Why do I need motorcycle riding pants?

We have many people come into Sprocketz asking this question every week. I feel like motorcycle riding pants are the most overlooked piece of riding gear. When you’re leaning hard into a turn, proper riding pants can mean the difference between a light knee tap and a bad case of road rash. They become even more critical if you go down. Motorcycle riding pants can make a huge difference in how much road rash you get. If your pants have built-in armor at the major impact points they can greatly reduce your initial impact.

A few years ago I learned a valuable lesson when I went down. I had my Arai Helmet, First Gear jacket and gloves, and my Alpinestars boots on with my plain store bought blue jeans. I was on my way to work at Sprocketz when I hit some oil. The bike slid out and I went down hard and slid much farther then one would think. I got up and the first thing I did was run over to my bike to make sure it was okay. As I was looking over my bike and getting it onto its kickstand, I felt pain in the leg I slid on. I looked down and noticed my blue jeans ripped to shreds. My bare leg made contact with the road during the slide, which was unpleasant. I now own riding pants.

There are several types of pants you can get. Kevlar lined blue jeans are great in a slide. Some also feature hip and knee armor to protect your major impact points. Another popular type are over pants. Over pants have armor and with a very tough textile or leather shell that protect you extremely well. These come in many styles and types depending on the season you will be wearing them.

In short, if you think you don’t need pants, your right, until you do. So stop by Richmond Honda House today and get fitted up and geared to go.