While a rare question, it’s certainly worth knowing if you are able to wear jeans when riding your dirt bike.
In short, it’s not recommended to wear everyday household jeans when riding a dirt bike. These will readily tear if you fall off your motorcycle and could leave you with substantial grazes and skin injuries. Instead, most motorcycle journalists recommend jeans created specifically for motorcyclists.
That said – these jeans are best for those riding on the road where they are less likely to get dirty. It’s so easy to get these stained when riding on dirt tracks which are another reason why they aren’t recommended.
Jeans and Dirt Bikes: A Bad Mix?
It’s quite uncommon to see dirt bike riders wearing jeans. Given the flexibility that one needs to step their feet out on gnarly tracks and stay nimble on fast-flowing gravel tracks, it’s simply much better to wear normal riding trousers that MX riders wear or the thicker pants that adventure riders typically choose.
If you do choose to wear jeans when riding your dirt bike, it’s best to avoid riding in the rain since jeans will get soaked through very quickly. Also – spend up on some quality riding jeans instead of cheap versions that you might find on Amazon and eBay.
Certainly, we would say for most instances, jeans just are a bad mix. They aren’t that comfortable or ergonomic and don’t provide the stretch that we really need as riders who prefer the offroad terrain. Essentially, unless you’re riding on roads….jeans just kinda suck.
MX Pants vs Jeans
MX Pants wins easily this battle. They breathe very well for us sweaty riders who actually push the limits, while also insulating your legs if you’re riding in colder weather. Let’s not forget how much they will be frustrating if they get wet.
If you wear jeans on a hot day, then you probably won’t want to head out riding ever again. It’s almost as though you’re wearing thick yoga pants that just won’t flex when you need them to.
Let’s not forget that jeans aren’t wide at the base. Even bootcut jeans just aren’t suitably wide enough to fit over boots….yet they’re too thick to fit INSIDE boots comfortably too. It’s simply challenging.
But can you still wear jeans? Absolutely…for the time being. Once you get into a set of MX pants, then you’ll never look back. A good set of pants is only $50 to $100 but absolutely worth the investment over the long term.
In Summary
There is a rare breed of people who don’t like the neon look of modern-day dirt bike pants while riding a turbo-charged chainsaw. For this reason, they’ll either choose adventure riding pants or simply get some jeans from the on-road department of any motorcycling store.
For the rest of us sane souls, we’ll take the pants anytime. The ability to move around comfortable in the saddle yet not get too hot is ideal. Plus their just so much easier to clean in the wash basin, while jeans just stain so easily.
