7 MIN READ
How safe is a motorcycle jeans?
One motorcyclist swears that they will never ride with motorcycle jeans. The other motorcyclist prefers to wear nothing else. Which of the two is right?
A, AA or AAA rated?
Since 2018, in Europe, you can only buy motorcycle clothing that comes with CE certification. For motor jeans or kevlar jeans, you can divide this into 3 classes or inspection levels. From safe, safer to safest motor jeans. Here, Class A is safe and class AAA is the safest. RAD is happy to explain the differences. To meet the various guidelines, a combination of materials is naturally needed, causing the price per class to rise.
A rated jeans
Most motorcycle jeans come with an A rating. These jeans have been tested to less stringent safety criteria. They come with the minimum protection in terms of wear resistance and impact resistance. Protectors are standard on the knees. Hip protectors are available separately if you wish. At RAD, we advise you to definitely purchase these as well. A rated motorcycle jeans are very comfortable, can be stretched, and are hardly distinguishable from regular motorcycle jeans. Ideal for the casual rider or those who primarily use the motorcycle in and around the city. A rated motorcycle jeans is designed to withstand 45km/h slide.
AA rated jeans
For those who want to strike a balance between safety and comfort, the best choice would be an AA rated motorcycle jeans. Much safer than A rates jeans and just below AAA rated jeans, with the advantage of retaining comfort. The fabrics are slightly tougher in order to achieve a higher degree of abrasion resistance and hip protectors come standard with these pants. Protectors are important in preventing fractures and painful bruises. There’s a reason why we recommend extra hip protectors even with A rated motorcycle jeans. This motorcycle jeans is safe for various riding styles and will protect you during a slide at 70km/h.
AAA rated jeans
This is the safest kevlar motorcycle pants you can find. The level of protection does not have to be inferior to a regular motorcycle pants. The construction of these jeans provides protection when you have a rough time. The comfort of these pants is slightly less, but this is normal knowing that these pants protect a larger part of your hips and even your buttocks. This protection results in thicker/doubled fabrics, less stretch and a stiffer fit. AAA rated jeans is the best of the best and offer protection during a slide at 120km/h.
Construction of the pants
A motorcycle jeans is only as good as the quality of the weakest component. That’s why the construction is so important. It starts with reinforcing the impact points. You can take an ordinary pair of jeans and reinforce them from the inside with aramid, kevlar, cordura or another brand name of aramid thread. By making fabric that has aramid incorporated, you get a wear-resistant result. You can fully compose the motorcycle jeans from this material, further reinforce them with kevlar fabric on the inside or double the entire pants with kevlar. Depending on the rating, you will encounter one of these combinations.
Not only the fabric needs to be robust, but the seams also have to endure a lot during a slide. By double or triple stitching with strong materials, the manufacturer is certain that your pants will not tear at the seams.
Tested and Proven
Every manufacturer does their utmost to make their motorcycle jeans as sturdy as possible. The following 5 properties are tested.
Wear resistance: How much friction can the fabric withstand before it is worn through? The type of surface has a lot of influence on this. That’s why tests are conducted on a rough concrete surface. If a hole larger than 5mm appears, the pants fail the test. This way, you can be sure that it’s your motorcycle jeans that will endure the abrasion, not your skin.
Tear strength: Suppose a tear occurs in your pants during a fall, how much pulling force is then needed for this to tear further along? The fabric must be strong enough to prevent this. This way, we are sure that your pants will continue to protect you when you are sliding.
Seam strength: It is important that the seams keep all surfaces of the pants in the right place. They must be able to withstand enough pulling force during sliding. Did you know that tighter clothing will slide better than loose clothing? This also prevents us from starting to roll. Therefore, buy a suitable motorcycle jeans that fits well.
Dimensional stability: By washing the kevlar motorcycle pants several times in a special machine, they check whether it does not shrink or deform. This way, you can be sure that the protectors will still be in place after a few washes.
