Alpinestars Revenant Gore-Tex Riding Pants: Off-road Review

Introduction Protection Running Cool Freedom of Movement Works Off-road?

Introduction

BMW R 1250 GS Adventure [2019] Alpinestars pant

We have found the Revenant pants to be almost bulletproof. Apart from the fact that these are waterproof and ergonomically sound – and that these have tons of adjustments on them to give just the right fit – these also seem to be un-tear-able, if there’s a word like that. And, not for lack of trying, mind, because we have taken a tumble in them a number of times.

And that’s why I like using them off-road. Now, we have already told you about how the Revenant pants perform when it comes to touring or battling the rain. Not to mention, we had a whole chapter on what makes them the top-spec ADV pants that these are. If you haven’t read those pieces, head HERE and HERE.

This report though is completely dedicated to the off-road performance of these pants; an aspect we haven’t touched upon so far. As we see it, there are a few pre-requisites every pair of off-road pants must deliver on. Protection, freedom of movement, and the ability to keep the rider cool, would top that list. And here’s how the pants do on these fronts…

Protection

First there’s the material. It doesn’t matter if you take a tumble on sand, gravel, and rock or even tarmac, the outside material does help in keeping the friction burns at bay. There’s good impact protection too for the knees. Now, the Revenant pants don’t come with hip protection as standard, but there’s a provision to add that. Plus, with the ability to get a tight and precise fit, especially around the knees, it ensures that the protection stays in place and does its job even if you roll in your fall.

Running Cool

The Revenant pants only come with two vents located on the thighs. These work well at speed and when the ambient temperature is more blue than red. But, when off-roading, the speeds are slower. And there’s very little ram air to help cool things. And that’s something one needs to cover for when doing the slower and more technical stuff while donning these pants. As with the Revenant jacket, if you choose to go off-roading in the rain, you will love these pants. And their ability to regulate the temperature well.

Freedom of Movement

With the ability to have such a precise fit, we feared, the pants might restrict movement, especially when standing up and riding off-road. You see, when it comes to tacking ruts and rocks and direction changes off-road, one does need to put the foot down at times. It’s not to kick the bike up but to bring back the balance. Kicking a bike up, especially if it weighs 200kg and more, is just a sure shot invitation to crack a few bones.

It’s for these quick step-downs that one needs freedom of movement from the pants. With the built-in accordion panels and enough bagginess to prevent snagging, the Revenant pants never really presented a problem. What’s more, the material and the design of the pants also made it easy to grip the tank when standing up and riding. And that made the job of riding off-road that much easier.

Works Off-road?

Totally. It ticks two of the pre-requisites boxes in their entirety. Sure, the Revenant pants aren’t the best when it comes to ‘running cool’. But again, that’s truer for hot and humid climates like Mumbai and Chennai. Now, if you were to go riding off-road in, say Rajasthan, in the winters or the mountains anytime of the year, the Revenant, would feel right at home.

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi