MC Tested: Scorpion Yukon Jacket and Pants

First and foremost, I have been thoroughly pleased with the Scorpion Yukon gear day after day throughout my adventure travels from coast to coast in rain or shine, below freezing temperatures and in baking desert sun. While most of my 26,000 miles were spent running away from the worst weather of the seasons across the 49 continental US states, I still faced plenty of weather as we camped along the way. The Yukon gear offers an impressive amount of quality features for the price.

One feature I really appreciate is its weather protection. When I first started hitting light rain outside of Seattle on my way to Vancouver, I was so glad I wasn’t wearing my well-vented leathers any more. I found myself riding in a shell of happiness with the Yukon because for the first time I was sitting in the rain while still dry and comfortable. The trip to Alaska saw downpours nearly every day, dumping down like a cow pissing on a flat rock. As the days got more intense, I did find one small point of failure, however. For some reason, when the weather is harsh enough, water builds up in the pit of the elbow. I’m not sure how exactly it penetrates, and fortunately the water doesn’t bleed into any other part of the arm making it not a terrible detriment, but it was noticeable.

When we finally made it to some sunshine, the jacket also did great in warmer temperatures. With the vents open, the jacket breathes so well it made things livable on the 100-degree-plus ride through Hells Canyon. There are a lot of venting options, including vents that stretch along both the biceps and forearms, across the back and shoulders, and along the sides of the torso. It's an impressively versatile piece for a long tour.

Unfortunately, the pants don’t vent nearly as well. Having vents only on the back of the legs instead of the front offered no real cooling while sitting on the bike, and the pants feel really warm on a normal road riding day. While the liner isn’t removable, which means you have to wash it with the whole jacket, the liner does a good job of wicking away moisture when it’s hot. And it dried quickly in the unfortunate instances where it got wet after sitting in the rain.

Another important feature on a long adventure is always going to be storage. The jacket's 9 external pockets are large and versatile, including two hoodie-like side pockets on the front that you can comfortably rest your arms in as you walk around, or use as hand warmer pockets when it's a cold day at camp. Four of the pockets are completely waterproof, and I can confirm that I never had a wet phone or a damp wallet. Two wrist pockets offer easy storage for small items like earplugs or coins, and a large pocket along the lower back offers enough room to store anything from pheasants to some spare tubes. Internal pockets offer a convenient pocket to hide your passport, as well as a pocket specifically designed for maps, an MP3 player, or any other small items you might want to stash.

The pants pockets were also large and deep and kept all of my belongings dry. The cargo pockets made for easy access of my most frequently-used items, and the waist pockets secured small tools and whatever fossils I found along the trails without causing any discomfort or interference when sitting in riding position. The hidden money pocket on the inside of the waist even allows you to roll up a couple bills for extra security, although it's so small you can't fit in very much. Really, there are so many pockets, the only real issue is remembering what you stored where!

As far as comfort and adjustability goes, I was impressed that I could arrive at camp and set up while forgetting that I was still wearing motorbike gear. The pants have waist straps and Velcro closures at the calves, and the jacket offers adjustment straps at the waist, biceps, wrists, and forearms. The straps that line the vents along the arms have multiple cinching options to tighten separately with or without the vents open, so a hot day doesn't have to compromise your customization. Also, the built-in kidney belt makes sure everything fits snug and stays in place. But while the wrists let you tighten them down to try to keep out water, they oddly don't open wide enough, which makes it difficult to fit gloves under the sleeves. Consequently, it's even more difficult to keep water out of your gloves. The collar was also a bit uncomfortable when fully zipped and dug into my neck, so I rarely zipped the jacket up fully unless I had to in bad weather. Additionally, the Velcro at the calves never fit quite right around the armor of my boots, requiring the entire 1.5 inches of adjustment, and sometimes it would fly open while I was riding.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to crash test it, but after months of abuse from wearing this gear day and night while riding, camping and wrenching, the gear hasn’t suffered much apparent wear. The jacket includes the standard elbow, shoulder, and back protectors, but also boasts a chest protector, which I got the honor of testing when I got hit in the chest at 70 mph with a 2x4 that fell off a careless truck. While not the most comfortable situation, I got off with nothing more than temporary discomfort. The elbow armor is a bit hard against my elbows, which isn’t noticeable when riding, but can be pronounced when wearing the jacket off the bike. The pads do include Velcro adjustments to try to better customize the fit at the elbows though, which can help.

The pants are armored at the hip and knees, and a leather inseam adds to durability and protects you from the heat of the machine even when things are going right. I did run into some issues after about 5 months of constant use, one where the pull on the Velcro closures around the calves caused the stitching to start to come apart. Another problem was the zipper tab popping off on the fly of the pants, although fortunately the fabric backing the fly and the double-clasp buckle kept the pants together and made this a minor issue. Once I had some time to settle in, the warranty department at Scorpion USA made quick work of these and after about a week, my gear was good as new.

All in all, the Scorpion Yukon is my all-around go-to gear, either riding through the dirt, twisting through the mountains, or touring across long, open roads. The Yukon gear provided me with a peace of mind that I would be comfortable and safe wherever I decided to ride.

Scorpion Yukon Jacket and Pants
GRADE: B+
VERDICT:Through the twisties, over dirt roads, or touring across plains, Yukon gear provides peace of mind.
MSRP: $549.95-$564.95 (jacket); $359.95-$374.95 (pants)
CONTACT:scorpionusa.com