Fly Racing’s Women’s Lite Racewear is light, silky, and has one of the most flattering fits in women’s dirt bike apparel. The line, first introduced in 2019, is Fly Racing’s premium offering for women who like to get out in the dirt for some serious moto fun and look good while getting dirty. We are revisiting the Women’s Lite Racewear to see how the latest 2023 gear is doing.
Made from 100 percent polyester, the Fly Racing Women’s Lite jersey is as filmy as a summer nightgown. The self-described “athletic cut” allows room for chest and back protection. With my Alpinestars Stella Bionic Jacket 2 underneath, the jersey has a trim fit in the torso that follows my moves as unobtrusively as a shadow—never binding or constricting. The fit in the sleeves is trimmer, requiring a bit of maneuvering over the shoulder and elbow armor of the Bionic Jacket, but the fabric has good horizontal stretch. Once in position, my movements are not restricted in any way.
Six-inch wide mesh panels running up the sides of the jersey narrow under the arms and back down the inside of the sleeves to the cuff. They flow plenty of air while riding and help keep the jersey from sticking to me as the temperature climbs.
The Fly Racing Women’s Lite jersey’s collar is about as minimalist as it can get. It’s tagless, a feature I always appreciate, as there’s nothing to scratch the back of my neck. Also, the usual double-layer collar is so thin it feels like a single layer of fabric—even the hem is barely discernable. It all contributes to a smooth, flat, completely comfortable collar.
The sleeve cuffs are narrow and low-profile, and with the trim fit, there’s less to catch on branches. The jersey also has a generous tail, ensuring it stays tucked while you move around on your bike.
Getting the fit right in pants is typically tricky for the fair sex. Our lines aren’t straight like men, so frequently, it comes down to which brand, or line within a brand, suits your body. The Fly Racing Women’s Lite pants have a low-rise waist and slim cut. The well-designed panel construction and pliable polyester keep the pants from binding anywhere. It’s a trim but flexible fit, and it looks great.
One of my favorite features is the soft waistband with no plastic parts. This makes the Fly Racing Women’s Lite pants incredibly comfortable, especially when bending over to pull on boots, as no hard buckles or ratchet straps are digging into you. The waist is adjustable via two side belts that allow you to tighten the pants to your preference. The belts stay fixed with very secure hook-and-loop tabs.
Leather panels on the inner knees protect your legs from engine and exhaust heat. Behind the knees, the stretch panels ensure maximum flexibility with minimum fabric so nothing bunches up when your leg is bent. The knee area is ergonomically cut for a bent leg wearing professional knee braces, so I have no problem sliding the Lite pants up over my Pod K-4 2.0 braces. It is not a given that women’s moto pants can accommodate knee braces, so I particularly appreciate that Fly Racing makes it possible for me to take knee protection seriously.
Keeping the Fly Racing Women’s Lite pants fresh and cool is a very fine soft mesh liner that ends just above the knee so that it doesn’t get hung up on knee braces. Nice.
The flat, half-inch stretch cuffs don’t stretch all that much, which is a shame since the circumference of the cuff is narrow. When putting the pants on, I always had to reach down and give a little tug to get my foot completely through the opening. I finally cut the removable elastic band, slightly relaxing the opening. On the upside, the spare pant legs create no pressure points when my Alpinestars Tech 7 Enduro boots are buckled tight.
Unfortunately, the Fly Racing Women’s Lite Racewear pants were no match when caught between a rock and a hard place. When I fell twice on downhills, my knee braces did their job of protecting me from sharp rocks; however, the Lite pants picked up a couple of puncture holes at the shins. Regardless, that does not read as a defect to me. The Lite Racewear line is targeted toward track riding, not off-road trail riding. Fly Racing’s Women’s F-16 Racewear line is more durable in harsh conditions.
Rounding out the Fly Racing Women’s Lite ensemble are the featherweight gloves. The design is close-fitting, and the elasticized hem cuff ends in front of your pisiform bone (the knob on the outside of your wrist). There is no tab closure to fiddle with, just an elastic section on the underside of the wrist to keep the gloves secure after you’ve tugged them on. You’ll want to spray the topside of your wrists with sunscreen on summer rides to protect that inevitable gap between jersey sleeve and glove.
The truly lightweight Fly Racing Women’s Lite gloves—weighing just over an ounce for the pair—don’t offer any impact protection. On a motocross track, you’re not dodging branches, and if you’re trail or desert riding, perhaps you have handguards—if you don’t, you’ll want them.
The polyester/nylon/Lycra material contributes to the soft, light feel of the gloves, and stretch panels along the sides of the fingers flow air and add flexibility. The synthetic leather palm provides outstanding feel as you grip the bars, and are perforated to keep your palms cool. Silicone details on your index and middle fingers keep your touch secure on the levers. Should you need to launch your Relive app on your smartphone before you hit the trail, there is no need to pull off the Lite gloves, as they’re touchscreen-compatible.
The only beat Fly Racing might have skipped in 2023 is with their styling of the Fly Racing Women’s Lite line. While I am generally a fan of an under-the-radar look, the exceedingly plain font and lack of graphics on the jersey front seem an odd choice. Instead of using the recognizable and aspirational Fly Racing logo, the seemingly off-the-rack typeface almost looks like a knock-off. I do, however, like the colorways for 2023; the two-tone Blue/Black and Grey/Black combos are simple, good-looking palettes—there’s not a pink or lavender “girl” color to be had in the Fly Racing Women’s Lite range.
Understated in design and weight, but not in features, Fly Racing’s Women’s Lite Racewear provides maximum comfort with no miscues. You don’t need to be a racer to appreciate the Lite Racewear line—female enthusiasts looking for top-shelf off-road gear should step right up.
Location photography by Don Williams
Fly Racing Women’s Lite Racewear Fast Facts
- Sizes: Pants: 03/04 – 11/12; Jersey: S – 2XL; Gloves: XS – 2XL
- Colors: Grey/Black; Blue/Black
Fly Racing Women’s Lite Racewear Prices
- Pants: $160 MSRP; Jersey: $40; Gloves: $25/pair
Fly Racing Women’s Lite Racewear Review Photo Gallery
