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Get the HD brand made with Gore-Tex. The material is water proof and will allow air to blow through. This will make the rides in the summer rains more enjoyable. The other materials just cause you to sweat.
I was at my local dealership last week and one of the local motor officers walked in. Who better to ask, right? He showed me his rain-gear (very nice) and also mentioned that he wore Gerbings heated clothing beneath it. The rain-gear is made by Watershed Inc.. You can find them at www.gowatershed.com. They are a little pricey but the quality looked really really good. The best thing is you can completely customize them to suit your needs. I need reflective with bright day time colors. They can do it. I also need a place for an ID badge, Got it. The "basic" jacket I'm looking at is $166 and adds features from there to $263. The pants with cargo pockets are going to run around $118.
The motor officer wears these every day all day. Likewise, I ride every day in the Pacific Northwest and I need good stuff.
I have a set of Frogg Toggs I think very highly of for fishing and packable protection. They're just not durable enough for every day use. I've burned several holes in them because they're so baggy that when I put my feet down at stoplights, I just can't help but singe them.
Look at Watershed. For the money, they are a pretty good deal.
If you are cheap like me, you can get mil surplus ECWS Gore-Tex field dress camos or similiar for low bucks. Pretty darn good if you don't give a hoot about color/style. Used 'em for years never had a problem, never got pipe burns.
Had a yellow plastic suit that worked pretty well. Had velcro closures aound pants pockets so you could reach intoyour pockets. Problem was in heavy rain water trickled in through the velcro and soaked your bum.
In the coldjust about anyrainsuitwill blockthe wind from going through your clothes and you stay warmer. I always put on my rain gearwhengetscold.
Also good for snowstorms while camping, hiking orshoveling snow off thedriveway - not to mentionsnowball fights.
I have the new suit from HD and like it (not sure of the part number but it is an 08). Tested it with a few hundred miles in the rain on the way to Myrtle Beach.
I've got the HD Paclite Goretex pants. Pricey but they work great and have heat shields built in.
For the top i just got one of the HD Camo rain-jacket. It's really just a covering, since my jacket is water-resistent, but helps to keep me warmer in a pinch.
I just bought a set at a vendor in Sturgis this year to replace my generic set that finally about had it after 18 years or so. Don't recall the brand and didn't need them on the trip home.
We bought my wife a set at Wal*Mart last year. Separate bib type pants and a jacket. We attached a piece of leather to the right pant leg where her drag pipe is, killer of the last three rain suits. They got tried out this year on the ride up and worked fine.
I also recommend trying them on before purchasing. Put them on, sit, simulate sitting on your bike, see what rides up, what's tight, etc.
If you are cheap like me, you can get mil surplus ECWS Gore-Tex field dress camos or similiar for low bucks. Pretty darn good if you don't give a hoot about color/style. Used 'em for years never had a problem, never got pipe burns.
+1 Now that all the serivcesare switching to the new Digital Camo, the prices on the woodland pattern Gore-Tex have come waaaayyy down. I use my old issue stuff without any trouble.
If you buy the surplus stuff and it's a bit faded, you may want to hit it with the Gore-Tex refresher in a spray can. Won't do anything for the color, but restores the water repellant characteristics of the fabric.
I bought a Harley rain siut $ 200.00 . But it was raining and i was 5 hrs from home and had to be home that night, best friggin investment i ever made. great gear, i can't say enough about it.
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