aziebell
Junior Member
This is my review for the Shift Havoc Leather/Textile Pants.
The Shift Havoc pants are a combination of leather and textile to create a more casual riding pant, while still providing great protection to the rider. For all the high impact areas, leather is used to offer the best protection. A 9 inch zipper is available on each pant leg to ease the process on putting on boots. The bottom of the pant leg uses a small Velcro closure to secure the zipper. Each leg also has a thin line of reflective piping and a side pocket, similar to jeans, with a zipper closure, as well as a cargo pocket on the left leg with a zipper closure. The flap of the cargo pocket also has a magnetic snap to keep the flap secure. The waist of the pants is secured with two vertical buttons, as well as a small Velcro tab. The width can also be adjusted a great deal with two Velcro closures on each hip. For connection to a jacket, an 8 inch zipper is found on the back side. They did include the option to sew the second half to a jacket of your choice.
Fit
The fit for these pants is very similar to the fit of a pair of jeans. When ordering my regular jean size, I found them to be a bit too loose for me. If you want over-pants, this would would very well for you. I didn't like how loose they were, however, so I returned for a smaller size, and was much happier. I could still fit a thin layer under these pants if needed for cold weather. Also, depending on the size you ended up picking, the leg does ride up a bit in riding position. I have full motorcycle boots, so this is not a problem for me. If you ride in 3/4 or shorter boots, you may have skin exposed.
Armor
CE rated armor is found in each pant leg, which covers the knee and shin. While on the bike in riding position, the armor is in perfect place. However, when off the bike, the armor does hang down, and it is slightly uncomfortable. Given this, I feel that during a slide, the armor will just slide out of the way offering little to no protection. I may just purchase armor that I can attach directly onto my leg in the future. Also to note, no hip armor is available for these pants.
Comfort
So far, I have found a few issues with the pants. First off, the waist seems to ride up a bit when on the bike. Not too bad, but just enough to notice. Also, directly under the knees the fabric seems a bit rough when bending the knees and can cause some discomfort. These are just small gripes, and most of the time I don't even notice it. After wearing them in more, I feel that they will continue to feel better.
Temperature
As the weather around here has yet to break 70, I can't comment for the heat. The coolest ride I took was 40 degrees at city speeds, and they felt just fine. The textile material will breath some, but probably not as much as a perforated leather would. So, I will have to edit the review later for riding in the summer.
Final Comments
For me, these were the pants I was looking for. I wanted over the boot pants that look subtle enough that I could wear them around town or off the bike without looking like I belonged on the track. If you want the same thing, I recommend checking them out. These pants will not work for the track, and are built for the street. If you ride very aggressively to the point where you need knee sliders, these are not the pants for you. Overall, I like the pants, and they are great to ride in. I feel much better in these than a pair of jeans, and feel that they will have many miles put on them.
Ordered from Motorcycle Superstore - Motorcycle Accessories and Motorcycle Gear.
The Shift Havoc pants are a combination of leather and textile to create a more casual riding pant, while still providing great protection to the rider. For all the high impact areas, leather is used to offer the best protection. A 9 inch zipper is available on each pant leg to ease the process on putting on boots. The bottom of the pant leg uses a small Velcro closure to secure the zipper. Each leg also has a thin line of reflective piping and a side pocket, similar to jeans, with a zipper closure, as well as a cargo pocket on the left leg with a zipper closure. The flap of the cargo pocket also has a magnetic snap to keep the flap secure. The waist of the pants is secured with two vertical buttons, as well as a small Velcro tab. The width can also be adjusted a great deal with two Velcro closures on each hip. For connection to a jacket, an 8 inch zipper is found on the back side. They did include the option to sew the second half to a jacket of your choice.
Fit
The fit for these pants is very similar to the fit of a pair of jeans. When ordering my regular jean size, I found them to be a bit too loose for me. If you want over-pants, this would would very well for you. I didn't like how loose they were, however, so I returned for a smaller size, and was much happier. I could still fit a thin layer under these pants if needed for cold weather. Also, depending on the size you ended up picking, the leg does ride up a bit in riding position. I have full motorcycle boots, so this is not a problem for me. If you ride in 3/4 or shorter boots, you may have skin exposed.
Armor
CE rated armor is found in each pant leg, which covers the knee and shin. While on the bike in riding position, the armor is in perfect place. However, when off the bike, the armor does hang down, and it is slightly uncomfortable. Given this, I feel that during a slide, the armor will just slide out of the way offering little to no protection. I may just purchase armor that I can attach directly onto my leg in the future. Also to note, no hip armor is available for these pants.
Comfort
So far, I have found a few issues with the pants. First off, the waist seems to ride up a bit when on the bike. Not too bad, but just enough to notice. Also, directly under the knees the fabric seems a bit rough when bending the knees and can cause some discomfort. These are just small gripes, and most of the time I don't even notice it. After wearing them in more, I feel that they will continue to feel better.
Temperature
As the weather around here has yet to break 70, I can't comment for the heat. The coolest ride I took was 40 degrees at city speeds, and they felt just fine. The textile material will breath some, but probably not as much as a perforated leather would. So, I will have to edit the review later for riding in the summer.
Final Comments
For me, these were the pants I was looking for. I wanted over the boot pants that look subtle enough that I could wear them around town or off the bike without looking like I belonged on the track. If you want the same thing, I recommend checking them out. These pants will not work for the track, and are built for the street. If you ride very aggressively to the point where you need knee sliders, these are not the pants for you. Overall, I like the pants, and they are great to ride in. I feel much better in these than a pair of jeans, and feel that they will have many miles put on them.
Ordered from Motorcycle Superstore - Motorcycle Accessories and Motorcycle Gear.
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