Alpinestars Crank Denim Motorcycle Jeans | Street and Dirt Tested
When my off-road motorcycle career started, Levi’s 501s were not so much my pants of choice as they were my pants of necessity. They gave way to leather riding pants, and then to the modern nylon-based materials you see used for dirt bike riding pants these days.So, wearing Alpinestars Crank Denim jeans when test riding the new Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled through the Tabernas Desert was something of a return to fashion form for me.
While the Alpinestars Crank Denim jeans are part of the Italian company’s City Collection, they felt confident enough in the durability of the jeans to send them to me knowing that I’d be riding off-road in a rocky Spanish desert.Alpinestars Crank Denim Jeans ReviewFortunately, the Crank jeans were up to the challenge. With Kevlar lining in the slide areas and CE-approved knee protection—though I was longing for my Alpinestars Fluid Tech Carbon knee braces—I wasn’t too worried about a fall, either on- or off-road. I did manage to avoid a pavement get-off, but off-road my enthusiasm did get the best of me. The Crank jeans came away unscathed, though crusted with dust.Given that the Alpinestars Crank Denim jeans could survive a desert sledding experience, I wasn’t surprised that they work just great as around-town riding pants. The Italian fit agrees with my body, and they aren’t embarrassingly low-rise (who needs plumber’s crack), as can be the trend these days. First and foremost, they are riding pants.Those CE knee guards are flexible, though not sloppily so. That gives them a good feel against the knee when properly adjusted, and I didn’t have any desire to remove them for comfort’s sake. Hip pads are included, but they aren’t CE-approved, so I removed them.Plenty of panels in the fairly ergonomically cut legs, along with elastane for a bit of stretch, make it possible to move around on the bike without feeling restricted. Although I try to resist the temptation to go for hard rides in technical jeans, the Crank Denim pants do seem to encourage that choice.Alpinestars Crank Denim Jeans ReviewThe Alpinestars Crank’s YKK fly zipper is robust, and aided by a button closure at the top and belt loops for my Levi’s leather belt. The front pockets are deep, so you can safely carry your home keys or other precious cargo in them. There’s also a small watch pocket on the right side, as is traditional with serious jeans.I haven’t kept anything in the rear pockets when riding since I lost a wallet in high school, and the back pockets on the Crank motorcycle jeans are definitely for walking only despite being fairly large.All of the pockets come with pre-worn exterior edges, as do the leg openings, which is definitely a fad these days. Personally, I prefer to earn the patina in my jeans, rather than buy it.Branding is subtle, courtesy of a grey patch on the back right of the belt line featuring the A’stars logo. While these aren’t jeans you’re likely to want to walk around in on a non-riding day, you won’t feel awkward wearing the Alpinestars Crank Denim jeans when you are walking around at a stop.Proven to be rugged, protective, and comfortable, the Alpinestars Crank Denim jeans are outstanding motorcycle pants in a wide variety of conditions.
Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory + Steve ’Stavros’ Parrish
byMotos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly podcast—Motos and Friends. My name is Arthur Coldwells.
Our first segment features the new Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory. Senior Editor Nic de Sena brings us his report on the flagship version of Aprilia’s upright middleweight machine. He gives us insight into whether it’s worth spending the extra money on the Factory version, and also of course, whether this sporting Aprilia is really the motorcycle for you.
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The next guest segment of Motos and Friends is brought to you by the faster and most technologically advanced, 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa—one of the most iconic sportbikes ever. Check it out in person at your local Suzuki dealer now, or visit suzukicycles.com to learn more.
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In this segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with (arguably) one of the most interesting Suzuki race riders of all time. the iconic RG500 alongside teammate double World Champion Barry Sheene. The two were almost as famous for their exploits off-track, as for their success on it. Those were the days! Steve also raced the Isle of Man TT for about ten years where he won 13 Silver Replicas, and got a podium finish. His insight into that particular brand of mayhem are fascinating.
But there’s waaay more to Steve Parrish than his motorcycle racing. He is also the most successful Semi-Truck racer ever, and, little known piece of useless trivia—he’s my birthday twin: 24th February. He is a natural entertainer and you can’t miss his recounting of the world’s most entertaining—and arguably terrifying—double-decker bus ride ever. If any of you were actually on that hell-ride then we’d love to hear from you!
