| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
I used to be a leather jacket with maybe a rain suit kind of rider; but over the past 10 years or so, I've changed over to textile gear. With textile gear, the possibility exists to have gear that I don't need to stop and change if the weather conditions vary. I can close the vents and I'll be warm and dry if it starts to rain or the temperatures drop, or I can open the vents and cool down if the sun comes out. That's the promise; however; the reality is that very few pieces of textile gear live up to that promise. I've tried gear from Motoport, TourMaster, Buell and Olympia, and I've been disappointed in all of them for various reasons. The Motoport was the first textile jacket I tried, back in '98; and it was their low end jacket. It looked good, and was durable, but it wasn't too waterproof. The Buell Adventure jacket (the one they offered way back in 1999) was the only jacket that didn't leak, but the pants that came with it were for somebody with about a 36" inseam. I wore that suit out, and would have gotten another one, but they weren't available. Then I tried a Tour Master Transition Jacket. It leaked the first time I got caught in the rain, and the seams pulled apart in less than a year. I'm glad I never crashed while wearing it; I think it offered as much abrasion resistance as wet Scott toilet paper. Then I decided to spend a little more and get a higher end set of gear. After reading comparisons on different forums (with special attention to the Adventure Riders Forum), I decided to get the Olympia AST jacket and Ranger pants. Long story short; they leak like sieves unless the liners are in. I think my denim jacket has more waterproof properties. Also the pants (which leak even worse) are supposedly "easy hem", so they can be shortened to fit. That's pure bullshit. The tailor I brought them to had more than a couple of choice things to say about that. So; here I am on another rainy day getting ready to go out on my bike; and I'm wondering if maybe it's all hype. Maybe there is no gear that's really "All Weather", like they say. Maybe I should go back to leather for protection, and find a good rainsuit to do over it when the weather turns wet. | ||
| Trojan |
Maybe there is no gear that's really "All Weather", I have some of the best and most comfortable bad weather gear now that I have ever owned.......Chrysler Grand Voyager. I use it every time it rains and have never got wet at all  | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Crusty, I use the old style Buell adventure riding suit which I like but I also have a Harley-Davidson FXRG textile riding suit that is the best riding suit I've ever seen. Harley also makes that FXRG suit in leather which is a really nice leather but it's EXPENSIVE!!! Crusty you might want to post this question on a real motorcycle forum instead of this political forum here on BadWed. | ||
| Doerman |
My wife bought Aerostich gear for her lap around America trip. It is what you describe. If it starts raining zip up the vents and continue. She stayed dry. The complaint she has with it is above 85F, it is getting hot. At 95F it is bordering on intolerable. I have a Joe Rocket jacket (forget the model name) with "zip in on the inside" rain jacket. It works very well (as far as keeping me dry). However you have to stop and put on the "inside out" rain suit. | ||
| Piotr12 |
I have some of the best and most comfortable bad weather gear now that I have ever owned.......Chrysler Grand Voyager. I use it every time it rains and have never got wet at all I was just about to google that...  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Just as there's no such thing as a "bullet proof vest", there's no such thing as a "weather proof suit" I have an Aerostitch roadcrafter now and it's awful in the heat above 90 even with all the vents opened. In cold drizzle, it is awesome though. You have to figure out what type of climate you plan on operating in most of the time. | ||
| Balloyd66 |
I also have an Olympia AST jacket and Ranger pants. For the rain I rode in on the way to Homecoming they did okay (not perfect), but yes, above 85F I'm starting to sweat. The vents are okay, but they make the jacket blow up like the Pillsbury Dough Boy; had to unzip it halfway down my chest to deflate. I don't think there's anything perfect for all seasons/weather. All summer I've been riding around in Joe Rocket mesh gear with a rain suit in the trunk, but just this morning it was 53F, so back on with the Olympia for the day, and I'll probably sweat on the way home. Let me know if someone invents the perfect motorcycle gear. | ||
| Richardbiker |
