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Why are most jackets and pants black?

I just bought a Rev'It! Tornado suit that is a light grey mesh. They say to remove all of the armor and wash it by soaking in water (no machine wash). I wonder if Woolite would work.
 
Here we go...I was looking for bicycle (non-motorized two wheeler to be clear) shorts. ALL stores in town only carried BLACK. I complained to all the shop owners about that. And their typical answer was..."because our customers prefer black". :brow

I like colors so on the motorcycle I wear flashy colorful pants from our friends in the off-road department. Which means I CANNOT join an ADVrider rallye in this outfit. :doh

/Guenther
 
Regular laundry soap will destroy goretex...

Cite, please. I ask because I believe Aerostich recommends regular laundry detergent when washing their gear with Goretex.

If my memory is correct the recommended procedure was
  • wash with detergent
  • wash a second time without detergent to get all traces of detergent out of the garment
  • wash a third time with a wash-in waterproofing.
I use extra rinse on the first two washes.
 
Cite, please. I ask because I believe Aerostich recommends regular laundry detergent when washing their gear with Goretex.

If my memory is correct the recommended procedure was
  • wash with detergent
  • wash a second time without detergent to get all traces of detergent out of the garment
  • wash a third time with a wash-in waterproofing.
I use extra rinse on the first two washes.

Nikwax labels say that detergents can damage Goretex waterproofing.

There's conflicting info on Goretex'x own pages, on the one hand telling you to use detergent in the washing instructions and then telling you that detergents destroy the waterproofing. Their "fix" is to put it in the dryer to restore it. Why would you want to destroy the DWR waterproof coating in the first place? You don't have to use detergent.

I use TechWash and TX Direct from Nikwax and have had excellent results on lots of jackets and pants.
 
Why would you want to destroy the DWR waterproof coating in the first place? You don't have to use detergent.

Ahhh, got it. The DWR is NOT the Goretex.

The detergent will remove the DWR but apparently it does no harm to the Goretex. If my next step is to replenish the DWR I don't remind removing the remains of the old. I've two goretex jackets (not motorcycle gear) in the dryer as I type this. I just finished a wash with detergent, an extra rinse, and a wash with Nikwax wash in waterproofing. I've used this procedure many times on various pieces of Goretex gear. It seems to work well.

My limited experience with techwash is that it doesn't get my riding gear as clean as detergent.
 
The brighteners and other additives in detergent supposedly plug up the pores in Gore Tex. That's why Aerostich does the multiple rinse.

Pretty sure I read somewhere that Nikwax Techwash is just pure soap. Probably any castile soap like Dr. Bonners would work the same.
 
i an a harley stripped softail guy. I don't wear the black darth vader crap. I am beauty.
I am also a r1200rt guy. I wear schuberth c3 and technical riding gear from bmw motorrad.
Simply because i'm old and if i fall off, i know i'll come apart, and it's gonna hurt. My riding skills are poor.
Pain purifies, but i'm already pure enough. Jp

+1
uh not the harley part...:)
 
I think a lot of riders choose black because they just don't want to stand out.

Darwin would have an issue with that.

The idea is to stand out so other motorists will see you.

When I was at my dealer I wanted to buy a rain suit to go over a mesh jacket and kevlar jeans. All he had was black. I asked if they could order the rainsuit I liked in a brighter color. They could, and did, and I have a rainsuit with a bright yellow panel on the upper part, way better than black for riding in the rain...

Harry
 
Bike Shorts

Here we go...I was looking for bicycle (non-motorized two wheeler to be clear) shorts. ALL stores in town only carried BLACK. I complained to all the shop owners about that. And their typical answer was..."because our customers prefer black". :brow
/Guenther

Up until relatively recently, black was the only color permitted for racing, so the pros all wore black. When that rule was dropped, some very bad color choices were made in shorts. Ride behind a sweaty cyclist in white shorts and you'll quickly see the wisdom of black. Still, colorful shorts are available.
 
Darwin would have an issue with that.

The idea is to stand out so other motorists will see you.

When I was at my dealer I wanted to buy a rain suit to go over a mesh jacket and kevlar jeans. All he had was black. I asked if they could order the rainsuit I liked in a brighter color. They could, and did, and I have a rainsuit with a bright yellow panel on the upper part, way better than black for riding in the rain...

Harry

Yes I think standing out in the crowd is a good thing for us since most motorists don't see us anyway.

Thanks everybody for all the info...I knew this would start a firestorm but it's all good information to share. :bow
 
Aerostich Transit Two-Piece Suit: it's leather but is specially made with a "solar-reflective pigment" that will "wear up to 30 degrees cooler." Also waterproof. If it's as good as the other Aerostich riding gear, it's excellent. I haven't tried one but spoke with another rider who had one and he loved it. Oh yea, it $1,595.

My Olympia AST jacket was substantially cheaper and in high-viz yellow is impossible to get or keep clean.

pete

Pete,

I would love to get the Transit Suit but then I would have to come out of retirement and get a job to pay for it and I would have no time for riding then...
 
Black or any other color the inexpensive key to not roasting is to wear a long-sleeved shirt and soak it with water, then put the jacket on. Works best with a vented jacket.
When the only riding gear was leather black just made sense, and as well all know Black is the only color for REAL Motorcycles.
 
Still, colorful shorts are available.

Oh wow! Never seen those on the roads...these items must be "verboten" in public. Good to know that there are options out there.

So, do we have pictures of colorful motorcycle wear that is "tolerated" on a Beemer?

/Guenther
 
:gergBack in the old days...
if you didn't wear black, you ended up with a nice chain oil stripe up your right leg and back...even on pedal bikes. And, before lycra/spandex bike shorts, they were made of wool and made nice place to wipe your hands off when your chain came off.
Have a pair of light grey riding pants amongst my black ones...they sure get dirty real quick out in the rain or bug filled byways.
 
This was nothing more than an a convenient excuse. Couldn't justify buying myself a new jacket, so I bought a neon one for my son. Now he always has an excuse to ride with me. Hopefully, if they don't see me, they'll see him. Its good to be 13....

dragon.jpg

dragon2.jpg
 
Black was used for motorcycle wear because that's the color of all the grease and grunge on old motorcycles. Maybe not so much of an issue for BMW's, but ride a leaky old bike with a chain and black becomes much more appealing.
 
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Real bikers don't wear neon, stripes or day-glo 'hi-vis' garbage. Black proves you're a bad ass biker, and non of that pansy ATGATT stuff either. Except fingerless gloves. Those are cool. Worried about being seen? Your bike aint LOUD enuf !! :bottle:D
 
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