If you are reading this you are probably aware of the fact that riding denim is not nearly as protective as full leather riding pants. Casual riding wear has come a long way however, and over the last couple of years the protective properties of this kind of motorcycle apparel have taken huge leaps forward. That having said let’s take a look at what the latest fruits of Dainese’s innovation have got to offer: Dainese’s D1 Evo and D1 Pred Evo pants Product Information Before we dig deeper in the specifications that these pants boost, we would like to explain the differences between these two pairs of riding denim. Luckily we can be short about them: Dainese’s D1 Evo pants are the somewhat “upgraded” version of the D1 Pred. Evo. They come with integrated Pro-Shape soft protectors right out of the box where the D1 Pred. Evo do not. The Pred. Evo however feature larger knee pockets in order to accommodate thicker grade Kit J Knee armor. These riding pants form the latest generation of riding denim. They reach higher safety standards through the weave of aramid fibre yarn into the denim fabric. This “special” denim is backed by DuPont Kevlar on the knees, hips and seat. This should provide you with more “sliding time” in case of an accident, therefore minimizing the chance of bone fracture (to quote Jeremy Clarkson: “speed has never killed someone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you). If these Kevlar reinforcements do not offer you enough protection it is good to know that on the knees you’ll find a pocket into which additional Kit J E1 knee protectors can be inserted. Additionally Dainese added light-reflective inserts to the design of these pants which are quite useful since we all know that riders can be hard to spot in the dark.(light-reflective so they are not easily noticed when wearing either of these pants casually). Concluding we can say that Dainese’s P. D1 Evo and P. D1 Pred. Evo are among the lightest riding pants available. They are largely the same except for some additional protective features. Their comfortable fit can definitely give them the edge over “normal” riding pants, this does however come at the expense of less protection in case of an accident.