Kevlar Motorcycle Riding Pants Review
A Kevlar Review of Motoport and Aerositch
For many motorcyclists, Aerostich is synonymous with fabric riding gear. Andy Goldstein has done a great job of branding, and works his butt off to provide great motorcycle riding pants at a reasonable price. Riders like the somewhat heavy feel of the fabric, which gives a flattering outline of the rider, and feels like it will do the job in a crash, which it certainly will.
Aerostitch has a number of inseam options for motorcycle riding pants, and will also do custom alterations for you. This is a good thing, because few of us are exactly the same, and the effectiveness of all safety gear is partially dependent on fit.
Many riders buy less expensive alternatives, but remember for the most part, you get what you pay for. There is an alternative to Aerostich that is far less known, yet has some serious advantages, particularly for those of us who can’t quite get the fit we want in an Aerostich suit.
Motoport has been making high quality motorcycle riding pants for a long time, but they are nowhere near as adept at marketing. Motoport makes their products to measure, so they are a great fit for all of us who are not exactly a rack fit. The Motoport website gives explicit measuring instructions. It takes five minutes or so to feel confident you have it right. It takes less than two weeks to get your suit, unless they are particularly backed up, or there is some issue. If there is a problem, they are great about alterations. In fact, if you need an alteration or repair even years later, they take care of it at cost.
The motoport suits are predominantly two piece consisting of a custom top and custom motorcycle riding pants, but the first choice is what material you want. They have everything from Kevlar jeans (REAL kevlar jeans, not jeans with a few kevlar pieces sewn inside), mesh, Cordura, and the top of the line – stretch Kevlar. Since these suits last pretty much forever, I recommend going for the stretch Kevlar.
In addition to made to measure, Motoport will copy your favorite jeans or shirt. Be aware, however, that most shirts have too much material, and you may need to adjust. I ordered a shirt in mesh, which was a perfect copy, only to realize that my Polo shirts have a lot of room in the gut.
I have been wearing the Motoport Stretch Kevlar for decades, but recently burned the pants on an exhaust pipe. In less than two weeks I had a new pair of perfect fitting, well armored, pants. They match my old jacket almost perfectly, the differences being that I opted for the black reflective strips this time, instead of gray, and there has been a slight lightening of the jacket color in all the years I have owned it. When I say slight, I doubt that anyone else notices.
Motoport armor is some of the best, and it molds to your body for comfort. The stretch kevlar is always comfortable, and it breathes a little bit, so it can be worn in warmer weather than the Aerostich. In the summer I have worn it with shorts underneath, but I also have a pair of much more breathable pants that were made to duplicate a pair of jeans I sent in. Those breathe far better.
In comparison to the Aerostich, I feel that the Aerostich Roadcrafter, their one piece, looks slightly better. In two piece riding gear, there isn’t much difference, although Roadcrafter has more color choice. On the Motoport side, the material is more comfortable in feel, more adaptable to warmer weather (and they make gear for hot weather), and the fit will be perfect for a wider range of riders. I also like the armor better. Arguably, the stretch kevlar will be more abrasion resistant, but there is no way of proving this with data. Pricewise, it is hard to say, since you are comparing different products. The Motoport Cordura one piece runs less than the Aerostich Roadcrafter, but the Motoport Kevlar one piece is more. The Motoport Ultra II stretch Kevlar two piece runs about the same as an Aerostitch one or two piece suit, but if you need much in the way of alterations, they are included for free with Motoport.
If I sound biased, it is only because I have had twenty years of experience with these products, and no complaints. How often can you say that?
