I blew the snot out of my left knee at age 21 in 1989. ( ACL, pattelar tendon and more I can't recall)
While I need not always wear the brace, I did for years. I found creative ways to keep them from shredding leathers, and marking petrol tanks. Old school style leathers are usually out-unless custom tailored to you. The sinsisalo , fox, and answer had the most knee room a few years ago IME. Bought pants two sizes large-took in at waist and wrapped brace with an cover sock. In addition, I removed the leather knee inserts from an older set of sinisalos and sewed in the others. I ran the heaviest thckest clear pastic over the tank I could find on my then modern bikes( 89 RM250, 92 KX250, 93 CR250)-on most air cooled bikes you can make a tank cover-had one for a # 135 Pursang and also KTM/Penton 250.
Knee is giving me fits again now ( bone spurs-and general degeneration), when I run again seriously next year I will have to replace my 20 yr old Innovation sports CTI with something better and make tank covers. Thanks for the tips on braces.