On My Own Dime (Leatt Knee Brace Pant)

By Michael Allen:

Seeing as I’ve been helping Keefer Inc. since 2017 it should be no surprise that most of the things I use for my hobby are either test items that in lieu of paying money for, I get to write reviews on. I am super grateful that I have this opportunity (as is my wife) but there are certain items that if I’m not able to test, I will either stop by the local bike shop, or go online to spend my hard earned money to get my hands on. When it comes to informing readers/listeners about products either good or bad I take what I do very seriously. The reason for that is my full time job as a welder/fabricator in the R&D department at Total Chaos Fabrication isn’t cushy, I don’t necessarily sit in an A/C office all day. Especially on days in the mid-summer when its 106° and I’m sweating my balls off welding, I feel as though I earn every penny. So when I come across a product that I’m willing to spend my money on, it damn well better be worth every penny. 

When it comes to knee braces, I’ve seen riders try everything; under shorts, long socks, long pants or hell just going commando. It took me many years to finally catch on that with my bad knees I should be wearing braces, but when I did, I had the dilemma of what the hell to wear underneath. After trying all of the previously listed solutions (ok, ok, I never tried going commando) I was left unsatisfied and at the end of every moto I found myself always pulling up my knee braces. I dealt with that until Leatt sent me some gear to test and just so happened to throw in a pair of their Knee Brace Pants. (https://www.leatt.com/shop/catalog/product/view/id/2922/s/knee-brace-pants/category/738/) I figured I had nothing to lose right?. After the first moto it was clear that the solution to my problem had been found. The material breathes nicely and has built in panels to protect the pants from the abuse of squeezing the bike with your knees. The Velcro never lacked the ability to stay attached (although the stitching holding the Velcro down did start to unravel towards the end of their life) and the elastic never got stretched out over time. They worked with multiple brands of braces and even if you are a brand loyal/ a non-mix and match rider, you’ll never see them under the riding gear of your choice.

I mean, I can’t believe he doesn’t wear socks? -KK

  I wore that same pair of under pants literally every time I rode for over a year until they started showing signs of fatigue and needed to be replaced. In the end they had a small rip at the seam of the butt. When those wore out, there was no question in my mind that I needed another pair, the only problem was I forgot to reach out to Leatt. I didn’t remember until the Friday before Saturdays race and I really didn’t feel like wearing my back ups and ending up with a raw rectum. Seeing as it was too late to place an online order with RMATVMC.com, I stopped by my local dealer (Malcolm Smith Motorsports) and picked up a new pair. To me there is nothing worse than feeling like you paid too much for a product, or are just unsure you made the right choice having spent your hard earned money. The antithesis of that was not batting an eye when I handed the cashier my money because I knew this was money well spent. I am on my second pair and they are still going strong, that being said, I still kept my old, ass torn pair in the bottom of my gear bag just in case I ever forget my new set (I have twice now). If you have any other questions about these pants, or if you too need a solution to your raw rectum, feel free to reach out to me at Michael@keeferinctesting.com

Leatt Knee Brace Pants 

MSRP $79.00

• Retains knee braces in correct position and helps prevent any knee brace from slipping down

• Strategically placed knee brace reinforcement panels

• Flatlock stitching for extra comfort

• New anti-odor MoistureCool and AirMesh wicking fabrics

• Super soft knitted waistband with silicone grip

• Knee alignment design

• Velcro adjustable brace cover sock

• Designed for all knee brace brands

• Size

  • #XS/S US28-31/EU44-46

  • #M/L US32-35/EU48-50

  • #XL/XXL US36-39/EU52-56

Leatt GPX 5.5 Boots

My Leatt GPX 5.5 Boot Background: 

I get to test a lot of things behind the scenes and this Leatt GPX 5.5 boot was one of them. When I got asked to do some initial testing on this boot from Leatt a couple years ago, I was happy to help, but I warned them that I was a picky SOB when it comes to boots. I don’t necessarily have bad ankles, but I do like my ankles to feel secure/protected when I come up short on jumps. I also want a boot that doesn’t weigh a ton because my old ass doesn’t need any extra weight to haul around when I am doing a long Moto. I put in almost 100 sneaky testing hours in the GPX 5.5 boots and although we had some revisions along the way, these boots surprised me on how comfortable they were. With a price point of $389.99 you might expect not to get all the bells and whistles of a top tier off-road boot, but to me a lot of those boxes are checked with the GPX 5.5’s. The engineers over in South Africa, where the Leatt main offices are located, listened to any short comings I may have experienced with the boot during initial testing and fixed those problems along the way. After riding with these boots in silence for a while, here are some of my findings with the final production version that could be of use when maybe looking to purchase a pair of new boots in the future.  

