“Wait, Chris, haven’t you already done a review of these jeans?” – I can see how you might think that, dear reader, but, no. The jeans I crashed in last year were Pando Moto Boss 105 Indigo; the ones I’m talking about here are Pando Moto Boss 105 Indigo Reg, and there’s a difference.
READ MORE: Check Out All of TMO’s Gear Reviews
There are similarities, of course. Both are comfortable, both look great, and both are well made. But the Boss 105 Indigo Reg jeans (Crikey, that’s a mouthful, let’s just shorten it to “Reg” for the rest of the article, shall we?) have a different construction and, as a result, cost a little bit less.
Priced at €179 (about £155, or US $220 based on current exchange rates), the jeans are made in Lithuania (No. 37 on the Democracy Index) and are available in waist sizes 28 – 36 (inches), with lengths of either 32 or 34.
Style
One of the biggest selling points of the Reg jeans is the fact that – like the non-Reg jeans – they look great. I feel so much cooler than I really am when wearing these, and they’re easily better looking than any standard non-riding jeans I own.
BEFORE YOU BUY: What You Need to Know About Riding Jeans
The look is classic without looking out of date. This might seem like an odd description, but to me the Reg jeans look the way Levis are supposed to look. What I mean is that Levis are seen as an iconic jean, stirring thoughts of sandlot baseball kids and 1950s greasers. But the two pairs of Levis I own aren’t actually that cool. The Pando Moto Boss 105 Indigo Reg jeans are.
The cut is good – not baggy or too tight – and there are no weird designs that will make the jeans out of fashion five years down the road. I’m a fan of the rolled-cuff look, but it’s obviously not a requirement.
Fit
I’ve had these jeans for a while now and have worn them a hell of a lot, which means I’ve also washed them a fair few times. Nonetheless, the jeans have held their size, which is just a teeny bit roomier than normal jeans. I got these in a 32 waist 34 leg, the same size in which I get all jeans. It’s been a long winter and I’ve been sitting in front of the computer a lot, so I’ll admit my Levis 511s are just a tad snug, but the Reg jeans still allow enough room I could probably tuck a beer bottle into the waistband if I were sucking in. Which is an odd visual.
“Hey, is that a beer bottle in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?”
With a belt cinched up, though, I don’t have any issues. The Boss 105 Indigos in which I crashed had the same fit; I was wearing a belt in the crash and that was enough that they didn’t pull down in a 65mph+ slide. I’ve worn the Reg jeans in some pretty hot weather and have found that it’s actually an advantage to have a little room, to allow air to circulate.
Probably my only lament fit-wise stems from the fact the removable knee armor is not adjustable and sits just a smidgen lower than I’d like. Sometimes I’ll have to pull it up to make sure it sits the way I want it to over my knee. The good news is I don’t have to make this adjustment over and over. I’ll get everything right once I’ve settled into the saddle of a bike and it stays that way.
Function
Fun fact: I loved my previous Boss 105 Indigo jeans so much that even as I was still sitting on the edge of a Florida highway post-crash, waiting for Harley’s chase truck to come pick me up and take me back to the hotel, I was on my phone emailing Pando Moto boss Marius Black to tell him how well his product had protected me, and beginning the process of pleading with him to send another pair. In our follow-up conversations I told him my only suggestion for improving the jeans would be to add hip armor.
So, guess what the Reg jeans have. Yup. Along with that hip armor, there is knee armor that is removable via a zip on the outside of the jean, which makes wearing these off the bike much easier.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE REG JEANS: Pando Moto Boss 105 Indigo – Riding Jeans Review
Unlike the Boss 105 Indigo, the Reg are not fully lined with Kevlar. Instead, the famously tough fabric exists in large patches in high-impact areas (rear and knees) whereas the jeans themselves are made of Cordura denim. Cordura, of course, is the stuff they make textile riding gear out of. The up side of doing things this way is the jeans are a little cooler to wear, since you’re not snuggled into two layers.
Verdict
I love these jeans. They look cool, they’re made in the European Union – which means you can be assured that the people who made them had certain rights and protections – and they’re durable as hell. As mentioned above, I’ve worn and washed these jeans a lot over the year that I’ve owned them and they still look new.
And they’re all-day comfortable to the extent I’ll often just wear them on a plane to a press event, rather than filling up my luggage. Last summer, when I went to North Carolina to ride the BMW K 1600 B, I wore these for eight days straight.
As is more often than not the case with good gear, Pando Moto Boss 105 Indigo Reg jeans are not cheap, but in my opinion they are worth the investment. They’ll last a long time, and experience with other Pando Moto products tells me they’ll protect my skin should I insist upon living up to my “Crashcan” nickname. I highly recommend them.
Check out PandoMoto.com for more info.
Other Gear Seen in Photos
Helmet: Schuberth C3 Pro
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR / RYD
Jacket: 55 Collection Hard
Jacket: Harley-Davidson Sully 3-in-1
Gloves: Aerostich Elksin Competition Ropers
Boots: Indian Motorcycle Spirit Lake
Dancing the Polka 