Lithuanian motorcycle clothing company Pando Moto claim their updated Steel Black 02 single-layer riding jeans for men and women are not only safer, but also more comfortable and blacker.
However, Pando Moto use new Dyneema single-layer denim and include SAS-TEC TripleFlex armor for knees and hips which make the jeans officially approved as personal protective equipment under EN 17092, level AA (speed 70km/h).
Dyneema is a Dutch invention which blends the abrasion-resistant material into a single-layer denim that meets CE standards for protection without the need for a separate layer.
Compared with the Steel Black 9 jeans I reviewed last year, they do look blacker. The previous jeans look more of a dark blue.
The cut is like that of a pair of fashionable jeans which broadens the utility as they can function as a ‘regular’ pair of jeans.
I have now put them to the comfort test for the coming hot summer weather in Australia.
Thanks to the single-layer fabric protection they feel so lightweight and flexible when riding and remain cool up to ~32+ degrees.
They are also comfortable due to the ultra-thin armour.
In fact, you can’t even tell they have the armour in them, unlike some riding jeans which look ridiculous with their knobbly knee armour.
It can be fiddly to install the armour, but just turn them inside out and it’s a 2-minute job.
Other features such as pockets and key tag are great; similar to the previous generation.
The jeans cost €399 ($A554, $US402), which is not cheap, but they are certified safe for urban riding and are comfortable and so stylish you could wear them out without having to remove the armour.
They come in a small array of sizes from 29” waist to 34”.
Women riders’ tight-fitting leggings may look great, but they still fail the safety test, according to the Australian MotoCAP safety and comfort ratings system.
The highest safety rating MotoCAP has given to leggings is only two out of a maximum of five stars given to the $269 Resurgence Sara Jane Leggings.
They are also the best performing ladies textile pants rated so far.
Of course, leggings are not designed form maximum protection on a racetrack, but to be worn around town where fashion and comfort also rate highly.
MotoCAP chief scientist Chris Hurren points out that urban and country riders need different levels of abrasion, impact and seam-bursting protection in their riding gear.
He explains the differences in this video from MotoCAP, the world’s first safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing which launched on 18 September 2018.
The leggings are among 13 items recently added to the 266 items of clothing MotoCAP has so far tested. They include 64 pants, 125 jackets and 77 gloves.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
European riding gear manufacturer Macna have released Bora Pants designed to complement their new Aerocon Adventure Jacket for the coming Aussie summer.
Like the jacket, the pants meet stringent new European CE safety standard EN17092 protection standards.
They are made of 600D Ripstop Polyester Nylon and Polyester Mesh which makes them light, yet tough.
For summer riding comfort, they feature air vents through the legs and thighs, plus heat shields on the lower legs to protect against hot engines and header pipes.
Safety features include RISC Level 1 ventilated CE knee armour and CE hip protector prepared pockets for hip armour which is not included.
Other features are anti-slip material on the backside, adjustable waist, plus pockets in the thigh and lower leg.
They come in men’s sizes S/ 30” to 3XL/ 40” in black at $A249.95.
Since Australian distributors Link International began importing European riding gear from Macna in 2017, we have reviewed several items and found them all to be technically clever, comfortable and safe.
Lithuanian motorcycle clothing company Pando Moto have updated their Steel Black 02 single-layer riding jeans for men and women which are claimed to be tougher and blacker.
We reviewed the Steel Black 9 jeanslast year, but the new 02 version has updated the Dyneema technology to make them tougher.
Dyneema is a Dutch invention which blends the abrasion-resistant material into a single-layer denim that meets CE standards for protection without the need for a separate layer.
Updates also give the pants an even darker sheen inside and out.
They say their 13oz single-layer stretch denim has 25% Dyneema and is CE approved personal protection equipment under EN 17092, level AA (speed 70km/h) safety.
Steel Black
They are also more expensive than the Steel Black 9 ($A470) at $590 and come in a small array of sizes from 29” waist to 34.