I do know that Leatt is committed to protection, but getting a boot to look good is tough to do. I feel Leatt did a good job of getting a boot to look unique without it being ugly looking. The Leatt 5.5 boot comes in three different colorways and should please even the pickiest of gear snobs. The GPX 5.5 boot uses a FlexLock system that makes for adjustable boot flex, lockout of ankle movement, force reduction to ankle (up to 37 percent) and knee-force reduction (up to 35 percent). It has a SlideLock Velcro top closure, 3D-shaped impact foam over the ankles, a heel-grip ankle design and the toe box is low-profile and shifter-friendly. The Leatt boots’ sole has a DualZone hardness and has an extended footpeg zone to accommodate varying riding styles with a steel shank for additional support. It uses a grip material inside of each boot for rider feel, the buckles are forged with an over-locking function, and the inner liner is breathable mesh with anti-slip reinforcement for zero heel lift. 

For reference, I feel like the Fox Instinct boot is one of the only boots that I am able to ride with right out of the box without any break in period. The Leatt 5.5 boot doesn’t quite have that instantaneous take out of the box and ride feel, but does break in quicker than a set of Tech 10’s. It’s unique with its FlexLock design that actually DOES absorb energy, yet offers a good amount of feel on the brake/shifter. This is one area where a non-hinge boot usually lacks in feel and requires a longer break-in before you get totally comfortable with mobility, shifting and finding the brake pedal. The FlexLock is a multi-directional system that allows the boot to hinge forward and backward. Additionally, it has an inward and outward flexing ability that is designed to mirror your ankle movement. The amount that the boot flexes in this direction is limited by the FlexLock system.

The Leatt GPX 5.5 has far better foot mobility than a normal non-hinged boot, yet gives you the ability to lock out as much ankle movement as you want. The GPX 5.5 size 10 weighs just under nine pounds, which is around the same weight as most mid to top tier off-road boots. For most riders, especially us older guys, the lighter the boot, the better it can be for our legs, as it’s easier on your knees and mobility. It’s funny because when I weighed the boots I was expecting the GPX 5.5 to weigh less than it did because when riding with them, it didn't feel like nine pounds of boot on each leg. They feel lighter than a Tech 10 and DO NOT cause my legs to get as tired when the track is deep. 

I love the GPX top SlideLock closure (you can secure the Velcro, then buckle the top strap, which slides against itself in one direction), it’s simply genius! I appreciated the grip of the sole and how long the sole lasted, especially during my durability test of the boot. You can do yourself a favor and make sure to keep an eye on the small screws that hold some of the plastic pieces on the boot together as they can back out over time. If you are concerned about the fit for wide feet, don’t be alarmed as I feel the GPX 5.5 boot accommodates a wider foot. I don’t have a wide foot, but a couple of my test riders do and they didn’t complain about pinching. I however did get a pinch initially near the top of my foot during break in, but once the boot seated to my foot, the pinch went away. 

With the minimal break-in time, the fit as well as the feel through the ankle, along with the ease of the buckling system, I feel this is a lower cost option for the off-road consumer. I felt that the protection and comfort levels rated high, the durability of the boot was adequate and the price is very friendly, considering the high-end appeal of some other boots.  As of right now, I have around 28 hours on the production Leatt GPX 5.5 boots and plan to at least get to the 50 hour mark. 

If you have any questions about the Leatt GPX 5.5 boots or anything that relates to dirt bikes, Keefer Inc. Testing is here to assist in anyway we can. Email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com for any philosophical thoughts or questions. 

Leatt Z Frame Knee Braces

When it comes to “brace” style protective gear there are many opinions as to their effectiveness.  Questions like does it hamper the rider’s ability to correctly ride the motorcycle? Or does bracing the knee make your femur susceptible for injury? Far be it from me to have the end all be all answer, but I can tell you what has worked for me. Up until 2012 I was just a knee cup/guard guy who basically thought knee braces were only for people with money, good insurance, and past knee Injuries. In 2012 a buddy of mine handed down his old pair of braces and I found them to be comfortable and in fact gave me a little more confidence in my somewhat flimsy knees (one is always slightly swollen, and the other pops out from time to time).  

