MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer's Guide – Part 3

The Lombard 3 is, you guessed it, the third iteration of one of REV’IT!’s staple models of riding denim. The Lombard offers a regular fit that’s not too snug and has a classic five pocket jean style. The blue version has a deep dark hue to it. I’m not a fan of mid-to-high rise riding jeans because you’re usually bent over a bit on a motorcycle, but I do understand the fact that you get more coverage with this fit. That said, this third version comes in with enough stretch that the rise doesn’t bother me much. If you haven’t picked up on the trend right now, stretchy Cordura denim (15 oz in this case) has made its way to lots of motorcycle jeans, and they’re all more comfortable because of it. The Seesmart knee and hip protection is comfortable and flexible. At the knee, the armor is slightly cupped which helps it stay in place better compared to a flat, flexible armor design.

The Moto 2 jeans bring riding denim full circle. While once upon a time riding denim was meant to stealthily mimic your classic Levis, the Moto 2 bucks that adage with moto-inspired styling in a 15 oz stretch Cordura denim chassis. The Moto 2 has a tapered fit with a medium-to-high rise. This jean fits snug, but comfortably so thanks to the stretch, accordion panels above the knees, and pre-curved legs.

The high-waisted fit ensures full coverage, though the double layer may not be the first choice for hotter weather. Reflector patched on the cuffs as well as the pocket are a bonus for those visibility-conscious, and the Cordura denim has no lack of stretch.

It’s nice if you’re going to spend this kind of money to get a pair of jeans that looks and feels designer expensive, in addition to being protective. These are designed in Switzerland and sewn in Portugal from what looks like heavyweight, slightly acid-washed denim, but is in fact 50% cotton and 43% ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is the military/astronaut stuff that’s claimed to be way stronger than steel; the other 7% is elastic fabric, though these jeans have very little stretch.

My medium-sized leg won’t go into some Slim jeans, but Rokker’s Tapered Slims fit perfectly, just snug enough to keep the knee armor in place, hopefully, and for flap-free riding. Unlike some Slim jeans, these don’t make, ahem, mature persons look ridiculous.

We complained in our review about the lack of available armor in these, which Saint has since addressed with a newer version with pockets for D30 Ghost knee and hip armor. The other thing we complained about was the $400 price tag, which has come down a lot for our non-armored jeans. For hot weather riding, we like the slightly thinner-feeling 69% cotton/23% Dyneema in the Saints, which air flows through nicely; these are the coolest riding jeans I’ve sampled.

The fit of the Scorpion EXO Covert jeans is that of traditional, slightly relaxed fit (in the legs) jeans. The knee armor allows the optional armor to be adjusted to fit those with longer or shorter thighs. Two kinds of hip armor are available (SAS-TEC SC-1/07 and SAS-TEC SC-1/KA), and I preferred the thinner, more flexible SC-1/KA. The 32-in. inseam is just about right for my 5’11” frame, hanging just low enough on my boots that they don’t pull up when in any riding position from relaxed to sporty. These jeans are an excellent price point entry, although adding the armor moves the price closer to some of the other jeans. Of the Scorpion jeans tested, these fit me the second best.

The fit of the Scorpion EXO Covert Pro jeans is that of traditional, slightly relaxed fit (in the legs) jeans, though slightly less relaxed that the lower-priced version. The Cordura outer fabric has a smoother feel than typical denin and oozes quality. Strangely, the knee armor pockets are a different shape from the lower-priced version and offer less vertical adjustment. Finally, I have fairly long thighs, and even at their highest position, the knee armor hangs too low and does not cover my knees in a riding position.

The fit of the Scorpion EXO Covert Ultra jeans is that of traditional, slightly relaxed fit (in the legs) jeans, while offering the most taper down to the cuff of the Scorpion models tested. The denim/Cordura/Kevlar weave produces an extremely tight twill that looks more like business/dress jeans than technical motorcycle gear. This polish belies the feeling of strength embued by the fabric when pulled on to test its stretch. The single-layered construction allows noticeably more air flow at speed.