I am putting this out there in an attempt to help others as, like others, in over 30 years of riding street bikes, I had never burned pants until I purchased my '12 FLHTK and I have now burned two. My specific situation has to do with the newer frame and exhaust design on the touring bikes (2009 I believe is when this happened) as my previous scoot was a 2005 FLHRCI and I never had this problem on it either. My pants fatalities occur when sitting at a light and unless my legs are spread like a loose girl on Saturday night, the pants leg will blow in to the exhaust due to the new routing of the pipes (yes I have the stock heat shields).

This does not occur with jeans and only when wearing dress pants which are in most cases are a wool or cotton/poly blend which still occurs today to control wrinkles (feel free to research this yourself). Unfortunately, for a good number of us that ride, wearing jeans to work is not an option, so shelve that idea.

Now that I have hopefully addressed the non-productive comments, my suggestion; I ordered a pair of Frogg Toggs Neoprene Adjustable Pant Garters from Amazon and so far they have been just the ticket. Now, a quick wrap around the lower right pant leg before getting on the bike and no more blowing into the pipe while sitting still, problem solved.

Hope this helps.

DP

 

Thanks fo the update. I usually ride in Jeans since I have a company provided car to commute in during the week. I have considered riding in to work when I would be in the office all day. I never thought of other type pants like Khaki may burn. When I used to commute on my sport bikes in the past, it was never a problem. So it's good you posted.

I have burned a hole in a pair of Frog Toggs rain suit pants that didn't have a heat shield.

Also chaps would work too.

 

Thanks, very seldom do I ride with dress pants. A lot of times when I riding from point A to B (in other words not joy riding), I'll wear Dickies coveralls over my clothes so they don't get messed up.

I'm hot natured and in the South it doesn't get that cold, that often so they serve a dual purpose. It's an extra layer of clothing and it keeps my clothes from getting dirty or messed up.

These are them here




I just buy a size larger than I normally wear, slip them over my clothes, and then take em off when I get where I'm going.

 

more here..
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-...-of-pants.html

 

I commute on the bike every day, with LOTS of stop and go traffic (D.C.), and have to wear dress pants at the office. I've got a 2012 as well.

Yup, it gets pretty durned hot. But I don't recommend riding in dress pants because if you have an accident, you might as well be wearing shorts.

I'd recommend either wearing jeans and change at the office, or investing in some mesh overpants. I know both Joe Rocket and Olympia make pretty good ones.

 

buy heat deflectors. Cuts down a lot. Captain Itch makes one and or RJ's both members here. HUGE difference on burning your thighs or pants .

http://www.capt-itch.com/ crotch cooler

http://www.rjsoriginals.com/ RJS Originals V-Twin Heat Deflectors

 

If I need to look respectable at the other end, I wear leather overalls from Stone Lake Leatherworks over my suit pants, and TCX Urban boots (they can pass for dress shoes, but are bike-specific). The overalls unzip down the leg, so no boot removal, and go in my saddlebag as my suit jacket comes out.

 

I changed to the Fuel Moto head pipe, it has all the features of the stock header pipes, except the heat from the catalyst.

 

also overpants of some kind. For lots of reasons including mud, rain, ect. I would just ride to the office and then change. But at the least I would throw rain pants over your dress pants or they will get ruin. But you also likely need heat deflectors.

 

I've been lucky not to burn my dress pants while riding to and from the office. But there is one issued you haven't touch base on is when the pants start crawiling up the legs to just below the knees due to the wind force at above 55mph, I have used the big thick rubber bands to hold the pants in place just to avoid the embarassment, but some pants are worse than others, I need to get some type of clips that go between the shoes and pant leg.