Tested: Fox Raceframe 2

Landon Currier sporting the new Raceframe. Check out how closely it fits. (Click any photo in the article for a larger version.)

We’ve worn Fox’s Airframe roost guard in the past, and it has always worked very well for us. We liked the comfort and the fit of the hinged back panel, as well as the protection it offered. Our only complaint might have been that the guard had a tad more bulk than we’d have liked…but that’s only if we sat and mulled over a wish list of what we’d like to change. Other than that, it was perfectly adequate.

Check out the padding around the neck...nice. Well, at least for those of you not running a neck brace. If you are running one, you'll probably need to perform some mods.

We will admit, however, to being very interested when we were invited out to try Fox’s latest incarnation of their top-of-the-line roost guard, the Raceframe. Among the biggest changes on the Raceframe were a co-molded design, where softer, more flexible rubber is molded alongside firmer Lexan Polycarbonate. The resulting pieces eliminate the need for a lot of the hardware that used to be required to assemble the brace, like nylon straps and additional pieces like mounts for the buckles. The hard shoulder cups are now mated directly to the mounting straps in one integrated design. Very slick.

While the new design looks very much simplified, it also allowed Fox to add in flex panels to specific areas. That results in a roost guard that fits more snugly, feels lighter, and doesn’t float around like in the past.

We like the integrated buckle, and the way the flex panels wrap around the contour of whatever shape you are.

We also like the way the buckles integrated into the chest plate (though you do need to be somewhat careful about how you align the buckle, so that it doesn’t get cross-rutted…er, get jammed sideways…as you attempt to click it in place.

Because the Raceframe was already in development before the current crop of neck braces became popular, it wasn’t really designed to accommodate them. That might qualify as our only disappointment about the new protector. We had to make some modifications to our test brace to accommodate a Leatt-Brace. That included loosening up the straps on the front and rear plates, as well as removing much of the Lycra-covered Bio-foam padding around the inner edges of the shoulder cups, and at the top of the front and rear pieces. That was a challenge even on the early samples that we were riding with, and the production models are sewn in place even more securely than on ours.

The interior padding, combined with the front vents, keep you plenty cool.

Overall we were extremely impressed with the Raceframe. Fox made an already good product better—not just by tacking on more foof or features, but taking advantage of manufacturing techniques and design to strip away what wasn’t necessary, and by simplifying the overall product. That’s smart engineering.

There are five colors (black, blue, red, white, and orange), and three sizes (small, medium and large), which go for $119.95, $139.95, and $149.95 respectively.

More Info: Check with your local dealer, or visit www.foxracing.com.

That's Landon Currier flying in front of some recently snow-capped peaks in Southern California. Landon's from the Northwest, and was in So. Cal. getting ready for the Amateur National season. As you can see in the video (see the link above), he makes his YZ125 sing.

Sound off! So what do you think? Vital MX members can leave a comment below, or start a thread in the Forums.