This is the first product review I’ve ever had to do for Stories of Bike, so bear with me if it’s not your usual product review patter. My stories have always been about genuine people and riding experience so this review isn’t going to be anything different.
I was contacted a while back by Harley-Davidson asking if I’d be interested in reviewing their new performance riding jeans. I don’t often get sent much in the way of goodies with Stories of Bike, so I said “Sure!”.
While waiting for the jeans to arrive, I did a bit of research on the H-D website for the specs and to check out what they look like. At first glance online, they didn’t look like anything special, but the specs seemed solid with ROOMOTO protective lining from waist to ankle being a standout. Other riding jeans I’d had in the past only covered a limited area around the hips and knees. The H-D performance riding jeans would cover the whole area of the pants, which is great, as anyone who has come off in a crash will tell you that a fall isn’t going to aim only for the parts of your working armour system.
But once the jeans arrived in the mail, my interest was piquing. From just picking the parcel up from my front door, I could tell from the weight alone that these were some solid riding pants. Unpacking the jeans revealed a quality looking denim that would later see me just wearing these pants as regular, good looking jeans. The photo on the website didn’t do the pants any justice at all. They look surprisingly great. It’s winter here and with the extra padding in the jeans to keep me warm; I wore these often, even when I wasn’t riding.
Any they are super comfortable. Unlike other protective jeans where the lining sits flush against the skin, the HD Performance Riding Jeans are fully lined with a 100% polyester mesh, which also help for longer rides on warmer days keeping me cool and dry.
While they’re fairly long in the leg compared to regular jeans, the extra length ensures your ankles are fully covered, even in an extreme bent-knee riding position. The only drawback I found was that, on my bike, which has an aggressive forward lean riding position, I tended to show a little arse-crack. Something which I solved by simply tucking in my shirt for rides.
I’m going to have to take their word that the jeans work, but they’ve been certified as a Level 2 approved riding garment, so the testing has been done. The jeans also come with pockets for armour inserts in the hip and knee, which I didn’t have for reviewing, but the jeans still felt like they could accommodate the additional bulk without hassle.
The RRP of AU$375 for the FXRG Performance Riding Jeans are pretty reasonable for those looking to update their riding attire. I’ll certainly be looking forward to wearing these for many rides to come.