The best motorcycle textile trousers

Getting the right pair of trousers to go with your textile jacket is a key element of sorting your motorcycling kit. Many manufacturers will produce a matching pair of trousers – or jeans, though this doesn’t necessarily mean denim, it’s just a term for trousers – to go with their jackets and of course, this can often be the most convenient way to build your wardrobe.

However, sometimes you may just need to upgrade your trousers while your jacket is still good: you might have damaged them getting on and off the bike or you might not like the fit or style of those that match your jacket, for example.

What to look for with textile motorcycle trousers

As with other clothing, textile trousers should be CE rated for protective abilities, in terms of the material and the construction; B is the worst through to A, AA and AAA. Also look for CE armour in the knees and ideally, the hips, as these are the areas you are likely to land on if you fall from the bike. See if the armour is adjustable so you can move the knee pads, for example, to make sure they sit in the right position. Also look for different leg-length options, as this will also have an effect on the right positioning of the armour.

Related: Best motorcycle jeans

You may also want to look for vents if you plan to use them in warmer months and a removable thermal liner to make them as relevant to warm and cold rides as possible. Also, look for joining zips to pair them with a jacket and what pockets are there; hand warmers are useful but then so are cargo pockets on the thigh. Consider the ankle fastenings – are they big enough to go over your chosen boots and how do they close – zips, Velcro or poppers or a combination?

The best motorcycle textile trousers:

“These Richa trousers do what it says on the label. Waterproof, comfortable and warm. Although as you can imagine, I didn’t ride much with the detachable thermo liner as it worked too well, but the D30 knee protectors were comfortable even on the cruiser, and the ventilation zippers were ideal for wet but humid conditions. The other zip pockets were an ideal size for a phone, so they are practical overall too.

“I had a small issue with the leg length that resulted in wet ankles on the odd occasion, but taller boots should help out here. The fit was also bit snug if you needed to throw them on over jeans in sudden rain, nevertheless, they still worked which is a bonus as that’s not what they were designed for. So, there’s nothing to forgive really.

“I like the subdued styling, and the contra glide tech fit was effective at stopping saddle slip without making the trousers too bulky meaning you could easily wear them to walk around in once you hop off the bike. Although the zip-attachment to Richa jackets is a nifty feature, I did forget to detach the jacket more than once, but I’m definitely to blame for that one!”

Pros:

Waterproof and comfortable

Cons:

Watch out for soggy ankles

Material: 600D Cordura

Armour: Removable knee

Material: CE AA

Armour: CE knee, plus hip padding

Material: CE A rated

Armour: CE protectors

Material: 750D nylon, CE A rated

Armour: D30 Level-2 knee

Material: CE AA rated

Armour: CE Level-2 knee

Material: CE AA rated

Armour: CE Level-1 knee

Material: CE A rated

Armour: CE Level-1 knee

Material: CE AA-rated

Armour: CE knee and hip

Material: CE A-rated

Armour: CE Level-1 knee

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