Rain Gear questions.
 

Ok i have ridden in the rain several times (over 500 mile one day) but never had rain gear. always just sucked it up.

I had an occasion this weekend to purchase some rain gear and since were at Gander Mountain for some other camping related gear. I purchased a Gander Mount Guide Series Men's TecH2O Leader Fishing Parka. Here is a description form there site.
"Full-coverage, zip-off hood with drawcord adjustment provides a custom, comfortable fit. Waterproof full-front zipper with interior wind flap, sleeve cuff tab adjustments, interior neoprene cuffs, and drawcord-adjustable hem help seal out moisture and the cold. Two large bellowed chest pockets, an interior chest pocket, and two hand pockets, all with waterproof zipper closures"

This thing was awesome for walking around in the rain all weekend. Never leaked.

Having never ridden in rain gear i have a couple of questions.

1. Do you put the hood on underneath your helmet? I have a Scorpion EXO-C110 Helmet.
2. Will this jacket work for the motorcycle. Should be better than nothing :-)

Thanks in advance,
Jim

I use HD Hivis rain gear. Works great.

Does your coat have a double flap over the zipper?

Not saying what you bought was cheap but I've seen guys buy fishing rain gear and get on a bike and have it shred right off of them at Hiway speeds.

It might work but for my money I'll buy what I KNOW will work.

since i do not wear a helmet the hood goes straight to my head, but if i had a helmet on the hood would go over the helmet. from the decription it sounds like it would work well.

I had a set of frog tog's at first, then melted the pant leg and shredded the left leg riding with them. Yes they worked for a few rides in heavy rain for the most part, but here is where it got bad using them. Riding up 75 thru toledo, OH. a semi came up on me fast and didn't see me until the last second and swerved over and slammed the back of a bread truck. Parts flew everywhere but he missed me thankfully. I was getting on the highway from the entrance ramp and getting up to speed at the time, (heading to 70 or so mph) My pants/shorts got changed and so did my rain gear. I got reflective harley gear now that folds up better and stores better in the saddle bag and Im more visible in the rain. Safety first and foremost.

Batman

Regardless you are going to get wet, the trick is to try and get as little wet as possible.

I also wear the high visibility suit from Harley, sometimes you can get them on sale or order online from a discount place. I have one set that I got in 05' it still gets used.

If you can try it on first, you want it a tad bit snug, if not while riding it could balloon out and flap, that sucks.

If you can get the hood on under your helmet do it, make sure it isn't so tight you can't move head.

If you can't wear your hood, wrap up a small towel and tuck it around your jacket, it we help prevent rain from dripping down your back.

Have a change if clothes and dry socks.

Find something for your windshield and visor to bead the water. Not RainX, it isn't made for plastic supposedly.

It sucks but its doable.

I bought J&P Cycles rain gear.

Then I bought Frog Toggs rain gear.

Last year on vacation I bought HD rain gear during a downpour and finally stayed dry.

I should have bought the HD rain gear from the start, I would have saved myself a lot of soggy rides and cash.

i also use the hd rain gear, however i still get a little wet. i ride in the rain often so its bound to happen. if its just a quick passing shower i dont even put the gear on. if the roads are wet but the rain stopped i usually just put my gators on (covers the shoes and up to the top of the calf...

TourMaster Defender 2 piece, Hood goes under helmet. All zippers are covered. Bought separate boot covers to go over pants. Whole suit with boot covers was $120.

I just bought the Harley High Visibility Rain Suit and love it. Having had several jacket/pant sets over the years, I can say this is my favorite.

My hood stays packed in the neck pouch. My collar is snug enough to keep me 95% dry when zipped all the way up.

Your jacket should work fine. Like someone else mentioned, I've melted more than one set of pants on my pipes. That stuff is way worse than boot smears to get off. The Harley suits have fabric in all the right areas to avoid this problem. Well designed and highly visible.

My wife and I carry Harley rain gear on our bikes on every ride, it never leaves the saddle bags. We stay dry riding in the rain and will use it when it gets cold to block the wind. I'll link a couple eBay auctions so you can see what we wear. They are pricy but built to last. The pants have built in heat shields so you won't burn or melt :icon_greedy: You can find used sets on Craigslist for a good price.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-David...98a292&vxp=mtr


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-David...e6f828&vxp=mtr

Thanks for the reply's.

