Cold Tested: Motorfist Freeride Jacket & Pant

The Motorfist Freeride Jacket & Pant as used by T.J. Krob.

For the 2016-17 season, I had a chance to be outfitted with the Freeride Jacket and Freeride Pant from Motorfist in the Hi-Viz color scheme. Not only is this gear built strong and durable with 500D Nylon panels throughout the leg area, but style points reign supreme.

The combination of eVent Fabric, taped seams, moisture-wicking liner and strategically placed zipper vents keep a rider perfectly dry while permitting ample breathability. Even the high quality

YKK zippers are sealed, plus they don’t bind, break or catch fabric upon closure.

Removable kneepads come in handy when bumping into the console or when dangling a leg on a sidehill and glancing across firm snow or a tree.

Another convenient feature of the Freeride Pant is the removable suspender to turn them into a full pant setup to avoid upper body tan lines on those warm spring days! A set of vents in the thighs proved beneficial for keeping the lower body at an adequate temp, but a longer full-length leg zipper running from boot to upper thigh would have been nice for this inflexible rider. Motorfist’s design idea to contour the back edge of the ankle cuff upward is simple yet beneficial to reduce bulk, prevent dragging in the snow and create a sleek line.

On the jacket are the same eVent Fabric, sealed seams and quality zippers found in the pant. It had the durability to stand up to a season worth of tree jabs and endless sleeting rides, and it never compromised on waterproofing or toughness, leaving me dry and happy.

As a slimmer male, the fit of this jacket was like nothing on the market – so many jackets fit my shoulder and arm length, but then flare-out at the waist too drastically, leaving it looking like a skirt once the backpack waist strap is cinched up. That’s not the case with the Freeride Jacket and its articulated shape, which kept its slim figure.

The dual-design chest pockets proved extremely effective as vents as well as pockets, though another pocket elsewhere would be nice since you lose storage if you have the pockets open for venting on warm days. Even the removable hood sits around the head nicely when in use, and when zipped off it has a nicely engineered solution to hide the attachment.

A big-time thumbs up to this jacket and pant combo for mountain riders which nails durability, comfort and style.

Editor’s Note: In each issue of Snow Goer magazine, our team of product testers reviews various aftermarket products in the Cold Tested department. Subscribe to Snow Goer now to receive such reviews, 6 times per year delivered to your home.

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