Crusty, I don't think there's any gear that will keep you dry in the conditions you rode in on Sunday. If the gear keeps you dry from the outside, you'll get wet from the inside. I haven't any practical experience with Gore-tex or other breathable laminates, but supposedly that's a start. I have a Fieldsheer Hydro tour jacket and the limited experience I've had with it has been good. I need pants though, the pooling of the water in the crotch is unpleasant (Tourmaster Overpant). | ||
| Squidbuzz |
Check out AeroStitch Darien gear. It is 2 piece and might suit your needs. I have a 1 piece RoadCrafter and it has been working well. Not 100% waterproof in some areas, but I'm working on resealing the spots in questions. The Darien is supposed to be a better warmer/colder jacket than the RoadCrafter. I bought the 1 piece to use for my daily ride to work. In/Out of the suit in about 90 seconds. | ||
| Daggar |
I wear an Olympia Phantom that is waterproof, assuming I Scotchguard it every couple months. | ||
| Fahren |
There is some good, european gear for all-around, but it is generally made for climates that don't get as hot and humid as most of the US regions' summers. I still think there's one set of gear that's 3-season all-around, and one set of summer gear that probably needs to be mesh for the super-hot conditions, then either a liner or a rain suit. I have never found anything that will work 4 seasons, 365 a year. | ||
| Dcc46 |
I have the motoport air mesh kevlar, it's great when its hot air flows right thru it, it's warm enough when it's cold with the liners in. and i'm perfectly dry with the rain liner, even in a downpour. but omg it's a pain in the asp to pull over and assemble it on the side of the road. i'm thinking of getting a cheap rain suit to throw over it. | ||
| Raceautobody |
I have been using one of these for the past couple months http://www.teizms.com/lombard-p-2.html?osCsid=9c8b vihajibrbtq8jbg81ta804 It has been working good for cummuting to work since I wear shorts at work. As long as you keep moving it vents well. I have not been in a down pour with it but with all the vents I don't expect it to be completely waterproof. Had to take the knee armor out they did not fit right. Also you have to be gentle with the vent and pocket zippers. They are getting much better as the suit breaks in. And it looks like they are closing out this version if you fit one of the sizes left that is one hell of a deal. Al | ||
| Xl1200r |
but the pants that came with it were for somebody with about a 36" inseam They're supposed to have a long inseam so they sit down at your ankles when your legs are bent. I decided to get the Olympia AST jacket and Ranger pants. Long story short; they leak like sieves I had (still have, actually) a Phanton suit, which is essentially the AST gear but in a one-sie. I had the same results - leaked like hell and made life miserable for me. Customer support was awful. The vents are okay, but they make the jacket blow up like the Pillsbury Dough Boy; had to unzip it halfway down my chest to deflate Make sure you have the back vents open - I found on mine that it wouldn't puff up at all with them open. I wear an Olympia Phantom that is waterproof, assuming I Scotchguard it every couple months. I wish this were true for mine - I'm thinking there are serious quality control issues with that company as even after scotch guarding water would just pour into that suit for me. I've been using a Joe Rocket Survivor suit. It fits perfect for me, keeps me warm when it's cold, vents really well and stays comfortable so long as your moving, and it's the most waterproof peice of gear I own, aside from actual rain gear which has never let me down. | ||
| Balloyd66 |
Perhaps because the Mrs. was sitting behind me I wasn't getting full extraction from the back vents. Anyway, Pillsbury Dough Boy is definitely no fun. | ||
| Buellbob |
Joe Rocket Ballistic 7.0 works for me, hasn't leaked yet. It has sealed seams etc. This version is better than my first one which eventually started to leak after a few years but it was worn out anyway. I don't think any jacket vents really well in high heat and I don't see how those jackets with mesh everything will hold up in a get off. I'd sooner suffer a little heat. Bob | ||
| Cityxslicker |
seattle, we gets rain. I ride all year except snow. Your method of operation is layering. Start with a breathable longsleeve shirt ie Under Armor. Layer with or cary optional Seattle Grunge flannel, an indispensible fashion item Add heated Vest Layer lightweigh wind breaker, add old man kidney support, Final top layer Adventure jacket for moderate days, Harley Rain gear for Heavier Days... For worse days;... It is the Helly Hansen Fishing gear outers. (we are the home of Deadliest catch) Gloves, REI kayakers as liners, over latex mechanix gloves, topped off with snomobile gloves (dry and warm) Pants, running nyoprene, a bit heavier than lycra, and it is more water proof. weather proof track outers, and capped with Buell Adventure pants Socks, Jet skii neoprene booties, under painter frog togs, last layer thick Scottish Wool socks Army Cold Weather boot. This is the ride gear for the Polar bear ride that we do every Jan 1. when it is really rainy out, it will take me 15 mins to get dressed for the weather.... so I better spend a full tank of gas once I am on it. Make sure you have a drying/staging area in the garage. And with really rainy weather, have duplicates of all, so you can swap out when they dont drip dry for your next trip. And if you are riding off road in the rain (because it makes the best MUD) dont forget your camelbak to HYDRATE. | ||
