Comfort & Safety

[klassified187]

I was having a conversation with one of my more experienced friends and his philosophy on gear is to always wear your leathers when you ride and if you think its too hot for leathers then its too hot to ride. I understand him completely and he told me a few horror stories as well and the only thing I disagree with him on is the pants. He says you should always wear you track pants or 1 piece suit and I said Im not going to wear a full suit to go sit and eat wings at the bar. Everytime I ride my bike I wear jacket gloves boots helmet and a pair of motorcycle jeans. I dont even own a leather suit yet but I do understand and acknowlege that a leather suit offers the most protection.

So I pose this question to you guys. Is it safe to wear a pair of motorcycle jeans (I dont mean your walmart brand Wranglers) or should you always wear the leather track pants? Also what brand motorcycle jeans would you suggest (if you think jeans are ok)?

[Georgiacbr]

I was having a conversation with one of my more experienced friends and his philosophy on gear is to always wear your leathers when you ride and if you think its too hot for leathers then its too hot to ride. I understand him completely and he told me a few horror stories as well and the only thing I disagree with him on is the pants. He says you should always wear you track pants or 1 piece suit and I said Im not going to wear a full suit to go sit and eat wings at the bar. Everytime I ride my bike I wear jacket gloves boots helmet and a pair of motorcycle jeans. I dont even own a leather suit yet but I do understand and acknowlege that a leather suit offers the most protection.

So I pose this question to you guys. Is it safe to wear a pair of motorcycle jeans (I dont mean your walmart brand Wranglers) or should you always wear the leather track pants? Also what brand motorcycle jeans would you suggest (if you think jeans are ok)?


I don't wear jean's at all there is little protection in them trust me. I have a one piece suit and a two piece and I use my 2 piece vastly more because I take off my jacket when i eat at places. The one piece is fine if your going to the mountains and heading home but for a group ride my 2 piece is best. Mesh and other jackets I have as well. I use the mesh when it's super hot outside like mid summer. My leather pants I have are frank Thomas with pucks and they do the job just fine.

[SlimDizzleATL]

IMHO, I think it depends on where you're going and what kind of riding. For bike nights: Mesh jacket, gloves, boots, and jeans. Speeds arent that high and most of the riding is straight line to a restaurant. Now if you're heading up to the mountains, the skill and riding are different. So (I still wore mesh) jacket, my good riding boots (sidi's), Reinforced textile or leather pants, and gloves. I felt safer up there with better gear. It all depends on what makes you feel safe and comfortable. Some gear is better than none.

lol. Eric's opinion doesnt count. He wore a full leather suit whne it was 90 degrees outside last April. haha. Just messing Eric.

[cliff0529]

It's a personal decision, risk vs. reward.

Today, I rode in and wore a ballistic nylon jacket and matching pants, boots, helmet and ballistic nylon winter gloves. On the way home, I'll leave the pants and winter gloves in the saddlebags and instead just wear a lightweight pair of leather summer gloves. It's true that denim does nothing to protect you, but I also hate going somewhere and pulling off my overpants to find that my jeans are literally SOAKED in sweat, the shirt, I don't mind, but wet denim drives me nuts! So I choose to not wear overpants when it's warm...especially if I'm just going out to cruise or loaf around with my wife. The jeans that you're talking about are in the same vein as draggin' jeans and they're infinitely better than just normal jeans. I need to invest in a pair for my wife and I. :up:

Now, if I were planning on an all day run in the twisties. I'd go ahead and suit up like I was getting ready for a race. :)

[ramm]

Wear what you want to wear when you ride. We're all grown-ups. If you want to risk yourself, fine by me. I'll wear my gear but I'll be damned if I'm going to tell some adult what to wear.

[SlimDizzleATL]

Wear what you want to wear when you ride. We're all grown-ups. If you want to risk yourself, fine by me. I'll wear my gear but I'll be damned if I'm going to tell some adult what to wear.

lol. You're not telling him, he was asking. I have to disagree with his friend's statement...If its too hot for leather, its too hot to ride. That may give you...roughly 3 months out of the year to ride in GA. lol

[zerogspacecow]

I always wear boots, jacket, full face helmet, and gloves.