Harmful substances: Of course, you want your pants to feel good and you don’t want your skin to get irritated by the dyes and materials used.
Importance of the Protectors
Almost every aspect of the motorcycle jeans is designed to protect you as well as possible during accidents and slides. The protectors ensure that you are well protected when you fall and are specially designed to absorb the damage from the impact. A good protector disperses the energy to protect you from fractures and contusions. That’s why pre-shaped protectors are the best choice. We barely feel them and they fit nicely, providing better protection. If they are equipped with ventilation or perforation, you are less likely to suffer from perspiration.
These come in 2 levels. Level 1: good impact protection and level 2: best impact protection.
Tip: Each brand has specific protectors to equip the motorcycle jeans with. REV’IT! and Alpinestars have developed their own protectors, other brands use standard protectors. You can find this at the bottom of the product page of the jeans in the accessories section or you can ask our store employees.
Benefits of motorcycle jeans
- Better ventilation than a regular motorcycle pants
- Casual appearance
- Ride protected
- No need to change clothes when going somewhere
Disadvantages of motorcycle jeans
- Not waterproof
- Some knee protectors can be a bit bulky when walking
- Less durable than a leather motorcycle pants
- You can’t zip them all to your motorcycle jacket
Choose for yourself with safety in mind
If you think that motorcycle jeans are not safe, then you are mistaken. Motorcycle clothing continues to evolve, and motorcycle jeans are proof of this. AAA rated motorcycle jeans are just as safe, sometimes even safer than entry level textile motorcycle pants. Are they safer than leather motorcycle pants? No, we’re not there yet. Leather remains the standard for the track and when it comes to speed and wear resistance.
Is every motorcycle jeans safe enough to ride fast? Technically only AAA rated motorcycle jeans are designed to protect you during a slide at 120km/h. We advise against racing with a A and AA rated motorcycle jeans. We should clarify that most accidents never happen at full speed and most riders (myself included) can safely hit the road with AA rated jeans.
Some recommendations
We have selected some motorcycle jeans for you that are interesting in terms of price/quality, popularity, and safety. The first 2 motorcycle jeans from GMS are AA rated motorcycle jeans for the price of an A rated motorcycle jeans. Anyone who wants pants that look good and will protect you well at a low price, will certainly be pleased here.
GMS Cobra Straight
Affordable AA rated motorcycle jeans with regular fit, lvl 2 protectors that also comes in plus sizes and a variety of colors
GMS Rattle Lady Slim
Affordable AA rated motorcycle jeans with regular fit, lvl 2 protectors that also comes in plus sizes and a variety of colors
The REV’IT! Moto 2 is the best-selling motorcycle jeans at RAD. This black motorcycle jeans features a unique look thanks to the accordion strips above the knees and is super comfortable.
REV’IT! Moto 2
The best-selling AA rated jeans in our range with tapered fit
Lastly, we have the AAA class REV’IT! Reed Motor Jeans. Fully constructed from New Stretch Cordura® Denim with an extra layer of protection in the form of PWR | Shield 2.0 reinforcements inside on the seat, hips, crotch, and knees. You hardly feel the Seesmart protectors when you have the pants on.
REV’IT! Reed
AAA rated motorcycle jeans from REV’IT! with slim fit
Do you now have a better idea if a motor jeans is something for you or are you doubting the different versions within a safety class? Feel free to visit our RAD stores or contact our customer service for more information about all our models.
Related links:
Nathan is our webshop employee who is ready with advice and assistance to help customers. When he is not answering customer questions, he writes helpful texts and blogs for the RAD site.
[…] blogs about the difference between the old ECE 22.05 and the new ECE 22.06 helmet certification, the safety of motorcycle jeans, and the importance of impact protection in motorcycle […]
[…] protection and durability. They certainly allow more air through, making them feel fresher. In our motorjeans blog, you can read all about the different certification labels you can find […]