Using the same updates, and Moto has released a version for women called Kissaki DYN 01 with the same slim-fit design and same price. They also come in five sizes from 27W to 34.
Both come with SAS-TEC Triple flex armour knee and hip armour.
Safety
The benefits of single-layer protective jeans is that they are lighter while still having abrasion protection.
That makes them better for urban riding and more comfortable when you get off the bike to visit your favourite restaurant.
He explains the differences in this video from MotoCAP, the world’s first safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing which launched on 18 September 2018.
Have you ever found out the hard way that waterproof gear has a use-by date after which it is totally useless?
Two pairs of boots, two pairs of gloves, a jacket and several pair of pants have failed me after as little as five years of periodic use.
This is despite the fact that I look after my gear and store it in a cool, dry cupboard.
Waterproof warranty
I’ve checked all my waterproof gear and none offers a lifetime guarantee.
Also, note that “weatherproof”, “water-resistant” and “water-repellent” are not the same as “waterproof”. These terms mean the garment is rarely watertight even in light showers when you are riding.
This rating consists of two numbers. The first from 0-6 measures protection from foreign bodies such as dust, while the second from 0-9K measures resistance to water. Click here for more details.
Also note that your supposedly waterproof gear may only be guaranteed to be impervious to water in some areas or just have watertight pockets.
Waterproof warranties are typically the same as the garment which is usually from one year to about three years.
Manufacturers could fit jackets and pants with more robust and heavier waterproof membranes and offer longer warranties.
However, that would impact on comfort, weight and price.
So it’s important to look after your waterproof gear.
Failures
One of the main problems with waterproof failures is that you may not notice a fault in your gear when you put it on.
So you should periodically wash your gear before storing it away.
When washing your gear, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. They usually stipulate a hand wash or gentle, warm-wash machine cycle.
Long, hot machine washing cycles can limit the waterproofed life of a garment.
Never use fabric softener when washing and most manufacturers warn against tumble drying or ironing.
However, note that some materials, such as Gore-Tex, actually require tumble drying or ironing after washing to restore their waterproof qualities. Watch this instructional video.
“The majority of wet claims I believe are mainly due to incorrect usage or fitment,” he says.
“You can have the best jacket in the world, but if you don’t get all the closures correctly positioned, ensure your shirt collar or cuffs aren’t exposed (which creates a wicking point for water entry) you will still get wet.
“If you wear gloves over your cuff, water penetrates through the jacket stitching in the chest and arms, runs down between the outer shell and the outside of the waterproof liner (so the rider is still dry) and drains straight into the gloves. This is not a glove issue but a rider fitment issue.
“Likewise with waterproof boots. I see riders buy ‘shorty’ waterproof boots and then complain they get wet feet.
“If you have a look at their rain pants when their feet are on the pegs, the rain pants may ride up just enough to allow water into the boots.”
Ron warns that water will finds its way into that 1% vulnerable area in your whole riding ensemble and spoil your ride.
He says he left for work recently in the pouring rain on his Triumph Tiger 800 fitted with a new, large touring screen to protect him from the elements.
“This new screen creates a bit of a vacuum between the screen and I could see water droplets swirling around in front of me around my throat area,” he says.
“I didn’t really think about this too well, but I had pulled my neck-sock on before fitting my jacket as it’s more comfortable that way.
“The droplets eventually soaked my neck-sock which wicked the water downwards wetting my jumper and shirt. My waterproof jacket didn’t fail, it was the dummy wearing it that failed!”
As Australia’s internationally awardedMotoCAP safety and thermal comfort testing and ratings system for motorcycle clothing has surpassed 200 tested items, there seems to be a paucity of women’s gear.
However, in women’s gear only eight leather jackets, eight textile jackets, seven textile pants and three gloves have been tested.
The lack of women’s gear is a common criticism we receive here about the MotoCAP testing.
