KLIM Dakar Pro Jersey

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KLIM Dakar Pro Jersey

Appearing in Demolition Theater? Here's your jersey.

by Martin Hackworth

Photos: Martin Hackworth, JR Hackworth

This could be the shortest review in the history of MoJazz. If you are looking for the stoutest off-road motorcycle jersey ever made, read no further because you've found it. The KLIM Dakar Pro Jersey is, without a doubt, the beefiest, strongest and most durable jersey we've ever seen. I'm reasonably sure that you could get dragged down the trail behind your bike for a fair distance while wearing one of these without disturbing as much as a single stitch. If I were going to appear in an episode of Fast N' Loud, Demolition Theater, doing some crazy motorcycle stunt, I'd be wearing a Dakar Pro.

Perhaps the best feature of the Dakar Pro Jersey is the liberal use of abrasion-resistant 840D Cordura® (the same material KLIM uses in the ultra tough Dakar Pant) in wear areas all over the jersey. Hexagonal EVA foam is strategically used as padding in the sleeve, side, forearm and shoulder areas of the jersey. The parts of the jersey that are not covered with Cordura or foam are constructed of heavy nylon and polyester mesh which allows the prodigious flow of air. "Stretch zones" provide complete freedom of movement. Even the cuff, complete with thumb loop, is well conceived for use with a variety of riding gloves. Put all of this together and the result is an insanely tough, abrasion resistant and durable jersey that actually affords some mild levels of protection from impacts by branches, roost, bird-strikes (don't scoff), etc.

The Dakar Pro also boasts an "athletic fit," which means, basically, it's broader at the shoulders than at the waist. I like this not so much because it shows off my chiseled physique (OK, you may scoff now), but because it allows me to wear my Leatt Adventure Body Protector under the Dakar Pro, when sized one up (XXL in my case) while maintaining a comfortable fit and complete freedom of motion. We are wearing our Leatt armor under our jerseys in each of the accompanying photographs.

One of the best features of the Dakar Pro is a zippered chest pocket, complete with a lanyarded microfiber quick wipe, which works brilliantly for a camera, cellphone, small gps - or all three in the case of my Sony Xperia Z3, which practically lives there. 3M Scotchlight™ tabs placed strategically around the jersey ensure that I will not get run over after dark texting while riding.

I wear my Dakar Pro over the waist of my pants, but if you are a tuck in kind of person, the silicon graphics, show in the photo on the left, have enough tack to keep the jersey firmly in place. The fabric in the waist is also lighter in weight than that found throughout the rest of the jersey which helps with this as well.

My son and I own, between us, 5 Dakar Pros. I've managed to mildly damage exactly one in several years of riding, sawing, digging, crashing and other forms of extreme abuse. We like the KLIM Dakar Pro well enough that we made it our official Tour of Idaho jersey (shown left). It's the only jersey that we recommend for the Tour, and I keep each of mine as trophies after each Tour. No higher praise is possible.

KLIM Dakar Pro Jersey

$139.99 from KLIM (Note: KLIM sponsors the Tour of Idaho and provides gear to MotorcycleJazz.com for review)

The Good: You'll never wear a stouter jersey.
The Rad: Festooned with features that are actually quite useful.
The Gnarly: Silver color option invokes eerie resemblance to Tin Man.

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