Now that you know a little about my knee protection history let me tell you about the Leatt Z Frame braces. I have been wearing and loving the Leatt X Frame braces for the past nine months and they have become my favorite non custom fit braces. I was excited to get the lower price point Z Frame’s and see if the price really dictates comfort and protection. The way the Z Frame straps to your leg is slightly different than the X Frames, as they strap in a “Z” pattern behind the leg (hence the name). Theoretically once you adjust the Velcro to your leg size you can just unclip the plastic clips on the straps to take the braces on and off, but I found myself always adjusting the Velcro to get the right fit every time I put the braces on. Why? Because sometimes I will drink a beer or three and eat a cheeseburger the night before. Can you say sodium intake? 

Once on, the Z Frame braces are noticeably bulkier than the X Frames, especially in the knee cup area. To me the knee cup area was excessively large and I felt like my knee cap was floating around underneath the cup, which would occasionally rub the underside of the cup when my legs were bent. This excessive bulkiness also changed how my legs were able to grip the bike, which wasn’t necessarily bad, it just didn’t feel like the braces that I was used to. The protection of the knee, shin, and thigh area is substantial as well as provides a large coverage area to protect in the event of a crash or hitting trailside debris. The “brace” function of the Z Frame didn’t seem as strong or supportive as the X-Frame that I have been used to. What I mean by this is that my knee didn’t feel as supported and actually popped out once when I dabbed my foot wrong (this isn’t necessarily the braces fault). 

After wearing these braces for a few months, I have come to the conclusion that they may fit some people better than others. I think that for my smaller (weaker) knees I need something that hugs, fits tighter, and gives me slightly more support (like the X Frame does). They are not necessarily bad braces, maybe someone with bigger knees would have a completely different opinion, but I just felt that my knees were kind of floating in the braces (yes, I had the correct size). With an MSRP of $299.99 the Z frame doesn’t break the bank as badly as other knee braces on the market, but they still aren’t exactly “cheap”. This Z Frame brace would more than likely be adequate for the weekend warrior that wants to go from a knee guard to a knee brace. The type of rider that wants some more safety, but isn't necessarily out to win a local racing series.You can check out the complete Leatt lineup over at leatt.com or if you have any questions about this test please email me at michael@keeferinctesting.com. 

Leatt GPX 3.5 Helmet

By: Michael Allen (michael@keeferinctesting.com)

Just as neck braces have been a touchy subject for the past ten plus years, lately it seems as though helmets and concussion technology have now become a hot button topic as well. As I’m sure most readers know, a lot of helmet companies have come out with their own type of proprietary technology that helps with rotational impacts and low speed crashes in their high-end helmets. In fact, many helmet companies only offer high end expensive helmets and don’t want to be associated with “less expensive” models. While I understand that most people think that you have to spend over $500 on a helmet to protect your head, let’s be realistic, everyone needs good head protection but we don’t all have $500 to spend on one piece of riding gear. Most lower price point helmets are of the old school technology with a simple shell and eps liner but now Leatt is making a push into the lower price point market with better technology. 

 The Leatt GPX 3.5 helmet comes in at an entry level price (at 179.99) while offering some of the technology that has went straight into their higher price point GPX 6.5 helmet. While the 3.5 helmet is less expensive than the 6.5, in my opinion the 3.5 is a better-looking helmet. The one I received was black and white with a touch of red and since it is a lower price point helmet it only came with a soft helmet pouch instead of a nice bag. Not a huge deal right? The eye port on the 3.5 is on the smaller side however and goggles with nose guards can sometimes be a pain to maneuver into place. You will have to just take your time and not get overly excited to get out on the track or trail. The visor is adjusted by the top center bolt and has minimal adjustability, which again is not a huge deal to the consumer that Leatt targets this helmet for. The only other downside to the 3.5 is the cheek pads; while I like the way all the pads clip into the helmet nice and easily, the cheek pads have one flaw. When I would take my helmet off after long sweaty motos, six out of ten times the cheek pads would un clip and come out just from my cheeks dragging along them. It was more annoying than anything, but it literally took me 10 seconds to snap them back in.  

