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Rain Gear

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What are most of you guys using for rain gear? I took about an 8 year hiatus from riding and my old plastic "rubberized" rain gear deteriorated. I don't want to spend a lot of money. I don't generally set out to ride in the rain, but I like to have rain gear on hand in my saddlebags in case of a surprise shower or downpour.
 
Frog Toggs rain suit from Walmart, Academy etc, will keep you dry if you get caught out in the rain.
 
Yep, Im a huge believer in Frog Toggs. I've been in serious downpours for hours at highway speeds, and except for around the edges (wrists, ankles, waist) I stayed totally dry.
 
JQ1.0 said:
Frog Toggs rain suit from Walmart, Academy etc, will keep you dry if you get caught out in the rain.
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+1. The frog togs pack up nice and tight in small bag, they are not the most durable for wet riding but if you're just wanting to carry something to use on occasion if caught out in wet and you don't want to pack a big heavy expensive suit - then the frog toggs are hard to beat!


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I have a one piece suit from Motoboss that I picked up at Cycle Gear something like 7 years ago. It still looks like new but that's not what makes it so great. It has magical properties. If you see rain coming, put it on and poof, the rain disappears and leaves you sweating your rear off in a rain suit that doesn't breathe. You won't stay wet but you won't get rained on. :D

Seriously, I bought it for a fly n buy and had a path cut through a storm with softball sized hail in OKC, I could see the storm to my right and to my left and I cut through like Moses through the Red Sea. It chased off storms in Colorado and Arkansas.

I do think maybe it's time for a new one as the magic has worn out lately. It's been through a few gullywashers in the last two years but I've stayed dry as a bone inside.
 
Another vote for Frogg Toggs.

I did a fly and ride last August from Upstate New York back to San Antonio. Almost 1800 miles in 3 days of continuous rain. They worked great.

Wish I could say the same thing about the "waterproof" gloves and boots I had.:lol2:
 
I picked up a set of generic Frogg Toggs from Sam's a few years back.

You have to get up to 45mph or so before they start breathing.

For the money they are a decent solution.
 
Frog Toggs are okay if protected from wind. Wind wear them out pretty quick. I prefer naked bikes so not a good option for me.

I have a Nelson-Rigg set, pants and jacket. Works okay in summer to stay dry, not enough ventilation. Great for wind protection in winter when all zipped up. Mesh gear and armor becomes insulation under the rain suit. These days there are some more advanced materials with a much wider comfort zone than vented plastic and I'm looking forward to a set.

Never buy a rain suit with armor. Already armor in your other gear, and way too much wasted storage space to carry a second layer you don't need.

My feet are too wide for motorcycle boots so I wear waterproof work boots with composite toes. Small bungies around the ankles keep the rain pants hems in place to keep splashing off the wheels out of boots. Had some waterproof gloves that worked well but tore them up in a wreck. HippoHands help a lot with any gloves.
 
:tab I gave up on rain suits/liners and went for the Gore-Tex riding gear. I hate liners because they let everything on the outside get wet. I hate outer layers because I despise doing the road side rain pant dance. I also got tired of devoting luggage space to them. The kicker is that Gore-Tex stuff is not going to be cheap compared to just getting a regular rain suit. The nice thing I never worry about rain at all. If it starts, I just zip up my vents and keep going. It breathes well and I never feel like I am in some kind of sauna. When the rain stops, I simply unzip a few vents and continue on my way. I also have Gore-Tex boots, but I am sure there are boots out there which are water proof and have something similar to Gore-Tex but which are cheaper. The SIDI Adventure Rain comes in two versions, SIDI's own water proof material and the Gore-Tex version. The price difference is about $100. No doubt there are jackets and pants that have something like Gore-Tex. I have never regretted the change!
 
I wear Coleman rain pants from Walmart - I think they cost about $20. My Tourmaster Flex III jacket is totally waterproof as long as I have the rain shell zipped on.
 
I have a tourmaster suit. Works great and is vented OK. I also have some of the thicker HD frog toggs that I bought in a pinch. Rode for right at 2 hrs in the rain on I-30. Not the cheapest, but wanted something would work. I have used the jacket off the bike before.

I think on of the more specific like more espensive "MC" purpose made ones will be better. I had a friend that had some for mountain riding on a dirt bike and they didn't last him long. he was getting a wet crotch before the end of the first day. We still had several to go. Rained on us every day. Of course I didn't have rain pants so I guess he was a winner in that re guard. I just had a water resistant jacket. Worked pretty well though.
 
I'll second what Tourmeister posted about GoreTex. Takes away the quandary about when to put on/take off the rain gear. It is a bit pricey but we'll worth the investment. I went with Klim Lattitude.

If you want I have a set of medium black Tour Master Sentinel rain jacket and pants I'll sell you for $75 and even throw in some suspenders. Only worn couple of times.
 
GoreTex and Thinsulate are a good combination, but both are way to hot for the slow speeds I ride in all but the coldest weather (sub-freezing).
 
KenH said:
GoreTex and Thinsulate are a good combination, but both are way to hot for the slow speeds I ride in all but the coldest weather (sub-freezing).
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:tab I find my KLIM Badlands Pro to be fine in most any conditions. The sole exception is maybe when it is between 85-95 F with the crazy humidity here in East Texas. Hotter than 95 and the humidity usually starts dropping again. I also have mesh gear. In that 85-95 range, it is actually less comfortable than the KLIM gear. This is true regardless of speed.

:tab One thing that helps tremendously is wearing LD Comfort pants and shirt. Even the slightest of breezes or air flow through the gear feels cool. I have used it for 100+ days of riding in the Ozark Mountains down in the little creek valleys where there is no wind at all and we were riding at rock crawling speeds.
 
What are "LD Comfort"?
 
I have stuff from Walmart that does that, probably a lot cheaper, and it does make a comfortable difference. Every layer is important when riding, no matter the weather.

Except yesterday. The weather was so perfect everyone was comfy, weather in shorts and t-shirt, poser leather, or ATGATT. Middle of the afternoon it got a little warm and we got a light sprinkle. Perfect!
 
Check or jafrum.com they have some good rain gear for cheap

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I keep telling myself I don't need rain gear but after getting soaked this past Sunday (again) my brain is slowly starting to develop the idea it might actually be a good thing. That being said, what are the best resolutions you guys run across for dealing with water buildup on the face shield, and more importantly, fogging? I'v tried a few spray on things for fogging that don't work or don't work long, have heard about toothpaste but am more worried it wills scratch stuff more than prevent fogging, and then for the exterior all I have known to try is Rain X on car windsheilds, but am just not really aware of if it would be good on a helmet visor. Any feedback on the matter would be appreciated. Thanks everyone!
 
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