Seeing in the rain
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: Bismarck, ND
Seeing in the rain
Took a trip down to South Dakota this week and rode a couple canyons and then headed for home. About an hour out from home I get into some pretty good rain and it's there for a while. Pulling over to wait it out wasn't much of an option seeing as my town is the closest place with any decent hotel. So I pull over and put on the frog toggs. The trouble I had was vision. The rain made the windshield useless to view through and my glasses became useless as well. I can see fine without the glasses but the rain was stinging in my eyes. So what are the suggestions? I've heard of rainex on a full face helmet. Does that work? (don't turn this into a helmet or no helmet thread. There are a ton of those and honestly, no one cares about anyone elses helmet religion). The other thing I thought of was a plastic visor that I could wear low under my frog toggs hood to shield my eyes from the pounding rain. Are there good rain goggles out there? I would think they would need some sort of treatment as well. I'm going to have to try a few things here at home when it rains so I know what to pack for road trips. Riding blind is just no fun.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,241
Likes: 7
From: Daytona, Fla.
I never had much trouble with rain till I started riding a bagger. Had a short period on the baggers where I had problems seeing in the rain till I figured it out.
I wear an open face helmet & carry a flat shield for rain. I wax the flat shield inside & out to help the rain run off. Without a windshield it worked really well. Then I got on a bagger....
I wax the windshield on both sides, & the rain runs off pretty good, but there's some that clings to both the front & back. Same with the flat face shield, & any glasses I'm wearing. That results in three layers of plastic & 6 layers of water I'm lookin' through!
Realized the problem in a torrential downpour one day. Removed the glasses, & set up enough to get the face shield back in the wind. One layer of plastic & two layers of water. Not as good as a sunny day, but I could see again. Sometimes it's the simple things...............
I wear an open face helmet & carry a flat shield for rain. I wax the flat shield inside & out to help the rain run off. Without a windshield it worked really well. Then I got on a bagger....
I wax the windshield on both sides, & the rain runs off pretty good, but there's some that clings to both the front & back. Same with the flat face shield, & any glasses I'm wearing. That results in three layers of plastic & 6 layers of water I'm lookin' through!
Realized the problem in a torrential downpour one day. Removed the glasses, & set up enough to get the face shield back in the wind. One layer of plastic & two layers of water. Not as good as a sunny day, but I could see again. Sometimes it's the simple things...............
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
From: Squamish, BC, Canada
There are no easy solutions, full-face helmet with a polished visor works best but can't always have it along if we need the storage space. I have prescription goggles work well with my open-face but under really heavy rain they can fog up. Pulling over to the side of the road is too dangerous. Pulling OFF the road is best if you can find somewhere safe that has shelter but by then you're wet anyway.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 333
Likes: 0
From: Western New York
Face shield, rain X, and anti fog treatmnent always in the saddle bag. Both my face shield and perscription goggles are treated on the outside with Rain X and treated on the inside with (Yamaha Anti Fog) plastic and glass cleaner. Both work well together.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 805
Likes: 4
From: The Live Free or Die State
I just treated my windshield with the Harley rain repellant wipes. It is the only Harley approved treatment for their windshields.
Haven't been in the rain yet...will report back when it gets wet
Haven't been in the rain yet...will report back when it gets wet
Trending Topics
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,324
Likes: 522
From: Dutchess County, NY
I use an HJC IS-2 half helmet with an amber shield. The shield slides up into the helmet when not in use. I've used it in the rain a couple of times now and it works very well.
The other thing i have used that works pretty well is a pair of amber shooting glasses from Walmart although I prefer the HJC IS2.
The other thing i have used that works pretty well is a pair of amber shooting glasses from Walmart although I prefer the HJC IS2.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,778
Likes: 69
From: Badlands of ND
I had to ride to Bismarck on Wednesday and hit thunderstorms on the way there and back. Widshields are worthless to see through, but my full face helmet I had no issues. Just had to look around the windshield.
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 31
Likes: 1
From: kentucky
laughing at the rain
I use a full face helmet and have no problem with the rain, it beads up and rolls off so fast I don't need to treat the shield. Fogging is a problem but I use an HJC helmet that has a shield with dead air space which works well. On other helmets I've used Fog City which is a thin film applied to the inside of the shield forming a dead air space. I've had friends follow me in heavy downpours, later asking if I could see because they could only see my tail light. I had no problems, only had to avoid the streams crossing the road.