The 3.5 is DOT and ECE certified and is internally lined with small “turbines” which are 360 ̊ moving discs constructed of an energy-absorbing shape and material. These turbines are designed to reduce rotational acceleration to the head during a crash and help minimize the likelihood of a concussion. The visor is a breakaway style to help with the roll of the head along with the concussion technology, and the cheek pads (that come out too easily) have “emergency removal” pull chords in case of an accident. The 3.5 is also neck brace compatible and comes in at 2.8 pounds. When wearing the 3.5, the helmet pads are very plush to the face and don’t seem to get sopping wet with sweat after long rides. The fit is true to other brands as I was sent a large and it fit just how I prefer.  The ventilation through the helmet was on par with high end helmets (like the 6.5) and the noise in the ear pockets was muffled and not too loud. 

To be totally honest I didn’t know the price of this helmet when I got it from Leatt, but when I discovered the price tag I was shocked. Usually low end helmets look just that, low end; but the 3.5 looks like a high end helmet and according to the research done by Leatt, the technology is indeed high end https://www.leatt.com/product_uploads/ce_certificates/2019/Helmet%20GPX%203.5%20-%20CE%20Certificate.pdf (https://www.leatt.com/product_uploads/white_papers/TURBINE_WHITE_PAPER.pdf). 

 The bottom line is that luckily I didn’t get to test out the concussion technology of the 3.5 and for that I am grateful. That being said, before using the 3.5 I was somewhat skeptical as I assumed that “less expensive” helmets were all crap and that the only way to have good protection was to spend a lot of money. However after wearing the 3.5 and looking into the technology that went into it, I’m beginning to think I may have been wrong. Before wrapping this up I need to address the elephant in the room, there is a picture out there (I think it started on Vital) of someone in Europe crashing in this helmet and it really made the helmet look bad. In my personal opinion it’s hard to judge what a helmet looks like after a crash without seeing the crash happen and studying the actual outcome. Did the picture look bad? Yes, but the rider walked away from a pretty nasty looking crash and to that I would say that the helmet looks like it did its job in protecting the rider.

I think that it’s great that Leatt decided to put some money into a lower price point helmet to help keep the working man safe. Let’s face it, as much as we all want the brand new $500 helmet, we aren’t all making the kind of money it takes to have $500 laying around. With an MSRP of $179.99 Leatt is leading the way in keeping every rider safe, not just the top lever racers and I hope they start a trend in getting other brands to redesign their lower end helmets. This will help raise the bar in concussion protection across the price point board. If you have anymore questions about the Leatt 3.5 Helmet feel free to reach out to me at Michael@keeferinctesting.com 

Leatt Velocity 6.5 Goggle

It seems like every company in the moto industry is pushing one another to be better in every way and the consumers are reaping the benefits. As with a lot of other companies, Leatt is now offering a premium goggle and we were one of the first media outlets to get our hands on a pair. I have stated in other stories that I HATE changing goggle lenses, no matter how careful I try to be I always end up with my ugly smudged fingerprints all over the inside and outside of the lens. I was thrilled that Leatt decided to go with a pre curved hard lens that snaps out with ease. In fact, the lens is technically “bulletproof” (although our other tester Matt said it didn’t hold up to a .45cal) using a military ballistic impact standard lens material. To install or remove the lens the outriggers un-clip forward and the lens comes out and up from of the nose guard to be easily removed. Re-installing the lens is the reverse process, but can sometimes be tricky to get back over the small side posts under the outriggers. The large 50mm anti slip strap stays in place and takes minimal adjustment to get the fit correct. 

I wore these goggles in a variety of conditions including moto, desert racing and trail riding so I feel like I got all of the bases covered (when it comes to riding and race testing the Velocity 6.5). The first time I tested these goggles was at the Mint 400 with a team of buddies and let me tell you, I definitely tested the bulletproof features of the tough lenses (more on that in a second). The 6.5 is breathable and at the high speeds of the mint 400, I never felt like there wasn't enough air flowing through the goggle. The field of vision is large and the foam contours my face shape well, although for some reason I feel like the lens is slightly far from my face. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but when wearing helmets with a close chin bar these goggles can be a hassle to get into the eye port. In fact one thing I noticed was that when wearing the 6.5 goggles with my new Leatt helmet I found it a pain in the ass to get the goggle into the eye port with the nose guard on the goggles, so I ended up taking the nose guard off the goggles to make it easier take on/off. I got to test out the strength of the impact resistant lens when I got passed racing the Mint 400 at about 85 MPH. Let me tell you, nothing hurts quite as bad as having small rocks pelt you while trying to hold onto a bike at high speed. I heard the rocks hitting everything and to my surprise the lens didn’t show any damage after the race, in fact I’m still using the original lenses.  

