Summer is not officially over until the end of the month. Yet, here in Southern California, we are experiencing the hottest days of the year and a long run of 100+ degree days at our favorite riding areas. We grabbed a set of Moose Racing Sahara Racewear in one of the latest colorways—the highly appropriate Red/Black—and went trail riding in triple-digit temperatures.
Although standard off-road apparel offers airflow, Moose Racing Sahara Racewear moves even more air across your body. It makes a satisfying difference that extends your riding season, and that makes us quite happy.
The Moose Racing Sahara jersey is wholly perforated and mesh, save the collar and cuffs. The front and arms are perforated polyester, while the back uses a looser mesh, allowing air to move across the body unhindered. Going with perforation in the front makes sense, as it offers the rider a touch more protection from impacts with bugs and branches.
The fit of the Moose Racing Sahara jersey is loose, even when worn over the full-coverage Alpinestars Bionic Pro V2 protection jacket I always wear. If you like a form-fitting jersey, go with one size smaller than usual.
Setting out in the blistering heat, the flow across my body is felt immediately upon take-off. It’s not a subtle difference compared to a traditional jersey—there is more air flowing. That’s the goal of the Sahara jersey, and it inarguably accomplishes that mission.
Although the loose fit initially felt odd, I quickly adapted and stopped noticing it. The stretch neck never makes its presence felt. The sleeves are long, and the thin cuffs keep the sleeves in place. I like longer sleeves in the summer, as it reduces my wrists’ exposure to the sun—sunburns are a long-term health risk, and this feature helps avoid them.
The Moose Racing Sahara pants have a highly unique feel. An open mesh weave in the pelvis, thighs, and calf backs does two things—it allows plenty of air in, and gives the pants an unusually loose feel. Elsewhere on the pants, the polyester is more traditional, though still notably lightweight. The full-grain leather heat protectors for the inner knees help provide form for the pants.
Due to the lack of structure, the Sahara pants hang on you rather than form fit. We’ve seen this is the lightest mesh street motorcycle jackets. The odd feeling never went away for me, as these pants are different from the traditional design—it also didn’t bother me.
If you sit most of the time you ride, you’ll be wasting most of the Sahara pants’ air-flowing feature. When you stand, it’s almost like you’re not wearing pants from the knees up—the air moves that freely in those areas.
There aren’t as many stretch panels as you see with higher-end off-road pants, and the panels are a bit less stretchy. Presumedly, this is done to offset the loose fitting of the mesh panels. I wear Alpinestars Bionic-10 Carbon knee braces, and I have no problem moving around on the bike with the Moose Racing Sahara pants. There’s no binding or restriction—again, the pants have such a lightweight feel that it’s like you’re riding pants-free.
As with the jersey, if you like form fitting, consider going down a size, though you might run into waist-fitting issues, as the waistband isn’t particularly stretchy. I am happy with my usual size 32.
The Moose Racing Sahara pants use a familiar ratchet waist buckle and YKK zipper in the front. On the sides, there are hook-and-loop belts to personalize the fit further. The mesh liner doesn’t snag my knee braces when riding or putting the pants on.
Moose Racing doesn’t offer Sahara gloves, so its SX1 gloves pull that duty. The SX1 gloves are ultra-lightweight and have a sticky perforated palm. Padding is nonexistent, though the hook-and-loop wrist cuffs hold the gloves on securely. The SX1 gloves are incredibly comfortable and give the rider a fantastic feel for the hand controls. At $25 a pair with six colorways, the Moose Racing SX1 gloves are functional and a great value.
Some people love the heat, and others hate it. However, most of us have our limits, and the Moose Racing Sahara Racewear allows riding opportunities when we would otherwise stay home in the air conditioning.
Moose Racing Sahara Racewear Fast Facts
- Pant sizes: 28-42
- Jersey sizes: SM – 3X
- Matching colors: Stealth; Orange/Black; Red/Black; Purple/Green; Blue/White/Black
Moose Racing Sahara Pants Price: $150 MSRP
Moose Racing Sahara Jersey Prices: $50 ($55 for 2XL and 3XL)