timmythecop Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have obtained a pair of these pants because my FirstGear overpants were a little long in the tooth. First thing you notice is that these feel and look thick and substantial. They look well made and are of the usual textile material. There are no hip pads, but I will insert my own soon. The knee armor is the normal hard plastic CE stuff and the good part is that there are two pockets to put them in and that is good for us short-legged fellas. There is a waterproof liner that zips in on the waisteline and snaps in by the knees. It is not quilted, but it is thicker than a rain suit. The back part is nice and high to combat drafts. All of the specs I have seen say "Zipper attachment for jacket", but I cannot find this for the life of me. I sewed a bottom zipper from a teknic jacket on the back and I like the set up. The zipper only goes up to around your knees, but it is still easy to get in them. The zippers are a little fiddly, meaning you have to be careful to not catch any of the overlapping flaps or the liner while you are zipping it down. The flap for the main zipper has a velcro patch every 4 or 5 inches. From the knees, up to your hips and around the top of your bum is a removeable section that zips out to reveal a mesh part.(I'll test that when its 50 degrees warmer.) The get in-get-out factor is about a 7 out of 10. They fit nicely and feel good. I bought an XL. I have a 36 inch waist and short legs and this one is fairly snug with long johns and BDUs underneath, but not too tight, although a little long for me. They are warm. In 23 degrees F, after 30 min, I could detect a cool spot in my inner thigh, but not too bad. The are not quite as warm as my FirstGear pants, but they are 100 times more versatile. Warmness gets an 8 out of 10. Now if you have these in your hand, check the main snap at the top. I dont know if mine was a defect, or its just a bad design, but the snap on my pair was useless. If you bend over, it pops off. No real biggie for me because I have a selection of snaps and I just installed a second one next to it and now all is well. So the verdict is that while not perfect and not as further advanced as I though textile pants would have come in 11 years, it is a solid and useful buy. For the price of 150 clams, I really dont think this kit can be beat. from motogear outlet: $134.95 MSRP: $149.95 MEN's & WOMEN's Sizes GREAT PANT with Removable Waterproof Liner Water Resistant AR-600 Frame Shell Adjustable and Removable CE Knee Armor 100% Waterproof Liner - Removable Stretch Panels at waist & knees Removable "Syncro System" Zip Off Panels for GREAT AirFlow around the front and back 8" zipper for Jacket Attachment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer backonabike Posted January 15, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted January 15, 2010 Thanks Tim, Good review and I need pants. Riding with the A$$less chaps is getting cold this time of year :goofy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer LilYellowRocket Posted January 16, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted January 16, 2010 Tim this is very good info, THANKS. I have been looking for a reasonable price set of pants, and I'll have to check these out. I learned this year that getting a removable liner is a BIG plus, my jacket came with a the waterproof liner sewn in and I found that it gets very hot in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Thanks for the review. They look just like the JR Alter Ego pants. I have a SS Twist of Fate jacket and really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmythecop Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 No real word on the waterproofness, but I can tell you that they are SNOWPROOF!!! Right after I left work work this morning, the rain turned into big ol fat snowflakes. Outside of pants wet, timmys nether regions dry! To date my only complaint is the fiddly zippers, but I am learning how to operate them without any hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mac Posted January 20, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted January 20, 2010 No real word on the waterproofness, but I can tell you that they are SNOWPROOF!!! Right after I left work work this morning, the rain turned into big ol fat snowflakes. Outside of pants wet, timmys nether regions dry! To date my only complaint is the fiddly zippers, but I am learning how to operate them without any hassle. I have seen stuff that you can apply to zippers to make them run smoother. Kinda like chain lube for pants. Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmythecop Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 The zippers themselves work well. Its just that the storm flaps get caught in the zippers if you try to just zip them down real quick. You have too run you fingers down as you zip to keep them folded back and out of the teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmythecop Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 I just realized that I paid more than this for my FirstGear pants over a decade go: "from motogear outlet: $134.95 MSRP: $149.95" And that was in 1999 dollars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted July 18, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted July 18, 2012 So I just picked up a pair of these pants and have a question: How do you deal with the extra length?? To get them to fit right, the top of the pants are above my stomach. And the women's XS are the same length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Polarbear Posted July 18, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted July 18, 2012 So I just picked up a pair of these pants and have a question: How do you deal with the extra length?? To get them to fit right, the top of the pants are above my stomach. And the women's XS are the same length. Put on a bigger belly?............. Good luck! C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmythecop Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 I ended up using suspenders and getting used to the top being over my navel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted July 18, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted July 18, 2012 I had to search through the distributors to find the sizing chart. All sizes from Womens XS to Mens XXXL are all 32" length. Except they're more like 36" since I normally take a 32". I think the GF is going to have to cut holes in the pockets so she has somewhere to stick her arms out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted July 18, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted July 18, 2012 I ended up using suspenders and getting used to the top being over my navel. Is this how all textile pants are? My leathers sit at a nice height, just above where normal pants would be. Seems like all sizing charts are showing 31-33" inseam for all sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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