But, I've never owned or wore riding pants or a full suit. I plan on getting a 1 piece leather suit when I can afford it for mountain riding and the track.

However, just regular riding I'll wear jeans. Yes, I understand they won't help me in a crash, but to me it's worth the risk to not have to deal with the hassle of putting on and taking of riding pants, finding a place to put them, etc. But that's just me, I won't fault anybody who wants to do that.

My advice is go with the most gear you're willing to put up with. If are okay with putting on riding pants every time you want to go for a ride, then do it. If that's not worth it to you, then don't.

[ramm]

lol. You're not telling him, he was asking. I have to disagree with his friend's statement...If its too hot for leather, its too hot to ride. That may give you...roughly 3 months out of the year to ride in GA. lol

I'm just saying in general. Not speaking to anyone specific. :lol: Just my philosophy :up:

[Derrick]

Personal choice. Nobody can predict when/if they are gonna go down even if it's going a mile up the street to grab a sandwich.

After an accident the people with full gear are thankful they had it on and the people with less gear generally regret not having more protection.

[csarge001]

Go to YouTube and search "Motorcycle Road Rash" watch a couple of the videos and then decide if you want to ride without proper gear. It's you decision, but you should understand the risks...and nobody in the videos thought it could happen to them.

[TroyBoy30]

Wear what you want to wear when you ride. We're all grown-ups. If you want to risk yourself, fine by me. I'll wear my gear but I'll be damned if I'm going to tell some adult what to wear.

thanks!

[Lazarus]

Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. I often wear nothing more than a couple t-shirts helmet and gloves, shorts if its hot out but I'm usually just cruising in this type of apparel.

[zerogspacecow]

Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. I often wear nothing more than a couple t-shirts helmet and gloves, shorts if its hot out but I'm usually just cruising in this type of apparel.

Have you ever had your flip-flops fall off on the highway? Haha, j/k.

[The Lazy Destroyer]

I typically commute in my Draggin Jeans. I have no problems with this and understand the risks. They are built quite strong and seem to mostly lack impact resistance for the knees unlike a set of leathers would. If I did a decent amount of interstate miles or if I was on a long distance trip and/or endurance ride, I'd probably throw on a set of overpants for good measure.

I also have a set of Teknic riding jeans that are super-comfortable, but the demin is not as thick as the Draggin Jeans are. I will admit though that the Teknics have built up knee armor and it is quite thick, and still have the kevlar in the important spots.

[Lazarus]

Have you ever had your flip-flops fall off on the highway? Haha, j/k.

Yea but I keep a pair of the disposible ones in the tail.

[klassified187]

Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. I often wear nothing more than a couple t-shirts helmet and gloves, shorts if its hot out but I'm usually just cruising in this type of apparel.

yeah I will never go out wit nothing but T shirts and shorts on but I also dont think I will ever wear a full suit other than on the track or in the mountains..

Preciate all the feedback everyone.. Looks like we got ppl at both ends of the spectrum..

[TarzanMan]

I've crashed (on rollerblades) to the street and pavement while wearing thick jeans at speeds slower than that of a motorcycle. Cotton jeans do absolutely nothing for you.... especially the thin ones you get at most stores which sprout holes in them from just kneeling on concrete (much less hitting the ground at 30+ mph).

The first thing you have to understand is that this is Georgia. You could be wearing speedos doing 80+ mph and you would still be sweating in the summer heat here (not to mention burning yourself on all the exposed metal parts on the bike).

I wear mesh everything when it is really warm, but sometimes wear jeans with partial protection for my legs, butt, and thighs.

Light weight textile riding gear isn't ideal for protecting from road rash, but is usually superior to cotton/wool/lycra/etc clothing. Make sure you know what you are buying, though... there are 'riding jackets' on the market that wouldn't survive a tumble down half a flight of steps, much less a motorcycling mishap.