When it comes to the downside of the new Leatt goggle all my focus is pointed at the tear-off system. When using traditional tear-offs, stacking more than two or three really hurts the clarity of vision as the lens gets somewhat distorted. After I noticed this problem I decided to try their laminated tear-offs, which has much better vision, but needs some work in the fitment and tear off capabilities. After all of the tear-offs are installed there is a noticeable gap between the tear-off and the lens (on the non-pull side) which lets dirt, water, and other debris fall between the tear-off and the lens. It seems as though the lens is nice and pre curved, but when putting a flat stack of laminated tear-offs on, the stacks want to stay flat and not perfectly contour the lens. Adding to this, the post on the lens has a plastic square underneath it, which doesn’t let the tear off sit flat on the lens. Another small critique of the tear offs is that on the pull side, the hole for the post seems too large and makes it easy to pull multiple tear-offs at one time. Leatt also offers a roll off system that I haven’t been able to try, but I am looking forward to getting my hands on. (editors note: The tear off problem also could be that this “off-road” guy needs to learn how to rip tear off’s in the air better).

The foam on the 6.5 is very comfortable and while it isn’t the most absorbent foam I have ever felt, I never had a drop of sweat fall into the eye area. I am a little weird and tend to wash goggles at least every or every other time I ride, so having an easy to remove, cleanable, replaceable lens was a big plus for me. On some goggles the strap tends to start to curl after a couple washings, but I haven’t seen that yet from the 6.5. Overall, I was impressed at the new high end goggle offering from Leatt and  with a pricepoint of $79.99 it’s hard to beat. If you’re a guy that wears Leatt and ABSOLUTELY HAS to match, you just hit the jackpot, but if you’re a guy who doesn’t care about matching and just wants a good goggle, you’re stoked because in my opinion this goggle is worth a try. If you have any more questions about the new Leatt Velocity 6.5 goggle feel free to reach out to me at Michael@keeferinctesting.com. 

Leatt GPX 1.5 Gloves

To continue with our favorite minimalistic gloves, I enlisted my off-road guy Michael Allen to chime in. Here are his thoughts about one of his favorite’s. -KK

When it comes to gloves there is always a trade off between protection and comfort. Although most companies provide a midrange glove that has decent protection and comfort, they never seem to be as comfortable as a thin minimalist glove. Maybe that’s one of the reasons that I’m a handguard guy, because I don’t want to rely on the protection of a bulky glove. Either way, when I come across a good minimalist glove, I usually wear it until it has holes and is completely worn out. I love a good glove so much that although I agree with Kris (don’t mix match gear) I’ll wear a good glove with any gear regardless of if it matches my current gear. 

Recently I came across one of my all-time favorite gloves when I received a new set of Leatt gear that came with a pair of Leatt GPX 1.5 Gripr gloves. Although these are not Leatt’s top of the line glove they have become my favorite “go to” gloves (especially since they’re black and white, which matches other sets of gear). They consist of a thick elastic cuff that stays in place on your wrist, while not cutting off the circulation. The material on the palm is called MicroGrip and it also wraps around the thumb area where you grip the handlebars. The palm is also seamless which makes the grip comfortable without any hot spots from stitching. The back of the hand, as well as the sides of the fingers are made of a very breathable material that helps keep hand sweat to a minimum. 

