Our guy Mike Horban ran these top-shelf O'Neal products in his quest for BooKoo AX glory. A few bad starts and some bad luck kept his racing goals out of reach but the gear performed almost flawlessly.
After watching a rejuvenated Tim Ferry smoke the US Open track in a wicked set of 2007 O'Neal Hardwear gear we had to get a set of our own. Actually, we got two which we handed over to our pro tester, Mike Horban, hoping they would give him Ferry-like speed for his assault on the BooKoo Arenacross series. After months of riding and watching the results sheets it was disappointingly obvious that he didn't get any Red Dog vibes, but we did get a good chance to beat these duds like a red-headed stepchild.
The Scoop:
O'Neal has been making gear and accessories for 37 years now so they know a thing or two about what works and what doesn't. The core of our care package was the Hardwear pant and jersey matched to a 907 helmet and Reactor glove. We already
tested the lid and knew it was a pretty good piece of protective equipment. Horban complained of a slightly too-small eyeport and wanted a bit more venting, but since the company has been making riding pants and jerseys for longer than it has helmets, we figured the clothing would be even more impressive. We were right.
Horban, like the rest of our crew, tries to stay honest and follow those annoying directions on the tag but eventually we all give up and just toss our gear in the wash and heave it into the dryer, care instructions be damned. Even with our complete disregard for proper water temperature and such, the Hardwear line refused to shrivel, fade, warp or shrink.
O'Neal offers some cool and different color schemes but hasn't forgot the usual business for you traditionalists.
The jersey is crafted from 100% polyester Bioderm Microfiber fabric with sublimated graphics. A V-neck collar is unrestrictive and the material flows enough air to keep us happy.
"It vented pretty well especially around the upper armpit area," notes Horban. "You'll need an undershirt if you wear it in the winter. The cuffs were too tight at first but I stretched them out and they didn't rip. I didn't have any problems with it."
Another feature which is often overlooked by other manufacturers is the built-in padding. Though not much, every bit helps and our guy noticed it right away after slipping into the shirt.
"When I first put it on I liked that the jersey had some sort of shoulder pad on it so if you don't wear a chest protector it helps a bit," he says.
Below the waist things were equally as good, but in order to fully enjoy this excellent product make sure to order a size larger than usual. Horban had to squeeze into his normal size 30 and would have opted for a 32 with the tight O'Neal pants. They were so tight in fact that he was unable to use the second loop fastener. Ultimately it wasn't a problem, but it could be if you're one of those people between sizes. Make sure to err on the larger end of things. Other than that we couldn't find any other areas including the hips, knees or ankles that were overly snug.
The 600 denier Cordura makes up the bulk of the pant with injection-molded rubber patches serving cool logos and minor roost protection. A heavier 840 denier Cordura is used on saddle to handle the additional friction required to
Another of our test riders showed up to our 450 MX Shootout in a set of Hardwear. We found an additional benefit: it looks great in photos for all you narcissists.
keep your ass in place. Spandex side panels and triple-stitched seams hold it all together with the right amount of stretch to allow riders the needed range of motion. Spandura lower legs is supposed to prevent bunching and our rider never complained. Sizing issues are to be expected as every brand differs somewhat, but the only thing that we noticed to be an issue was the leather patch inside the right knee. Both legs feature the cowhide but on the exhaust side it could be larger to help prevent melting and damage from those hot headers.
"The leather doesn't go all the way down into the boot so right below the leather I got burn holes," says Mikey about his right leg. "They fit good over the knee braces though. They're a little hard to get on at first but once they're on they're good."
Excellent fit wasn't reserved only for the Hardwear stuff. The matching Reactor gloves fit around Horban's digits like, well, a glove. Sexy and comfortable are definite attributes but we had trouble with the longevity of these hand protectors.
"The fit is tight and they have a light feel," Horban explains. "But after a while of wearing them they ripped all the seams out of them. I had two sets of gloves and they only lasted about three
Tim Ferry is O'Neal's go-to guy in SX/MX. We've got to hand it to him, so far the 2007 stuff has been his lucky charm as he's in contention for the podium each week.
weeks."
Ok, so it wasn't really all the seams, but those on the sides of each finger are especially susceptible to failure. Mikey-boy rated them a 6 out of 10 for overall value which isn't too shabby but certainly not as good as the rest of his gear.
"They're definitely a good value," he says of the whole outfit. "I really liked the pant and jersey, I just wouldn't recommend the gloves too much but the rest of the package looks and feels good."
The Sentence:
A pro-level rider wore these duds week after week as his spiffy race wear and then recycled them as practice gear once they began to lose their luster. Except for the gloves, it took a long time before this stuff got demoted. Even still, the Reactor gloves will probably suit the majority of riders just fine since most of us don't bust out long motos 3-5 days each week. O'Neal has given its top-shelf Hardwear lineup a great new style and the performance was equally as impressive. Now we can see why top moto guys like Tim Ferry and Doug Dubach and off-road heroes Kendall Norman and Mike Childress swath themselves in Hardwear - it's everything a good set of riding gear should be: resilient, comfortable, attractive and fairly priced.
Product: O'Neal Hardwear Gear
Color Options: Army/Green/White, Black/Charcoal/Red, Black/Charcoal/Yellow, Brown/Blue/White, Navy/Blue/White, Red/White/Maroon.
MSRP: Pant: $149.99, Jersey; $49.99, Reactor Glove: $34.99, 907 Helmet: $299.99
Buy It Now: O'Neal Hardwear Pants & Gear
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