Top Motorcycle Pants for Petite Women Riders: Brands With Real Short Inseams
For reference, I am 163 cm, 45 kg, with a 26-inch waist and a 28-inch inseam. I ride a CBR250RR and a Street Triple 765 in Tokyo.
Finding the perfect motorcycle pants for petite women is notoriously difficult. Riding pants have a dirty secret: most of them come in one leg length. Brands grade the waist and hips across ten sizes, then give everyone the same inseam—which is how petite riders end up with knee armor sitting on our shins and fabric bunching over our boots.
This guide focuses specifically on motorcycle pants with multiple inseam lengths, adjustable lengths, or shorter fits. Every recommendation below is backed by size-chart data and real rider comments from the HanamiBike Women’s Gear Size Guide database—plus my own hands-on testing.
Table of contents
- Quick Summary: Best Short Inseam Riding Pants
- The Safety Risk of Long Inseams for Petite Riders
- Top Recommended Riding Pants for Petite Women
- How to Use the HanamiBike Size Guide
- Related Gear Guides
Quick Summary: Best Short Inseam Riding Pants
The top riding pants with real inseam-length options that petite riders keep recommending: MotoGirl Sherrie Leggings (short/regular/tall), MotoGirl Melissa Jeggings (three leg lengths), Pando Moto Kusari Cor 01 (L30/32/34), REV’IT Ellison 2 (short sizes), Bull-it Fury V (extra short), Street & Steel Moto Leggings (short/tall), Klim Altitude (short and tall legs), and REV’IT Sand 4 H2O (short/standard/long). Oxford Super Leggings earn a place for spot-on sizing in R/L lengths.
Always check the Women’s Motorcycle Gear Size Guide for specific size charts and original rider comments before you press “buy”.
| Pants | Sizes | Leg lengths | Fit | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MotoGirl Sherrie Leggings | UK 4–28 | Short / Regular / Tall | True to size | AAA leggings, CE L2 armor |
| MotoGirl Melissa Jeggings | XXS–XL | 3 leg lengths | Runs small — size up | High-waist jeggings |
| Pando Moto Kusari Cor 01 | W24–W34 | L30 / L32 / L34 | Tricky — see my review | Riding jeans (my review: 3/5) |
| REV’IT Ellison 2 | EU 34–46 | Short / Standard | True to size | Riding leggings |
| Bull-it Fury V | UK 4–22 | Incl. Extra Short | True to size, high waist | Skinny riding jeans |
| Street & Steel Moto Leggings | US 2–18 | Short / Tall | Runs small | Budget leggings, adjustable knee armor |
| Klim Altitude | US 2–16 | Short / Regular / Tall | Runs small | GORE-TEX touring pants |
| REV’IT Sand 4 H2O | EU 34–44 | Short / Standard / Long | Runs small, narrow Euro cut | ADV / waterproof |
| Oxford Super Leggings 3.0 | UK 6–18 | Regular / Long | True to size | Kevlar-lined leggings |
The Safety Risk of Long Inseams for Petite Riders
With riding pants, the length problem is a safety problem, not just a styling one: if the leg is too long, the knee armor hangs below your kneecap, exactly where it will not help you. You cannot hem armored pants like regular jeans either — the armor pocket position is fixed.
That is why one rider data point repeats across every thread about petite pants: sizing down does not fix length. A 5’0″ rider with a 27-inch inseam reports the REV’IT Ellison 2 in 36 Short “fit good except they are a few inches too long (I believe they have a 30 inch inseam)” (Reddit r/TwoXragriders). Even “short” versions vary between brands — always check the actual inseam measurement in cm or inches.
Top Recommended Motorcycle Pants for Petite Women
MotoGirl Sherrie Leggings — The Inseam Benchmark
- Sizes: UK 4–28
- Leg lengths: Short / Regular / Tall
- Fit: true to size; waist can feel snug
The Sherrie Leggings is also the gold standard for petite protection. Unlike many “fashion” leggings, these carry a AAA abrasion rating and CE Level 2 armor—the highest level of impact protection available. This is crucial because shorter riders often face more frequent “low-side” or tip-over risks in urban environments.
While some users report durability issues over long-term heavy use, as far as legitimate, high-spec protective gear goes, this remains the most accessible benchmark. It has 15 sources of rider feedback in the Size Guide database — the most of any pants I track. From this perspective, it is one of the top motorcycle pants for petite women riders.
MotoGirl Melissa Jeggings
- Sizes: XXS–XL
- Leg lengths: three options
- Fit: runs small — go up one size
The dressier, high-waisted sibling to the Sherrie. The real advantage for petite riders here isn’t just the style, but the “no-gap” security. As noted by WomanRider, the high waist prevents that dreaded exposure of skin when you lean forward on a sportbike. Pro-Tip: Because they run small, if you are between sizes or have more athletic thighs, size up to ensure the knee armor doesn’t migrate downward.
Pando Moto Kusari Cor 01 — My Own Tricky Pair
- Sizes: W24–W34
- Leg lengths: L30 / L32 / L34
- Fit: tricky — read my full review
I own these and wrote a full review: Pando Moto Kusari Cor 01 review (3/5) — “Really Tricky Fit”. These are for the rider who wants premium denim functionality with technical specs. They offer real waist sizing (starting at W24) and three inseam lengths—a rarity in the riding denim market.
