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? for our Rain Riders

5K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  Steve Bracken 
#1 ·
I'd like to hear from those guys who successfully ride in consecutive days of rain in hopes to learn if and how they kept the wet from wicking to the padding under the bottom edge of the helmet and or running down the inside of the collar of a good motorcycle rain suit. Is my collar too short, my neck too long and my helmet too short also? Riding fast to keep the rain blowing past works well until one comes to a city or is stuck in traffic. Do some rain jacket/suit makers incorporate a thin comfortable seamless hood designed for under the helmet for this very purpose or would that just create less air circulation and additional fogging issues? I see Neoprene Wind Stoppers that stretch around the base of the helmet, but none such add ons that suggests a reduction of this rain down the neck issue. Maybe helmets need a gutter or drip flange or maybe I just need to toughen up....
Riders state that they have ridden all day in poring rain while staying completely dry. How do they do it?
 
#2 ·
A couple of things.
I have a Kilimanjaro jacket that has a thin waterproof hood concealed in the collar. That can be pulled out and put under your helmet in the rain.
2) I usually buy a jacket with a longer collar to keep the rain off my neck. Most winter jackets have this.
3) I like to ride with a forward lean. I have no setbacks on the bars and like a bar farther forward than most. This means the shoulders and neck of the jacket ride higher and the collar tucks under my helmet.
4) I wax or usually "rain x" the shell of my helmet. This makes the rain fly off the helmet and not run down the back to drip on my neck.
5) some helmets have a flip or little wing at the base just before the neck. This will allow the jacket collar to slide under the helmet and also act as a drip edge like you suggest.
Good Luck.
 
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#3 ·
It is difficult to keep dry if it rains all day as it eventually gets in somewhere.

I have a large goretex neck warmer that i have over the jacket collar to stop the rain running down my front, I also have a very light (made for walkers) goretex coat that lives under the seat but will go over the bike goretex jacket to keep it completely dry.

I wear an old pair of light weight goretex trousers under the outer ones that go inside the boots with the outer ones over the top of the boots. This stops draughts and any leaks.
 
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#8 ·
I think my suit fits fine at the neck, the bigger problem I think as suggested earlier, is that the collar may not be tall enough and even if it was, water will still get to the padding of the helmet. I really think that my answer lies in a different helmet and a hooded suit.
Thanks for weighing in.
 
#6 ·
If you ride in the rain, moderate to hard rain, long enough, then you are going to get wet. Nothing in this world that man makes is waterproof. That is why they have bilge pumps on billion dollar nuclear submarines. When I was in the Army the troops would use the word Gortex as a euphemism for the word lie. Something they deemed as BS would be called a Gortex.

That being said... If you wear a decent rain suit (I like Frogg Troggs), rain gloves (Aerostich) and boots that have been treated (or rain booties), then you can delay the inevitable.

I regularly treat my regular riding gear with Scotchguard or Camp Dry. If it rains hard enough to penetrate that then I generally stop and wait it out, or if needs must, put on the Frogg Toggs.
 
#9 ·
Other than the issue of water getting in and around the base of the helmet, my wet weather gear does a fine job. Now I have some ideas to address that : )
 
#7 ·
Guys THANKS!
I can see where the forward lean would help some... I really like the idea of that hood incorporated into the jacket and the Kilimanjaro is a nice jacket, but I'd like to find that feature in a one pc. I'll also look for that lip (drip rail) along the bottom of my next helmet purchase.
Thanks for the tips everyone!
Rusty
 
#10 ·
I have use Frog Toggs in the past, which have a hood if you want to keep water from running down your neck... I never used the hood and never had much go down my neck, but I do wear Olympia jackets which have higher collars (as opposed to Joe Rocket which has virtually no collar by comparison). Windshield and keeping a move on is good. You get more wet when you stop... I currently have an Olympia Horizon rain suit... can't see how you'd get wet if you use the hood inside your helmet and the nice big rain blocking collar out front......... I haven't had the opportunity to test it, but still can't imagine getting wet.

Goretex is good if on the outside (Klim), but you probably need something supplemental to keep water from going down your neck........
 
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#13 ·
The Olympia Horizon is what I have and I've been in a couple of toad stranglers resulting in the slightest of dampness after several hours. One of the guys I was riding with commented that he didn't think the hi viz orange of my rain gear would show up well, but he said I was extremely visible from a distance. Always good to hear that you can be seen in inclement weather...and it was very inclement that day!
 
