I'm done getting wet!

[bdavison]

I reached a milestone in 2014....today I finished 365 days of motorcycling...not missing a single day this year on my bike.

One of the things I've learned this year is that motorcycle rain suit manufacturers cant build an honest rainsuit for diddly. Even the expensive ones....still don't work as advertised. I've tried everything from frogg toggs to dianese. Minimal rain protection at best, and even the best of them will leak or render some part of your body wet.

Sure even something as simple as a cheapo frogg toggs set will keep you dry in little downpours, but what about a state to state ride in thunderstorms?

Yeah, you're gonna be wet.

After an entire year of riding, I'm done with this nonsense, and I'm pulling out the big guns.

No more wet butts, water in my boots, leaky seams, wet hands, water running up my sleeves....

I went and dropped mega-coin on Bass Pro Shops 100mph jacket and bibs, and I finally found some honest waterproof gloves in the Seirus Xtreme gloves from Academy.

I will no longer get wet...period. The only way to get wet in these things is to jump in a lake.

So if you are like me, and absolutely fed up with getting wet on your bike. Go get the 100mph gear at BassPro and be done with it. And grab a pair of the seirus waterproof gloves, which ARE actually waterproof for HOURS not minutes.

Are they expensive? Heck yeah they are expensive...and worth every cent.

Tested and approved. Screw mother nature.

[250rr]

Originally Posted by bdavison

Screw mother nature.

This made me laugh.

[chrly]

Originally Posted by 250rr

This made me laugh.

And then I thought ....I hate getting wet too.!! So tell me, How does that hood work at speed ?
Would you say the gloves offer ANY asphalt protection..I read the write up but didnt look encouraging...

[NevadaWolf]

Congrats on finding something that works!

This is an oversuit for just when it rains, right? Obviously not armored gear on their own

After getting thoroughly drenched in NC and OH, I want bombproof gear. But I hate stopping to put on or remove layers, so looking at Klim stuff.

It can reach a point where you are willing to lay down limbs or offspring for the absolute best gear.

[ninjamunky85]

That's a pretty serious looking rain suit I'll give you that.

I bought the Nelson-Rigg Stormrider suit for my trip to the dragon earlier this year. It has kept me dry through some pretty heavy downpours so I'm happy with it.

[chrly]

I have the liteweight Aerostitch Darien Jacket but have yet to try it in a downpour. It does provide excellent warmth ( I guess anything that is waterproof will be windproof as well). I know I am thru with Water Repellent materials.

[cbinker]

no more getting wet, and screwing mother nature...

[dcj13]

I haven't found any gear that's truly waterproof.

Aerostich, Joe Rocket, rain suits, nada. Some stuff is OK, but if it's pissing rain, the crotch and/or butt is gonna be wet. But, hey, it dries in a couple of hours.

Even at work.

[bdavison]

The 100mph suit is a two piece deal.

The pants are bibs with suspenders. They are really easy to get on and off. The top part goes all the way up your chest and back, so rain from your jacket doesnt go down your pants. That was the biggest problem I had with frogg toggs....the rain that hit my back would work it's way down between the bottom of the jacket and the waist band.

Also, the legs are long enough that they cover the top of your boot even in a sitting position on the bike. That was another problem...so many of the rainsuit offerings didnt make the legs long enough, and they were fine while standing. But when you sit on the bike the legs pulled up and allowed water to go down into the top of your boot.

The other thing is the seams, even on some of the best other rainsuits, eventually water will work its way through the seams. Usually the butt, because you are sitting on a wet seat. These...nothing gets through. You could sit in a puddle for an hour, and not get wet.

Its Gore-tex, so it's guarenteed to be waterproof. They will give you your money back or a replacement if it ever fails.

This suit is covered in some pretty tough denier fabric, so it's abrasion resistance would probably be like textile gear in many aspects. Of course, its not motorcycle crash tested, so you'd want to wear some MC gear underneath. Fortunatly the suit is available in sizes large enough to allow you to wear proper gear underneath, or insulating clothing.

The suit itself is not insulated, which is nice for the warmer weather. Just bundle up underneath it in colder weather. They do make a zip-in insulation liner for the jacket that will add warmth if needed.

As for the jacket, it has a flip down part in the back to extend the length to guarentee that nothing will work its way under the back part of the jacket. If you are wearing the bibs under it...it's not needed anyway.

The wrists on the jacket have some real nice inside tight neoprene cuffs that prevent EVERYTHING from running up your arms. And then on top of that they have velcro cuffs on the outside that will allow you to cinch up the jacket to really lock it down.

That was problem #3 with everything else I tried. Water would run off my hands down the cuff and along my arms. The frogg toggs worked the best out of the cheaper options, however the elastic band around the wrist would become water logged and eventually start wicking water onto my shirt or jacket sleeves underneath.

As for the hood....I don't use it because my helmet is covering my head. And it's removable too. The collar rides high enough so that water off your helmet wont run down your neck. And it's fleece lined so it's comfortable.

The suit is roomy inside, and very comfortable. The tough fabric is pretty stiff on the outside so it doesn't flap around in the wind, yet still is flexable enough not to restrict your movement. The inside is lined with a satin like material that doesn't hang up on your clothing when you slide your arms in the sleeves or legs in the pants.

It's not nearly as bulky as it looks, you can easily cram the whole suit into a backpack.

Apparently bass pro listened to its customers, because the new versions have a zippered crotch on the bibs so that you can wee without removing the entire bibs.

Bass pro also makes the pro-qualifier jacket and bibs for $10 less a pop. The pro-qualifier bibs are just as nice as the 100mph ones...and they have a zipper that runs the full length of the leg. The jacket however doesnt compare to the 100mph one. So if you're looking to save a bit...pro-qual bibs and 100mph jacket would be a good combo, and save you about $10 bucks.

[bdavison]

As for the gloves....nope, probably NO abrasion resistance since they are all neoprene. I guess you could put some XXL MC gloves over the top or something since they are pretty thin like glove liners. I've tried all the gloves, even the expensive supposedly waterproof Icon, Dianese, Alpinestars etc ones...and they are waterproof....for a little while.

The seirus gloves will get wet on the outside, but the inside stays bone dry.

I dont mind the cold, I dont mind the wet too much....but when its both cold and wet. OUCH. 28F and wet is pain you don't even want to experience.

This gear set up will let you run for hours on end in rain and cold temps. Since if you can stay dry you can stay warm.

I cannot recommend this gear enough, it seriously is the complete solution to riding in the rain. The only thing better would be a car.

[greenaero]

Originally Posted by bdavison

This gear set up will let you run for hours on end in rain and cold temps. Since if you can stay dry you can stay warm.

I cannot recommend this gear enough, it seriously is the complete solution to riding in the rain. The only thing better would be a car.

Thanks for the great report! Getting wet in cold weather is pretty miserable, glad you found a solution.
Happy New Year

[fry1024]

Awesome report and follow up. Thank you.

[nickjpass]

did you try respro?