FORGOTTEN MOTOCROSS TECH: THE ATTACK PANT WAS TWO PANTS IN ONE

Motocross history is filled with examples of creative ideas that were heralded as groundbreaking, but, because of the rapid rate of change in development, sank into the swamp of forgotten technology. Although some are best left abandoned, others were truly innovative (if not ultimately successful). MXA loves to reveal motocross’ tech trivia. Do you remember this idea? No Fear’s Attack pants.

How different are the pants you’re racing in right now from what you wore in 2006 or 1996? Not much. They are still made of nylon with stretch panels, reinforced knee patches and a buckle closure. While it’s true that the colors change over the years, the material gets stretchier, and the weight goes down, pants from today aren’t all that different from what your father wore 20 years ago. The exception to the rule was the No Fear Attack pant. It was so different that it qualifies as a watershed design.

Travis Pastrana’s No Fear Attack pants.

No Fear Attack pant broke down the movement of motocross pants and concluded that it could be narrowed down into several distinct actions. The portion below the knee had to be free to extend, contract, bend and swing freely. The part above the knee had to fit snugly and move with the torso. Thus, instead of the Attack pant being a single pant, the Attack pant was actually two pairs of pants. The first element started above the knee and went down to the rider’s ankle. It had flex panels that allowed the rider’s leg to move independently of the rest of the pants. The second element mimicked what hockey players wore. From the belt to the knee the Attack pants were comprised of a pair of durable shorts that moved with the upper body without interacting with the rider’s knee.

Based on a Jody Weisel design concept, formalized by Jerome Mage, built by No Fear’s Jeff Surwall and worn by Travis Pastrana, No Fear Attack pants were sold from 2003 to 2006. The best feature of the No Fear Attack pants was the fit of the knees. The lower leg was connected 5 inches up under the hockey-style shorts with a flex material that allowed absolutely no binding when you moved. And the hockey-style pants allowed uninhibited movement without any tightening when the rider bent his knees. No Fear phased out the Attack pant after 2006 because it was very expensive to make.