Protective Motorcycle Pants

How to pick protective pants for your riding

Pick the pants for the riding you actually do. Then check the armour spec before you check the price tag.

Entry-tier Kevlar denim (Class A abrasion, the urban-and-commuter tier) for daily commutes under 80km/h, cafe runs, and parking-lot speeds. This is the Shark Mens Skinny Leg, the Shark Mens Straight Leg, and the Shark Ladies Skinny Leg, all RRP $199.00. CE Level 1 knee armour pockets included, hip armour typically sold separately via Armanox CE Level 2 hip inserts at $23.95. Trade-off: single-layer Class A denim is not a race suit. One serious get-off at highway speed and it is consumable, not repairable.

AA-rated protective denim (Class AA, the step up most highway riders should own) for highway commuters, weekend riders, and anyone covering 100-300km days. This is the Shark AA Single Layer Protective Jeans and Shark Ladies AA Single Layer at $269.95, plus the Oxford AA Mens Slim Jean at $249.90 RRP. AA single-layer is the tier most highway riders should own. Jean silhouette, denim feel, but the aramid is woven into the weave, not stitched in as a bulky liner. Trade-off: AA single-layer denim costs roughly 35% more than entry Kevlar, runs 2-3 degrees warmer in the same ride, and the cut is less forgiving around the seat than a MOM-fit.

Relaxed-fit and ladies-specific cuts for riders who want protection without the skinny-leg squeeze. The Shark MOM Relaxed Fit at RRP $199.00 sits higher on the waist with a straighter leg, and the Shark Ladies Protective Jeggings at $199.00 read as leggings above the table at breakfast and as Class A protective denim on the bike. The Shark Roamer runs a modern relaxed cut at $299.95 RRP. Trade-off: jegging-style cuts leave no slack for armour to shift into when you sit on the pegs. If you buy between sizes, size up. A tight jegging with knee armour riding above the kneecap protects nothing.

Protective cargos and chinos for adventure commuters, courier riders, and anyone who needs pockets. The Shark Super Stretch Cargos at $229.00 and Distressed Super Stretch Cargos at $229.00 use four-way stretch panel construction with CE Level 1 knee armour. The Shark Protective Chinos CE2 at RRP $229.00 ship with CE Level 2 knee armour as standard, the only chino on the page at Level 2. Trade-off: cargo pockets add bulk on the thigh that you will feel on a tight sportsbike riding position. The Shark stretch cargos minimise it with a flat-profile pocket, but a chino will always be the trimmer cut. Pick the chino if your riding position is aggressive, pick the cargos if you need the storage.

Under-leggings and base-layer armour for riders wearing regular clothes over the top, track-day riders under a leather suit, or office commuters who change at work. The Shark Protective Under Leggings at $259.00 carry CE Level 1 knee and hip armour in a thin thermal base layer. Trade-off: under-leggings add a second layer and run hot. Workable in cool months, punishing in 30-plus degree weather. Queensland summer is the hard no-go.

Stocked-brand alternatives. Oxford, Merlin and MotoDry cover the non-Shark slice of this page. The Merlin Shenstone Air D3O at $399.95 is a ventilated summer protective pant with D3O Ghost armour included, and the Merlin Wyatt jean at $269.95 sits in AA territory with a heritage cut.

EN 17092 class and CE armour on pants, what the stickers actually mean

Most riders buying protective pants skim the label and trust the brand. Most brands earn that trust. Some do not. The short version of the certifications:

EN 17092 is the European standard that replaced the older EN 13595 in 2020. For pants, the four main tiers are:

• Class AAA: the top abrasion tier. Race-suit and full-leather territory. Rarely seen on denim-style pants.
• Class AA: the mid-high tier. Touring textile and premium single-layer Kevlar denim sit here. The Shark AA Single Layer and Oxford AA Slim both pass this mark.
• Class A: the entry tier, for urban and commuter speeds. Most mainstream Kevlar jeans, jeggings and Class A cargos live here. Not rated for sustained highway impacts.
• Class B: abrasion only, no impact protection. Avoid. If a pant is badged Class B, the armour pockets are empty and the maker is telling you so.

CE armour is separately certified under EN 1621. Two levels matter on pants:

• CE Level 1: peak transmitted force under 18kN on knees and hips. Stops the slow-speed impacts and most parking-lot drops. Standard on entry Kevlar jeans and most commuter pants.
• CE Level 2: peak transmitted force under 9kN on knees and hips, half the force of Level 1. The difference between a bruised knee and a fractured patella on a 60km/h get-off. Standard on the Shark Protective Chinos CE2, and available as a $29.95 upgrade via Armanox CE Level 2 knee inserts.

