Just1, not a brand rich in motocross heritage but definitely one that has been making waves over the past few years. The Italian brand is on the up and becoming the motocross kit for the Factory Ice one Kawasaki team in 2022 and 2023 has definitely not hindered their progress to become one of the top motocross kits in the world. If its good enough for 2021 vice world champion Romain Febvre its good enough for you. Or is it?
The people over at Evenstrokes were kind enough to give me a set of the Just1 essential line to try through out the 2022 season. My reasoning for waiting until now to write this review is that I wanted to test the kit not only it’s performance and comfort but it’s durability too. The first thing I want to address is the name “essential”, don't let this lead you to believe that the kit is cheaply made and the bare minimum. This couldn't be further from the truth.
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| The JUST1 kit looks good from any angle. |
The first thing I pulled out of the bag and i was immediately shocked at how light they felt. So much so that i had to double check that i wasn't holding the jersey. The material is thin and stretchy, which makes it easier to put on over the top of either knee braces or knee pads. Although the slim fit isn't everyones cup of tea, it doesn't feel like your traditional tight fitting pants that you see some people wearing (cough) Barcia (cough). The pants grip in all the places you'd want them to. Around the knee area, to stop your braces from moving around too much. At the bottom on your ankle, so they don't bunch up in your boot. Finally, the waist area. The JUST1 pants have a rubber pattern around the inside of the waist to help the pants grip to your waist and not slide down when you're riding. I also like the fact that they have velcro adjusters on either side. Not only does it make them easier to get on and off when they are undone, it helps distribute the strain on the pants when they are done up. Rather than all the strain being on the front buckle and feeling like you're constantly having to breathe in, the two side straps take some of the pressure off and distribute the pressure around the hole waist of the pants. The whole waist bound is elasticated which allows the pants to expand and contract as you are moving about on the motorcycle.
The zipper on the front is over-lapped by a small amount of material, the design behind this is to stop and mud or grit getting in to the zipper and causing it to jam. A nice little tough from the design team over at JUST1.
Unlike a lot of kit brands, JUST1 has done away with the leather on the inner knee that after time becomes fragile and subject to cracking and breaking off. Instead they've opted to use nylon cordura. Nylon Cordura is a synthetic material and is built to last, it has high tensile strength fibres that will withstand long term wear. Not only is it long lasting it is also fire retardant and water resistant. So you get all the benefits of the leather patch that most brands use with out the negative points.
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| The lightness of the kit makes it easy to move around on the bike. |
Jersey
The JUST1 essential jersey is like most high end jerseys on the market. It is lightweight, well vented and a comfortable fit. JUST1 haven't wasted time and resources in trying to design a fancy pattern or design for the essential line. A “J1” logo in the middle of the front and a small ‘J1” logo just under the collar at the back is all the branding they've gone for. With the minimal logos and all the dead space on the front and back of the jersey, it gives you a great canvas for sponsor logo placement. It really allows you to get creative with the placement and colours of your logos as all the essential line consists of is just 2 colours.
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| The small amount of JUST1 branding is a sponsors dream. |
Overall
You know the old saying “less is more”. This really is the case with the JUST1 essential line. The kit looks clean and sharp in all the colour ranges and makes it easy to match with any colour way of boot or helmet. A set of kit consisting of jersey and pants will cost you £139.98 RRP. A relatively low price in todays market of £200+ kits i think and a very fair price. This is a high quality kit and it is true to size. I am a 32”/Large and thats exactly what i was given and it fits perfectly, nothing is too tight or too loose. I have been racing and practicing in mine since March 2022 and it still shows no signs of wearing out. It has a few marks where I have snagged it on a branch or had a slip off, but in terms of just wear from riding it is holding up very well. Personally, the only thing i would change is the cuff on the jersey. I like a more tapered sleeve rather than a cuff, but some people prefer the cuff. It’s really personal preference and they may well have a tapered sleeve on another line of the JUST1 gear. Thats me really picking holes in it for the sake of it. Overall this kit is great value for money and you'd be hard pressed to find a kit of this quality for this little. If you're in the market for new kit for 2023, the JUST1 2023 essential line is well worth looking in to and i do not think you will be disappointed in your purchase.
The JUST1 essential line is available in both adult and youth at https://evenstrokes.com/
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| As its so plain its easy to match with anything. |
Tested and written by Brad Wheeler
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