Products 22 Apr 2016

Review: 2016 Fox Flexair gear set

MotoOnline.com.au puts the Fox's latest and greatest to the test.

Initial testing of the Fox Flexair racewear began in 2012 with GEICO Honda riders Justin Barcia, Trey Canard and Eli Tomac. In 2014 the prototype Flexair pant was worn secretly by both Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey at the New Jersey AMA supercross event.

Roczen then went on to wear the Flexair pant throughout the 2014 AMA motocross championship, eventually earning the pant its first unofficial championship. Dungey then went on to wear prototypes of both the pant and jersey during the entire 2015 supercross series to take Flexair’s second unofficial title.

Finally released to the public as part of their 2016 range, Fox describes their latest and greatest as the next level up in high performance racewear. The main focus of the Flexair gear was to offer a minimalistic, lightweight, comfortable and highly-ventilated product.

The Flexair jersey is the lightest motocross jersey Fox has ever created, with a size large weighing in at only 170 grams – 25 percent lighter than a standard jersey. The weight of this jersey is absolutely amazing, you have to pick one up to totally appreciate just how lightweight it really is.

Developed directly with Dungey, the Flexair jersey features a four percent lycra performance fabric blend that stretches with rider body movement like never before. The knit blend construction of the Flexair jersey’s TruDri fabric is softer and more comfortable against the skin than any jersey in motocross. The feeling of comfort is immediate.

You barely notice the jersey is even there, Fox have taken every detail into account, even down to the simplified cuffs that are almost non-existent apart from a thin taped section insider the cuff area. The TruDri fabric also keeps the rider’s body temperature balanced tough race conditions. The double-layer knit fabric construction takes moisture from the inside to the surface, where it disperses for rapid evaporation.

As you would expect, the Flexair race pant is the also the lightest motocross pant Fox has ever created, with a size 34 weighing in at only 794 grams – the jersey and pant combination weighs in at just 964 grams in total, that’s very impressive. It’s also something to think about if you’re very serious about your racing, a set of Flexair racewear is a lot cheaper than a titanium bolt kit!

Instantly you feel completely free and unrestricted wearing the Flexair pant, something I personally have had issues with in the past. Nothing bugs me more than restrictive pants out on the track, it’s something you don’t want to be worrying about. With the Flexair pant, there’s never a hint of restriction at any point in time.

Image: Alex Gobert.

Image: Alex Gobert.

The feeling of unrestricted freedom of movement that the pant provides is due to the innovative, four-way stretch, TruMotion chassis. The Fox TruMotion fabric used exclusively on the Flexair pant has the highest abrasion durability test rating of any stretch pant in motocross – 40 percent higher than the next best stretch pant on the market.

The Flexair pant, like the jersey, also offers premium ventilation using precision-engineered laser perforations to keep you cool during the warmest motos. If you’re searching for ventilated gear, the Flexair racewear is what you’re after. Actually, if you’re after gear in general, the Flexair racewear is what you’re after – this stuff is hard to beat!

To top off the jersey and pant combination, Fox also offer the Flexair glove which uses utilises the same innovation technology as the racewear. The TruMotion main body construction offers durability and flexibility pair with maximum airflow. The single layer palm tops off the glove construction, in my opinion the single layer palm is the only option for a high performance glove.

Overall the 2016 Fox Flexair racewear is seriously impressive. It’s obvious Fox spent years developing the product, it’s so refined and well made, truly a work of art. If you haven’t checked out this gear, you need to head to your local dealer and take a look, it looks great and performs even better. The jersey comes in at a recommended retail price of $89.95, the pant $299.95 and the gloves $59.95.

For more information head to www.foxhead.com/au.

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