Perfect pants: Best motorcycle trousers as chosen by MCN

Just like any other part of your motorcycle riding gear, choosing the best motorcycle trousers is crucial to make sure that you are properly protected but also, are as comfortable as possible. Your derriere is one of the key sensory organs when you are riding, and if you insulate yourself from the bike too much, then this can have a big effect on your feel for its behaviour as well as your safety.

And if you get it wrong, you can end up really uncomfortable, very hot or sopping wet, depending on the conditions. So you need to get the choice right.

The garment you choose will depend on the type of bike you ride and the kind of riding you do, and range from sporty designs that form the lower half of two-piece suits to riding jeans that look like normal denim.

The best motorcycle trousers at a glance:

• Best budget textile motorbike trousers: Duchinni Pacific – view offer on sportsbikeshop.co.uk
• Best race-style leather motorbike trousers: RST Tractech Evo 4 – view offer on sportsbikeshop.co.uk
• Best single-layer riding jeans: Knox Shield – view offer on sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Here is a selection of our favourite trousers and some ideas for alternatives to get you started…

Things to keep in mind

When it comes to selecting the best motorcycle trousers, you need to work out what your primary style of riding is. If it’s sporty, then perhaps a pair of leather pants is the way to go; protective, snug-fitting and made for the job.

However, if it’s more urban or casual riding, then maybe a pair of riding jeans is more your style. For longer trips or commuting, then textiles would be the prime choice. The choice is yours…

When it comes to protection, the same principles that apply to jackets hold true for trousers as well. They will be CE-rated for abrasion resistance and build quality, from B to A, AA or AAA; AAA is the highest protective rating.

They should also include CE-approved armour, in at least the knees and ideally the hips as well, though anything that is AAA-rated must also include hip armour. Like jackets, armour can be Level-1 or Level-2 – L2 is the more absorbent of impact forces and hence, protects you more.

How MCN tests products

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.
Each of our writers has an in-depth understanding of the needs of today’s biker… because they are one. If you can’t see a review against an item on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These items will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.
To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products

About the author: After qualifying as a mechanical engineer, Jim Blackstock began working on magazines in the early 1990s. He remains passionate about product testing to ensure readers know what products offer good value and why. He relishes torrential rain to see if riding kit keeps water out and an hour or two to tinker on a project bike in his workshop.

- Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us.