Motorcycle.com

Rain Riding Part I: What to Wear
 

Original Article:
Rain Riding Part I: What to Wear

Please discuss the Motorcycle.com article Rain Riding Part I: What to Wear in our Motorcycle Forums below. Use the reply button to let others know your comments or feedback on the article. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, along with your thoughts and personal opinions on the bikes and products we have tested.

great article - so are ther part II & III - How can I get them????

Jim63

If I recall correctly he was a big fan of the 'Stich Roadcrafter. I think there was a video of him in and out of it in no time.

I just had a flash of a yeti sighting, I thought I'd managed to forget that.

OK a short yeti

Riding in the rain is a real issue in South Florida. Right now we're riding as much as we can before the Spring rain and Summer monsoons come along. When the rain does begin, it's a *****. It's so damn hot that anything that keeps you dry will get soaked on the inside with sweat. Which then makes your clothes a mess and turns your skin slimey. This summer I'm going to keep a set of dress clothes at work and change when I get in.

Of course the real issue is the QTips and SUVs. They go from driving poorly to becoming rolling death when it rains. If the rain is heavy (it usually is) they slow to 5 mph and turn on their emergency flashers. Or they blow by at 100 and throw tidal waves that can knock you off the bike.

Other than that stuff, it's great fun.

I rode in to work this morning in the rain, no fun at all but I'm tired of driving. I bought a new pair of rain gloves awhile back from TechNCycleGear.com that seem to work well so I stay dry. Just can't see jack-sh*t .

Ever try the windshield like type wippers they make that mount on your first finger? Havent seen them in awhile but they work pretty well.

My technique out west here is to just get wet. You see after April or so we get random usually brief thunderstorms rather than solid rainstorms. So I just wear the mesh gear and ride through the rain. About 15 minutes after the sun comes out you are dry again. Or we stop under an overpass or park at a cafe. Usually the storms only last 15 minutes or so. The worst thing is the extreme gusts of wind before the storm. I've been blown across two lanes on the interstate without warning on a light bike like a KZ750.

it's not just the faceshield, it's part of my commute is on twisty country back roads with dirt shoulders. When it's raining and dark you can't see the edge of the road and if a car's coming the lights blind me so it gets a little dicey. Plus there's deer, dogs, racoons.......I just deal with it 'cause I don't like to drive all the time. Once I get down to the freeway it's not as bad because I just follow tail lights but I still can't see very much.

I had a pair of Tourmasters and a pair of Triumph Explorer gloves with the squeege that worked good. The ones I have now are plain leather but they're treated and waterproof so far. The biggest issue is that with the airflow over the windshield I'm in a dead air spot. Nice and quiet but the wind doesn't clear my faceshield or ventilate my helmet enough so it fogs up bad, crack it open and i get rain on my spectacles so I can't see either way. It's just a PIA all the way around...

The short story
 

I broke down after 27yrs of riding and bought a "real" suit. No FroggToggs here anymore. TourMaster Transition 3/4 Jacket and matching Calibre pants. Best damn investment in my motorcycle lifetime. Like most of you suffering from Global Warming, it was colder than normal around GA this season. Just this week I rode in 19, 24 and 36 degree weather in my morning commute. The short story is that these items are affordable, weather resistant and WARM!. If the afternoon temps reach 50 you can ride (with the quilting in) in a t-shirt. It's great stuff. I won't tell you that you have to buy any particular product, but the TM gear was within my budget and allowed me to get the Alpinestars WR3 gloves I wanted so badly. Only two things left. A HJC FS-10 helmet and Icon Accelerator boots (also waterproof and only a buck & a quarter). These items make winter easy. I deal easily with cold. I cope with rain. Put them together and you're miserable. But wearing proper gear makes things less miserable and almost tolerable.

Yes, cold and wet not only suck but can kill you as well by sapping your concentration. Good riding gear makes all the difference, if you can stay dry then you can stay warm after that it's just how bad do you want to ride...