The Technical Trade-off: While the availability of L30, L32, and L34 lengths is a massive win for petite riders, the “tricky” part lies in the pattern cutting. For those with a more slender or “petite/athletic” build (like my 163cm/45kg frame), the hips and thighs can feel disproportionately roomy even when the waist fits perfectly. As one rider on Reddit noted, even an L30 can feel slightly long if you have a 28-inch inseam. Expect to manage some extra fabric around the thighs until they break in.
REV’IT Ellison 2 Leggings
- Sizes: EU 34–46
- Leg lengths: Short / Standard
- Fit: true to size, stretchy
REV’IT is one of the few major European brands offering dedicated short lengths. However, there is a critical caveat: even the “Short” version often carries an inseam closer to 30 inches. As documented in the r/TwoXriders community, a 5’0″ rider found the Short version still required adjustments. The fabric has excellent stretch for mobility, but if your inseam is 27 inches or less, you must verify the exact centimeter measurement on the REV’IT size chart before ordering to avoid the “shin-armor” effect.
Bull-it Fury V — actual Extra Short
- Sizes: UK 4–22
- Leg lengths: including Extra Short
- Fit: true to size, high waist, skinny fit
The “Extra Short” designation is a unicorn in motorcycle apparel, and it’s exactly why the Fury V is a top recommendation. For riders with very short inseams, this is one of the only options that prevents the knee armor from sliding down toward the ankles. Furthermore, the high-waisted design is essential for petite riders; it ensures that when you transition from an upright position to a tucked riding position, your jacket doesn’t pull away from your waist, leaving your lower back exposed.
Street & Steel Moto Leggings — the budget pick
- Sizes: US 2–18
- Leg lengths: Short / Tall variants
- Fit: runs small
The recommendation that keeps appearing for smaller riders on a budget: “My wife is also 5’3″. I got her a pair of Street & Steel Moto Leggings and she loves them” (Reddit r/motorcyclegear). A second rider highlights exactly the feature petite riders need: “you can adjust the knee armor to your height”.
Klim Altitude — touring-grade, short legs available
- Sizes: US 2–16
- Leg lengths: Short / Regular / Tall
- Fit: runs small; roomy cut, snug waist per rider comments
If you need proper GORE-TEX touring pants rather than leggings or jeans, this is the petite-relevant option in the database: “The pants come in size regular (US size 4 to 10). Wonderfully, they also accommodate the shorter leg length as well as the taller pins” (Four Wheeled Nomad review).
REV’IT Sand 4 H2O Pants — ADV with three inseams
- Sizes: EU 34–44
- Leg lengths: Short / Standard / Long
- Fit: runs small, narrow Euro cut
For adventure or wet-weather riding: “Available in short, standard and long lengths with three inseam options. Narrow European cut — curvy women might have a difficult time finding the right fit” (WomenRidersNow).
Oxford Super Leggings 3.0
- Sizes: UK 6–18
- Leg lengths: Regular / Long
- Fit: true to size
No dedicated Short here (Regular and Long only), but they earn a place because their sizing is unusually predictable: “Oxford Super Leggings. The measurements are spot on… The fit is very true to size” (Reddit). Note that they use UK sizing even when sold in the US — order your UK size, not your US one.
How to Use the HanamiBike Size Guide
Use this article as a shortlist, then compare models in the HanamiBike Women’s Motorcycle Gear Size Guide and read the original rider comments. For pants, check three numbers before buying: waist, hip, and the actual inseam in cm of the specific leg length you are ordering.
Related Gear Guides
- Pando Moto Kusari Cor 01 — full review
- Most Recommended Motorcycle Jackets for Petite Women Riders
- How Should a Motorcycle Jacket Fit Petite Women Riders?
- HanamiBike Women’s Motorcycle Gear Size Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Which motorcycle pants come in short inseam lengths for women?
MotoGirl Sherrie Leggings and Melissa Jeggings (three leg lengths), REV’IT Ellison 2 and Sand 4 H2O (short options), Bull-it Fury V (extra short), Street & Steel Moto Leggings (short/tall), Klim Altitude (short/regular/tall), and Pando Moto Kusari Cor 01 (L30/32/34).
Why does inseam length matter for motorcycle pants?
Because knee armor position is fixed. If the leg is too long, the armor hangs below your kneecap where it cannot protect you — and armored pants cannot simply be hemmed like regular jeans. Choosing the right leg length puts the armor on the joint.
Should petite riders size down in motorcycle pants?
Sizing down fixes the waist, not the length — that is the most repeated mistake in petite pants threads. Pick your size by waist and hip measurements, then choose the shortest leg length option and verify the actual inseam in cm against a pair of pants that fits you.
Are riding leggings as protective as riding jeans?
It depends on the rating, not the style. The MotoGirl Sherrie Leggings are AAA rated with CE Level 2 armor — a higher abrasion class than many riding jeans. Always check the EN 17092 class (AAA/AA/A) and the armor level on the specific product.
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