If you are working out what to wear as a motorcycle passenger, most advice stops at the helmet. This guide covers the rest: the trousers, the layers and the fit details that decide whether the back seat is comfortable. You do not steer and you cannot change the pace, so your clothes have to do more of the work.
What to Wear as a Motorcycle Passenger: Start With the Trousers
On many bikes your legs sit close to the engine, the exhaust and the road. Leggings, shorts and thin summer trousers cover the least, and they do little about wind, which reaches your knees as soon as you pull away.
Riding trousers fix several problems at once. They are cut for a bent-knee seat, so they are less likely to ride up or pull behind the knee. Good ones close at the ankle, so nothing flaps beside the footpeg: trousers with an adjustable hem, like the Sentinel, let you tighten the leg around a boot before you climb on. Pockets matter too, because a passenger rarely has a tank bag or top box within reach: the phone, keys and card all end up on you.
If your rides are mostly short hops around town, our guide to what to wear on a scooter covers hems and pockets for stop-start trips.
How Trousers Should Fit on the Back Seat
On many bikes the passenger pegs sit higher than the rider's, so your knees bend more than they would in a chair, and you lean forward to hold on. Try trousers in that position, not standing in front of a mirror.
- Sit with your knees high. Perch on a firm chair with your feet on a low step. Nothing should pull behind the knee or across the seat.
- Lean forward. Reach ahead as if holding on to the rider. The waist should not gape.
- Check the hem. With the knee bent, the hem should still cover the top of your boot.
Between two sizes, take the larger one: the product pages give the same advice, because trousers pull a little more in the riding position. Our women's fit guide covers cut and hip room. A pair with real stretch and a cuff that closes over the boot does most of this work for you.
Layers and Weather When You Cannot Warm Up
As a passenger you sit still, and the rider shelters you only partly, so you often feel the cold sooner than the person in front. Start with a snug base layer under the trousers and add a mid layer if the day is cool. If wind is your main complaint, our guide to keeping the wind out of riding trousers shows what you can adjust.
Hot days ask for the opposite. Zipped vent panels, like those on the RoadVault, let air in while you sit in traffic and close again when the road opens up. Skip shorts even then: a light, breathable layer usually beats bare skin in sun and wind.
What to Leave at Home
A few things look harmless on the pavement and become a nuisance at speed:
- Loose scarves and long straps. They trail, flap and can catch.
- Wide, flared or very baggy trousers. They flap and let the wind in.
- Sandals, heels and open shoes. Closed, sturdy boots stay on the peg and cover your ankles.
- A large rucksack on your back. It shifts your weight and makes leaning with the rider harder.
You will probably walk around at the other end too, so trousers that read as everyday clothes earn their place. The Redback pairs stretch denim with a breathable mesh lining and comes in three leg lengths, so the hem sits at the ankle instead of bunching.
Common Questions
Can a passenger wear jeans on a motorcycle?
Ordinary jeans beat leggings or shorts, but they are cut for walking, not for a bent-knee seat. They tend to pull at the knee, slide down at the back and cannot close at the hem. Riding jeans such as the Redback add stretch, a mesh lining and a choice of leg lengths.
Can I wear leggings or shorts as a passenger?
You can, but they are a poor fit for the back seat. Both leave skin open to wind, sun and heat from the engine, and neither is cut for a bent-knee seat. Riding trousers over a light base layer work better in every season.
Does a passenger need the same gear as the rider?
In practice, yes. You face the same wind, weather and road as the rider, so the same basics apply: a helmet that fits properly, gloves, sturdy boots, a jacket and riding trousers. Borrowed gear rarely fits, so trousers in your own size are worth having if you ride pillion more than once.
From the range
Two more ways to dress for the back seat
NORDRYK Sentinel — Motorcycle Trousers
An adjustable hem, four pockets and a light, breathable Nyco stretch fabric.
See the Sentinel →
NORDRYK Redback — Motorcycle Jeans
Stretch denim with a breathable mesh lining and three leg lengths, for a look that works off the bike.
See the Redback jeans →