REV’IT! Challenge Pants

Review Summary

Pros

Cons

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More:  wBW Reviews Home  |  See our review of the Rev’it Airforce mesh jacketand Solar mesh gloves, which are a good match for the Challenge pants.

Rev’it updates their clothing probably more frequently than any other company I can think of.

For example, during the time that the Shoei RF-1000 helmet has been available, Rev’it has gone through three complete generations of both their winter and summer lines of clothing.

This rapid evolutionary pace is pretty amazing, and it must take a huge amount of resources to keep up the frantic pace.

Motorcycle pants are usually last to receive any updates, and Rev’it already had several different styles of pants for sale.

For example, they still list the Airvent pantsin their extensive catalog.  But the new Rev’it Challenge pants are newly designed as a mate for the recently released Airforce jacket, occupying the top of the Rev’it range of textile mesh motorcycle apparel.

It’s very difficult to photograph black clothing, so it’s hard to tell in these photos, but the mesh used on the front of the Challenge pants is very similar to the tightly woven mesh used in the Rev’it Airforce jacket.

Liner and Outer Shell

The pants have the same waterproof and windproof Hydratex membrane liner that has become standard in other Rev’it winter and summer clothing.

This liner has a rubbery feel on the outside and a silky smooth feel on the inside.  I’m comfortable wearing these pants in temperatures down to about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (with the liner inserted), and although I’ve worn them in colder weather, they’re really designed to be worn in temperatures above 70 or so.

The liner uses a full-length zipper to attach to the waist and another at each of the leg cuffs.  A zipper attachment usually works better than snaps for a pants liner because the zipper will ensure that the liner stays in place as the pants are put on or taken off.

The outer shell of the Challenge pants uses the same high-tech alphabet soup of fabrics as the Airforce jacket; a mixture of Cordura, Dynax mesh, Kodra stretch, Schoeller Keprotec stretch and Kevlar.

The Challenge pants are made for hot weather and they flow lots of air when the liner is removed.  Opening the thigh vents doesn’t seem to make much of a difference, but the temperatures here haven’t been warm enough yet to tell; I’ll bet when it gets up to 90 degrees or so, any extra vents will be welcomed.

Padding and Armor

The pants are padded in the hips and use ProLife CE-approved armor in the knees.  The knee armor on the regular length pants is the one place I had a bit of a problem, because the placement of the armor is not adjustable, and it seems too low for the length of the pants.

I take a size 36W 30L (US) normal length street pant, and the size 52 (Euro) normal length Challenge pants fit nicely at the waist (the waist has an elastic hidden insert for a bit more freedom) and the length is correct for riding; that is, about 2″ long when standing but correct when riding.

However, the knee armor is about 4″ too low for my knees.  I don’t think I have legs that are out of proportion, but I have run into this problem on more than one occasion with motorcycle pants.

The center of the knee armor in the Challenge pants is approximately 25″ down from the top of the waistband when the pants are being worn, and about 14″ below my crotch.  To fit correctly, the center of the knee armor should be about 21″ from the top of the waistband and 10″ from my crotch.

The Challenge pants are available in an expanded range of sizes, from 48 to 58 (Euro) regular; 58 to 68 long and 50 to 58 short, and I’ve never taken a short length street pant, but perhaps these might fit better?  By the way, the Rev’it Ultimate pants have adjustable knee armor, so it can be done.

The bottom line is that you’ll need to check the proportions of your legs to make sure that you order the correct length Challenge pants.  I remember a couple of years ago at the annual Dealer Expo in Indianapolis talking to one of the Rev’it principals and suggesting elastic in the waistband.  That wish was granted, so now my next request is for adjustable positioning for the knee armor!

Waistband and Pockets

The waistband on the Challenge pants has belt loops, but I use only the built-in hook-and-loop cinch to snug up the waist.  The pants have vertical hand pockets on each seam that are closed with a zipper.  Each leg has one of the Rev’it waterproof hiding zippers on either side, located about mid-thigh.  These zippers have a cover that closes automatically as the zipper is shut.  The cover is also reflective and has a laser etched Rev’it logo and design.

The pants also have a full-length and shorter zipper that will attach to other Rev’it jackets, including the Airforce.  This is important and makes for a safer system.

Conclusion

The Rev’it Challenge pants are a good match for the Airforce jacket.  The liner is windproof but the pants flow lots of air when the liner is removed.  The expanded sizing range is helpful, but just make sure the armor fits correctly.  It would be nice if Rev’it had a chart that listed the distance from crotch to the center of the armor so that potential owners could match their proportions with the correct length pants.

By the way, the pants also work great with the Kochmann Scout boots!