Rider-worn armor is a peculiarly hot topic within our ADVMoto community. Although awareness is at an all-time high, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Much of it comes down to insufficient protection due to inadequate coverage or poor fitment. At the same time where does one draw the line on too much/little? Like most things in motorcycling, it’s a trade-off.

A bit over a year ago, Ron Grace, founder of the Lost for a Reason charity and avid off-roader, turned me on to the idea of repurposing Leatt’s Dual Axis knee guards from their dirt origins to adventure riding. I’ve been evaluating them since. And, to put it mildly, these guards are a quantum improvement over the typical knee pads supplied with riding pants. Some may consider them extreme, but going off road or hauling down dirt and gravel roads are normal adventure motorcycling activities, so why not dress for the occasion?

Aside from vastly superior protection, a feature that sets the Leatt guards apart from regular knee pads is their anatomically correct dual axis joints. For years my knees have hurt for days after long rides as a result of the crushing effect of the built-in pads. That may be impossible with the Leatts. Not only do the dual axis joints feel exceedingly more natural, I don’t even want to imagine the kind of impact that’d cause them to fail. They’re that well designed.

Once accustomed to the few extra seconds it takes to strap on the knee guards, and the added bulk, I barely noticed them—even after 14-hour rides. They fit comfortably over or under most riding pants, as well as into high enduro-style riding boots, effectively reinforcing the shins, knees and lower thighs. They’re also well ventilated. I’ve worn them for days through everything from blazing hot deserts to sub-freezing high Sierra mountain passes, and they’ve never shifted or become annoying in any way.

In the past, I’ve tried many knee guard styles for long adventuring riding purposes, but for multiple reasons wasn’t happy with any of them. The biggies included Velcro strap failure and the need for constant repositioning—all except the most expensive products wouldn’t stay put. Leatt gets around this with their conforming shapes and an ingenious fastener system utilizing three wide and stretchy straps (per knee). The Dual Axis guards refuse to slide around—everything stays in place even though NO Velcro is harmed or killed in the process. And, unlike the typically bare minimum, loose fitting, and shifting knee pads used in riding pants, the knees are radically more protected as the impact is dissipated over a much broader and stable area.

Leatt’s Dual Axis knee guards are effective insurance against injury—and a heck of a bargain, too. MSRP: $89 | Sizes: S to XXL Leatt.com

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