However, it should be pointed out that the testing is actually quite representative of the proportion of female riders in the community which is estimated to be about 10-12%.
In fact, the women’s gear tested represents 12.9% which does not account for the fact that gloves are often sold as unisex, rather than for men or women exclusively.
Testing methodology
Dr Chris Hurren*, a research scientist at Deakin University in Geelong where he and his laboratory work on protective motorcycle clothing, explains the MotoCAP methodology for selecting gear for testing.
“We have all of the instore women’s gear in the purchasing database alongside the instore men’s gear,” he says.
“The algorithm determines what will be purchased and it does not discriminate between men’s and women’s apparel.
“Appropriate proportions of both are being purchased.
“We have tested women’s gear in each of the categories of MotoCAP.
“If you compare the percentages tested with what is hanging in store the ratio of men’s to women’s is quite similar.”
In the past 24 months, all garments reported on the MotoCAP website have been purchased covertly by MotoCAP purchasing staff.
None has been supplied by distributors or manufacturers.
* Dr Hurren worked with Dr Liz de Rome and others to produce the protocol that is used by MotoCAP for their testing regime. He has also written a series of four articles for Motorbike Writer on the new European clothing standard which you can start reading by clicking here.
With summer just around the corner, riders will be considering riding pants and may be wondering whether traditional double-layer protection is better than the new single-layer materials.
Traditional double-layer jeans and riding pants have a separate layer of protective material, usually Kevlar, and sometimes even a third layer of mesh to “wick” the sweat away and protect against the scratchy material.
More recent double-layer designs have done away with the mesh as the protective layer has become more soft and breathable.
However, double-layer pants can be quite heavy and hot in summer.
Single-layer pants promise to be lighter and cooler. They have the protective fabric woven into the material so there is no need for a separate layer of protection or mesh.
Which is best?
I have tested both types and you can read my reviews by typing “jeans” or “pants”in the search field at the top of this page.
For a more scientific answer, I contacted Dr Chris Hurren, a research scientist at Deakin University in Geelong where he and his laboratory work on protective motorcycle clothing.
He also worked with Dr Liz de Rome and others to produce the protocol that is used by MotoCAP for their testing regime.
Dr Hurren has written a series of four articles for Motorbike Writer on the new European clothing standard which you can start reading by clicking here.
Verdict: Single Vs double layer
This is the unedited verdict from Dr Hurren:
From the testing conducted by MotoCAP on ‘Protective Denim’ products, the best performance has been in multi-layer products where a separate protective liner is present inside the jeans.
The most important part to protect in a pair of pants is the Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas (defined in EN13595-1:2002).
The abrasion time results for each of the abrasion risk areas are reported for each garment in the MotoCAP garment five-page test report.
This table shows the abrasion time in seconds for the protective material in the high-risk zone along with the amount of coverage for that zone of the protective layer.
Manufacturer
Product
Protective layer abrasion time
Zone 1/2 coverage
Multi-layer protection
RST
T125 Standard Aramid
1.12
70
RST
Vintage
1.17
85
DriRider
Rapid
1.27
100
Rjays
Reinforced Original Cut
1.34
95
PMJ
Rider Jeans
1.83
50
Bull’it
SP120 Lite Heritage Easy
2.03
100
Resurgence
Indigo sport
2.46
100
Triumph
Pure Riding
2.63
100
Bull’it
Covert Blue Straight
3.64
100
Draggin Jeans
Cargo
3.71
100
Triumph
Hero Riding
3.74
100
Rev’it
Lombard
4.04
90
Harley Davidson
Genuine Performance Riding
4.08
100
Bull’it
SR6 Oil Skin 17 Straight
4.72
100
Draggin Jeans
Next Gen Seamless
7.77
100
Draggin Jeans
Twista
7.86
100
Neo Jeans
Kevlar Men’s Stretch
0.74
100
Single-layer protection
BMW
City Denim Trousers
0.41
100
Levis
501 Normal Denim Jeans
0.56
100
Resurgence
New Wave
0.92
100
Saint
Model 2
1.51
100
All of the products achieving over two seconds of abrasion time were multi-layer products. Two seconds of abrasion time would equate to approximately 16 metres of sliding distance on chip seal.
