The Score
Our full set of MSR Racing motorcycle gear was comfortable and durable during testing.
I recently headed for West Virginia for a whole slew of riding opportunities on both motorcycles and ATVs. I needed gear that would handle two days of mud and dust aboard Can-Am ATVs while touring Burning Rock Off-Road Park and the Hatfield-McCoy Trails. Then it was up the mountain to the ski resort where I hung with the
Am-Pro Yamaha team to participate in the
GNCC University and then race the
MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC Industry class on Jason Raines’ Yamaha YZ250. It was my first time to WV and I was expecting heat and humidity.
MSR Racing is synonymous with tough off-road motorcycle gear and the Max Air line promised to keep me cool no matter how sticky the weather.
The Scoop
Butterscotch is one of those flavors that people love or hate, but as a colorway for our MSR gear everyone seemed to like it just fine – we just called it yellow. The first thing I noticed was how light this gear is. As a mid-price line, the
MSR Racing Max Air pants don’t come with leather knee patches and combined with primary mesh construction, it’s no wonder they aren’t heavy. Dual adjustable waist bands and a ratchet closure make for a great fit. Sizing was perfect and the ventilation was as good as more expensive gear I’ve worn.
The same goes for the
MSR Racing Max Air jersey. There are no rubber patches or logos anywhere, just sublimated graphics on the micro-mesh poly material. Lightweight and comfortable, the cut allows some extra material for easy mobility and cooling, but it’s not baggy. The neckline and cuffs don’t draw attention to themselves and never added to any arm pump. I liked the
MSR Racing Max Air gloves as well with their minimal design and dimple-mesh fabric. A single-layer palm concerned me for long days of riding, but I never suffered and enjoyed good feel on the handlebars.
Included in the gear package was a
MSR Racing Velocity X helmet. The size medium lid turned out to be my favorite piece of the ensemble. It has a carbon fiber/Kevlar shell that has a guide for goggle straps, but otherwise is devoid of any angular pieces or flashy shapes. The high-gloss finish stood up to roost and I managed to stay cool inside the removable liner thanks to closeable air ports. I usually prefer thicker cheek pads but didn’t need to order any of the
The pants had plenty of room for knee braces without being baggy, and the helmet is a great mid-price value.
available 20, 30 or 40mm sizes. The only thing I noticed about it was a relatively small visor, but I can't say that it ever gave me problems.
The Sentence
If you couldn’t tell, I am completely happy with the MSR Max Air motorcycle gear. The performance outmatched the affordable price and every component worked very well on casual rides with lots of stop-and-go, and during race situations. The hottest summer months are just getting into swing, so even though it suffered some staining during the muddy West Virginia outings, this set of riding gear will continue to get brought out on the weekends.
MSRP:
MSR Racing Max Air Pant - $99.95
MSR Racing Max Air Jersey - $34.95
MSR Racing Max Air Glove - $24.95
MSR Racing Velocity X Helmet - $249.95