#15 ·
There is a goretex helmet liner with neck gaiter I saw somewhere. I don't use one but it looked pretty cool. I ride in the rain regularly. A good jacket with a high collar is key. Wear a scarf or shemagh around your neck- but inside the jacket. If it is in any way exposed, it will wick water inside your jacket quicker than a shop vac. It serves to catch the inevitable occasional drip. I may have the lowest part of a helmet get damp after an all day ride, but I don't have a problem with quality helmets getting wet liners.
 
#16 ·
Me? I use Camp Dry, Plexus and electrical tape.

I too have a high collared rain jacket, a Tourmaster. It has the under-helmet hoodie thing. The hoodie helps keep the rain off the neck but does nothing for the wet helmet padding. That's what the electrical tape is for. If you don't cover the vents on your helmet rain will get in. Think that chintzy little slide door will help? Nope, slap a piece of tape on it. And what about vent holes in the back? No covers! Tape.

I Camp Dry boots and gloves regularly. Plexus is like RainX for plastics, only it's an excellent cleaner as well. I get it at my local Honda dealer and use it on windshield, helmet, visor, etc. It's all I've used for many yrs and just like rain gear there is always some in the saddlebag.

http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/about.html
 
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#18 ·
I took a 2650 km trip to Saskatchewan last summer and was rained on fairly heavily for 3 days and at times the temp was 4 degree C.
I had on a leather jacket and over that a jacket made by Bone Dry that is not motorcycle specific. My pants were lightly insulated nylon outer and over that a pair of Tour Master rain pants. My boots are made by Swat and I gave them a water proof treatment before I left. The only failure was a very small amount of water that leaked through at the crotch.
I should have purchased a pin lock visor for my helmet as I did have some visor fogging issues and had to ride with the visor open one notch at times.
I did not have any problem with water down the back of my neck. I have the factory windshield and 1 inch bar risers
I am 6ft 5 tall with a 33 inseam


Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk
 
#19 ·
It's rained all day, making this an ok day to ride or a great day to clean the bike and reevaluate my wet weather riding gear, which is what I did. All the great tips and advice given here motivated me, so I pulled out all my stuff... My one piece suit works pretty well and has a nice tall neck but not tall enough for my Shoei, plus the sleeves are not large enough for my gauntlet gloves to fit inside them and the chest is a bit small for much bulk in a cold rain ride.. The insulated Tour Master paints are said to be rain friendly however I have yet to test them. My light weight non motorcycle specific rain pants actually serve me quite well. I love my nylon/cloth balaclava for cold days but that cloth won't due in the wet. My boot rain covers are in good shape. So, based on advice from W8NONU and RaYzerman, I'm ordering the Olympia Horizon jacket with it's integrated under the helmet hoodie. Seems like a **** of a lot of jacket for the coin. Under consideration is Alpine Stars Touring Winter Balaclava but it might be a bit much to deal with for my needs. Apparently it has a cloth portion that tucks inside ones rain jacket/suit and a water proof layer that lays over the top of the jacket/suit. It probably works great, but... Also the hoodie part looks a bit thick and bulky.. Anyone here have one? As for Plexus, Camp Dry and electrical tape, I'm already a fan : )

Olympia Horizon, W8NONU & RaYzerman, Alpinestars Touring Winter Balaclava
 
#20 ·
I use a Klim PowerXCross Pullover. I chose this jacket because it has a high collar that I tuck up under my helmet. It's been the best I've found so far to solve water coming in around the neck.
 
#22 ·
I checked it out. Spendy but great quality. If that Horizon I ordered doesn't work out, I'll keep this in mind. Thanks!
 
#21 · (Edited)
Quality goretex garments work great. Crappy quality/design goretex garments suck. It's not the goretex. Goretex was never designed to wick the kind of perspiration that comes from physical exertion. It's for stationary pursuits or light physical activity. That said, for motorcycle gear, I'm not specifically looking for garments that involve a goretex layer.
 
#25 ·
My first Gore-Tex garment was a Mountain Jacket from Berghaus. I still have it and it cost around $500, twenty years ago.

That jacket is a two-layer cloth. The latest garments from Klim and Aerostich are triple-layer. The cloth is extremely expensive, even wholesale, hence the prices. If they could make it substantially cheaper, all the major manufacturers would have it in their line-ups.

It's the best that is currently available, and priced to match. Depending on your type of riding, other gear might be perfectly appropriate and much better value for money. But if you want to keep out the water, in extreme conditions, there is no substitute.

For ultimate protection and flexibility, I recommend a two-piece suit with a 3/4 length jacket. Personally I stay away from the one-piece suit, but ymmv.
 
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