Dainese Firefly Ladies Motorcycle Pants.

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Dainese Firefly Pants


FEATURES


OVERVIEW

Update 9/29/09. Since I first posted this I have ridden about 12,000 miles in them and decided that a better, more thorough review was in order.

I first purchased these in 2007, after my first accident on my bike. I felt that a good pair of leather pants were in order after riding in textiles for 3 years. I knew that more riding, extended weekend trips, track days and other riding adventures were in my future. So a good pair of protective leather pants were in order. I also knew that wearing better gear would provide the function, fit and protection I needed and wanted. By this time I had my Dainese leather jacket, so matching leather pants made sense since I wanted them to zip together. Dainese will only zip with Dainese, so it made my choice rather easy. I'm not sure at what point a 1-piece will be at the top of my list, but for now, I find the utility of a 2-piece extremely useful.

The first thing you'll notice about these pants is how thick, sturdy and strong they feel. Which is definitely a good thing when you're talking about the possibility of your lower half contacting and/or sliding against pavement. These aren't ventilated, however, do have the Dainese D-Stone fabric on the front, which provide a little bit of air flow, as well as ventiliated stretch panels on the back of the knees. I normally avoid riding in hot weather as much possible, but it's difficult to say no to a 180 mile ride through the wine country on some of the area's most scenic and gorgeous roads.

If you look at the middle photo in the 3rd row of pics above, you'll notice the 2 panels of what look like textile material below the crotch, on the inner thighs. This isn't your ordinary textile. It's a proprietary piece of technology invented by Dainese called D Stone. It's not only meant to ventilate a little bit, but more importantly to be highly abrasion resistant and stay intact in case of a crash. It's definitely denser than any textile I've worn and also stretches just enough to be comfortable in riding position. I think adding this material right on the inner thighs was a smart, thoughtful move by Dainese to make these pants more comfortable and functional while riding.

If you're looking for a street and/or touring leather pant that you can wear in cool and warm weather, the Firefly is a great option. I'd say that if you are going to be doing a lot of hot weather riding, you may want to explore ventilated leather pants such as the Vanson Pro Perfs. So far, I've ridden to Southern California in these pants about 3-4 times. I've never worn them in the rain or extreme cold, but have ridden in 95 degree heat, which was probably the worst riding experience of my life. I would HIGHLY recommend wearing a good base layer under these such as:


In hot weather riding, something that you'll find is the minute you start sweating, your comfort level goes way down. And sitting, riding or going to the bathroom becomes unbearable after awhile. Wearing a base layer won't eliminate the fact that it's hot, but it will make a bathroom break a lot easier to deal with. It will also give you a teeny bit of extra room in the pants, since these base layers will cinch you in a little more, like wearing pantyhose. (If you haven't worn pantyhose, then when you try these on you'll understand what I mean.) And in the Firefly pants, with the leather feeling a little bit stiffer than others I've tried on, a wicking moisture pant is key in hot weather. I haven't worn these in the winter, as my textile Olympias are better at keeping me warm and dry. I may try doing some winter rides, El Niño permitting, and will update my review once I do.

There are a ton of options out there, including smartwool and other materials that will help keep you cool and dry or warm and toasty. I would investigate some of these options no matter what kind of leather pants you end up buying. The same goes for your leather jacket, I would highly recommend in a complimentary Under Armour top to help wick away any sweat in the summer, or to help insulate during winter. I wear one for hot weather under my Ignition jacket and it makes a huge difference while riding. I would also recommend them for textiles as well, since they will also perform the same way and provide a little extra comfort for you.


You can also see that in this picture there are small accordian folds over the knees. This gives the pants the ability to stretch right above the knees, which can definitely vary for many women who have wider knees/thighs. The reason why the knees are bulging so much below these folds are due to the Dainese CE Armour that come with the pants. The zippers are in the front, which make upgrading them to something like Forcefield Body Armour so much easier.
One picture I don't have is of the waist, which has a couple of added features. The first is 5 belt loops that assist you when you're putting them on, so you have something to hold onto. I found these more useful before getting Under Armour Shorts, since there would always be a little struggle between the leather and my skin. But now they just make the pants a little easier to get on, as well as hang from a hanger since you can use the loops vs. the waistband. The pants also have 2 small accordian stretch panels on either side of the waist. They definitely help, since these pants tend to taper inwards quite a bit.

You'll also notice that there are 2 zippers on the back of each leg, which is great if your calves aren't exactly the same size as when both zippers are zipped closed. I only use one zipper since I have thick calves and zipping both caused imprints from the zipper on my calves. It definitely makes for a far more comfortable ride. They are meant to be worn inside the boot, but I suppose if you unzipped both zippers you could possibly wear them over a boot. But the idea is that if your pants are securely tucked into your boot, there is no chance of them sliding up your leg to expose the skin.

You will find, however, that you won't be able to zip Dainese pants to any other brand of jacket. Dainese uses a very skinny 3/4 zipper that other brands don't use. You could try taking your jacket to a good leather tailor, he/she could put in a different set of zippers.


FIT

I wear a size 44 in these pants, which is supposedly a size US 10 (Guys, that will mean nothing to you, but it should to your girl). But I'm a US size 4 in regular pants. Generally all the sizing varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and Dainese is no exception as you can see from the table above.

If you're worried about inseam, Dainese runs fairly standard in length. I'm 5'3" and have a 30" inseam. These fit me perfectly. If they're a little bit short you should be okay as long as you're wearing them in boots that are fit for leathers. If they're a little longer, sit on the bike, tuck them in your boots and see if the knee armor is sitting in the right place. Make sure it can't slide and sits snugly against your knee.

Generally, Dainese women's pants tend to taper quite a bit at the waist, from the hips. You may find that they fit everywhere else perfectly, except the waist. Don't rule them out until you sit on the bike. For me, I can live with a little bit of snugness at the waist and when I have to sit down and eat or do something other than riding, I have to unbutton the waist. (Shh, don't tell anyone. ) Don't worry, I'm not walking around with my leathers down to my knees. They are leather pants, after all, so they fit very snug, everywhere else. :D

It can be a little inconvenient at times, but you have to keep in mind that these pants are cut to be Most comfortable in riding position. As soon as I get back on my bike and lean over, it's perfect. Which is what you want from all your gear anyway! One thing you'll also notice is that when you stand up and try these on, there is going to be a little bit of gather in the butt. Not ideal, but it is the right fit, since as soon as you sit down, everything pulls snug around the hips, legs and thighs. Perfect Fit!

I've been on several long (400 miles/way) rides and a lot of one day rides (~180 miles) in these pants. In really warm weather they can definitely start to feel uncomfortable. I think it's unavoidable when wearing any kind of leather pant. But as I mentioned above, wearing some kind of Under Armour or similar base layer is key. It doesn't have to be a warm layer, but having that as a barrier between your skin and the lining of the pants will make your ride(s) much more comfortable.

These pants didnt break in very much, in terms of stretching out. Normally when you buy a leather jacket or gloves, there is a distinct break in period. Especially with jackets. Everything gives a little bit and stretches out to give you the perfect fit. But with pants, it's not the same. I haven't quite figured out why this is the case. When you buy these, you'll want to buy them how they fit the first time. The leather will get a little softer and relax a bit, but they don't give you that much extra room. I would highly advise wearing Under Armour or something similar when you try these on . It will give you a little bit more room to fit them, especially if you're in between sizes.