The Sergeant pants from Fuel Moto look like the sort of pants my dad would have worn riding his old Honda thumper off-road in the '70s. Suede panels, accordion sections, quilted padding on the thighs—they hit all the key points of well-constructed old-school riding gear but with a little more modern tech than meets the eye.
Constructed of an 11.5-ounce stretch cotton twill on the outside and backed with an abrasion-resistant aramid layer in the seat and knees, the Sergeant will keep you safer than normal jeans even without the pads. CE Level 2 padding does come equipped, however, in the knees and hips. The knee pads conveniently slip out from the outside, as you can see in the video, which is great when you’re walking around off the bike—those pads can be a little cumbersome.
While I initially got these pants for some dirt and adventure riding, I continuously find myself surprised by how at-home they look on everything I ride. They fit a little small in the waist, so if you're between two sizes, go for the bigger one. The hem on the pants is also quite short, which is why you see them pictured with tall dirt boots so often—this may limit off-bike wearability for some of us taller guys, but I pair them with some tall Red Wings and they don't look bad at all.
Priced at 275 euro, or about $310 US, they're right where you'd expect them to be considering all the materials and pads used. Stay tuned for an in-depth review once we get some time wearing these rad new pants and head over to Fuel Moto's website to check out other products in the meantime!