Relaxed Fit Motorcycle Pants: How Loose Is Too Loose?

Relaxed fit motorcycle pants sound like the easy answer: room through the seat and thigh, comfortable on the bike and easy to wear off it. They can be. Past a certain point, though, loose fabric flaps in the wind, bunches behind the knee and finds the footpeg. Here is where relaxed stops and baggy starts, and how to check a pair before you ride in it.

What Relaxed Fit Motorcycle Pants Actually Mean

"Relaxed" is the cut with extra room at the seat and thigh and a leg that hangs straight instead of hugging. "Loose," "baggy" and "wide leg" sit further along the same scale, with more fabric each time. Here is the whole range:

• Slim. Close to the leg with little fabric to flap, but tight at the knee unless the cloth stretches.
• Straight. The same width from knee to hem, and the middle ground for most riders.
• Relaxed. More room at the seat and thigh, with the leg still hanging straight.
• Tapered. Narrows toward the ankle. Neat over low boots, but it can ride up over tall ones.
• Wide or flared. A big leg opening that waves in the wind and can catch a footpeg.

On a bike, what matters is what the extra fabric does once you are moving.

Where Relaxed Turns Into Too Loose

Three things go wrong first, and you will notice each within a few miles:

• Flap. At highway speed, loose fabric ripples against your legs. It is noisy, it tugs at you and it wears you out over a long day.
• Bunching. Your knees stay bent on a bike, so spare fabric gathers behind the knee and under the thigh, then rubs.
• Snagging. A wide hem can catch a footpeg or the shifter, and a flapping cuff swings close to the chain. If you have met that second problem already, our guide to getting chain lube out of pants covers the cleanup.

Some riders handle loose jeans by pulling chaps on over the top. That is a different set-up with its own trade-offs, and our look at motorcycle chaps vs pants lays them out.

How to Make a Relaxed Fit Work on a Bike

You do not have to give up the roomy feel. You need a few details that stop the room turning into flap:

• An ankle you can close. A leg opening that passes over your boot and then cinches down gives you room at the thigh without a flap at the hem.
• Fabric that stretches. Four-way stretch lets the knee bend without a tug, so you get the movement without needing a baggy leg.
• Pockets that close. Cargo pockets with a zip or flap stay put when they are loaded. Open ones swing.
• A waist you can set exactly. A belt with stepless adjustment, like the Tactical Belt, has no holes to choose between.

RoadVault riding pants are cut like everyday cargo pants, with 4-way stretch, six pockets that close with a zip or flap and ankle openings that go over most riding boots and cinch down. They come in men's and women's cuts from XXS to 4XL, and the size guide lists thigh, front rise and leg opening, so you can compare the numbers with a pair you already like.

How to Test the Fit Before You Ride

Do this at home, in the gear you would really wear:

1. Sit like you ride. Sit on the bike, or on a tall stool with your knees bent. Look for pulling at the thigh and bunching behind the knee.
2. Close the ankle over your boot. The hem should sit at the boot top and not drag under your heel when you walk.
3. Reach for the controls. Put a foot on the peg and on the shift lever. Nothing should hang loose enough to catch.
4. Add your layers. In cold weather, wear the base layer you would actually use.
5. Take a short ride. A little rippling at speed is normal. Constant flapping means too much cloth.

If you land between two sizes, the RoadVault size guide says to size up. Then fix the waist with a belt instead of moving to a baggier leg.

Common Questions

Can you wear baggy pants on a motorcycle?

You can, but most riders end up fighting them. Extra fabric flaps at speed, gathers behind the knee, and a wide hem can catch a footpeg or shifter. Even a motorcycle safety course checklist tells you to skip anything baggy enough to catch a lever. A relaxed fit that closes at the ankle gives you the room without the flap.

How loose should motorcycle pants be?

Loose enough to bend your knees and sit without pulling at the thigh or waist, and snug enough that nothing flaps at the leg or ankle. If you can gather a handful of fabric at the thigh while seated, there is probably too much.

Do relaxed fit pants go over riding boots?

They can, as long as the opening is wide enough to pass the boot and then closes back down. Try the pair with your boots on, cinch the ankle and walk a few steps to check the hem.