Help a Newbie- Jeans, leather or textile??

[Afrojuju]

Hi Ladies and gentlemen,

New rider and equally new here so be gentle!!

Getting my Kawazaki ninja 300 deliver in a about a week and I can't wait (first bike jitters and all).

My question is regarding motorcycle pants. Should I be looking at jeans, leather or textile and can you please suggest some. Bare in mind protection is my number one concern followed unapologetically by style.

Looking forward to your experienced opinions

Thanks in advance

[Benbay001]

LEather provides the best protection.
But if youre going to be doing alot of riding in the rain then i cant imagine a pair of wet leather trousers are going to help your concentration levels much.

[Liam876]

It depends on the type of riding you intend on doing.

Leather will give the best protection but won't be comfortable in wet or cold conditions. If you're only intending to be a fair weather biker in the summer months they may do you though. Leathers are a requirement for many track days.

Textiles are a compromise, although nowhere near as much as they used to be, in terms of protection to make them usable in a wide range of conditions. They're perfect for if you intend to commute or tour or for any out of season riding.

Jeans are yet another compromise on protection ideally suited to when you're pootling around town and need something that you can wear on and off the bike with relative ease. They're jeans so won't stand up to much in the way of inclement weather although some have a slight wax or equivalent coating to help with this. Also jeans tend to provide questionable protection in the event of an accident, some are not certified for use as protection at all due to some areas not being covered by the kevlar or equivalent fabric.

We could go on forever on pros and cons of each but that should hopefully give you a general idea of which route you'd like to go down.

[Esceptico]

If you are going to be a biker for a long time I think you should have all three types. Which you start with depends upon how you are using the bike. See post above.

There will be lots of advice and opinions on the net.
Do a search in this forum and in general with Google.

[Reardy Mister]

I will commute in jeans, tour in leathers or textiles and do brekky runs in leathers, back protector etc

There is the ATGATT movement but I don't subscribe to it. I want comfort and practicality too. On the odd occasion I'll even do t-shirt with trainers.

The things I wear most often is boots and gloves. I think it's worth protecting the extremities a bit more and more often.

[moanthebairns]

all 3, trust me it will make sense in a few years.

[evo8]

As others have said, it depends!!
I have all 3, textiles for when it looks like it might rain or is cold, jeans if I am going to be walking/socialising and leathers for all other occasions. Just buy the best you can afford and add/replace as and when necessary.
I also wear separate armor as I think it is better as it would probably stay in position longer than the type that is inserted into the trousers, but that's my choice.

Edited by evo8 on Monday 6th July 07:42

[Yoda400]

Agree all three are best and you'll probably collect them all. However from one purchase, if it's protection you want, there are ways to adapt leathers to suit all conditions: Get waterproof over-trousers for wet/windy weather. They pack away under the seat or in a tailpack etc. They're really cheap and make a massive difference. I never found mine too slippery on the bike either. They're not really stylish but when you're riding home in a storm, you might find that style is the least of your concerns
Hot weather - to prevent you sticking to your leathers (yes, it's unpleasant as it sounds!), wear something like pro skin underneath. They keep you cool in summer, warm in winter. And they allow you to take your leathers off in public and change into jeans without looking too indecent (in my opinion; don't blame me if you get arrested...)

[Reardy Mister]

Yoda400 said:

Agree all three are best and you'll probably collect them all. However from one purchase, if it's protection you want, there are ways to adapt leathers to suit all conditions: Get waterproof over-trousers for wet/windy weather. They pack away under the seat or in a tailpack etc. They're really cheap and make a massive difference. I never found mine too slippery on the bike either. They're not really stylish but when you're riding home in a storm, you might find that style is the least of your concerns
Hot weather - to prevent you sticking to your leathers (yes, it's unpleasant as it sounds!), wear something like pro skin underneath. They keep you cool in summer, warm in winter. And they allow you to take your leathers off in public and change into jeans without looking too indecent (in my opinion; don't blame me if you get arrested...)

Top tip on the under-layer in leathers. Works a treat and makes them much easier to take on and off.

[Afrojuju]

Thanks so much for all your replies.

I really appreciate them.

I was leaning towards jeans originally as I plan on staying well away from the bike when it is raining and only commuting to work and maybe short rides on weekends to build experience and confidence. Think textile might be the way to go.

Evo8.... what separate under amour do you recommend for using under jeans?

[Tall_Paul]

moanthebairns said:

all 3, trust me it will make sense in a few years.

This. Leathers for when it's warm and you're out for a blast, textiles for when it's raining/cold and kevlar jeans for nipping round the shops/summer commuting if you can wear jeans at work.

