Alpinestars Apex leather pants or bat pants?

I have a Ducati Monster 696. I've been riding about a year. I live in Washington, DC, and with the crazy traffic here (2nd worst in the country) I've been really thinking I should protect myself better when riding (been riding in just jeans up till now).



A lot of people ride in textile pants around here, I've tried them on but they all fit too baggy, and I still think leather protects better.



So I've been looking at the Alpinestars bat pants and Apex pants:

http://www.alpinestars.com/Bat_Pants/pd/c/151/np/151/p/312957.html

http://www.alpinestars.com/Apex_Leather_Pants/pd/np/151/p/312808.html



I prefer the styling of the bat pants, being all black with no logos. I could wear these to a function off the bike and not stand out too much. However, other reviews I've read say that they're not too comfortable at the back of the knees, and Alpinestars says they're more for touring than sport.



The Apex pants seem like a better pant for my style of sport riding. They have stretch panels at the back of the knee. I'm looking at the all black, but I don't really like the big alpinestars logos on the sides. Definitely won't be as understated at the bat pants.



If I'm dropping 300+ bucks on pants, I want them to fit good and be comfortable, so I'm leaning toward the Apex pants. Riding around on the street with those and going to a club or something, will I look too much like a douche or should I just not worry about how it looks.Alpinestars Apex leather pants or bat pants?
Good for you to gear up for your protection.

I have one question.

Have you tried on either of your choices? No way would I drop 300 hundred plus without trying the gear on and sitting on my bike. I do agree about wearing gear with huge garish logos, providing free advertising.

Make calls during the week to see which dealer carries what line of riding gear. Head out one Saturday and try on riding gear. Best advise I can provide.

Good LuckAlpinestars Apex leather pants or bat pants?
Answer from Dennis Kirk:



It's definitely a good idea to protect yourself while you're riding. We carry a bunch of different options as far as style goes. We even have specialized denim riding pants if you prefer the look of jeans, but we also carry leather and textile options as well. Alpinestars is definitely a solid brand, but here is the link to our entire lineup if you want to see some other options: http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/tpl/cmn/prodlist.jsp?store=Main%26amp;category=402,40202%26amp;page=1



Good luck and stay safe!



-DK