Pants Overpant Recommendations?

Uncle Phil said:
I have the same problem on the other end of the 'scale' - they don't carry stuff in baby water buffalo size like me ... :biggrin:
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and if you are up side down light bulb shaped like me you need spenders to keep them from ending up around your ankles
 
ST-venture said:
Check out motorcyclegear.com

Tour Master Overpant :: MotorcycleGear.com
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The Caliber version is on my short list.

I ordered two of these:

HWK Motorcycle Pants

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Supposedly, they are an overpant, but I remember when I bought them before that they were really tight in the calf area. So I bought the 34-36 and the 36-38 (in Short Phil!) to try. Both will be here Monday. Cost is $59 each.

Some others:
The JR Alter Ego pants look promising. There's a large vent area on them going from the thigh to the rear of the pant. The TM Caliber Pant is new. It wouldn't be a summer pant, but I do have mesh pants in the garage I can wear in the summer, if needed.

The HWK pants should arrive on Monday and I will have something to wear. And if they don't work, Amazon will take them back for free. Then I'll start going down the list above.

Chris
 
Man that's cheap enough. Be sure and give us a review after you get them
 
Tourmaster and Bilt.The Tourmaster zippers failed a couple years back and I replaced with a heavier zipper. I cut off the old zipper part leaving enough zipper cloth to attach the new zipper without taking apart the whole leg, Works great can't tell it has been replaced. The Bilt got then on Ebay for $24 regular at Cycle Gear over $200, New with tags and I was the only bidder. Winter pants and very warm. Tourmaster is mesh with 2 liners 70k miles.
 
Paul, where did you get the zipper? I checked at Joann's and they didn't have anything suitable.

Chris
 
Why not just replace the zippers. I have had several pieces of gear repaired (including zippers) repaired at a tailor. I wonder if there is a place that repairs ski gear in your area. They could do it.
 
Chris, my 2 cents is coming late seeing as you've made your purchase. However, Ahem, the Camp Murray exit of JBLM has several tailor shops that work on tactical gear for the JBLM troops, which is where I go to get zippers fixed (or did, back in the 'day' ;o).
 
Chris, I see you're already familiar with https://www.motorcyclegear.com/ but I like to watch what's on sale. I'm on their email list, but I need nothing for gear. Through the years, I've "collected" (but actually use still) about 7 jackets and 4 overpants.
With your new gear on the way, have you tried to reach out to Olympia for possible repair? As Lee / @beemerphile has suggested, Aerostich has good ($$) gear that many riders have loved and worn for 10 and 20 years, which certainly mitigates their high entry point.
I do like my Olympia mesh pants, but also have had good use out of Belstaff, Aerostich, Hein Gericke (leather), Joe Rocket, First Gear. Still have all that, plus a matching jacket and pants from RevIt!, my least favorite of all. Works for Noraly, I know, but the pockets everywhere were apparently designed with little dainty hands - I can only get fingers in mine.
I look at Bilt gear at Cycle Gear, but am a whole lot less impressed with their build quality... the seams appear minimal, single-thread design, and there are other features that confirm their "imported" origin.
I really like the high-end gear by Klim, as well as the reviews, so I'm saving for their Latitude top and bottom. With a 50% MSF RiderCoach discount, I might add.
My motto: Why pay retail? :cool: :biggrin:
 
the Ferret said:
Man that's cheap enough. Be sure and give us a review after you get them
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Hooray! Kaloo, Kalay! Oh Frabjoulous Day!

Yes, my HWK pants arrived today. I had ordered these months ago when they were $29, but returned them. There were some fitment issues back then, and I wondered how these would be. Had they changed?

The basic pant looks the same. Like the picture above, it has some nice pluses. First, it is light colored. In hot summer temps, black seems like the absolute dumbest color to have, even if it is mesh. And I've found black gear really doesn't add any heat in the winter.

Next, it has a large open area that unzips over the top of the thigh to let some cooling air in when the temps get warmer. Some pants give you just a small zippered vent area, and I wonder how well that would work.

The most important thing though, is how they fit. I wear a size 34 pant. I purchased two pairs, with the intent to try both and return one. One is a 34-36. The other is a 36-38. Both fit, with obviously a little more room in the larger pair. The pants have a Velcro strap on each side to tighten the waist up quickly and easily.

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There's also some elastic in the waistband area to allow for expansion.

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While I'm at the waist, the snaps at the waistband are substantial. How long they stay on, will be up for debate. But for now, they are very strong and seem to be quality parts.

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The reason I returned the $29 pair, was because the calf area was too tight. That pair of pants fit fine in the waist and thigh, but the calf felt too small. Both of these new pants, seem appropriately tailored.

