I am getting ready to spring for pro below the waist and am finding that the possibilites are more varied than I anticipated. I guess choice is a good thing but am now bewildered by reviews and options...anybody care to share there wisdom...hard earned or not.
Personally I like the Draggin Jeans - the Australian version. They use both kevlar and Dyneema in their products, and they're one of the few outfits that has a CE level 2 rated pair of riding jeans. This is what I'd consider the minimum riding pant, pretty much as comfy as jeans but will do a better job of protecting you from abrasion.
A step up from that I'd probably look into knee armor that straps to the leg under the jeans (not to the jeans, too loose) - Forcefield makes some nice and comfy "limb tubes", and they have a CE level 2 variant as well now, those would probably work well and stay in place. For the hips, some undershorts with armor, again because the jeans may be too loose to hold them in position. Armor that moves around is pretty useless.
Ideally, some actual leather riding pants with armor that fit like a second skin. In fact, the suits worn by sportsbike riders that are one-piece is the most protective stuff you can find, armor everywhere and the tight fit keeps them in place. But it may be a bit too far on a Rocket.
Bottom line, you want abrasion resistance and impact resistance, whichever way you go on the material and style.
Do not forget the boots. You need serious ones, with reinforced ankles etc to keep your feet where they are in a crash. Normal workboots don't really protect the foot and ankle nearly enough. You can easily have the entire foot ripped clean off the leg if you come off and it catches on something, unless you have serious boots that can distribute the shock.
I get lambasted by fellow bikers and colleagues for this but ........... Plain old jeans most of the time. If I was that concerned about self preservation I wouldn't have a bike in the first place!
That's your choice, of course, as long as you're aware you're making a really stupid choice.
There's a reason you get lambasted for it, it's not because the fellow bikers and collegues are just making random mouth noises.
Lower extremity injuries are the most common kind of damage on a motorcycle. Yes, the deadly trauma will involve the head or torso, but.. I dunno, I kind of like my legs and want them where they are. I use them pretty much daily. Feet, too. I like them. I switch gears with one. If simple strap-on knee armor can save me from a shattered kneecap and potentially a lifetime of pain, it would be moronic to not take the 30 seconds it takes to put it on and wear it, in my view. I'm not planning to crash, just preparing for the possibility of doing so. Well... crashing again, I should say.
