Moose Racing XCR Jacket Review

Founded in 1986, Moose Racing is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, but it almost seems as if the company has been around longer than that.

Maybe that’s because Moose’s comprehensive line of hard parts, riding gear and other apparel is a proven commodity, a virtual gold standard. Truth be told, Moose’s riding gear isn’t the most visually stunning in the marketplace, but that probably doesn’t bother the company all that much because its understated schemes adorn high-quality functional riding gear. The Moose XCR jacket is a shining example of that.

The XCR has been around for a few years now, but it continues to be a solid choice in riding jackets thanks to the design input from one of the best American dirtbike racers in history, eight-time AMA National Enduro Champion and ISDE gold medalist Dick Burleson. You can’t get a much more discerning rider than DB! The AMA Hall of Famer helped Moose develop a practical do-it-all jacket than can fend off the cold of winter and wet weather that occurs in the spring and fall in many parts of the world. The XCR is the result of that collaboration.

The XCR is manufactured with a dual-layer, high-denier stretch nylon fabric that is claimed to be waterproof, windproof and breathable so that it can provide comfort in a wide variety of weather conditions. To regulate airflow into the XCR, Moose equipped it with no less than seven zippered intake and exhaust vents.

As much of our testing takes place in the deserts of Southern California we appreciate the versatility of a jacket that can keep us warm on chilly mornings without having to be discarded once the sun is high in the sky and creating murderous temperatures in the middle of the day. Being able to zip open the XCR’s various vents, helps to release the heat, but if we were still uncomfortable, the XCR features a rear pocket, and the entire jacket could be stuffed inside it and worn as a fanny pack. Not that we experienced any ourselves, but wet weather riders can also take comfort in the fact that the XCR features tightly sealed zippers to repel moisture.

Moose addressed storage needs by incorporating the aforementioned fanny pack-style pocket in the back of the XCR as well as a map pocket in the chest, two external pockets at waste level and two pockets inside the jacket, giving trailside MacGyvers plenty of places to store tools and other items.

All-temperature performance and plenty of storage are nice features, but an off-road jacket also has to be tough to survive. The XCR has a solid track record thanks to the addition of extra nylon panels in high wear area for better durability.

And what about comfort. Our large XCR sample felt light and was non-restrictive. Since it is capable of being worn over many chest protectors, it is roomy, and the sleeves incorporate stretch panels for non-restrictive movement. The inside of the jacket also features a polyester mesh liner that wicks moisture to keep the rider from getting soggy inside his or her own jacket due to sweaty or humid conditions.

As for style, well, remember what we said at the beginning. Artistic bling isn’t one of Moose Racing’s calling cards, and again the XCR is proof of that. You can have it in black. Or you can have it in black. Oh, yes, it is also available in black. Somewhere Henry Ford is smiling.

The good news is that Moose Racing probably has an XCR that will fit you nicely, as the jacket is available in sizes Small through XXXL. Better yet, its MSRP of $249.95 is more than fair for such a versatile, high-quality off-road jacket. Like we said, the XCR has been around for a while, and we expect it to be around for a while longer.

Moose Racing XCR Jacket, $249.95
Moose Racing
Website: www.mooseracing.com