Thor Prime Pro Gear Set

What it is

• Premium gear set.
• Updated from Thor's 2018 Prime Fit lineup.
• Athletic fitting, minimalist gear set.

For 2019, Thor took what was their Prime Fit gear line, made quite a few changes, and renamed it “Prime Pro.” The current rage is athletic fitting gear with compression materials becoming the new standard, this serves as Thor’s offering. The updated jersey features a minimal amount of flat-stitched seams and a hybrid fit set-in style tailored sleeve to provide additional comfort. Moisture wicking material and a ventilated back panel and arms are designed to keep you cool during the hot motos.

Likewise, the pant features some vented mesh panels and laser cut holes in key areas to keep the bottom half cool. The athletic fitting, pre-curved designed pants incorporate stretch panels around the waist and an inner knee panel boasting aramid fibers which are claimed to reduce wear from knee braces. The pant is constructed of both polyester and spandex. Finally, the Agile gloves are a very minimalist, lightweight glove. It features a slip-on cuff, perforated palm, and ventilated stretch material on the backhand. Additionally, the inner-thumb is wrapped for durability purposes and silicone treated fingertips are integrated to provide better control of the levers.

How it works

• Improved over 2018 Prime Fit.
• Lightweight.
• Added mobility - almost too much.
• Good durability.
• Average ventilation.
• Sizing is critical.

The 2019 Prime Pro gear is similar to the Prime Fit gear of last year; however, it’s much improved. To start, the weight of the Prime Pro gear is drastically lighter than previously. The pant saw the biggest reduction in weight. Last year’s pants were quite heavy, common for most “premium” gear sets, as it featured all the bells and whistles. The Prime Pro pants are some of the lightest pants we’ve had while still featuring the leather knees and a ratchet waist closure. It also doesn’t have a liner on the inside which we praise since they usually just get caught up in the knee braces and also hinder mobility at times. Instead, the pant comes comes with a thin compression shorts to wear.

In addition to the weight, the mobility of the gear is also improved. Last year’s gear was good, but the 2019 lineup is that much better. The pants feature a stretchy material and in a sense, almost stretch too much. It offered a lot of mobility; however, it’s easy to move around in them and was hard to stay planted on the seat under hard acceleration. Still, it comes as an improvement over last year’s pant. The Agile glove serves as a minimalist glove, which is my preference, and has no additional padding, rubber pieces, etc. The slip-on design has no protection and for the most part wasn’t a hinderance. When riding in the desert, hitting your fingertips on creosote bushes even with handguards is inevitable. In that case, we’d be looking at a different set of gloves with just a little more padding up top for some extra cushion on impact.

The fit of the gear is very important and hard to accommodate different sized riders. A lack of an adjustable waist means it can only be as tight as the ratchet lets you make it. I’m sort of an in the middle of wearing a size 28 and size 30 pant and at times, so the size 30 pants would move around just a bit under acceleration. The legs were the right length and they had enough room to comfortably wear knee braces under them without getting caught on anything. I’m also in between a Small and Medium jersey, and I elected for the Small as the jersey runs a little big than most. Finally, the size of the Agile glove is also very important. Due to using such a lightweight, stretchy material, it can move around a little when regripping and reaching for the levers. If the glove is too large, the fingers run a little long. We had an issue where we’d catch it on the clutch/brake lever and not have complete control. It didn’t happen too often, but enough to mention it. The best thing to do with this gear is try it on before purchasing to ensure you have the right size.

The ventilation is good for a non-vented gear set, but come time for Summer, the Pulse Air gear line should provide a more sufficient amount of air flow to keep cool in the hotter months. Also, as a result of the change in the material in the jersey arms, it fits a little looser for a couple benefits. First, while last year’s set wasn’t restricting, it almost felt like it just because of how tight it was. The looser fit, while still tight, is sort of a hybrid between the compression tight jersey and a standard athletic fit jersey. In addition to a free feeling, putting the jersey on and removing it was much easier than before. Last season it almost became a two person job at times, but the Prime Pro jersey is as simple as any other jersey.

Durability wise of the pant and jersey is as good as most. We tore up a set of pants pretty good after a crash left our leg in a war with the rear tire - and the tire won - but the pants did their job. The glove, due to its thin and stretchy nature, is a little less durable, and we just have to be more careful when putting it on and taking it off. Still, we don’t have any holes or tears in it.

Overall, Thor’s Prime Pro gear set is a step up over last year’s Prime Fit line. Reduced weight, increased mobility, and a more appealing fit all are winners in our book. The jersey is something vet riders would be more willing to run with its looser fit and the mobility that comes with it is second to none. Our only concern is sizing. We seemed to be in between sizes on almost everything, but people come in different shapes so a try-on is a good idea.