Most people would agree that the purchase of motorcycle riding gear especially pants can be a pricey exercise so whether you have mesh, textile, waterproof or leather riding pants it is important that you look after your pants. You know the saying, look after your gear and it will look after you. Out of all the materials that are made into motorcycle riding pants, leather is by far the one material that need the most looking after. Many of the synthetic materials require a clean now and then depending on how dirty of wet is was on your ride but leathers require a bit more care and looking after but will reward you with many years of service.
Motorcycle riding pants that are made of materials such as Kevlar can be easily looked after by following a few easy steps. These include making sure that your riding gear is dry before it is packed away, cleaning off any mud or dirt as soon as possible after your ride, making sure that you don’t dry your pants in direct sunlight and only cleaning with warm water and diluted cleaners as recommended on the label.
Motorcycle pants that are made of leather and leather materials need to cleaned and maintained to ensure that the leather keeps its features such as its breathability, soft feel and prevent the leather from drying out. Some simple tips for keeping your leather motorcycle riding pants in top shape include hanging your leathers on a padded coat hanger to prevent creasing, never storing your leathers in plastic or non breathable covers, ensuring that wet leather riding pants are naturally dried away from a heat source and consulting the care instructions included on the tags in the back of the pants.
As well as cleaning leather motorcycle pants when they are wet and dirty, it is also important to condition the leather to prolong its life. If leather motorcycle pants are looked after they can last for many years and can look better with age. The frequency of conditioning of leather riding gear is dependent on the frequency of use. Riders who ride a few hundred kilometres a year in good weather may only need to condition there motorcycle riding pants once or twice a year whereas a rider who is out constantly in harsh weather conditions may need to condition their leather pants more frequently.