#Rev'it

–We’re constantly on the look for great deals on motorcycle gear. We’ll be updating this post each week with the latest sales on gear and accessories, so keep checking here for new deals.

HEY! Did you know you could help support us MOrons by buying stuff at Revzilla? It’s true. Whenever you click on over there after seeing a thing here, we get a piece of the pie. It’s a win/win situation – especially when the thing is on sale. You get a deal on what you needed anyway. We get to keep eating. Here are a few of this week’s retail therapy opportunities.

Ask women riders, and you’ll learn that there is an absolute need for those who commute year round – a well fitting, protective motorcycle jean that doesn’t scrimp on safety, yet blends into a wardrobe effortlessly. An easy choice on the hottest days, as well as a comfortable staple you would be willing to wear for a multi-day trip out of town. It shouldn’t be too hard to shop around for something that fits the bill, yet for women who ride, this has always been a struggle. Not enough stretch, too much material in the wrong place, too low of a waistband… there’s always something that just doesn’t quite fit as well as your trusty old Levi’s do. 

For generations, the image of bikers in black leather jackets and blue jeans has been a (somewhat accurate) stereotype of motorcycle fashion. Riders and non-riders alike donned this gear to portray this lone individualist image. In fact, the riding gear I wore during my first, formative motorcycle trip as a newly-minted rider was a black leather jacket and blue jeans. And for a long time, this plus boots, gloves, and a helmet were state-of-the-art for rider protection. However, technology has transformed motorcycling in more ways than just adding computers to bikes. Over the past five years or so, we’ve seen an entirely new market of riding apparel move from obscure to relatively commonplace. Riding jeans have moved from merely being denim jeans with a layer of abrasive-resistant material as an under layer to fully technical motorcycle gear with certified armor and a variety of styles and materials.

Naturally, we, here at Motorcycle.com, thought that it would be interesting to take a deeper look at what this popular class of riding apparel has to offer. In the end, we ended up testing 34 pairs of riding jeans. We spent months gathering them and coming up with a uniform way to look at them and convey their qualities, both good and not-so-good, to our faithful readers. You can go ahead and protest our failure to include your favorite model, but we know we didn’t get them all. It would have been impossible. Really, just getting 34 took a lot of effort.

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide – Introduction

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide – Introduction

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide – Introduction

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide – Introduction

If there’s a piece of apparel most associated with motorcycling, it’s undoubtedly the leather motorcycle jacket. The leather jacket is part of our uniform, but even non-riders search the bins for cowhide when it’s time to dress up for Halloween, or down for any occasion that calls for cool. No matter what you ride, the best leather motorcycle jackets are versatile enough to look at home nearly anywhere, and on nearly anything. A premium leather jacket will never go out of style, and the more you wear a quality one, the more comfortable it will feel – there’s just something about leather that other materials can’t match. Bountiful and ubiquitous, with seemingly endless options to choose from, it would be impossible for us to feature every single jacket out there. So here we’ve gathered a small sampling of the best leather motorcycle jackets the market has to offer, listed in alphabetical order.

When riding off road, you want loose-fitting, breathable outer layers to allow airflow in the heat. However, a loose fit means armor can’t be attached to the outer layer as it would in more snugly-fitting street gear, because it will displace in a mishap and not protect as well. To get around this, riders have strapped armor to their elbows and arms and slipped into breastplates and back armor that look like they are designed for modern-day gladiators. The other option is to wear a lightweight-but-snug armored jacket that offers breathability and impact protection but little abrasion resistance under either a jersey or an abrasion protective shell. The REV’IT! Proteus Armored Jacket falls into the latter category.

Adventure riders know that choosing a jacket and pant that will offer versatility in a wide variety of scenarios is paramount to enjoying the ride. Fortunately for us, most manufacturers now make matching jacket and pant combos to offer suits that integrate seamlessly from a fit and function standpoint. It’s always a good idea to be realistic of your intentions when considering new gear, but thankfully with adventure gear, like adventure bikes, most are designed to do a little bit of everything. Below is our list of the best adventure suits on the market today.

Adventure boots are designed in a similar vein to adventure motorcycles, ready to handle the rigors of off-road, yet still be comfortable enough to use day in and day out. Adventure boots are made to be protective, but not as stiff as a motocross boot so that you can comfortably walk around the interesting places you may find along your way. Our list of the best adventure motorcycle boots shows what adventure riders have to choose from with but one click of the mouse.

Updated April 2021

Well, there really is no “best touring glove,” because when you’re really going places on your motorcycle for days, the climatic conditions are liable to change more often than your underwear. From baking desert to bone-chilling mountaintop and all points in between, we know of no gloves with adjustable ventilation systems. Touring also implies that you’re probably on a bike with enough storage to carry more than one pair of gloves, which is really the way to go. Having heated grips gives way more flexibility to your glove selection as well. With them, behind handguards or a fairing, you can probably get away without needing really heavy winter gloves.

There are tons of gloves with the features to deliver the comfort and protection from the weather and mishaps that you’ll need out on the long and winding road. What makes a touring glove a touring glove is the ability to be worn comfortably for extended periods. Just like with a helmet, there’s no substitute for trying them on in an actual motorcycle store – most of which will gladly match your best online price. Add multi-weather adaptability. Finally, you need crash protection. All of the gloves featured here have these qualities in spades.

Here are more than a few of our favorites, in alphabetical order.

Updated March 2021:

If you’re heading into the horizon in search of adventure, you need to be well-equipped. Your gear needs to be as versatile and ready as you are when the pavement ends and the terrain begins to change. Of course, adventure is in the eye of the beholder. Some may prefer more dirt mixed into their cup while others may be perfectly content staying the paved course. The key for choosing the best adventure motorcycle gloves is understanding what kind of adventure you plan to have and choosing the best option (or two) for your needs.

We’ve put together a list of adventure motorcycle gloves that runs the gamut from off-road-focused to waterproof, leather and everything in between.

Updated March 2021

If you’re heading to the track, then gear is obviously very important. Sure you get the best leathers and helmet that you can, but it’s easy to overlook quality gloves as an essential piece of your track riding kit. Instinctually, we humans tend to put our hands out when we fall. Now imagine falling off a motorcycle at high speed on a track. You’re going to want some protection. The challenge for motorcycle racing gloves is to provide ultimate protection while also being comfortable, lightweight, and able to provide optimum feel of the controls. The gloves below all achieve those goals. Read on to discover more about them. And before you ask – yes, there are several gloves not listed here that are track-worthy, many by the same companies noted below. Featuring them all goes beyond the scope of this list.

Updated March, 2021

There are two kinds of gloves in this world: those with gauntlets and those without. For the most protection from an unscheduled dismount, and from the weather, the gauntleted glove is the way to go, since its gauntlet is the part that extends up to protect your wrist and seal around the outside of your sleeve – in addition to  a wrist closure. Chances of it coming off your hand in a crash are greatly reduced (which is why you’ll never see anybody on a roadrace bike in anything but gauntleted gloves), and the chance of a polar vortex blowing up your sleeve are also negated.

When it comes to outright protection in glove form, racing gloves are the way to go. But if you don’t really need 150-mph crash protection, there are plenty of other gauntlet gloves you can choose from that are much more affordable than their full-race cousins and more suitable for everyday use. There are dozens upon dozens of gauntlet gloves to choose from that can handle everything from sport riding to touring and everything in between, including the occasional track day. Here are just a select few, presented in alphabetical order.