The Saint single-layered product performed the best of the single layered products reported on so far.
All three single-layer products fall towards the bottom of the multi-layered product performance levels.
I have also included the test results for a normal pair of Levis 501 non-protective jeans for reference against the single-layer products.
Textile Vs denim
I have done a similar comparison for protective textile pants and the multi-layer products again perform better than the single.
Where the multilayer includes a foam of some type and more than one layer of protective textile, the abrasion times go up. Where a leather patch is used, the abrasion time is also improved.
With almost all protective textile pants, improvement is generally only done in the knee area with the risk in the side of the leg and bottom overlooked. This is not the same for denim.
For the single-layer textile pants, the higher performing times of one-second-plus are generally achieved by 1000+ denier polyester or nylon woven textile. Products around the 600 denier range typically get 0.4-0.6 seconds.
Almost all of the protective denims (single and multi) perform well when compared to protective textile pants.
Comfort
As for the comfort ratings of gear tested by MotoCAP, the term has been changed to “breathability”.
Dr Hurren explains why:
There has been a lot of feedback from riders on the use of the word comfort. The solitary word comfort can mean many different things to different people. Many were misconstruing it with tactile comfort (tightness, fit, flexibility, skin feel) which is of course different for each person and next to impossible to quantify.
Breathability is felt to better reflect the dimension that is measured for MotoCAP. The concept of a breathable membrane in a jacket is well known within the rider community. It is hoped that the adoption of breathability will cause less confusion and will better convey the suitability of a garment for hot weather use.
If you love touring on your Ducati in Italian style, safety and comfort, you’re going to want the new touring range from the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.
If you can’t wait, you can buy the gear online on shop.ducati.com.
Sport Touring C3 Jacket ($A789)
The Tour C3 sport-touring jacket, is produced by Spidi exclusively for Ducati with CE-certified protectors on shoulders and elbows. You can also fit a back protector.
The outer jacket, made of a mix of polyester fabrics, is equipped with large air vents and has a waterproof and breathable H2Out membrane.
The removable thermal lining can also be worn as a casual jacket.
It is designed to be worn zipped together with Tour C3 trousers.
It comes in a men’s cut in black/red and high-visibility black/ yellow, and for women in black/red.
Tour C3 Trousers ($A499)
The Tour C3 trousers are designed by Aldo Drudi and made in collaboration with Spidi Sport.
They also have the H2Outmembrane, CE-certified shin and hip protectors, a removable lining, elastic fabric, and zipper-adjustable air vents.
The pants are tailored in different cuts for men and women.
Fabric-leather gloves Strada C4 ($A299)
These limited Strada C4 gloves are produced by Held exclusively for Ducati.
The exterior is made of cowhide, sheep leather and polyamide fabric.
Inside is a Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable membrane. However, the reduced thickness created by the Gore grip process still allows control sensitivity.
They also have SuperFabricinserts, volume adjustments on the wrist and are fully CE-certified.
Horizon helmet ($A999)
The Horizon composite fibre helmet is based on X-lite’s X-1004 shell, but designed by Drudi Performance.
The chin guard has a dual safety opening system and ventilation system.
There is a removable and washable internal padding, a sun visor with UV 400 protection and reflex inserts for greater visibility.
Black Steel helmet ($A949)
The Black Steel helmet is based on the Arai Renegade V and designed by Drudi.
The outer shell is made of SFL fibre while the inner shell is made of EPS with differentiated density.
Its interior is made of antibacterial and washable fabric, the VAS visor has a wide field of view and the ventilation system is able to circulate about 14 litres of air per minute.
All Terrain Touring Boots ($A569)
These CE-approved, full grain leather and suede, all-terrain boots were made in collaboration with TCX.
