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Waterproof Gear

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no_vtec said:
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Cheap, hi vis, waterproof. Couple this with windbreaker pants and you're good.

What more do you need for those odd days when it rains really hard.

Most of the rain we get in the summer is a light drizzle, or it rains hard for 10 minutes. My Joe rocket textile jacket is waterproof enough for those scenarios (without the waterproof lining).
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I would suggest that these are not for use at highway speeds.
Funny story:
Rode to Americade one year with a couple of guys who bought cheapie yellow rain suits from Mark's/Cdn Tire.
They lasted a couple of hours before the legs literally shredded due to flapping in the wind. At every stop they were using black electrical tape to keep what was left on them. And yes, they looked like a couple of bumble bees by the time we arrived.
Those folks riding behind them had to dodge bits of yellow plastic flying at them.
:)

Cheers

Rob
 
ScorpionT16 said:
Ah, thanks! Do you know what Rev'it brand jacket that was? I'm looking at the Horizon 2 now as it seems decent and in budget. Checked some Olympia reviews, it's american fit like Klim, so out for me, I'll still try it a GP bikes to see. The Icon Jacket I bought is Medium, far to big, even with the Liner in, at a Small the arms were too short and Armour too high, and still too baggy everywhere else. After dealing with that baggy mess for 2-3 years, I'm through and want some textiles that are fitted snug with proper cinches to tailor the fit
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I think it might have been a Legacy GTX. I got it 7-8 years ago and it lasted about 3-4 years before it started leaking. In the end, it wasn't really any better than the $250 Tourmaster Transition I had before it. It's usually either the zippers or the creases around the elbows and shoulders where the waterproofing starts to die on me.

I actually have found the Olympia Airglide gear to be fairly Euro cut (read not too baggy) at least compared to brands like Joe Rocket. Maybe not as slim cut as skinny jeans or a racing suit, but not as baggy as a parka and snowpants... FYI I'm 6'4" with 34" inseam and about 200lbs, so I'm sort of in between Euro skinny and American blob fit.
 
I use my Gortex ski/snowboard gear (shells). Light/medium rain is OK but touring at highway speeds and heavy rain the water just eventually gets pushed through, motorcycle specfic ones may be better. I laughed at my BIL when he bought those oiled or waxed white paper like jumpsuits/coveralls one year at the bike show, on one of those poring rain touring rides, he was dry, I was not....
 
Wingboy said:
Teknic 2pc lined suit is over 20yrs old but still 100 percent.
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Ditto for me (jacket only). My Teknic is about 6 years old, it's the best cold weather jacket I have ever owned. Warm enough to use for sledding in the winter and it's never let in a drop of water or snow.
 
I have a set of construction rain gear I picked up at Costco - the yellow ones..


imageService


They are absolutely positively 100% waterproof - A few years ago a buddy and I spent a day riding in torrential rain, and everything that was covered was dry - even on the seams, etc. To this day they're still waterproof.

They don't shred, they are heat resistant (I've hit my leg on my pipes many times and they have never melted), are super visible (I look like a full on power ranger when I'm wearing them, but I don't care...when you're in the rain being seen trumps style) and they were cheap - $69 regular price for the top and bottoms. I got them on sale for $49 in store....although they're usually only in store during the spring months. Available anytime online.

Laugh all you want....I'm visible, I'm dry, and I didn't spend hundreds of dollars on gear that doesn't' get used regularly and I'm afraid to damage.
 
Interesting seeing everyone approach to this! I like that Costco Rain Gear, If I go the external liner option I would get that over the Frogg Toggs probably, shame it doesn't come in a grey/reflective option. Never heard of Teknic till now either. The CanadianTire stuff I'm staying away from.

I'll be going GP to try on some stuff later on. Gortex isn't in my Budget for a jacket+pants combo. If I'm touring and it's going to be raining for 2 days+ and cold, I'll just stop a Costco and pick those up in a pinch if I find the Proprietary waterproofing like Rev'its hydra stuff, or AS Drystar start leaking
 
A do everything suit is like a dual purpose bike. Not good at either dirt or street. The problem with most rain suits is that they don't allow perspiration out.A liner makes a big difference. Gore Tex allows moisture to escape, but it is subject to wear and tear and age.
I have had top of the line Gore Tex hiking boots that are perfect when new, but i always carry a couple of plastic bags and spare socks to use when they give up.
And if it rips or tears, you can patch it with an iron on tent patch.


https://imgur.com/jgD8lS9
 
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I'm open to options and key things going forward I'm looking for are versatility, safety, durability, comfort and lastly style

The do everything perfect in one maybe out there, finding it, affording it and trying it is another story. I'm looking at Dakar riders and how they all use a layering system and thinking of going that route, minus the hard plastics. Something like a Forcfield Pro XV-2 Shirt + Pants with all the soft CE2 stuff in it and good at one thing, protection. Then add a shirt/shell jacket over for summer/hot weather, thermal Inside for cold. Something Like the Mosko Moto Baslik jacket is abrasion resistant, and waterproof E-Vent fabric, more breathable than gortex, yet waterproof. I prefer that to Gortex, have a bunch of sea to summit stuff with it and it works really well.

