MXA TEAM TESTED: ALPINESTARS RACER GEAR

Hunter Lawrence wearing the 2022 Alpinestars Racer gear.

MXA TEAM TESTED: ALPINESTARS RACER GEAR

WHAT IS IT? In addition to the premium gear lines we see Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Jason Anderson and the Lawrence brother’s wearing, Alpinestars also offers the Racer line of gear, bringing you style and performance at an affordable price. The Racer pant and jersey are $100 less than the premium Supertech gear from Alpinestars while still offering great fit and function.

WHAT’S IT COST? $39.95 (jersey), $129.95 (pant). (*$129.95 is the updated 2022 pricing)

CONTACT? www.alpinestars.com or (800) 438-2577. 

Alpinestars Braap Racer jersey.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Alpinestars Racer gear.

(1) Jersey. With pre-curved sleeves, moisture-wicking, lightweight poly-fabric materials and a durable main chassis, the Racer jersey is ready for a long season of racing with a price that won’t break the bank. It features a stretch neck collar to increase comfort and fitted wrist cuffs for an optimized fit. The tail of the jersey is also extended to help it stay tucked into the pants. 

Alpinestars Braap Racer pants.

(2) Pants. The Alpinestars Racer pants are lightweight, and they feature stretch panels at the lower waist to help with mobility. The zipper is hidden, and the waistband secures with a ratchet-type closure. The waist also features Velcro sans-a-belt style straps to ensure the pants fit well before and after a buffet dinner. There are stretch panels above the knees to help with flexibility, leather panels on the inner knees to improve durability, and high-denier fabric on the front of the knees to prevent tearing when you get roosted. The pants aren’t ventilated, as the focus was on creating a lightweight and durable pant for an affordable price.

Alpinestars Flagship Racer jersey.

(3) Performance. The MXA wrecking crew last tested the Alpinestars Racer Tech line in 2019, but it has evolved since then. At first we felt slightly cheated when comparing the 2019 Racer Tech gear to the 2021 Racer Supermatic gear. The newer-generation pants aren’t as comfortable or flexible, but we realized that Alpinestars has dropped the price on the Racer pants from $139.95 to $119.95 and, therefore, had to save cost in materials. The high-denier shell on the new Racer pants doesn’t move like the four-way stretch fabric that the Racer Tech pants had; however, it wasn’t a problem that hurt our lap times. Our testers were never hindered while on the track. 

Alpinestars Flagship Racer pants.

(4) Durability. Although the $20 price cut took away from the comfort of the pants, it didn’t hurt in the durability department one bit. In fact, it actually helped increase durability. We wrote in our 2019 test of the Racer Tech gear, “We noticed some wear behind the knee-brace area, and test riders with big knee braces wore small holes in the fabric after several hours of testing. The flexible foam material on the front of the knee braces also had small tears from roost.” Now, the foam material on the front of the knees is gone, and the durability of both the front and back of the knees was surprising to us as we put this gear through the ringer. The leather knee panel also held up well. 

Alpinestars Compass Racer jersey.

(5) Options. The Alpinestars Racer jersey comes in sizes small to double extra large, and the Racer pant sizing ranges from 28- to 40-inch waistbands. The Racer gear is also available in Youth sizes. 

Alpinestars Compass Racer pants.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? We wish Alpinestars had kept some of the same four-way stretch material they used before to keep us feeling Pro.

MXA RATING: Alpinestars had a plan, and it seems to have succeeded. The pants aren’t made for top Pros racing Supercross; they’re made for the racer who wants to look like the top Pros while wearing gear that will hold up through the season.