When it comes to motorcycle pants, there aren’t many options that break the $500 mark that will provide you with more benefits than you can find in a sub-$500 pair.

With such a large variety of options in the sub-$500 pricing category, it can be quite overwhelming when choosing the right pant tailored to your riding style. This list is here to save the day and help you narrow down the options to what we think are the best motorcycle pants for beginners under $500.

REV’IT! Commuter Pants

To begin this list, I decided to start with a pant option that can take you anywhere safely in any weather.

REV’IT! designed these ‘Commuter Pants’ with three-season riding in mind; rain or sun. They have been designed for riders who are seeking a protective and weatherproof option without having to sacrifice comfort or safety.

The Commuter Pants are built of abrasion-resistant PWRIshell 3-layer material with hydratex 3L PRO waterproofing.

The pants feature Seeflex CE level 2 armor in the knees and have Tryonic Seesoft CE level 1 type B inserts for hip protection.

The waist is fully adjustable and they are ready to be paired with Strapper suspenders that are sold separately if you struggle with keeping them up.

Klim K Fifty 2 Jeans

Some riders prefer the ‘casual jeans look’ to more traditional protective riding pants and it’s easy to understand why. Some of us aren’t tracking our bikes or riding through thunderstorms on 1000 mile treks, so if you’re looking for an easy-going alternative that won’t break the bank look no further.

The Klim K Fifty 2 Jeans are a straight cut heavy-duty riding jean constructed from a Cordura denim and nylon cotton blend with D30 EVO hip and adjustable knee armor to keep you safe on your journeys.

The inside of the pant has reinforced DuPont Kevlar panels for added protection in addition to a Poron XRDA tailbone pad.

Alpinestars Raider Drystar Pants

The Alpinestars Raider Drystar pants are a perfect marriage between commuting and sport riding. The multi-material shell construction provides high resistance to water while maintaining safety due to the tear-resistant panels.

The pre-curved legs and accordion stretch areas above the knees keep these comfortable while the CE certified knee protectors are fully adjustable to ensure a good fit for all riders.

The removable thermal liner is a big plus, as it makes these pants semi-dual purpose with two options for heat control making these pants perfect for multiple seasons of commuting while maintaining a sporty look.

Firstgear Kathmandu Overpants

With a similar story to the Kathmandu Jacket I reviewed in our ‘Best Motorcycle Jackets for Beginners Under $500’, these pants go without saying: SERIOUS ADV AND TOURING RIDING.

The feature list for these pants rival the length of a J.R. Tolkien novel and for $319.95 they’re hard to pass up. They may not be for everyone with the fairly obvious ADV styling, but if you’re looking for a fully weather-resistant pant you can wear in any temperature, the search has ended.

These Kathmandu Overpants come with D30 armor in the hip and knees, removable suspenders, wide leg opening (for going over boots), and a removable insulation liner for cooler rides.

The pants are full of vents and Firstgear even went as far as to include chamude suede knee patches to keep the sides of your tank scratch-free.

If you’re looking for a robust pant for your thousands of miles in yearly touring distances, these pretty much hold the gold standard.

Dainese New Drake Air Textile Pants

Dainese makes some of the best gear on earth, so it should come to no surprise to see a great all-rounder pant from them end up on this list.

Typically Dainese is known for making track-focused gear for racing but these pants are an amazing exception.

The New Drake Air pants designed for multi-season riding due to the combination of Cordura fabric 750, suretta fabric, and perforated fabric construction. They breathe well and are great for riding in the wet.

The only drawback is the fact they don’t have hip armor; just CE rated composite knee plating.

Alpinestars Missile v2 Airflow Pants

It may sound strange to some; a beginner hitting the track in their first year of riding, but if you have high aspirations to be a ‘Street Rossi’ somewhere down the line you might as well invest in the gear now so you can grow into it later and not have to spend the money twice.

The Missle V2 Airflow pants are perfect for any new rider looking for a pair of high-performance pants to grow into.

The pants feature full 1.3mm bovine leather construction with large stretch panels on the calf and crotch area (leather doesn’t stretch well. trust me, it’s a good feature) and CE level 1 armor in the knees. If you’re looking for some added hip protection, Dainese provided pockets so you can add them at a later date.

Alpinestars Andes v2 Drystar Pants

The Alpinestars Andes V2 Drystar Pants are another great looking ADV/touring option for weatherproof comfort.

Alpinestars took the successful original Andes design and breathed new life (or air) into the second version with the introduction of updated temperature control vents to take these pants to the next level of all-season riding.

The Andes V2 features Alpinestars exclusive Drystar poly-fabric textile construction for full waterproofing and a removable liner for warmer rides.

The hip protectors are sold separately, but the knee areas of these pants come equipped with CE-certified armor behind the reinforced polymer printed texture for added abrasion resistance.

Scorpion EXO Covert Jeans

Sometimes you just need something a little more protective than traditional jeans and don’t feel like spending half-a-months rent on a pair of new and shiny motorcycle pants. I get it.

The Scorpion Covert Jeans remedy that predicament by providing a 165GSM DuPont™ Kevlar lined jean option with pockets ready to drop in your own knee and hip armor.

They look great and offer far more protection than regular jeans. At $100 and over 250+ reviews on RevZilla you really can’t lose with these.

Dainese Delta 3 Leather Pants

I’m topping this list off with a pair of pure performance-oriented race pants. Mainly because I can, but also because there are still many new riders who want the best-of-the-best when it comes to protection and safety features. I started on a 900cc motorcycle myself, and I have a few friends that started riding on 1000cc liter race bikes as well. Consider these a liter bike for your overconfident legs.

The Delta 3 pant is designed with agility in mind, and are constructed with the same S1 Bielastic fabric and Nanofeel Silver Iron liner you can find in Dainese’s MotoGP race suits. Overkill? Anything for safety.

The body of the pant features Tutu cowhide leather and they come fully complete with CE certified protectors in the knees and hips.

Once you get the hang of dragging knee (in your dreams, noobie) you will begin to utilize the full performance nature of these pants with the interchangeable knee sliding pucks.