The pants came in a plastic sealed bag. When I opened the first one, these tags were there. Interestingly enough, the second pair of pants, didn't have the tags. It looks like they were returned from a previous purchase and repackaged.

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Ignore the non-paid model. ;)

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The tags said they used Cordura material. It appears they did. It also said they used CE armor. It appears they did.

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A selling point for me, was the large thigh vent area. Here's what it looks like when unzipped. I tucked the material down into the opening at the knee. Unlike the Olympia XMoto pants, the material doesn't fall all the way down into the calf area. But it does tuck away neatly.

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One "issue" is think will come up, is that same opening will probably pick up water in the rain.

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The leg opening is one place I wish they would make larger. I can't see a way to get the pants on and off without removing my boots.

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Every pair of pants is a compromise. The Olympia XMoto pants were not perfect. The knee armor seemed great when standing up, but in the riding position, they shifted to the side to the point where I wondered if they would do any good in a get-off.

HWK has done an excellent job on these pants. The material seems durable and the stitching looks good. Zippers are on the smaller side, but seem adequate for the job. The waist adjustment, seems great and the two straps to take up the waist, are well made and simple to use.

I wish the side zippers at the bottom of the leg were larger. But that's not a deal-breaker. What would've been a deal breaker, is if the pants were not cut large enough to wear over pants. The rain liner is not one I plan to use; it is the kind of material that doesn't breathe. I'll take the removable rain/wind liner out of my Olympia XMoto pants and use it instead. But what do you want for $59.

These pants would be competitive to pants that cost up to $200. And when I see what they managed to do here, I have to wonder why Klim gear costs so much.

Chris
 

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Daboo said:
These pants would be competitive to pants that cost up to $200. And when I see what they managed to do here, I have to wonder why Klim gear costs so much.

Chris
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Couple of reasons.
I *may* be wrong, but I believe much of their gear is manufactured in the USA.
For another, they have a replacement policy (limitations apply, always) in the event of a crash:

THE KLIM® GEAR PROTECTION GUARANTEE

KLIM has your back.
If you are involved in a motorcycle *accident within FIVE YEARS of purchasing *qualifying KLIM® gear, KLIM® will replace the damaged KLIM® gear FREE OF CHARGE.
 
Actually, Klim's FAQ page says their clothing is manufactured all over the world, with China being mentioned first.

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HWK is offering a lifetime warranty. How much either warranty is worth, is debatable. I've read some very negative experiences on ADVRider of people who got the runaround from Klim when their gear failed. But at $59, even if this gear only lasts a year or so, I can afford to buy another new pair of pants if they fail. At $700...not so much. ;)

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I too would like to buy products made only from the USA. As I look around though, I see that many items that appear to be USA companies, are not. Only the headquarters are here.


Chris
 

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FWIW... Aerostich does great repairs. I abused a zipper once; they repaired it for the price of shipping. Many years ago I visited them in Duluth and Andy gave me a short tour. I actually met the gal that made my first pair of Roadcrafter pants. Damn... juST realized that was 30 years ago and I STill wear them in nice weather (the seam seals in the RC jacket failed after many years/washings). Like putting on a favorite, broken-in pair of jeans. I’m still breaking in their replacement I also bought with the in-store discount. Did I mention you can buy short or tall sizes off the rack? Plus, they’ve lots of custom alterations available. Amortized over the years an RC is a great investment. IMNSHO YMMV

John
 
Daboo said:
Actually, Klim's FAQ page says their clothing is manufactured all over the world, with China being mentioned first.
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"I *may* be wrong, ..."
*sigh*
Note to self: check yerself before you wreck yerself.
My bad, Chris.
Frequently wrong, but never in doubt. (I'm gonna hafta quit saying that.)
 
I wear Revit Sands 2 pants (black) in the spring/ fall, and Joe Rocket Phoenix Ion pant (silver) in the summer.
I really like both as an overpant. Good fit and all the appropriate armor in the right places. Great venting on th JR pants for summer.
 
rdmsttrav said:
....They are expensive new but I've had the mesh ones for 12 years and no doubt they will outlast me, they look used but as far as durability they are solid. I guess I should do research now on the life of kevlar clothing material.
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Yes you should. Kevlar is a strange choice for gear designed to be worn outside. It breaks down rapidly when exposed to UV.
 
Late to the party regarding recommendations but I'll add to try luggage repair shops for heavy duty zipper repairs. My first Aerostich suit had a zipper failure and a luggage shop replaced the long front zipper for very little money. It was YKK or same whatever brand the Aerostich used at that time and still does.
 
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