Look. Hip armour deserves its own paragraph. Most crashes on a bike put the hip down first, not the knee. Factory-fit hip pockets on protective pants are common, factory-included hip armour is not. Check the product page for "hip armour included" versus "hip pocket only". If the pant ships with an empty hip pocket, budget $23.95 for an Armanox CE Level 2 hip insert. Ride with the empty pocket and the maths is not on your side. A broken hip off the bike at 40 years old is a six-month recovery.

Shark's standard. Our family started Shark Leathers after Matthew crashed in 2007, at 19, and was left a quadriplegic. Nearly twenty years on, every pair of pants we stock gets the same test. Would we put it on one of our own? Full story on our about page.

Protective pants comparison

Type	Stocked example	Shark own-brand pick	Outer	EN 17092 class	Armour (included)	RRP	Best for
Entry Kevlar jean	Merlin Wyatt	Shark Straight Leg	Denim + aramid lining	Class A	CE L1 knee, hip pocket	$199	Commute, coffee runs, sub-80km/h urban
AA single-layer jean	Oxford AA Slim	Shark AA Single Layer	Woven aramid single-layer denim	Class AA	CE L1 knee, hip pocket	$249-$269	Highway commute, weekend 100-300km rides
Relaxed / jegging	N/A	Shark MOM	Stretch denim + aramid panels	Class A	CE L1 knee, hip pocket	$199	Ladies-specific, relaxed-fit urban riding
Protective cargo	N/A	Shark Super Stretch Cargos	4-way stretch cotton blend	Class A	CE L1 knee, hip pocket	$229	Adventure commute, courier, storage-heavy riding
Protective chino (L2)	N/A	Shark Chinos CE2	Chino cotton + aramid panels	Class A	CE L2 knee, hip pocket	$229	Office commute, smart-casual riding
Summer textile (D3O)	Merlin Shenstone Air	N/A	Mesh textile + D3O armour	Class AA	D3O Ghost knee + hip	$399	Summer touring, ventilated long rides

Frequently asked questions

Kevlar jeans versus motorcycle pants, what is the actual difference?

Kevlar jeans are protective pants with a jean cut and denim outer. Motorcycle pants is the umbrella category covering Kevlar jeans, leather pants, textile touring pants, and motocross pants. All protective pants on this collection page are Kevlar jeans, cargos, chinos or leggings. If you want a textile touring pant with waterproof membrane, that sits on our textile pants page. If you want full leather, that sits on leather pants.

Single layer versus twin layer Kevlar, which should I pick?

Single layer means the aramid is woven directly into the denim fabric. One piece, one layer, modern cut. Usually achieves Class AA with a smart weave like the Shark AA Single Layer. Twin layer means a separate aramid liner sewn inside standard denim. Cheaper to make, runs hotter, bulkier cut, usually Class A. If you ride more than 100km per week on highways, the step-up from twin layer to single layer AA is the best money you will spend on this page.

Is CE Level 2 at the knees worth the extra spend?

Yes on every pant where it is available. CE Level 2 knee armour transmits peak force under 9kN versus 18kN for Level 1, which is the difference between a bruise and a fractured patella at a 60km/h drop. The Shark Protective Chinos CE2 ship with Level 2 as standard. For everything else, a $29.95 upgrade to Armanox CE Level 2 knee inserts slots into any armour pocket on the page.

Do I actually need hip armour?

Yes. Most low-speed bike crashes land on the hip, not the knee. Pelvis fractures are one of the slowest-healing injuries in orthopaedics, three to six months minimum. Almost every Kevlar jean on this page ships with empty hip pockets, not included armour. Budget $23.95 for an Armanox CE Level 2 hip insert per pair. Cheapest crash insurance on this page.

How do I wash protective denim without wrecking the Kevlar?

Pull the knee and hip armour out first. Cold wash, inside out, no fabric softener (it degrades the aramid over time), line dry out of direct sun. No tumble dry, no iron on the aramid panels. Treated this way, Shark Kevlar denim holds shape through years of daily washing before the denim outer wears through.

How should protective pants fit with armour in place?

Snug, not tight. Armour should sit on the knee cap when you are seated in riding position (feet on the pegs, knees bent), not when you are standing in the shop. Try them on, sit on a chair, bend your knee to 90 degrees, and check the armour is centred over the patella. If the armour rides up the thigh when seated, the pants are a size too big. If your knee cannot bend past 90 degrees, they are too tight. Hip armour should sit on the bony bump on the outside of your hip, not the soft tissue above it. Pressing the spot with two fingers tells you instantly where the armour needs to be.

The short version. If you commute under 80km/h and carry armour in both knee and hip pockets, the Shark Straight Leg at RRP $199 is the right call. If you ride highways, jump straight to an AA single-layer at $269.95 and never look back. Either way, do not ride a Kevlar jean with an empty hip pocket.