Troy Lee Designs SE Ultra Gear

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Tester: Sean Klinger
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 180 lb
Sizes: Large Jersey, 34 Pant, Large Glove

When you are talking about modern, hyper-light, premium motocross gear, the conversation might not have included Troy Lee Designs… Until now. The SE Ultra gear line from TLD is their take on the super thin, super stretchy, super comfortable moto kit that is aimed at serious riders who have a serious budget. The prices are on par with any of the other highest-end gear on the market so we expect high levels of performance as well.

Troy Lee Designs SE Ultra Gear Features (from TLD)

Jersey: $95

• Precision Fit - Form fitting torso and slim cut sleeves
• Fabric is certified Blue Sign® approved
• Moisture wicking/quick dry
• Flat-lock seams provide less bulk and more comfort

Pant: $219

• Precision Fit - Low-rise waist, articulated fit and slimmer fit
• 90% Nylon / 10%Spandex
• Moisture wicking/quick dry
• Laser cut ventilation holes
• Blue Sign® approved fabric

Glove: $38

• Compression cuff
• Slip-on design
• Single layered perforated palm
• Fabric
• 2 silicone print fingertips
• Ultra-light stretch micro-mesh

Construction

The TLD SE Ultra jersey is unlike any other TLD jersey I’ve worn. I haven’t worn them all but they have always been on the bulkier/burlier side. This jersey is crazy thin, like I could nearly ball the jersey up in one hand. Its also a full four-way stretch material that has a ton of stretch. The flatlock seems are impossible to notice, which is a good thing because there are a bunch of different panels coming together on the back of the jersey. Also, laser-cut vent holes are everywhere.

The pants are equally featherweight with no liner and no doubled-up material anywhere, other than leather knee panels. The waist closes with a zipper and a single ratchet and the material around the waist does not stretch so you can get a tight, precise fit. The main chassis material is similar to THOR’s Prime Pro pant and a few other super stretchy pants, but a little thinner and lighter. Plus, there are no silicon or TPU patches. There is a good amount of stretch but it is a solid material that doesn’t feel flimsy or like it stretches too much. Like the jersey, they went hard on the laser-cut vent holes. 

The gloves are thin, fully-vented single-layer palm minimalist style with an elastic cuff and no straps. 

Fit

Overall, most riders would say that Troy Lee Designs has a generous fit and err on the bigger side, and while the SE Ultra is a slim fitting set of gear, it is TLDs version of slim fit, which is slightly looser than other slim-fit motocross gear. That being said, it is not blousy or too baggy, just not skin tight. To be honest, that’s what I really like about the SE Ultra gear. The size Large jersey sits comfortably around my torso without billowing out or feeling like a compression base layer. I think, for a size Large, I have somewhat short arms and the sleeves seem longer than they need to be for me, but they are a good, tightfitting diameter. 

The SE Ultra pant is also on the slim side without being yoga-pant tight. With the stretch of the material, knee braces are not an issue. Also, I don’t miss a liner at all, there really doesn’t seem to be a downside to this single layer pant. While the 34s I have fit pretty good, I’m at the small end of the adjustment and it would be nice to have a side cinch or some other way of micro-adjusting the waist. But, that would add weight to a pant that is made to be super light. 

Performance

Movement is key. This gear is all about freedom of movement. You could wear this gear to your local pilates class and have no issues (other than very weird looks from the other patrons). The jersey material is soft on the skin and even when saturated with sweat doesn’t irritate the man-nips like other jerseys can. Plus, it dries very quickly and is never “wet” for very long. Ventilation is awesome and pretty close to specifically vented moto gear. The sleeves don’t come up when riding and the jersey stayed tucked in for me, even without silicone strips.

Just like the jersey, the pant has no restriction of movement and allows you to throw butt-whips as gnarly as you’d like. With stretchy moto pants, two problems I typically have are, one, the pants sliding down because the waist isn’t secure enough or two, too much stretch where the waist stays secure, but I slide inside the pant anyway. With the SE Ultra pants, I had neither of these problems. Under hard acceleration, I could plant my butt on the seat and trust that I wasn’t going to pull a Josh Hill. 

Overall

To be honest, I have never been a huge fan of TLD gear. The fit and function just felt a little old-school to me and not very innovative. Yet this gear, in my opinion, is a departure from what TLD has offered and is just as performance-oriented and modern as any other gear on the market. It might be expensive but you get what you pay for and so far has held up to normal riding abuse. The only cons on I have for the gear set so far is that the sleeves are a little long and I'm not sure about long term durability yet.