However, to start - get a decent set of textiles, a good set will be usable in all weathers, year round. Leathers are great but not when it's raining, the same for kevlar jeans. Once you have a decent set of textiles, build up your collection from there, and prepare your wallet!!

[cpl_payne]

I've used textiles for everything ranging from 2h rides on motorway in winter to + 30C heat and they've coped very well.

As for leathers - I personally wouldn't, but then again I don't ride sportsbikes or go on trackdays. There are some good textiles reinforced by leathers in places you may end up sliding on in a crash. Lots of things to choose from, make sure whatever you buy fits you well.

Compromise is exactly why bikers end up with lots of gear as no single thing works perfectly for every scenario.

[Esceptico]

Afrojuju said:

Thanks so much for all your replies.

I really appreciate them.

I was leaning towards jeans originally as I plan on staying well away from the bike when it is raining and only commuting to work and maybe short rides on weekends to build experience and confidence. Think textile might be the way to go.

Evo8.... what separate under amour do you recommend for using under jeans?

In terms of protection I would say leathers > textiles > jeans > nothing.

Personally I think jeans are okay for quick trips to the shops but don't feel comfortable on roads above 30 mph. I have come off a few times and have always been very grateful for having full protection to minimise the damage.

Not all jeans offer the same level of protection. Depends upon how much kevelar or equivalent they include as well as the armour. Cheap jeans aren't likely to offer a great deal more than standard jeans and the best jeans with lots of Kevlar and armour are probably expensive, hot and often not that good looking. Just stuff to bear in mind.

[gregs656]

I take it you mean kevlar lined jeans and not just denim jeans?

I would probably start with textiles and keep an eye out for a set of discounted leathers at the end of the season. Textiles are a bit more flexible in what you wear under them, and are better in a wider range of weathers IMO.

[bogie]

moanthebairns said:

all 3, trust me it will make sense in a few years.

Yep...over the years your riding wardrobe may be broader than your regular outdoor wardrobe

I dont like textiles, tried them twice and they dont like hot exhausts, always end up burnt on somewhere on my bike, so im a leather or denim person. I guess depends on style of bike you ride if you get on with them.

You can get waterproof lined touring leathers now which are excellent, if a little heavy for summer use, and more expensive

same with jeans, you can get some with waterproof lining/treatment, but like the heaviest CE level 2 jeans, they become so heavy with 3 layers + it negates the benefits of wearing jeans for summer

Ultimately its personal preference and you try some, see what you get on with

I have some waterproof leather salopette style trousers with thermal liner...obviously for winter

Majority of the time I wear kevlar jeans with armour and water repellent coating, just enough to get you home dry in a summer shower

[DrDoofenshmirtz]

Another vote for 'you need all four' here...

leathers - Summer use and sooooo much nicer than uncomfortably hot textiles.
Textiles - Winter use. Warmer than leather + waterproof to a point.
Jeans - 'just popping out' only.
Thin waterproofs - In case of rain.

[evo8]

Afrojuju said:

Thanks so much for all your replies.

I really appreciate them.

I was leaning towards jeans originally as I plan on staying well away from the bike when it is raining and only commuting to work and maybe short rides on weekends to build experience and confidence. Think textile might be the way to go.

Evo8.... what separate under amour do you recommend for using under jeans?

I have these (http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/94966) but Knox do some as well. I am going to replace the Armour in them soon though to D3O.

[Baryonyx]

Whilst I can see the benefit of having a choice between textiles and leathers, I don't rate jeans much. They're no comfier or easier to put on than textile trousers, they don't cope as well when it rains and they look pretty poor in crashes and slides.

[Tall_Paul]

Baryonyx said:

Whilst I can see the benefit of having a choice between textiles and leathers, I don't rate jeans much. They're no comfier or easier to put on than textile trousers, they don't cope as well when it rains and they look pretty poor in crashes and slides.

In hot weather, textiles are too hot (I wear a normal pair of jeans under textiles, feels weird otherwise), and riding to work in leather trousers means carrying another pair of jeans and changing when I get to work/before coming home, which would add 10 minutes to my 35-40 minute commute. Kevlar jeans are nice and cool when riding in hot weather and comfy enough to wear all day long at the office without changing (I work in IT, so smart causal dress code with an emphasis on the 'casual' ).

I'll be rocking kevlar jeans and a leather jacket (with full boots, and a pair of trainers in my rucksack) on the daily commute until it starts getting down to under 10 degrees in the mornings, or if it's raining.

[Baryonyx]

You just need to ride faster. I haven't even taken the winter lining out of my textile trousers this summer, if you keep the pace up you won't sweat too much