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stayin dry

S

Smitty

Guest
hi folks wondering what people are wearing these days for rain wear... any recommendations? i've always just thrown on a rain parka and let everything else get wet , behind the hannigan fairing on my /7 that was fine but i recently added a r1100rs and i'm afraid i'll feel like i'm wearing a trash bag with all the wind that gets by the little windscreen! anyone had any experience with cordura jackets , are they waterproof? thanks for any help, brian
 
Textile works for me

Got a great deal on a Belstaff Spitfire jacket last year. Well vented and has kept me dry in some serious downpours. Wear it year round here in Michigan. With the liner in I have been okay down to 19 degrees (no fairing). After 15 months of daily use (well, not "daily" in the winter, but it did get year round use) I am very happy with this jacket.
Cortech pants (got 'em off the close out rack two months ago) now give me protection and waterproof riding.
 
Got the bellstaff overpants last year and find they are totally waterproof, and like the Spitfire Jacket nice an warm for cold weather riding. For summer protection I've got the Field Sheer rain suit, never leaked yet though a hood would have been nice. Lots of folks like Frog Toggs too.
Expect to spend around 60-100 for a good rainsuit and make sure you try it on and sit on a bike, once your knees bend ill fitting pants will ride up (make sure they have a way of firmly cinching at the leg opening) and jackets that are too big will flat around and beat you to death at hightway speeds!

As for the "looks" problem, see what happens when you get a spiffy new machine, now you need all the "hep" riding gear to go with it! :)

RM (a die-hard airhead rider:bliss )
 
The BMW Commuter suit is about as waterproof as a screen door. The Aerostich is waterproof enough for most rain. If it is a true deluge, you will get damp if not wet.

I purchased a Columbia rain suit one size too large for $40 and put it over what ever I am wearing that day.
 
i've ridden in rain the past two weekends. the first time i wasnt prepared, i had no rainproof pants. i got wet, but thankfully i'm in texas, so it was warm. water pooling up in my nether regions was uncomfortable but the rest of me was fine. anyway, i rode briefly in it, then got under a bridge. then it it rained under the bridge too...
sept_04_28.jpg


jacket is FG kilimanjaroII, gloves are FG something or other, mesh/leather, and my hands got wet. (heated grips negate this for a while) and i've got oxtar waterproof boots that are great. this past weekend i rode through sprinkles, and stopped at wallyworld and picked up some $20 breathable, waterproof pants. it soon rained harder, and i was dry all over, except for my hands. the guy i rode with put on some one-piece suit, and he was complaining that he was too hot in it. made me love my kilimanjaro even more - it's raining? close the vents. stopped raining? open the vents. i can do it on the bike, so i dont have to stop and mess around.

the pants were an emergency purchase, so i plan to watch this thread closely and see what others are doing. please post what bike you ride so we can all get an idea as to how much fairing youre behind. im on an r1150r, so im essentially nekkid.
 
i'm mostly riding a r1100rs, the /7 with the full hannigan hasn't seen much action since i added a techlusion powerbox to the oilhead...like having a new bike! such a pleasure to ride..brad mentioned the columbia,so it will stand up to the wind etc at 85mph? if so i'll grab a set today for summer and keep researching the heavier waterproof stuff...thanks
 
Of course I would never endorse going any faster than the posted speed limit... I have used the Columbia stuff at 75MPH no problem. The biggest limit is that they do not breath real well. However for $40 I figure I can deal with that as long as I stay hydrated.
 
I've been wearing First Gear Ht Overpants. They are absoutly water proof. I've worn them in hard driving rains with 40 mile an hour head winds. Never got a drop of water in side. They come in tall sizes so you can get a fit that stays put around the ankles. The removable liner will keep you warm in the coldest weather. I do have to admit that they are pretty warm on hot days even without the liner. They have no vents, but that's probably why they don't leak. I wear a Belstaff Merlin jacket which is also totaly water proof. The jacket's waterproof layer in between the outer and inner layer so water does get trapped beneth the outer layer, but it never makes it's way inside. It gets pretty heavy when wet, but you just hang it up for a while and the water runs out from between the layers. It never gets absorbed by the material. By the way I ride a GS so I'm pretty much exposed to every drop of rain that falls.

Gail
 
With my Savanna II and inserts, or Technics rainsuit over leather, plus Sidi On-Road sympatex boots, I am always totally dry.........

........except my hands.:dunno

Have tried Technics waterproof gloves, waterproof gloves plus 'stitch triple digits, gauntlet over the cuff, gauntlet under the cuff, etc. etc.........but the water always finds me. Osmosis...........sigh.......

I have ordered Held summer storms to give them a try. The hands are the problem. When its warm, thats not a problem. But when its (Canada) cold, well, thats another story. I ride an 1150GS.
 
Stay Dry... mostly

I've got a Belstaff Mercury jacket, and the aforementioned Firstgear HT overpants.

I've ridden as long as 2+ hours in steady rain, and stayed perfectly dry. The RS fairing keeps my hands dry as well.

For footwear, I have a pair of all leather hiking boots, but with a smoother sole like a motorcycle boot. These, too, are completely waterproof. And plenty comfy enough to walk around in.
 
Frogg Toggs

gambrinus said:
I don't have any yet but I keep hearing good things about the Frog Toggs overgear.

RW

Frogg Toggs are a great product and I'm on my second set, but there is one caveat - they wick moisture on contact.
I ride a K1200GT and am sufficiently stout that my stomach frequently touches the back of my Marsee tankbag. Whenever I ride in the rain, I find that water wicks through the Frogg Toggs at this contact point, eventually soaking my shirt and my crotch.
You can't beat Frogg Toggs for the price and breathability, especially for just walking around in a deluge, but the wicking issue has me looking for alternative raingear.
I'm very happy with the BMW GoreTex gloves and BMW GoreTex boots, although the boots eventually begin to take on water and work better when treated with mink oil.
 
Re: Frogg Toggs

IndyGT said:
Frogg Toggs are a great product and I'm on my second set, but there is one caveat - they wick moisture on contact.
I ride a K1200GT and am sufficiently stout that my stomach frequently touches the back of my Marsee tankbag. Whenever I ride in the rain, I find that water wicks through the Frogg Toggs at this contact point, eventually soaking my shirt and my crotch.
You can't beat Frogg Toggs for the price and breathability, especially for just walking around in a deluge, but the wicking issue has me looking for alternative raingear.
I'm very happy with the BMW GoreTex gloves and BMW GoreTex boots, although the boots eventually begin to take on water and work better when treated with mink oil.

can you clarify this? are you saying that if im wearing these, and i touch up against something wet, the water seeps through? seems kinda weird. does it also seep through your butt area and inside of your legs?
 
Warm Wet Weather

I swear by the Columbia rain pants and rain jacket, they are 100% waterproof and pack into a pocket the size of a sandwich bag. I typically wear Joe Rocket Phoenix pants and First Gear Mesh Tex Jacket and find that raingear 1 size larger than normal is perfect. If rain is in sight it takes all of 60 seconds to pull the jacket and pants over my riding gear. I have ridden 2 hours in a driving thunderstorm with no leaks or overheating. Total cost for the pants and jacket was less than $90
 
Warm Wet Weather

I swear by the Columbia rain pants and rain jacket, they are 100% waterproof and pack into a pocket the size of a sandwich bag. I typically wear Joe Rocket Phoenix pants and First Gear Mesh Tex Jacket and find that raingear 1 size larger than normal is perfect. If rain is in sight it takes all of 60 seconds to pull the jacket and pants over my riding gear. I have ridden 2 hours in a driving thunderstorm with no leaks or overheating. Total cost for the pants and jacket was less than $90
 
I like frog togs over my leathers, they work great, and I have had no wicking problems. Could it be that you have worn off the waterproofing by contact?
 
Rain Suit

I've had a BMW rainsuit and have gone ridden through two long rides (over 300miles) in the rain and have not gotten wet (Sidi Street Boots). Plus: keeps you dry, not hard to get on and off, doesn't tear easily, the yellow is great visability. Minus: gets hot if it's hot and it's hot when it's hot.:brow
 
Trying to stay dry

I bought the Marsee Adventure suit earlier this year. Don't go this route if you are interested in staying dry. I should have known better than get a rain product designed by a California company. No experience with rain.

Main problem is the pants have waterproof zippers on the insides of the legs. No overflap and not very waterproof zippers. Crotch wet within 20 minutes of light rain on unfaired bike (R80G/S) and even a faired one (R100RS) Two side slash pockets with waterproof zippers must be on the outside of the so-called waterproofing. Everything in pockets soaked.

Same with wallet inside pocket on jacket, passport soaked.

Suit does look good, but you are required to carry a rain suit as well which kind of defeats the purpose!
 
I got a great deal on my 2 piece BMW rain suit. Yes it was still expensive but after going the cheaper way I still got soaked. It pays to be comfy and this suit keeps me dry and warm.
Yep I live in Floriduh but it can get chilly and wet down here too!
Don't:rofl , when you're used to 90's and it get's into the 50's or less it is cold specially when you're wet.
my 02 cts
 
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