I think for now i will get a pair of rain pants that have some type of heat shield and call it good until they prove otherwise.

I really don't ride that often in the rain unless on a trip.

Unfortunately my driveway is a half mile dirt road that turns to slick mud after a rain so seldom ride locally if it is raining due to mud.

Had a fun trip down it a few years ago on my heritage. The front wheel was slipping around and almost lost it several times even putting. The Street glide might be a bit more of challenge to keep up right. lol

Light rain I just wear a light windbreaker and leather legs. Heavy rain I wear HD gear. When I wear a helmet, I always wear a dew rag under it, so helmet is sized for it. As a result, I do wear the hood under my helmet. I just remove my dew rag and it fits just fine. My HD rain gear set is a few years old, so I do get a little wet on the areas my ass is trying to displace water, lol. I found using HD's seat pad helps to alleviate that. This is the seat pad I use. It has perforations for air so the water has a place to go too: http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...large-seat-pad

HD gear seems to be the best, but if it is raining hard and you have miles to ride, the water will find a way in. Just the facts. Taking a walk down the block you probably would be dry all day, but you start doing highway speeds in a decent rain, all you can do is minimize how wet.

That said, with the pants and jacket you also want boot covers and waterproof gloves. My feet are one of the guaranteed places to stay dry with a nice set from J&P, velcor, zipper, pulls over the front of the boot. I bought a pair of HD waterproof gloves in Indiana when on the road. Your hands will be dry, but they might be a little hot as well. Most of us do not ride in the rain and 40 degrees, rain is usually for summer riding. But that is better than cold.

I also keep a half snap on windshield for my helmet if waiting out the rain is not in the cards and miles need to be made. It sucks in town because it fogs up, but as long as you are moving it helps. Hood only in the worst on conditions and then under the helmet.

Oh and I prefer no helmet, but I do put it back on in the rain, rain hurts at speed!!

Did you purchase this: http://www.gandermountain.com/modper...s.cgi?i=433109
It looks like a nice jacket, although not motorcycle specific.
The zipper might be a weakness due to wind forced water.
The sleeves might be a little shorter than a bike specific model.
If you are behind a windshield the wind forced rain is reduced significantly and may not be a concern in regards to the unflapped zipper.
The zipper on the jacket described does seem to have an under the zipper flap so that should help.
The rain gear described may not fit over a motorcycle riding jacket (think winter).
To answer your question :The hood would be worn under the helmet.
It would be worn under the helmet in order to keep it from ballooning.
The neck part would be worn closed, high and as tight as comfortably possible.
It should be snug around the neck so water does not run into the jacket.
You basically want to make that face exposure as small as possible and use the built-in shield of the helmet indicated.

Nelson Rigg Aston AS-3000 - 100% waterproof GUARANTEED and vented This suit available in high visibility yellow and definitely keeps you dry for many miles .....

For gloves in the rain, these are inexpensive and work awesome: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...es/1575195.uts

I failed to mention that our raingear is big enough to go over leather jacket and chaps.

I have a HD Hi vis suit and wore it for the first time a couple weeks ago. I am working nights so when I got off work it was dark and a co-worker was following me(he rides also but he was in his truck). He said the bar and shield logo on the back looked like it had its own power supply. Staying dry is important but being seen is important to me as well. Just my opinion

If you wear regular leather gloves, put a set of latex gloves on under them- your hands stay dry and don't turn black from the leather. I always keep a few sets on the bike.

I also have a cheap safety vest from Home Depot that I put on over my rain gear, cost about 6 bucks and makes you visible for miles in rain or fog.

Great thread and glad I came across it. I am actually in the market for some rain gear since summer time is rain time here in NW Florida. I was looking at a Nelson Rigg suit (hi viz yellow) for around $60. But now that I think about it, i know HD suits are made well. I just need to get over it and spend the money I suppose.

Good idea on the visor and windshield. I have often used automotive paste wax on my visors. as long as you buff it all off it stays nice and clear and resists smudges for a while and makes the water bead nicely.

Just bought the HD hi-vis yellow from Surdyke, listed for $185, Surdyke price $148 shipped, tax included. Like someone once said to me, "I never go out in the rain but I've come home plenty of times in the rain".

