BMW Rider Pants Review
The almost three-season City pants are not available in black – a color I have always wanted. Enter the new Rider trousers, which fill this color void. And after some serious mileage, the Rider pants just may be better than the City. These new trousers are cut sleeker, are softer, and have a wider temperature and weather range.
The Rider Pants are constructed of 50-percent Polyamide – the stuff also used in BMW’s Rallye suit – and 50-percent cotton. It’s that cotton content, methinks, that made the City and City 2 pants so popular. Even though cotton isn’t high tech – and has some disadvantages compared to polyester in wearability and comfort – its inclusion gives a plush softness to the fabric. And when combined with Polyamide, cotton is abrasion-resistant and durable.
Cotton content contributes to the popularity of BMW’s NeonShell jacket as well as several other perennial favorites. The more cotton is worn and washed, it gets softer and looks better – and nothing, short of a Saville Row suit, feels like this.
The Rider’s weave is a bit smoother, the fabric slicker and flatter than that of the City pants. Also like the City, the BMW Rider pants are lined with a light mesh for good air circulation and a comfortable feel against the skin, especially in the heat. The mesh extends from the waist to the knee, and then transitions to what appears to be regular polyester. The BMW Rider pants have two layers of material on the buttocks. They are true to size and slightly slim cut with generous length so they don’t ride up one’s boots while in the riding position, even on a sport bike.
There is a zipper to connect to BMW jackets and, like some you will see occasionally, thoughtfully includes the other side of the zipper in case you want to sew it into a jacket that doesn’t have this provision. The garment comes with removable NPL (two-level height adjustable) knee protectors and NP2 at the hips. I like that the newest protectors are more flexible and thinner than their predecessors. I hear they protect better, too, but haven’t actually tested any recently.
The pocket quotient is high with two slash front pockets, two flap-and-snap rear pockets, and flap-and-snap waterproof cargo pockets on both thighs. Not too many motorcycle pants have rear pockets, and it found them OK for flat items and papers. Included is a heavy, military style black web belt with a BMW logo cam buckle that feels like composite material. I might wear this belt with other pants or jeans.
The trouser legs have zippers rising to mid-calf, and reflective stripes at the bottom. Another nice feature are the vertical vents along the front edge of each cargo pocket. There is a faint graphic of a Boxer engine technical drawing on the right thigh and rear pocket; it’s hardly noticeable but made me scratch my head when I discovered it.
Whether you always enjoyed the City pants but wanted them in black, consider the BMW Rider pants – you may like them even more. Never heard of the BMW City pants? They are one of the nicest everyday moto trousers – make sure to check them out.
With the included liner, the BMW Rider pants will give you more protection from cold and wet than most warm weather pants. The whole package, style, cut, fit and materials made these a pair I reach for often.
The BMW Rider Pants carry a price of $349. For additional information, visit BMW Motorrad.
Riding Style:
- Helmet: Arai Signet-Q Helmet
- Jacket: BMW Rallye
- Gloves: BMW Rallye GS Pro
- Pant: BMW Rider Pant
- Boots: BMW AirFlow 3
Photography by Zaid Awni
BMW Rider Pants Photo Gallery: