[FrodoZVA]

I’ve been looking into those jeans with Kevlar in the butt and knees for day-to-day riding. What are you’re thoughts on them? Yay or Nay??

[WeaponZero]

They’re not comparable to leather from what I’ve seen as far as the degree of protection offered, They offer abrasion protection on par with your typical textile jacket, but in order for them to really be able to protect you, you must combine them with an underpants leg armor such as the Icon Field Armor, or something comparable made by someone else.  I think if you combine those, however, you should be good to go.

I want a pair for myself.  I have the leg armor though.

[Rab]

They’re better than regular jeans (which disintegrate in 4 feet in a slide according to MSF), but not much better from what I’ve read. It’s important for people to note that they are not completely Kevlar lined; just butt and knees like you said.

If I were you, I’d buy textile or textile and mesh over-pants with CE approved armor incorporated, or that leg armor like WeaponZero said (with Kevlar lined jeans). Leather jeans/over-pants are even better than textiles, but can be hot and sweaty. Avoid chaps as they leave vulnerable areas unprotected.

http://www.rider-pants.com

http://www.Rider-Protection.com

[eternal05]

As everybody’s said, they’re better than regular jeans, but not much. They don’t have the abrasion resistance of even your basic textile gear. They also generally have no armor, meaning that while you might not get road rash, you still may shatter your knee. But to be honest, my BIGGEST problem with motorcycle jeans is that they just don’t fit right because they’re made by motorcycle gear manufacturers rather than clothing designers. The Shift Torque jeans I started out wearing, for instance, make me look like some combination of trying to hide a pregnancy and hobo. They were too baggy here, too tight there, had a terrible cut, and when I was actually riding (thanks to my sportbike’s very-bent-knee position), climbed up so high on my leg that I was almost showing bare skin even over full-length motorcycle boots. What a rip for $100 jeans.

If you’re going to wear jeans, I’d recommend just wearing your favorite jeans complemented by good leg armor and good boots. When you get to work/school/destination, you can take the armor off (or leave it on). Otherwise, I’d definitely go for an overpant (for convenience) or a more traditional leather/textile pant.

[JackTrade]

I started out with Cortec DSX riding jeans, which have perforated leather panels (instead of Kevlar) in the critical areas, and adjustable CE knee armor. 

Sounded like a great idea reading the description, and it actually kinda is.  Problem was the jeans were so loose/baggy that you could pretty much forget about the armor staying in place (it would move around even when sitting on the bike).  They also rode way up on my legs as well, and that really made me feel vulnerable.  It really is like these pants were designed by someone who doesn’t have any real familiarity with motorcycle riding.

Switched pretty quickly to armored mesh overpants that I wear over my jeans, and haven’t looked back.

[chipshot]

I also have a pair of the Shift Torque, and a pair of the Cortec DSX jeans. I wear one or the other whenever I ride.

I rarely drive on freeways, and avoid them whenever possible. So for my daily riding to/from work at ~35 mph I like them better than regular jeans. Maybe they aren’t that much better for abrasion, but they are better, even though I haven’t tested them myself yet (kow). Another benefit is when my seat gets wet, the moisture doesn’t soak through, so that’s another bonus.

But the fit of the Shift jeans is quite disappointing while riding. They are plenty long enough, they cover my boots completely while standing and then some, but when riding they ride up over the top of them pretty bad. A plus is that they are relatively lightweight so you don’t sweat very badly in them even on hot days.

I tried the knee armor in the Cortec jeans for about 15 minutes and then ripped them out for good. But I like the Cortec fit much better, they don’t ride up near as bad as the Shift jeans, but they do ride up some. They are quite baggy (as JackTrade pointed out), so you need to like that fit if you want to wear them.

Overall, I say go with it if it comes down to wearing those or just regular jeans. Something is better than nothing, in my opinion.

[Author]

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