They are equipped with a waterproof and breathable eVentmembrane and a closure system with adjustable, interchangeable aluminium levers.
The boots have a rubber sole for maximum grip on the pegs and feature lined pleats to increase comfort.
Ducati Communication System V2 ($A569)
This intercom system with voice commands allows up to 15 motorcyclists to communicate simultaneously in a range up to 1.6km in “ideal conditions” and about 1km in “real conditions”.
The connection is automatic, activates by talking and goes off after 30 seconds of silence.
In case of interruption, the connection is automatically restored.
It is based on a Cardo Intercom System and allows the rider to make and answer calls, control mobile devices with the touch of a finger or a voice command and listen Bluetooth music or the integrated FM radio.
The volume of the device adjusts automatically according to the background noise.
It features universal connectivity with any Bluetooth headset of any brand.
UK protective clothing company Covec Limited has released their Tactical range of jeans and cargo pants with a single layer of protective material.
Instead of a separate protective liner, these cargo pants are made with Covec’s “Oneskin” protective material made by re-engineering inflexible liquid crystal polymer.
Covec claim the material has abrasion resistance, is weather-proof, seam burst-resistance and low thermal conductivity so you don’t get a fraction burn as you slide down the road in a crash.
They also say they are tested to the new CE standard (17092) with AA protection and 75km/h abrasion resistance.
Despite only one layer of external protective material there is still a lightweight perforated liner that stops them sticking to your skin when you sweat. It makes them even more comfortable.
Unlike some riding pants where you have to buy the protectors separately, these come standard with CE 1621 Level 2 hip and knee protectors.They are soft and not uncomfortable.
Australia’s MotoCAP motorcycle clothing ratings system hasn’t tested these cargo pants, but they have tested other Bull-It jeans with Covec material and rated them one and two stars for safety and three for breathability.
Bull-It Tactical Cargo Pantscost $199.95 in Australia and come in black or dark blue in sizes 30-54 (Short/Regular/Long).
Some lined jeans and cargo pants are hot, heavy and uncomfortable. However, the single layer protective material makes them light and flexible for long days of comfort in the saddle.
There are seven belt loops so your belt and pants won’t separate as you lean forward over a sports bike.
Cargo pants always feature loads of pockets — hence the name “cargo”.
These feature the traditional five-pocket denim jean design (two rear pockets, two front pockets and a small coin/key pocket inside the right front pocket).
But they also have two handy thigh pockets with flaps that velcro in place and keep your valuables from falling out. They are great for storing a mobile phone or your wallet.
While I haven’t tested them in extreme heat, they are ok in mild winter conditions.
In extreme cold, they are loose enough in the leg to comfortably wear long johns underneath.
And the loose legs also allow them to be worn over bulky riding boots.
They aren’t waterproof, but are fine in showery conditions.
Covec Limitedis the parent company of Bull-it Jeans.
In April, they received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise recognising their export success to 14 different countries in Europe, Australia, North America and New Zealand.
Covec developed their protective textile material by re-engineering inflexible liquid crystal polymer to achieve abrasion resistance, weather-proofing, low thermal conductivity and improved strength.
Covec’s material is used in sportswear, military clothing and their motorcycle clothing brand, Bull-it, which makes jeans, leggings and jackets.
It is also licensed to a variety of global brands including Triumph Motorcycles, Rokker of Switzerland, KLIM USA, RevZilla, IXS and The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club.
However, there may be differences in Australian/India sizing, so we suggest waiting until they arrive and you can try them on and get the sizing right.
The range includes jackets and pants, leather gloves and leisurewear such as shorts and t-shirts.
The all-season Nubra jackets and pants and summer Breeze range include rain and thermal liners, CE-certified elbow and shoulder armour, YKK zips and Cordura reinforcement.
Female riders have been complaining about being neglected by motorcycle gear manufacturers for years although it is getting better and more available.