Types of Motorcycle Pants: Which Kind Fits the Way You Ride

There are more types of motorcycle pants than most new riders expect, and the tag rarely says which one suits the way you ride. Some look like everyday jeans, some are built for hot or wet days, and some are a layer you wear over your clothes. Here is how the main types compare, what each does well and how to pick a pair you will actually wear.

Types of Motorcycle Pants at a Glance

Most pants for riding fall into five types. Here is the short version:

Riding Jeans, Leather Pants and Chaps

Riding jeans look like regular jeans, which is their whole appeal: you can ride to work and walk into dinner in the same pair. The trade-off is the fabric. Denim has little stretch, runs warm in summer and stays wet for a long time after a downpour. Our guide to riding pants vs. jeans goes through the differences.

Leather pants are the old-school choice and suit cruisers and cool days. They are also heavy, stiff until you break them in and hot in summer, and they need care after a soaking.

Chaps are not pants at all. They are leg panels you wear over your pants, with an open back, so you still need real pants underneath. Our comparison of motorcycle chaps vs. pants covers who they suit.

Textile Cargo-Style Pants: The Everyday Type

Textile riding pants use a technical fabric instead of denim or leather, and the cargo-style ones are cut like pants you would wear anyway. That is why they suit riders who commute, travel or ride most days. RoadVault riding pants are one example: a breathable shell with 4-way stretch, six functional pockets, mesh-backed vent zips and adjustable ankle openings that go over most riding boots and cinch down. They come in black, army green and camo, in men's and women's cuts from XXS to 4XL.

The shell sheds light rain and splashes, but it is not a rain suit. In a real downpour you want a rain layer over the top.

When you compare textile pairs, check four things: stretch at the knee, pockets that close, ankle openings that adjust over your boots and a size chart that lists leg length.

How to Pick the Right Type for the Way You Ride

Match the type to how you ride, not to a look you saw on a rack:

• You ride most days or commute: textile cargo-style pants. One layer, real pockets and nothing to change out of at the office.
• You ride short and slow in mild weather: riding jeans can be enough.
• You ride a cruiser on cool days: leather pants or chaps, if you like the look.
• You ride in a lot of rain: keep rain over-pants in a bag and pull them on over whichever pants you wear.
• You ride long days: textile pants and a gel rider cushion for the seat.

Whatever you choose, settle the length first. A belt takes in a loose waist but nothing adds length, so check the leg before the waist, as our guide to motorcycle pants for tall riders explains. Then finish the waist with a belt like the Tactical Belt, which has no holes to hunt for.

Common Questions

What are the main types of motorcycle pants?

Riding jeans, textile cargo-style pants, leather pants, chaps and rain over-pants. For everyday riding, the two usual choices are jeans and textile pants. Jeans win on looks, textile wins on stretch, pockets and weather range.

Which type is best for hot weather?

Textile pants with vents or a breathable shell. Leather and denim run warm. RoadVault has mesh-backed vent zips that you open when it gets hot and zip shut when it cools off.

Do I need rain over-pants?

Only if you ride in a lot of rain. A textile shell sheds light rain and splashes, but in a real downpour a rain layer over the top keeps your own pants from soaking through.