REV’IT! Everest GTX Pants

The Everest GTX pants in size large are a perfect (and correctly snug) fit for a 35-36″ waist and 30-31″ inseam. I think a 36″ waist would be the maximum in size large.

The large waist adjusters on either side only go smaller, not larger. I’d like to see Rev’it add a wide swath of elastic, perhaps in the shape of a “V”, on the sides of their pants to allow some breathing room. As it is, the adjusters have a limited range because they can tighten only; there just isn’t any room left, nor do the pants have a dart, which would allow expansion. So in effect, the very nice adjuster system is rather a bit of overkill.

But, at least it isn’t in the way; the new design leaves it flat against the waistband.

The Exkin Air liner is thin and light, as it is in the jacket, so when it’s removed from the pants, very little size difference is noticed. This is a bonus, as it is in the jacket. It’s not fun to buy a jacket or pants that fits correctly, then find out it gains a size or two when the liners are removed.

The liner does an excellent job at providing warmth in cooler temperatures, although it didn’t drop down below about 42 F or so during the evaluation runs. As I mentioned in the Everest GTX jacket review, a single pair of dedicatedmotorcycle underwear (reviews), like the Sub Zero (review) stretch pants or the Spark thermals (review) are all you’ll need (or can fit) underneath and that should keep you warm in about the coldest conditions you’d want to ride in.

The Exkin Air liner attaches to the pants with a full-length zipper around the waist and full-length zippers at the cuffs. This is the best way to attach a liner, no doubt about it, and keeps the liner as an integral part of the pants when it’s attached, so the guts of the pants don’t turn inside-out when you take the pants off.

The Gore-Tex Pro Shell Armacor 3-Layer Cool is the ultimate Gore-Tex material used in both the Everest GTX jacket and the pants, which means the pants are fully waterproof at the outer boundary layer of the shell. The “Cool” designation also means that the material is specially treated to absorb less solar radiation.

The Pro Shell material means that no waterproof liner is required, which yields less bulk, lower weight and less chance of a size gain when the Exkin Air liner is removed. Like the jacket, the pants have the same Gore-Tex “Guaranteed to Keep You Dry” waterproof and breathable lifetime guarantee.

If you can’t afford the Full Everest GTX Monty, buy just the pants and wear them with another jacket, then you’ll at least have fully waterproof pants and perhaps all you’d have to do is carry a Tourmaster Sentinel Rain Jacket (review) for wet weather.

The knees of the Everest GTX pants are covered with a rip-stop Cordura fabric in black, similar to that used on the shoulders and elbows of the Everest GTX jacket. I’m not sure why Rev’it didn’t use Superfabric on the Everest outfit; possibly because the Gore-Tex Pro Shell Armarcor is the equivalent or perhaps the Superfabric doesn’t bond correctly to the Gore-Tex fabric used in the shell.

The seat of the pants is also generously covered with the rip-stop material, which should protect against wear on the saddle or when butt-sliding down the road (you hope not).

The pants have SAS-Tech armor in the knees and some light padding in the hips. A SAS-Tech hip protector set is optional but should probably be included at this price.

The pants have the Gore-Tex Lockout closure (zipper) system, one on each leg on the outer part of the thighs.

As mentioned in the Everest GTX jacket review, I first described this technology in this 2009 report, which includes a video animation of the zipper. The first production version of the Lockout zipper was previewed in this Everest GTX jacket “First Look” during my August 2010 visit to Rev’it USA headquarters.

The Lockout closure system ensures full waterproof integrity and it’s a self-healing and easy-to-use system. But like most leg vents installed on motorcycle pants, the vent doesn’t do much because it is oriented in a flat position when you’re sitting on the bike.

I don’t notice much difference whether the vent is open or closed (with or without the Exkin Air liner installed), although it remains to be seen how it will work in warmer weather. Part of the reason is that there just isn’t anything to hold the Lockout closure system open, and the system has more elasticity to it, which tends to want to keep the Lockout closed.

The Everest GTX pants do not have hand pockets at the top. The pants have only a single pocket, located on the left leg, with a zipper towards the inside of the leg.

The pocket is waterproof and the pants come with a lubricant for the Lockout closure system located inside. Rev’it said most riders told them they don’t use the pants pockets anyway, and eliminating them helped maintain the waterproof integrity of the pants and gives the tailoring a sleeker appearance.

The pants have a full-length and a short YKK zipper for attachment to the Everest GTX jacket and other Rev’it jackets. The zipper is semi-hidden under a fabric flap and it’s easier to access than the similar zipper on the Defender GTX jacket (review).

The fly zipper is a basic unbranded unit and the flap is minimal, with no hook-and-loop. The fly is backed by a waterproof dart, so the pants have to be dropped during a rest room break.

Rev’it continues to use a single snap button on the waistband, rather than the preferred hook plus snap. I’ll hopefully embarrass them again by posting the photo of the Everest GTX pants compared to the much less expensive Firstgear Escape pants (review), which have the hook.

This is a safety feature that should be included on every pair of motorcycle pants, in our opinion.

The Everest GTX pants have a more more streamlined appearance than the Defender GTX pants (review), especially around the back of the waist. It’s a bit of an apples/oranges comparison, because the Defender GTX outfit is apparently now the top-end Rev’it adventure-touring rig, while the Everest GTX outfit is listed under the “Touring” classification and by cut, styling and fit, is more like a street/sport/touring outfit.

The Everest GTX legs at first glance appeared to be narrower than the legs on the Defender GTX pants, and before I tried them, I was concerned the bottom part of the legs would not fit over a pair of full-height motorcycle touring boots.

But, as it turns out, it’s not a problem. There’s ample room in the lower leg when the side zipper, which travels up to just below the knee, is unfastened. It reveals a fairly wide dart and the thinness of the Exkin Air liner means I can comfortably wear my old Dainese touring boots underneath.

The leg cuffs have the flat Rev’it hook-and-loop strap at the bottom, but there’s a slight design error here, because the strap/flap is much longer than the hook-and-loop attached to the pant cuff.

The hook-and-loop needs to be about twice as long as it is to catch the remaining part of the strap, which hangs off into space and also doesn’t provide as much adjustment as it could or should. So my advice to Rev’it would be to add about another 50 mm or so of the “loop” part of the hook-and-loop to the leg cuffs, and also shorten the “hook” strap by about 25 mm.