I have hi-viz HD stuff, like most others here it works good. I have a couple friends with the high dollar KLIM stuff, and they can ride in damn near anything and be comfortable, warm, and dry.

Fogg Toggs here with a set of all nylon booties w/o the bulky rubber sole. Used spray adhesive to glue 2 layers of aluminized ironing board cover fabric to the right bootie. Booties rollup with the rain suit and the rig kept me dry out west during the past 2 weeks and we saw some torrential rain during our trip.

HD Hi-vis works well for Me.

I'm a Frogg Togg guy. They breathe so you don't sweat when you strike your camp in the rain before a ride home. The one down side is they do melt on hot pipes. My solution has been to not touch them to hot pipes.

Ihope this helps.

I have Frogg Toggs. I put the heat shield on when I had a RK my FLHTK seems to have the pipes in just a little different place. So to avoid the melting if started to wear my chaos over them. Snug, dry, and no melting.

Agree that works too in a pinch or a short ride. I hate my leather gloves getting soaked because they take a long time to dry out and once they do I have to re-oil them. Wet leather with latex under also means cold hands, depending on air temp. With it having rained here in central TX for the entire month of May, I have been extremely happy with the cold water angler's gloves.

Roll these up and keep them in the pocket of your rain gear. After you put your rain gear on, along with whatever gloves you like/want to wear, pull these out and over your gloves and lower sleeves. They are terrific, and also have a small squeegee on one of the thumbs that clear your visor with a quick slide across it. You won't leave home again without them.
http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-t...it-covers.html

Somethings you get what you pay for, rain gear is one of those things. The HiViz has yet to fail me in 4 years, along with the Harley GoreTex gloves and the Hustin Waterproof Boots, The most comfortable boots I've ever owned.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...formance-boots

http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...auntlet-gloves

http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/hi-vis-rain-suit

Anybody have any experience with the HD rain pants they sell separately?
Part #98246-09VM

I've got a decent jacket, but need some new pants. I'd prefer the Hi-Vis ones, but it doesn't look like they sell those separately.

I've found that my Showers Pass brand (yeah, I doubt if you've ever heard of 'em) premium bicycle rain pants and jacket combo is the best motorcycle rain gear I've ever used - hands down, bar none!

Totally cool and 100% breathable, absolutely wind and waterproof, zippers and all. Extremely durable if taken care of and not abused.

Pricey as hell, but I guess that anything that actually works perfectly always is.

I got the Harley gear, all I gots to say is the mesh liner had to go. My boots would get caught in the mesh, caused a real pain to put on. cut that stuff out and now they go on easy and pack tighter. Say no to mesh!

Shopped at my HD dealer for raingear. Was told by sales lady no raingear waterproof! Just made to wear til you find shelter. Wow! That really doesn't make sense to me! Have bought many sets including frog togs and HD. Always got wet while riding in downpours. Even over priced FXRG gear leaks.

She is completely full of sh!t - just like pretty much every other Harley dealership employee I've ever talked to.

My Showers Pass gear IS absolutely waterproof and guaranteed to be and stay that way, unless ripped or otherwise catastrophically damaged. I've ridden with it in day-long rain that changed to snow late in the evening and I finally arrived at home 100% dry from head to toe.

Like I already said, it's damn pricey - just like that crap Harley gear - but I actually got what I paid for, for once, with it. Couldn't be more pleased.

Anyone use military gore tex?

I like these! Would be easy to take off without having to stop once the rain stops too.

Fishing or hunting rain gear will melt and is not set up to deal with 75 mph winds that you get on a motorcycle. Bike specific gear works great. I have Tourmaster gear on the bike that has kept us dry in some pretty epic storms.

Rain Gear
 

Living on the treasure coast of Florida I see a lot of downpours. I've tried a few brands but the HD High-Vis is just amazing. Yes it is over priced but I often need to ride no matter the weather and it has never let me down.

How is this gear holding up to the hot pipes??

Roadway rain suit is good
 

I bought the Harley Roadway rain suit; Part Number 98239-13VM


It is really good. It is much easier to put on than my old one-piece non-Harley rainsuit.


Separate pants and jacket are well fitting and waterproof.
The leg shields for the exhaust are a good feature.
I thoroughly recommend this rain suit - pricey but worth the money.:icon_hyper: