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thoughts on chaps?

I have a pair of FMC insulated and I love them.  I have riden with them from +5 degrees to +95 ambient temperature.  When hot it actually helps protect your legs from the engine heat and I have been down twice in mine with nary a scratch below the waste.

http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/cruiser/chaps+&+pants/first+manufacturing_unisex+thermal+chaps+-+black

Dont waste your money on bar chaps save up and get the real thing.

Mine are brown which I see they dont have anymore which is cool as they look great "distressed".

PS I have the matching jacket. I went down once without it and got road rash with my mesh but when I had the leather on not a scratch.  But you are not going to be wearing it at 95.
 
:) Chaps are okay, they are great fun to drink pints with even though that silly British accent is hard to understand!  hehehe!

Or maybe you are talking about those weird leather things the cruiser guys and girls wear. Never could figure out why they don't cover the part of your anatomy that needs it most.
 
Pros: they keep you warm, they keep your legs dry... Chicks dig em  :beerchug: It's as much protection as I need.
Cons: wet crotch, most peeps in this here forum will make fun of you  :nananana:
 
Chaps are almost infinitely adjustable except for one place - the top of the thigh.  When you're buying them, put them on and be certain you can easily slip your hand in between the chaps and your leg. 

Well, if you're buying them for riding the bike.  In the boudoir it doesn't matter so much...  DAMHIK
 
I have a pair I wear in cold weather.  A full pants option would be better as upper legs and above still get cold.  the leather keeps the air off the legs very well though.  If you go down in them, just remember not to slide on your butt!  :)
 
I have a pair of chaps custom made for me by Just Leather in San Jose CA. They are very stout fine leather, and on many cooler rides they are perfect in the morning until it warms up. Then at a gas stop, I can just zip them off, roll them up, and stuff them in a case.

And I'm not worried about my butt too much if I low side (main cause of long slides) .... been there, done that, the damage to my leather suit was on the outside of the calves and knees and ankles below the waist, and elbows, hands, shoulders, and back above the belt.

So the chaps would have been adequate for my lower body. I'm talking about chaps that fully enclose the leg from the thigh down.
 
I have ridden in chaps for years but moved to a 2 piece leather suit. A little more expensive but the impact and slide protection, to me, is worth the $$.
 
oldsawfiler said:
Thinking of using them over mesh in cooler wet weather
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Why? There are convertable mesh pants with rain covers or liners available that will give you the best of both worlds.

Chaps do not cover all the areas of the lower body.

Chaps are not waterproof.

Chaps will not keep you any warmer.

You will have to buy a matching leather "cap".

Dave is right, we will make fun of you.  :nananana:
 
Hey 2lin.... what's samatter for you... read the original post....

oldsawfiler said:
I would like some input from those who wear chaps.  Pros and Cons
Click to expand...

When we want Safety Nazi propaganda, we know where to find you  :p
Do you know how long I have to wait for topics like this...
I've been saving up all my do-rag data, got no place to share it  :'(
 
2linby said:
Chaps will not keep you any warmer.

You will have to buy a matching leather "cap".

Dave is right, we will make fun of you.  :nananana:
Click to expand...

Yes, they DO make you warmer. I've ridden for decades wearing chaps early in the day until it got warm, and they are much warmer than just jeans or mesh pants.

Mine will go over mesh pants, so I get the wind blocking that leather is known for, and keep the abrasion resistance of the armored mesh pants.

When it warms up, off goes the chaps, and I'm good until evening.

And no, you don't need a leather cap, and yes, I know you are just poking fun, but man, get your facts straight. Apparently you never rode in chilly weather with good quality chaps on. So why are you making statements like above?

 
Privateer said:
2linby said:
Chaps will not keep you any warmer.

You will have to buy a matching leather "cap".

Dave is right, we will make fun of you.  :nananana:
Click to expand...

Yes, they DO make you warmer. I've ridden for decades wearing chaps early in the day until it got warm, and they are much warmer than just jeans or mesh pants.

Mine will go over mesh pants, so I get the wind blocking that leather is known for, and keep the abrasion resistance of the armored mesh pants.

When it warms up, off goes the chaps, and I'm good until evening.

And no, you don't need a leather cap, and yes, I know you are just poking fun, but man, get your facts straight. Apparently you never rode in chilly weather with good quality chaps on. So why are you making statements like above?
Click to expand...

Well of course wearing something over jeans will keep you warmer, duh!  What I said is why wear chaps then change over to mesh gear?  Why not just buy convertable mesh gear that has either or a rain cover or liner.  As to abrasion resistance I think the jury is out on that one due to the fact that you have your arse hanging out in the wind with no armor or padding. Thirdly? Who sells a good quality pair of chaps and who spends that kind of money without looking at a pair of leather riding pants instead?  Honestly most chaps and jackets or vests I see are made from Pakistani cows with poor quality cowhide and worse stitching.  Of the thousands of riders you see ask them if their leather is Vance or a similar quality brand and I bet 9 out of 10 are wearing some sort of "import" of significantly less quality than they will admit to wearing.

That you wear chaps over mesh gear has to be unusual in the world of chap wearers and I bet you are the very highest exception in the group, and good by you!  But honestly who does this on a regular basis?

Me? Been riding since 1973, wore everything ever made, from shorts and flipflops to "stichs" and yes, even leathers and yes..... chaps.....yuk! Chaps IMHO are as useless as teats on a bull.  Kinda like a do rag covering your face instead of wearing a full face helmet. Yeah like that's gonna work in a collision.

So there's the facts as I see them.

Soap box is open.
 
2linby said:
That you wear chaps over mesh gear has to be unusual in the world of chap wearers and I bet you are the very highest exception in the group, and good by you!  But honestly who does this on a regular basis?

Me? Been riding since 1973, wore everything ever made, from shorts and flipflops to "stichs" and yes, even leathers and yes..... chaps.....yuk! Chaps IMHO are as useless as teats on a bull.  Kinda like a do rag covering your face instead of wearing a full face helmet. Yeah like that's gonna work in a collision.

So there's the facts as I see them.

Soap box is open.
Click to expand...

I don't care what anyone else does. That is their business. I love the fact I can wear chaps and keep warm during early morning (I go on many trips where we roll out at sunrise in the spring and fall when its chilly) and take them off easily at a rest stop.

I've been riding since 1966 semi-legally, 1960 without a license (back then, who cared?), but in this case and this discussion that doesn't count for anything.

And I guarentee that in a slide, well made chaps like the custom made ones I have from Just Leather in San Jose CA will provide protection from the thighs down. If thats all the protection I have, well thats my bad. Bescause from the thighs down, they are no different from well made leather pants.

Your problem is you stereotype a type of rider (we all know what you mean, and there is great validity to it) and extend that to an article of clothing (chaps) which actually have a valid use beyond the stereotype.

And it isn't as factual as you think.
 
Just out of curiosity; how much did your custom-made chaps cost? FWIW, I've been riding (legally, I might add) since 1964, I currently own a pair of chaps but I no longer wear them since mesh gear with insulated/waterproof liners became available. IMO, the mesh offers better protection and more versatility than the chaps. FULL DISCLOSURE: I most often wear an Aerostitch RoadCrafter. I, typically, only wear the mesh for local (e.g. short) rides.
 
Ranger Jim said:
Just out of curiosity; how much did your custom-made chaps cost? FWIW, I've been riding (legally, I might add) since 1964, I currently own a pair of chaps but I no longer wear them since mesh gear with insulated/waterproof liners became available. IMO, the mesh offers better protection and more versatility than the chaps. FULL DISCLOSURE: I most often wear an Aerostitch RoadCrafter. I, typically, only wear the mesh for local (e.g. short) rides.
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I think my chaps from Just Leather in San Jose CA cost me $325 or so.

My problem is I can't wear Aerostich they don't make big enough sizes. I could have a full 2-piece leather suit made that is fantastic protection, but it would take 3 cows and cost over $1,000 to do it.

So within the realm of what is possible and what is cost effective, on a cold morning, my very stout chaps over mesh pants that have ballistic armor is a very workable solution to "cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon" I so often experience.

I too have waterproof/windproof liners for my mesh, but I still haven't lost enough weight to get them on with the liners in.

Skinny people think everything off the rack is a perfect solution for everyone else.  :beerchug:
 
oldsawfiler said:
Thinking of using them over mesh in cooler wet weather
Click to expand...

I assume you already have the mesh pants. Given the useage is to wear them over top Mesh Pants as some kind of covering, I am with 2Linby, why not get a rain cover for the mesh pants.  They will provide good wind and rain protection, be easy to slip on and off, small and light to pack up when not in use, cheaper. -- the Mesh should already provide some crash protection and armor. Also wonder about bulk. Meaning the size, weight, manuverability, etc that size of clothing layering.

Of the few I know that wear leather riding gear I dont know a single one who uses it as rain gear. Out riding most every Cruiser type I see out in the rain, has a rain jacket for over top the leather. Sure if its a light sprinkle or something they will wait, but when it looks like they are going to get wet, then get out the real rain gear.

Since the choice is NOT Mesh or Chaps, which one should I get, Limiting comments to the idea that I wonder how good of a "Cover" they make especially given you live here in the Pacific North Wet.
 
Then make fun of me.  I wear chaps in the winter and have ridden with temps in the twenties.  Granted they arent as good as full leathers but they will keep the wind out and if insulated they will provied some degree of wafrrmth.
 
I have a good pair of First Gear mesh with liners.  My thoughts are that the liners are a pain as you have to take the pants off to remove or replace them.  Chaps go on the outside so easy on and off.
 
Deadeye said:
Then make fun of me.  I wear chaps in the winter and have ridden with temps in the twenties.  Granted they arent as good as full leathers but they will keep the wind out and if insulated they will provied some degree of wafrrmth.
Click to expand...
Before I went to textiles, I would take a bath towel along on very cold mornings.  I'd fold it the long way and lay it on the saddle with the long end sitting on the tank.  Then I'd climb aboard and tuck the forward part of the towel up under my jacket before riding out.  It made that space which isn't covered by the chaps a whole lot warmer!
 
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