Although these gloves are minimalist on the outside, they help protect the palm very well against chaffing and blisters. In terms of going bush bashing, you may want to look into more protective gloves or get a set of handguards. The only issue I’ve had with these gloves is the elastic wrist stitching can come separated from the palm of the glove. This happened when I would pull the glove on carelessly from one area of the elastic repeatedly. To show how much I liked these gloves, I had my wife re-sew them, so I could continue wearing them on a big trail ride I had the following day. If you like really comfortable gloves and aren’t too concerned about outer protection or warmth, look into the Leatt GPX 1.5 Gripr glove line.  -Michael Allen 

Leatt GPX 5.5 I.K.S. Steel Pant And GPX 5.5 Ultraweld Steel Jersey

For a few years Leatt has been getting deeper into the high end gear market and I’ve been lucky enough to test a few different lines. A while ago Kris (Keefer) gave me a set of 2019 GPX 5.5 gear and told me to put it through the testing ringer. Since then I’ve been wearing this set exclusively whether it be moto or off-road and have been loving the looks of the new colorway as well. I wanted to give you all quick first impression of the gear, but look for a more in depth test in a couple months, when I get more miles on the 5.5 pant and jersey.   

The fit of the Leatt 5.5 gear is top notch, not being too tight or too baggy. Sizing is correct and there are no surprises when putting on any of the Leatt pieces. The jersey is made out of a lightweight, vented and stretchy material. In the armpits of the jersey there are multiple vent holes to help keep hot spots to a minimum. The torso and arm area are athletic fitting without squeezing the body and has just enough material so there is a thin layer of ventilation between your body and the jersey. One thing I didn’t care for on the jersey were the cuffs. The taped seams that are used on the welded cuffs are a rubbery plastic material that came un-bonded from the jersey material itself and just hung off. When riding off-road the jersey got some small snags from branches, but they never grew larger than just a small snag. The jersey is very comfortable, soft to the skin, and breathes well when you start to sweat.

The I.K.S. steel pant, like the jersey, has a great fit. It is an athletic fit from your waist all the way down your legs without being too tight. I have zero issues with the pant stretching comfortably around my knee braces, nor does it hinder my movement on the bike. The pant is made mostly of a four-way stretch/Rip Stop material so while it looks tight, it’s really just comfortable and form fitting. Leatt uses its Internal Knee Brace System (I.K.S.) on the inside of the knee area to prevent excessive knee brace wear or tearing, which it did because the knee area have held up great. On the original set of pants I received I did have an issue with the zipper. The first ride out, the zipper came off the bottom and both sides of the zipper were disconnected. I was able to get it re-zipped, but then when zipped back up, the zipper below the top came undone and could not unzip. I contacted Leatt and they sent me out a new set of pants and I never had this issue again after several uses. Looking back, I don’t think this is a flaw in the pant, I just think it was a fluke malfunction that happened. However to keep up with the transparency here at Keefer Inc. Testing, I still wanted to let the reader know everything that has happened with the Leatt set of gear. If this happens to you please contact them and they can remedy the issue for you. One aspect about the pant that really stood out to me was that in some situations they had a hard time staying up. I’d like to say it’s because I’m so skinny, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. When accelerating out of ruts that have acceleration bumps, the stretch material on the butt of the pants (or yolk) gets pulled down. Coming out of corners with acceleration chop can make the pant pull down slightly throughout the duration of a moto. This obviously didn’t happen if the track forced me to stand a lot, but when there was a lot of sitting and chop it was noticeable. The best way I found to combat this was to tighten the buckle a little tighter than I normally would. The adjustable ratchet latch always worked well as well as the zipper (aside from the first set of pants I previously mentioned).  

Overall, I think Leatt is a real contender in the high-end gear market and will only improve over time. I will keep putting more time on the 5.5 set of gear over the next few months and report back with all of my findings. Feel free to reach out to me at Michael@Keeferinctesting.com if you have any questions regarding the Leatt 5.5 gear set. 

-Michael Allen

Leatt GPX 4.5 Pant, GPX 4.5 Lite Jersey And GPX 2.5 X-Flow Gloves

Leatt may be known mostly for their groundbreaking neck brace invention that changed the way most people think about rider/neck safety, but in the past couple years their off-road riding gear has been making a name of its own. We recently received a box full of Leatt protection pieces, including knee brace pants, knee braces, a helmet and some gear. Stay tuned for reviews on the other Leatt products, but for now let’s talk gear. Leatt sent us a 4.5 pant, 4.5 lite jersey and the 2.5 X-Flow glove to test, so we obliged and put it through some wear and tear. Being that California hasn't experienced winter yet this year I was just fine with testing a more lightweight, vented gear set in mid-January. Don't be jealous Minnesota peeps! 

