Years ago, and I mean years ago, Editor ‘Arris and I ordered a bunch of so-called motorcycle jeans in for a comparo test, to see what was on the market… and since then, I haven’t tried anything similar made by any OEM. This summer, MotoMachines asked if I’d be interested in testing a pair of Bull-it Mastiff jeans. They showed up a while later in the mail, and I can say after wearing them that the idea of motorcycle jeans has come a long, long way.
Who are Bull-it made by?
Founded in 2010, Bull-it is the in-house brand owned by the company who makes abrasion-resistant Covec material. Bull-it is a small company compared to mega-giants like Alpinestars, but they have an emphasis on quality. They built the first motorcycle jeans to carry a CE2-certified safety rating back in 2013. To this day, CE-certified safety is a priority for the company, not gimmicky marketing.
What are the Bull-It Mastiff jeans?
Technically, these are called the Bull-It Mastiff Straight Jeans because of their straight-leg cut. They are one-layer jeans. Unlike older designs, which saw an interior lining made of damage-resistant material like Kevlar underneath an exterior layer of denim, the Mastiff jeans have only one layer, made of Covec’s proprietary Oneskin denim. They are AA-rated in a crash, and come in a greyish, faded color, with mid-rise cut.
Along with that Oneskin denim which keeps road rash at bay, Bull-It also included RE ZRO armor in the hips and knees. This armor is breathable, so you don’t get uber-sweaty (a problem with some older designs of riding jeans). It comes with a CE Level 1 safety rating.
The Bull-It Mastiff jeans come with no provisions to zip onto a jacket, like some competing designs do. This makes sense, as Bull-It doesn’t make jackets, like some competitors do, and it would be hard to come up with an attachment method that fit all the jackets on the market.
Wearing the Mastiff jeans
Motorcycle jeans are a hit-and-miss affair. In some ways, they can be more comfortable than textile or leather riding pants, but that doesn’t mean they’re as comfortable as a regular pair of jeans. Sometimes, especially with the heavier-duty motorcycle jeans of old with full-length Kevlar liners, those pants were pretty sweaty if you were doing much moving off the bike. The armor was bulky, and many of those older designs came with awkward styling that made you look like a dork—definitely not the goal for most people wearing these jeans, as they bought them to look cool in the first place.
I’m happy to report the Mastiff riding jeans are far more comfortable than any other motorcycle jeans I’ve worn, thanks to that single-layer construction. The fabric has a bit of stretch to it as well, which makes them fit even better. The knee and hip protectors are small; you can almost forget you’re wearing armor when you’re in these pants. It’s a lot better than the bulky setups of old.
And looking at the Mastiff pants, there are no dorky flourishes that proclaim these aren’t standard streetwear; a tag on the back pocket says BUILT TO RIDE, and that’s it. No weird ribbing in the knees, no exterior pocket openings for armor. They’re simple, and that’s a good thing.
But are they effective? I didn’t crash in them to find out. However, consider it this way: I’d be more likely to wear these than a lot of other moto pants on the market, as they are basically as comfortable as my Levi’s. That means, I’m more likely to be protected if something bad did happen when I was riding. No, they’re not as good as a pair of Aerostich pants, but they’re a lot better than the flimsy jeans your wife bought you at Costco.
The main disadvantage that any motorcycle jeans have over standard textile riding pants is their lack of waterproofing. However, I got caught out in some pretty foul weather in the Mastiff jeans and found they dried out rather quickly; I suspect it’s a side benefit of the textile materials used.
The bottom line
The Mastiff jeans are $180ish at Moto Machines, which works out to roughly $250 CAD depending on the exchange rate. They appear to be excellent value for the money, and I’m happy to have them in my gear locker for the riding seasons ahead.
“But are they effective? I didn’t crash in them to find out.”
If things don’t go CMG, was it really a test at all?