The sport of motorcycling and with it comes to the need for specialized safety equipment and apparel. The most common examples are helmets, body armor, suits, gloves, boots, jackets, and pants. In addition to protection, they must be comfortable to wear.
Cool in the summer, warm in the winter and they must allow the greatest amount of flexibility and movement. To meet those requirements, jeans made with Kevlar pad reinforcements are really the ideal choice for many casual street riders.
In this article, we will provide detailed information about DuPont Kevlar, how to choose the best Kevlar jeans, and the different features that most riders look for such as lightweight, colling, fit, comfort, styling, flexibility, and more.
1. What is Kevlar?
The first time you heard the phrase “Kevlar motorcycle jeans”, you might think it was a brand of jeans. Actual Kevlar is a material that was developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont, who is known as a pioneer in polymer research, at Dupont in 1965.
Kevlar is her most notable groundbreaking work, it is a heat-resistant para-aramid and strong synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. In the early 1970s, Kevlar was used first commercially as a replacement for steel in radial tires. It is usually spun into ropes or fabric sheets that ca
n be used in composite material components.
Today, Kevlar is used for many applications, for example, bulletproof vests, helmet shells, bicycle tires, golf clubs, fishing poles, racing sails, mooring lines, and some underwater applications. Kevlar has a high tensile strength-to-weight ratio and is five times stronger than steel as well as high abrasion resistance.
Kevlar has a very wide thermal range of operations ranging from -160 C (-256 F) to 160 C (320 F). Additionally, Kevlar is used in other fields, for instance, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), aerospace, automotive, mining, fiber optics, military, ropes, cables, etc.
Due to its high performance in many areas jeans made with Kevlar pad reinforcements in critical abrasion areas have become a popular choice for motorcyclists worldwide.
Kevlar has many strengths, first, we need to talk about its tensile strength. It is a material with a chemical structure consisting of several repeating inter-chain bonds. These chains are cross-linked with hydrogen bonds, so they have a tensile strength of 10 X greater than steel on an equal weight basis.
Next, Kevlar also has ballistic resistance, their fibers are so tightly spun, we are not able to separate them. When a bullet or other high-velocity projectile hits a person, who wears Kevlar clothes, the projectile is caught, and its energy is absorbed and dissipated by the Kevlar fibers.
Thirdly, clothes made of Kevlar can be designed to provide a strong protective barrier against abrasions, slashes, cuts, and punctures, due to the fully extended and perfectly aligned molecular chains within its fiber. Additionally, Kevlar fibers will not melt, drip, or support combustion.
Finally, Kevlar can provide short-term protection against thermal injury because it is inherently flame resistant. When you wear motorcycle jeans with Kevlar inserts, lining, or padding, you may be able to avoid burns to the skin or reduce burns due to abrasion from the heat generated from sliding.
2. How to Choose the Best Kevlar Motorcycle Jeans?
For the optimum riding experience, you should know how to choose the best Kevlar jeans so you can greatly reduce the chance of getting injured if you happen to have an accident. Here are a few tips for you.
Firstly, when you buy Kevlar motorcycle riding jeans, you may want to look for a pair that is CE-certified to assure a baseline level of protection and quality. To choose the better Kevlar jeans, look for the CE testing standard EN 13595 or EN 17092 – the new certification.
We have 5 test levels, including, AAA is the highest level, AA level for touring gear, classification A for urban riding, class B is the same as A, but not required impact protectors, and class C for covered garments have impact protection for off-road riding. You should choose a Kevlar Jean model that the CE symbol is printed on the label, those are tested and ensure your safety.
Secondly, you need to check where the armor sits on your legs, and make sure it protects the knees, hips, and butt area. When you try on pants, you can walk around and squat down to check that the armor in the pants is not uncomfortable.
Look for Kevlar jeans with adjustable armor because you can adjust them easily to the right position on your leg rather than a single fixed armor. You also should pay attention to its size, it just needs to be decent, with enough slack in the leg that you can walk or sit so easily.
Thirdly, when you go shopping for a pair of Kevlar motorcycle jeans, don’t forget to consider the type of riding you will be doing to consider the thickness of the Kevlar lining. For example, if you ride a motorcycle in the city, you may want to choose a partial-lined pair or a Kevlar denim weave model that does not make you too hot.
Buying an AAA-rated pair of jeans might be necessary if you are riding faster because these jeans have thicker liners, which provide more protection and are warmer during long journeys with inclement weather conditions.
Fourth, another important consideration is the armor’s position, how high the waist is, and your leg length. All are important because you need to choose a pair of Kevlar jeans that suits the needs of your specific body shape and size. The end game is to have a pair It will protect you, fit you, and look great when you are on or off the motorcycle.
Fifthly, check the thickness of the lining because Kevlar jeans may have single layers or multiple layers and they may be partially lined or fully lined. If you want the most extensive protection, you should buy a pair of jeans fully lined with a thicker Kevlar lining.
In the event of a fall, you need to cover the key high abrasion and impact areas (knees, butt, hips, etc.), the Kevlar jeans with partial liners are what you should buy.
Finally, some small details should be concerned, including:
– Rivets: You should watch for their position at the bottom of the fly, the good-quality jeans will not have them here, but they are elsewhere to strengthen other areas. Make sure rivets have flat or rounded shapes.
– Pocket: You must check that the pockets are deep enough for your, cellphone, wallet, etc.
– The belt loops: Check the belt loops that are big enough for your belt and there are plenty of loops. It prevents your belt from slipping to come out of the jeans’ waistline while you are riding a motorcycle.
– A mesh lining between your skin and the Kevlar: It is an important detail as it helps you to regulate your temperature and protect your skin from damage (ex: shear forces, etc.) so you have to look for this one.
3. Note for You While Wearing a Pair of Kevlar Jeans
Each product has its own characteristics, and so do Kevlar motorcycle jeans. Therefore, you should do your research well before you make a buying decision. They will not be much use hanging in your closet waiting to be eventually sold on eBay! Here are some tips to help you to use Kevlar jeans in the best way.
– Kevlar jeans are range in warmth because of the lining’s thickness. Consider whether you will be wearing them in high heat conditions.
– If possible, you should try on the jeans which you prefer as they may be too wide or narrow or too long or short. Find a pair of Kevlar motorcycle jeans with a normal to snug fit that you can wear comfortably. Do not wear oversized jeans, the armor or pads are like to rotate in the event of a crash and will provide little or no protection.
– Most Kevlar jeans can be machined washed, although they are durable, and tested by CE after several washes, you should be still careful. The number of washing times will depend on how often you use and where you use jeans.
You need to read and follow the instructions that the manufacturers launched, do not skip anything, too, because they might mention hand washing or delicate detergent that you must buy.
I hope that some information in this article is helpful to you. If you choose Kevlar motorcycle jeans that suit you, you should enjoy many miles of comfortable riding with a higher level of protection than normal fashion jeans.
Information for this article was partially sourced and researched from the following authoritative Government, educational, corporate, and nonprofit organizations:
Dupont – Kevlar Motorcycle Gear
About the Author:
Michael Parrotte started his career in the motorcycle industry by importing AGV Helmets into the North American market. He was then appointed the Vice President of AGV Helmets America. In total, he worked with AGV Helmets for 25 years. In addition, he functioned as a consultant for KBC Helmets, Vemar Helmets, Suomy Helmets, Marushin Helmets, KYT Helmets, and Sparx Helmets.
In 1985, He is the Founder of AGV Sports Group, Inc. cooperation with AGV Helmets in Valenza Italy
Click here for LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parrotte/
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