ENDURA MT500 BURNER LITE REVIEW

Words by Robert Johnston
Photos by Max Rhulen & Brian Niles

We got a box full of Endura gear earlier this Spring and knew we’d be spending a lot of time in the airy, breathable kit this summer. Endura supported our eMTB Destinations Tour this year, and in doing so provided us with a wardrobe of kit to wear during our long days in the heat of the desert. Despite their sponsorship of the series, we want to let you know we did not promise Endura a review of their products, let alone a positive review, so despite our partnership for that project, the feedback below is honest and without obligation. Endura’s MT500 Burner Lite jersey and pants were some of the items in that box of gear and from the first time Drew and I tried them on, we were stoked on the fit and feel. How did they perform and stand up to the abuse of the long days in the saddle? Read on to find out.

MT500 Burner Lite LS Jersey 

The Burner Lite Long Sleeve Jersey was designed to be ultra light and airy for the hotter days pedaling or park ripping. The cut is designed to be slim but still allow for slimline padding to be worn underneath without restricting movement. The sleeves of the jersey are made from a more durable stretch woven material to ensure long lasting performance, with a highly breathable and moisture wicking technical mesh fabric used in the body to keep the rider cool and comfortable, and at least 50% of this fabric comes from recycled sources. Further ventilation is offered thanks to laser cut perforations on both the sleeves and body. On the shoulders is a silicone print to help to keep backpacks in place and add some style. The Endura Burner Lite Long Sleeve Jersey is offered in a choice of three colors in sizes S-XXL, with a retail price of $79.99/£54.99. As with all Endura MT500 products, there’s a 90 Day satisfaction guarantee where you can return the jersey and get your money back if you’re not happy. 

MT500 Burner Lite Pant 

Much like the jersey, the MT500 Burner Lite Pant takes cues from their standard MT500 Burner pant, but with a lighter weight fabric used to increase comfort in warmer climates. The Burner Lite Pant is designed to offer the flexibility and comfort for long days in the saddle, whilst retaining durability to survive bike park laps. They are made from a 4-way stretch fabric to move with you, with a slim cut that caters for the use of a low profile knee pad. A PFC-free DWR treatment is applied to the fabric to help to shake off light rain. Mesh panels are added to key locations to promote airflow, and there are laser perforations to further vent heat. The fit can be tailored with dual velcro adjusters on the waist, and there is a zipped hand pocket on each of the legs. Endura’s clickfast system is in place to pair with a chamois to keep you comfortable when seated. The Endura MT500 Burner Lite Pant is offered in a choice of three colors in sizes S-XXL to fit waists from 29” to 41”, as well as a Women’s version in XS-XXL, with a retail price of $149.99 / £99.99. As with all Endura MT500 products, there’s a 90 Day satisfaction guarantee.  

THE DIRT

Through the relentless heat of the Arizona desert in May, through to the cooler climate back in the high desert in Bend, we’ve logged a lot of time in the MT500 Burner Lite kit, and it’s safe to say that it’s some of the favorite kit we’ve used for a while for general trail, enduro and light bikepark duty. Drew selected the subdued Black and White colorway, whereas Robert sported the brighter blue and green colorways, and both agreed that while the kits looked great, the colored options wouldn’t be for everyone.

The slim but not skin-tight jersey was very comfortable for both of us, with plenty of length in the body and sleeves to keep 6’2” (189cm) Robert happy, without being excessive to the point that it dwarfed 5’11” (180cm) Drew. The pant was cut slim in the calf on both of us, with a tighter fit on Robert’s thighs and slightly looser fit on Drew. Both items are highly flexible and so even for the areas that were a tight fit on Robert, movement wasn’t restricted at any times, including the knee pad area when worn with a mid-thickness trail pad. We didn’t opt to run any pads under the jersey, but with the sleeves having a slightly baggy fit, elbow pads should fit under without issue. Tailoring the fit of the pant is easy thanks to the Velcro waist adjusters, which proved to do a solid job and stayed put once adjusted. The range of adjustment is not huge, so we were thankful that the items fit true to size, but riders with some more extreme proportions may struggle.

The thin and flexible fabrics combined with the ventilation holes and a slight amount of breathing room inside the jerseys meant that the MT500 Burner Lite garments were very airy and comfortable on all but the hottest days. The material’s ability to wick moisture is good, meaning that the long sleeve jersey added little to no perceivable heat compared with a short sleeved alternative, but crucially blocked the strong sun from burning us to a crisp. Comparatively, the pant runs a little hotter due to its slightly more durable fabric, but still ranks amongst some of the coolest pants we’ve yet to test, with a silky feel that’s very comfortable.

A few weeks of daily riding in the desert is a tough task for most gear, with the inevitable spills and tangles with the brush along the way. Endura’s MT500 Burner Lite kit stood up to the test and emerged out the other side looking fresh. That said, we’ve managed to keep it mainly rubber side down during this testing period and haven’t had any serious yard sales to really comment on how they would stand up to a proper crash. We’ve subjected them to just about every other testing condition though, sitting on coarse rocks, walking through and riding past prickly brush and scraping through rocks on climb challenges, and there’s no damage to report. For the pants this is quite impressive, but for the super airy jersey it’s even more so, no doubt thanks to the more durable sleeve material used that is a very intelligent selection that we appreciated.

The Wolf’s Last Word

We’ve been very thankful for the light weight and airiness of Endura’s MT500 Burner Lite Jersey and Pant over the last month of sweltering desert riding, and have come away impressed by the comfort and durability on offer too. For warmer temperature pedaling and light park use, this Endura kit is seriously good.

Price
MT500 Burner Lite Jersey: $79.99 / £54.99
MT500 Burner Lite Pant: $149.99 / £99.99

Website: Endurasport.com