| Crusty |
I put this question up on three different motorcycling forums - Wild Guzzi, ADVrider and Badweb - and the overwhelming advice I got was Aerostich. If one person tells me something, I can disregard it, if I don't like what I hear. But if a lot of people (some of whom I know and respect) are giving the same advice, maybe I should listen. I understand about layering; there have been several winters when my motorcycle was my only transportation both in Colorado and in Boston, and I've done several cross country rides in the winter. What I was asking was do any of the textile suits really fulfill their promise? When Terri and I bought the Olympia AST gear, we thought we were getting top end gear for a more affordable price. When it leaked, we were a bit disappointed. After having to wear raingear and our AST jackets on our ride home from Syracuse this past weekend, I began wondering if all the claims were smoke. It looks like we'll be saving up for a couple of Darien jackets and pants. Thank you all for your input. | ||
| Iamike |
I've had a pair of First Gear HT overpants for 10+ years. They have spent many, many hrs on me. And they are still waterproof. I have since bought a pair of HT-2s but I'm not sure if I like them as much. They do have a removable liner which helps in the summer but I don't like how they puff out at the knees so much. I have a Belstaff Avalon jacket that was great for several years until I washed it, never did get the waterproofing back after that. I usually just carry a rainsuit for all purpose coverage. | ||
| Britchri10 |
For reproofing a Belstaff use "Dubbin". I dunno if you can get it in the USofA but it's what we used in the UK in the good old days. (Good for leather rugby boots too.) | ||
| Bluzm2 |
I'll second Mike's thumbs up on the First Gear stuff. I have had the HT2's for 3 years now. Ridden through TORRENTIAL rain and not got a drop on me. They do puff at the knees but they are meant as an "over pant". I guess it doesn't bother me much. I also have the Kilimanjaro jacket. That is also highly recommended. Mine is now 2 models ago, the couple of little things that bugged me about it have been addressed in the 2 newer models. I had an Aerostich for many years, finally couldn't get it to be waterproof anymore. Brad | ||
| Dynasport |
Interesting comments you make about the Tourmaster Transition jacket. It is my everyday jacket and I like it a lot for every day use. It flows air very well, which is important for me in Florida. It has two liners, one of them rain proof. It is bulky wearing all the liners, but I don't think there is any way around that. My rain liner has done a good job keeping me dry, but the jacket gets drenched, which I don't like. I have just decided that pretty much no gear is going to be all that comfortable in the heat and humidity of Florida, especially if you are not moving. So, I have a cheap pair of rain pants to wear over my pants and I put up with my jacket getting wet over my liner. Now, cold weather is another issue. The two cold days we have in Florida I don't ride much. | ||
| Reepicheep |
FWIW, I scored the Kilamanjaro Air II (or maybe it was III) on ebay in a small ladies size for under $40. I`ve been using First Gear stuff for about 8 years now. Better (and not much more expensive) than the Joe Rocket stuff. Not as good (but much cheaper) than aerostitch. If money wasn't an object I'd have a stitch. But one stitch is more than was spent on 4 of the 5 motorcycles sitting out in my garage right now. | ||
| Blasterd |
I ride every day in Florida, which means I ride in thunderstorms every day (hail sucks). I like some of you have tried all kinds of gear and I don't believe there is anything that is truly waterproof out there period. I have found a one piece that does work well, very warm in the winter and mostly waterproof. If it were regular rain it may actually be waterproof but it rains like hell here in the summer. I carry a Frogg Togg knock off I got from Sam's Club and put it on under the one piece and I stay completley dry. Only issue is that it's too hot to wear the one peice during the summer so I just wear a jacket and the Sam's Club rainsuit. I really need a pair of riding pants but I have't found any in the classifieds yet. BTW, it's a Feildsheer Cyclone one peice suit and I really like it. |
