2013 Motorfist® REKON Jacket Review

The evolution of snowmobile riding gear has never been more evident than in this current and upcoming year.  We have had the opportunity to see hard parts, sleds, apparel, and gear for the 2013 season and have been drooling in anticipation.  Companies are venturing out into the open market testing and trying new materials, new colors, and new designs.  We were fortunate enough to meet up with the guys at Motorfist® and get a look into the 2013 gear in both West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole.  Mother nature greeted us at both events with great snow and blue skies to take out the gear and put it through the paces.

OVERALL DESCRIPTION - Motorfist® REKON Jacket
The new 2013 Motorfist® REKON Jacket is the anchor product for Motorfist® this coming season, after having such success with it in 2012.  Coming with a complete new design, but incorporating what worked from last year, It is completely waterproof, windproof, and breathable with the use of it's proprietary event® waterproof fabric.  Teaming up with Denier and YKK® only furthered the capabilities of the Motorfist® REKON Jacket for 2013.  With 300D Polyester event® panels being used in the body and under arms of the jacket, where flexibility and comfort are key and using 500D Nylon event® panels on the areas were durability is key, such as the shoulders, outer arms, and waist area.  This jacket is within the uninsulated lineup, and has a wicking liner throughout in which fully incorporates fully taped waterproof seams.  The YKK® zippers used are both superior in strength and function.  These water sealed and taped zippers are offset on the chin zipper and standard on the pocket and chest zippers, while also incorporating a neat feature that is referred to as the zipper garage.  A little area of fabric at the closed end of the zipper that the zipper apparatus slides into to fully make that waterproof seal.  Along with being an uninsulated jacket, Motorfist® used a variety of vents including mesh lined armpit vents with 2-way YKK® zippers and a sealed and flapped rearward facing back vent.  Lastly, for the exterior, but certainly not the least important, was the use of articulated elbows.  This taper and bend to the jacket keeps the length of the sleeves accurate while in the riding position and more comfortable.

The inside of the jacket was just as important as the exterior for the Motorfist® REKON Jacket when it came to design.  You will find moisture wicking fleece lined sleeves for additional comfort in windy, or colder conditions, along with a fully waterproof powder skirt, utilizing a combination of velcro and snaps to keep out the deep blower pow.  Lay flat wrist closures and powder wrist cuffs with a thumb hole in them round out the complete package.

OUR THOUGHTS - Motorfist® REKON Jacket
Like we said before, we put the gear through it's paces.  Everything from waist deep fresh to packing up boxes after Jackson Hole.  It more than did it's job.  We were never once wet, from either sweat or snow, and the powder cuffs and powder skirt held out 99% off the snow.  While we didn't expect it to be perfect, it more than satisfied our itch to keep the snow out of the jacket.  There was more than adequate storage and pockets in the jacket for items to be readily available, and the zippers with the fully taped seams were easy to use with gloves on with the extended zipper pulls.  No ice buildup at all.  One thing that we like to see in a lightweight uninsulated jacket is a little bit longer of a cut.  We prefer pants versus bibs and this helps keep the snow out and off the waist, along with being out of the way of any backpack or vest waist straps.  The offset zipper on the chin is a very nice feature that most overlook, in the fact that the zipper doesn't wear on your chin or neck while zipped to the top.  The comfort of the jacket was nice with the fleece lined sleeves as it kept remarkably warm for an uninsulated product.

There were only a couple of things that we found to be less than desirable in our opinion with the Motorfist ® REKON Jacket.  Because of the use of the thicker denier fabrics on the chest, shoulders, waist and arms, the jacket is a bit heavy and bulky for an uninsulated top shell layer.  It wasn't as noticeable after a few rides and washed, but out of the bag it is rather stiff.  While the warmth of it was nice, at times it was too warm for an uninsulated product.  The vents were also nice but when matched with a bib or any other thick membrane, in my experience it was a little bit warm.  The only other thing that we found was that we wish that a manufacturer would find a way to secure the wrist cuffs without using velcro.  It was constantly clogged with snow and wouldn't fasten correctly which led to having open wrist cuffs.  And although the wrist closures keep the snow from venturing too far into the sleeve, the wrist cuffs are spandex and get wet and cold.

Overall, we would rate this jacket very high and recommend it to anyone looking for that aggressive, well performing upper end uninsulated shell jacket.  The Motorfist® REKON Jacket is a great buy for anybody in that market, and will perform beyond expectations.