This route may get more costly, yet it checks all the options.
 
Wingboy said:
Teknic 2pc lined suit is over 20yrs old but still 100 percent.
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I miss Teknic gear.
The quality of their stuff in the last few years before they went out-of-business was pretty poor - but prior to that I always thought it was on par with Joe Rocket etc.
 
Klaatu said:
Just wondering if anyone here has ever tried those waterproof sprays for clothing and boots?
Just wondering if anyone has had success?
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yes
I have a Scorpion 2 piece jacket that I tried this on

outer is mostly mesh
inner is completely waterproof

problem is that within a short time the outer weighs 20 lbs in the rain

tried the silicone spray on the jacket and it did help
in light rain it shed the water quite well
after 2 days this was gone and it returned to normal - heavy AF

boots are pretty simple - they cannot have laces
so you have 2 choices:

1. cowboy
2. space ranger
 
this is what I was going to say too... I have the Klim badlands gear, actually waterproof, love it.

they repair their stuff too, they have some warranty time, and after that you can pay them to fix it.

they will do a waterproof test for you too, if for some reason, it’s leaking. If they can’t fix it, they will replace it.

regder said:
Yeah removable liners are a waste of time. Klim and some others laminate the gore-tex to the garment, that is definitely the way to go if you can afford it.

Had the same issue with my Klim gloves, Klim warranty exchanged them for a new model. I just paid the price difference at retail, $15. Didn't have to ship them or go through any other hassles. Good experience with them.

My Gore-Tex boots started leaking after about four years/80k km's. Gore-Tex gave me a full refund for the amount I initially paid as the boots were discontinued. Quick and easy process, didn't have to ship anything, pictures were enough.

Nothing will stay waterproof forever, including Gore-Tex. I would much rather have a warranty to fall back on then have to throw away a product. Had a Teknic jacket that I loved, was perfectly waterproof for 3-4 years before it started to leak. Unfortunately, but that time Teknic had gone under, and my lifetime waterproof warranty was useless.
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Tried some Klim stuff on at GP this weekend, nothing really fit well and all the jackets/pants felt stiff, heavy, and way too much of a regular fit. So Klim is out for me, shame cause they even had a Klim Gortex Jacket 50% off, the sleeves were so short, and I got some long arms that so far only Alpinestars and Rev'it work on. Warranty stuff is all well and good, most of the time I don't bother with the hassle of it, when I do it's a long winded process Like I had with the Klim Gloves. Now on a 2-4 month wait on getting my Arai XD-4 back, which may not happen, as GP told me they may just keep it and refund me the money, that defeats a warranty purpose imo.
 
I can say that I've had a set of Frogg Toggs for several years now and ridden through many long, hard days of rain out east. My only complaint was that after a few hours there was a spot in the crotch that leaks through. I could probably buy some seam sealer stuff or spray treatment to help this but I've been lazy. For the price they cannot be beaten.
 
Klaatu said:
I don't think that anything is 100% waterproof after it has been used a bunch of times in heavy rain. I have heard people complaining about Klim, and about Frogg Toggs. Klim is supposed to be guaranteed for life. I know a couple people that had to return it after a few years because it started leaking in the elbow area. Klim did replace them.
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Surprised Klim took it back, right in the washing instructions it states you are supposed to use DWR.
You get the stuff from Amazon or Mec. There are spray on and Washing machine versions. A bottle lasts years.
Link: Nikwax

From Gortex website:

DWR stands for “durable water repellent,” a thin layer of liquid applied to the outside of technical garments to repel oil, grease, dirt, and water. Garments treated with a DWR treatment will not get saturated with water as easily as garments without, and will be less prone to “wet out,” (when saturated outer fabrics get heavy and cling to your skin making you feel clammy and damp). Naturally, rainwear with a DWR treatment will keep you comfortable and dry more effectively than rainwear without.
Rainwear with highly effective DWR is highly desirable in the outdoor world. Instead of soaking to the core, hikers, backpackers, and campers who wear rainwear with DWR can roll or shake off water and remain dry inside and out. Unfortunately, a DWR treatment is not a permanent property of most outerwear and periodic care is necessary to maintain peak performance.
 
After much debate, going with the layering system and skipped the all in one, gortex do it all jacket/gear options. The lightweight multi-function and specific use just makes sense, no other sport from skiing to mountaineering has a one system do it all suit, this motorcycle trend of jackets that claim great protection, waterproofing and fit is a myth to me. So will spread the functions, 1. protection, 2. Abrasion resistance and 3. weather proofing. Ordered a ADV spec jacket and will get some force field Armour as a base layer, then figure out a rain shell later on :)
 
Jayell said:
Is that a particular brand?
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Yeh, Adventure spec, they developed a few jackets for Klim, then made their own take on motorcycle gear - Adventure Spec

They worked with Lyndon Poskitt when he did he's second dakar rally to develop their line. Should get it in the mail this week, lets see, was surprised that its all Made in Europe too. Was between that and the mosko moto basilisk, AS had a nice black friday sale, so said why not try them, I ordered the Linesman version
 
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