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Fox Racing is known for raising the bar with high-level performance gear. As a “Best Dressed” connoisseur, I can appreciate Fox’s commitment to releasing limited edition lines throughout each year. Are you bored with the same stuff that Fox offers? No problem! Chances are Fox will release something new every couple months for you to get the Best Dressed award wherever you’re riding. This is the second year of the FlexAir line, but their newest set of gear (that’s right GEAR, not KIT people) is the 2.0 FlexAir Teal Moth colorway. It was released at the Glen Helen national and I immediately fell in love with its blue color. I think these colors are awesome and can go with most any brand of motorcycle you own. The new second generation FlexAir Teal Moth pant has a new chassis that includes a new knee design that removes some material for a more aerodynamic, streamlined fit. There is an updated two-piece rigid waistband and closure system along with the removal of the pant liner to try and decrease ounces and unwanted heat for the summer. The updated 2.0 FlexAir Teal Moth jersey has a new bonded cuff along with a TRUDRI fabric blend to keep weight down and breathability up.
I wanted to give you all a little comparison to the original Fox FlexAir pant and jersey, so you can kind of get a “feel” of what it’s all about. Look, I am not going to sit here and tell you that the Fox FlexAir is the most durable gear on the market, but for minimalistic gear, it has held up pretty damn good through many testing hours in the saddle. You are probably sitting there saying, “but Kris it just came out at Glen Helen and that was only a couple weeks ago!” Yes, but since Glen Helen I have logged over 20 hours of engine time on this set of gear and have only had some wear on the knee. The new 2.0 version of the FlexAir is much lighter and is extremely breathable. The first run of FlexAir pants had what I called a “boob shape” that stuck out from the knee area. The boob is gone and it’s much more snug throughout the knee area and form fitting. The Teal Moth pant fits tighter over my knee brace/knee area, but remains super stretchy. I am able to move around on the bike as well, if not better than the first run of FlexAir pants. The updated closure system is like having a half belt around your waist with Fox’s new two-piece design. When you cinch down on the buckle it feels like the waist area is more secure all the way around your waist, not just the front area. When I move around on the bike the standard FlexAir pant, at times, slipped down and this led to my jersey untucking and going all Jason Anderson on me. However, with the new closure system my jersey stayed tucked in and the Teal Moth pants stayed around my waist where it belonged. No one wants to see my rear hanging out on the track. Trust me! The taped seams inside the pant are great and I wish every manufacturer would do this because you never have any snags while pulling the pants up. Like I said before I have worn the Teal Moth FlexAir pants on many long, hot, test days and they have held up very well. The knee area has shown signs of wearing, but nothing that isn’t normal wear and tear. I have also tried three different knee braces (Asterisk, Mobius, EVS) with the Teal Moth pant and not one of them has rubbed a hole in the knee area yet. Just make sure any hinges that are on the the knee brace is not sticking into the knee area of pant. It also should be noted that the FlexAir fit is true to size and has a little extra room with how stretchy the pant is in the waist. So if you’re a size 33, a 32 will work just fine.
The Teal Moth FlexAir jersey only has minimal changes, but I observed a couple noticeable improvements over the original FlexAir jersey. The 2.0 Teal Moth jersey felt like it had an overall shorter cut length arm when on the bike, which I approved of. The standard FlexAir jersey was long and somewhat baggy near the bicep/tricep area. The Teal Moth jersey wasn’t as baggy, but not skin tight like other performance-based jerseys. So if you’re a little overweight and have a belly, don’t fret, the Teal Moth FlexAir jersey will not show ALL of your curves in your mid drift. The updated cuff also doesn’t get stretched out like the old FlexAir jersey over time and although it is somewhat tight when sliding over your hand, it’s very comfortable when riding. The Teal Moth jersey feels so light it’s almost like wearing nothing, so be forewarned of roost if you’re a non-chest protector kind of guy. It’s super thin!
Yes, it’s more expensive than your average set of gear. At $229.95 for the pant and $99.95 for the jersey, it is not cheap stuff. Would I pay my own money for this gear? Without a doubt I would. Why? Because I love feeling free on the bike, looking good while riding and I can’t stand heavy or thick gear in the summer months. Is this the best stuff for off-road dudes? No, of course not. The FlexAir model is not designed to stand up to hitting trees as it would probably rip fairly quickly. The complete “gear set” (again it’s GEAR not KIT) is incredibly attractive and I like that Fox makes boots with each and every one of their Limited Edition sets. As for Fox’s V3 helmet and Instinct boots, I will be writing up their own individual product evaluations soon right here. I am very picky when it comes to gear performance and looks, so to me Fox hit it out of the park with this whole set up. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Copper Moth colorway as it was very dark, but like Jerry MaGuire’s chick said this colorway “had me at hello”. This is the last set of LE gear that we will see from Fox for 2017 as the 2018 gear will be available come August! Stay tuned to your computers for that Fox V3 helmet and Instinct boot product evaluation soon.
Check out foxracing.com to see more gear sets and if you have any questions about this test please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com.