When it comes to jerseys, I feel as though they can be over priced at times, but the GPX 4.5 Lite jersey comes in at only $39.99, which doesn’t hit the wallet too hard. Don’t let the fact that the 4.5 gear is Leatt’s price point (AKA less money) gear scare you away, the jersey is nicer than some other companies high end jerseys that we have tried in the past. The Leatt 4.5 jersey is made from Moisturecool 3D stretch material and isn’t just a baggy one size fits no one fit. In fact the fit is what I normally like in a jersey. It has a precise athletic fit, but not so tight that it looks like I’m in a skin suit skiing down a mountain. The cuffs have a slightly stretchy material, so they don't ride up too high on your arm, but at the same time won’t cut off your circulation. Being that it’s a “Lite” jersey, it has excellent ventilation. That being said, it has such great airflow, that on chillier mornings, I found myself wearing a vest (yes I’m an off-road guy) until the temperature came up, so be forewarned. The overall stitching has held up well, but the material of the jersey tends to fray after being snagged on a few bushes (think creosote bushes). Other than the little fray points, I feel like the 4.5 Lite jersey is high quality for a fair price. 

The GPX 4.5 pant, like the jersey, is Leatt’s price point pant at $119.99, but again don’t let the term “price point” fool you. The knee area of the 4.5 pant, which tends to be most riders weak point on pants, uses an Amara material. This material is soft and semi-stretchy, but still durable and so far has held up excellent to my knee braces, especially with how much I squeeze the bike with my knees. The 4.5 pant is somewhat like the jersey in that it’s a fairly lightweight construction and has quite a bit of venting, which results in a very breathable pant. The pant has held up to bushes and the occasional tree branch, with no rips. The zipper is smooth, hasn’t gotten stuck and also comes with a hook and loop strap, which keeps the pants closed at the top of the zipper (this comes in handy after lunch time). The main closure on the pants is the ratchet style system Leatt incorporates, which has worked flawlessly. There is also elastic inside the waistband that helps keep the pants snug along with silicone (like on the backs of goggle straps) on the inside of the waist band.  The fit of the pant is true to size, is very comfortable to wear and for the price is a great product.

When it comes to gloves a lot of riders are like Goldilocks “these are too soft, these are too hard, these are too bulky, these are too thin", but in my opinion the $29.99 Leatt GPX 2.5 X-Flow glove is like wearing heaven on your hand (if you can imagine what heaven would feel like). Although some people would complain about it being too minimal, I LOVE the 2.5! Yes it’s thin and its intended purpose is not to protect you from branches or roost (I use handguards so I don’t care). It contours to my hand perfectly in all the right places, doesn’t bunch and oh man is the palm material great. The material in the palm is called MicronGrip and it feels like a very soft, smooth, slightly stretchy leather. My ONLY complaint about the glove is that the stitching can be weak when putting the glove on that is typical of minimalistic gloves. Almost every minimalistic glove does the same thing. These gloves are meant for performance and comfort, not durability. You can choose between Leatt's other model gloves if you want a little more durability, but if you want comfort look no further. If you have a bad habit (like I do) of pulling hard on the glove where the wrist elastic meets the palm material you might go through these faster than the riders that do not do that. After more than several riding days the stitching gave out and the elastic separated from the palm, but just to show you how much I like the gloves, I kept wearing them even with the tear because it didn’t really bother me when I was riding. If Leatt can beef up their stitching in this area a little and maybe put a little pull tab on the end of the palm, it would be a flawless minimalistic glove.  

After many days on the track and trail, I have to say I’m very pleased with the quality of the Leatt “price point” gear. Other than some bushwhacking that I have done and the glove separation, I feel like this is a set of gear I would love to purchase for myself to ride on long warmer days. Although I will say that for riders who strictly ride off-road, this gear my not be for you because the more you go through shrubbery the more frays and snags you might begin to see. For the guy that motos 70 percent of the time, rides off-road 30 percent of the time, the Leatt 4.5 pant/jersey and 2.5 X-Flow gloves are something seriously to consider. -Michael Allen 

If you have any questions about the Leatt 4.5 pant, 4.5 Lite jersey or the 2.5 X-Flow gloves, please feel free to email me at michael@keeferinctesting.com