- Leatt’s flagship 5.5 motocross jersey and pants have been redesigned for 2027
- New HeatGrip technology replaces traditional leather inner-knee panels and is claimed to offer more grip wet or dry
- Revised construction reduces bulk while improving rider movement and ventilation
Leatt’s flagship motocross racewear gets a major update for 2027, including new HeatGrip knee panels designed to offer more grip and durability than traditional leather.
Leatt has unveiled its latest 5.5 motocross racewear for 2027, with a new HeatGrip knee system among the major changes aimed at improving grip, durability and rider movement.
Leatt has given its top-level 5.5 motocross kit a significant update for 2027, introducing new materials and construction techniques developed through athlete feedback and real-world testing.
The new 5.5 Racewear comprises the Moto 5.5 UltraWeld Jersey and 5.5 I.K.S pants, with Leatt focusing on four key areas for the latest generation: mobility, ventilation, durability and improved control on the bike.
Perhaps the most interesting development is found on the pants, where Leatt has moved away from the traditional leather inner-knee panels used on motocross gear.
HeatGrip replaces traditional leather
In their place is Leatt’s new HeatGrip technology, which uses the company’s abrasion and cut-resistant Deflextion fabric combined with a heatproof coating.
Leatt says the result offers more grip than leather in both wet and dry conditions, while avoiding some of the drawbacks traditionally associated with leather knee panels.
In particular, the material shouldn’t suffer from the same drying and cracking over time and, importantly for anyone who has returned from a muddy day’s riding with a gear bag they’d rather not open, it’s fully machine washable.
Leatt has also used 100 percent aramid reinforcement to improve resistance to the wear caused by knee braces. The company says HeatGrip is lighter and longer-lasting than the leather it replaces, while the use of Bluesign materials is also intended to improve its sustainability credentials.
The idea isn’t simply to make the pants last longer, however. More consistent contact between the rider’s knees and the motorcycle should allow the rider to grip the bike more effectively through braking zones, ruts and corners.
Less bulk and more movement
The cut of both the jersey and pants has also been revised.
Leatt has reduced the number of unnecessary seams and adopted a streamlined multi-panel construction, with stretch materials positioned to allow the clothing to follow the rider’s natural position on the motorcycle.
The aim is for the gear to interfere as little as possible with the rider, particularly when moving around the motorcycle through corners, jumps and landings.
Ventilation has also received plenty of attention. Lightweight fabrics and mesh construction are combined with strategically positioned laser-cut ventilation to increase airflow and help regulate body temperature, without sacrificing the durability required for motocross and supercross use.
5.5 remains Leatt’s race-focused gear
The new 5.5 range sits at the performance end of Leatt’s motocross clothing line-up, with the South African company describing it as a complete racewear system rather than simply an updated jersey and pants.
Pricing has been announced at $119.99 for the Moto 5.5 UltraWeld Jersey and $299.99 for the Moto 5.5 I.K.S pants.
With HeatGrip addressing one of the areas of motocross pants that traditionally takes plenty of punishment, the 2027 5.5 kit looks to be more than simply a new set of colours and graphics.
We’ll be interested to see how the new material stands up to some proper Kiwi motocross conditions.
To find out more, head to Leatt NZ’s website here: https://moto.leatt.nz/collections/mx27-5-5-racewear
Leatt 5.5 Racewear Gallery
