safeguard in the event of a crash. Yet, like choosing an outfit for an evening out or holiday party choosy riders can get their throttle stuck when deciding on the right leg protection.

Motorcycle Pants

Textile Motorcycle Pants

Motorcycle pants generally refer to pants you wear over regular clothing and consist of either leather or textile. Think of textile pants as all-purpose, all-encompassing protection from the wind, rain, cold and heat. Textile pants have a variety of features to address individual needs and also serve as storage with some offering extra and oversized pockets for total convenience. Think of them like cargo pants but for riding motorcycles. Textile pants include synthetic fabrics like waterproof Gore-Tex, nylon and polyester while sometimes including added protective elements like leather and Kevlar. Check out our available textile pants.

Leather Motorcycle Pants

Leather pants ooze style and offer ultimate protection along with room for extra armor. The novice may think of leather as tight fitting, uncomfortable relics from the past but today's leather motorcycle pants fit comfortably and feel good on and off the bike. Nothing beats leather's abrasion resistance and of the available materials is least likely to tear when skidding across the pavement. Leather also lasts much longer than other materials. Usually, leather pants work best on the motorcycle with limited use off the bike in a casual setting. Check out our available leather pants.

Additional features in either textile or leather pants include:

  • Best overall protection from a crash, road hazards, and other elements
  • Wear over work pants or shorts
  • Better variety of materials - leather, textile, vented/mesh
  • More features for multi season riding (ex. removable liners)
  • Some have optional zipper at the top of the pant to zip to your jacket for a uniform fit - an added safety feature

Motorcycle Jeans

Riding jeans differ from regular jeans as well as motorcycle pants. Jeans made for riding have come a long way in materials and offer similar elements as their textile and leather counterpart but contain enough style and function to wear off the bike. Motorcycle jeans generally include extra space for armor, a stronger knit and wicking and cooling properties.

Riding jeans tend to have cooling properties built in but have little to no protection from wet weather, something to keep in mind when wearing - though some now include waterproof membrane. Depending on your preference you can select from loose fitting to form fitting jeans. Check out our available riding jeans.

Additional features in motorcycle riding jeans:

  • Made of denim in a variety if stitching and weaves for durability and strength
  • Usually reinforced in high impact areas
  • All around protection
  • Some include Kevlar and/or other reinforcing materials for abrasion and weather resistance
  • Comfortable and stylish to transition from the bike to the store to a restaurant
  • Often indistinguishable from regular jeans

Today's riding pants and riding jeans offer maximum protection and a host of features designed for maximum safety and protection while offering comfort and durability. By their very nature, riding pants work hard on the bike while providing added characteristics for the demanding rider while riding jeans keep it a bit simpler, allowing you to easily transition from the bike to ordinary life without sacrificing reliability and security.