Revisiting rain gear purchases

[Guth_imp]

So I created an earlier thread about the Aerostich R3 Light suit that I purchased. It's worked wonderfully, when I've used it that is. Since I'm working from home much more frequently and I was riding my motorcycles far less than normal last year, thus far this hasn't been the best of purchases for me. But that's no fault of the suit. It really did prove to be very convenient when I was using it as intended . Being able to easily zip in and out of the suit with my work/street clothes underneath is incredibly handy. If my riding picks up again this year as I'm now expecting, I'll be putting it to use more often once again. The reason I went with the Aerostich is because I did not want to contemplate switching in and out of rain gear all the time given our local climate and my predominate motorcycle usage comes has come from commuting. One piece of gear that could do it all was (and still is) very appealing to me. But unless you know that you'll get a lot of use out of something like the suit I bought then I would say that it' just not worth it. Again, that's not a knock on the Aerostich.

I would also note that I had the luxury of attending an Aerostich "Pop Up" event in person when they visited Portland so I knew that an off the rack size suit without modifications would fit me just fine (massive weight gain aside of course). So I just waited for the size and color combination that I wanted to come up on their sale page. If i was faced with ordering expensive gear like this again without the ability to try it on first I'm not sure that I would want to go through the hassle. I noticed that VLJ mentioned that he went ahead and took that chance. I hope that he finds the fit of the gear he selected turns out to be surprisingly good.

If you've purchased any rain gear, be it Aerostich or not, and would like to share either the good or the bad of it (or both) after having owned it for a while then this thread would be a good place to do so.

 

[Cormanus]

Frogg Toggs? Yuk. A skid resistant wet suit would be better.

 

[the Ferret]

Lol I have Frogg Toggs, no issue with them other than I can't get them back in the little bag they came in.

 

[Cormanus]

Yeah ... Pterodactyl had some he bought in the US and found them pretty good for a while. Mine just never worked. It's not fair to say they were completely useless, but pretty close.

 

[emptysea]

My wife and I have Rev'it 2-piece rain suits. hi-viz jackets, black pants. We bought them in 2013 and our versions are slightly different, I think, than what they have now. Here's the new version https://www.revitsport.com/en/men/rain-jacket-cyclone-2-h2o.html#041

Pros:
Keep us dry. I have not experience crotch-bucketing with this gear. In very heavy rain, where we had to ride long distance, we did get damp (not soaking).

Compact. Each piece comes with its own stuff sack Very easy to carry with me on any ride.

Ease of use Jacket goes on fast. Pants would, too, if I had even a modicum of balance. My wife and I Olympia riding pants which are thicker than jeans or leathers, so it takes a little wiggling, and that slows me down because I stop to watch her.

Fit. Mostly good, so it's a "pro" overall. Some negatives in "con" below.

Hi-viz. Jacket really stands out against overcast skies. Also has reflective stripes and Rev'it logo.

Comfort. Keeps us dry. Keeps us warm. I often wear the gear as an outer layer on cold days because it is very good at keeping the wind out.

Cons:
Cost. Not terrible, but more expensive than Frogtogs. I didn't really find this a negative, but it's not a positive, either.

Fit. They should have incorporated a vent panel in the back. Jacket sometimes balloons up. The Velcro at the cuff of the pants is supposed to allow you to widen the cuff to pull them on over a boot and close them tight when ready to ride. I hope they fixed this on later versions, because the Velcro seldom holds, leaving my cuffs flapping in the breeze. I use a bungee around each cuff now to keep them on. The neck closure is a bit flimsy, but is functional enough.

Comfort. The gear keeps us dry. And warm. It does not breathe. When it's hot, I sweat. As stated above, it's great in the cold, so it's a trade-off.

Overall, I like the Rev'it gear. So does my wife. May not be the best out there, but it does its job.

MTC

 

[Guth_imp]

I previously owned a one piece rain suit from REV'IT that I purchased for commuting duties. I figured out that I had to be careful and take my time in laying the velcro-backed flap down over the zipper as flat as possible when putting the suit on to increase it's effectiveness at preventing wet crotch syndrome during heavy rainfall. I ended up giving it to a friend in need (he found himself with his motorcycle as his only mode of transportation after his truck broke down). In this neck of the woods, if you're going to ride year-round then it's definitely good to have some rain gear.

 

[cookiemech]

I commuted to my job for 35 years on a motorcycle every day that didn't have ice and snow (and a couple that did; I do not recommend it). In the early days I had the usual plastic sort of rain suits that caused me to be about as wet from sweating as I would have been from the rain (on warm days).

From about the second year I rode, I wore full leathers (jacket and pants), which of course required a separate rain suit as they were in no way waterproof. The nylon rainsuits were a big improvement; not as sweaty, but still a PITA to don if the rain started mid-trip.

I bought a one-piece Aerostitch Roadcrafter suit maybe 20 years ago; it wasn't exactly waterproof, though OK in a light rain. Still used a nylon rainsuit over it.

Then in 2007, when I bought my first Harley, I went back to leathers (now vastly improved, high tech ones). The Harley FXRG leathers are really and truly waterproof. I rode six hours home from Michigan one Sunday in a drenching rain and was dry inside. It was so wet and humid that the bills in my wallet were damp, not from the wallet being soaked, but from the extreme humidity.

The FXRG leathers were/are comfortable, but I bought the (NLA) Aerostitch Transit leathers and they are another level above the FXRGs, both in fit and apparent protective quality. These also are truly waterproof.

I have a relatively new one-piece Roadcrafter R-3 suit and it appears to be waterproof; occasionally I sense a damp crotch, but I can't actually feel any wetness post-ride when I remove the suit. Jury's still out on that suit . . .

Glad I no longer have to commute!

 

[the Ferret]

I always wondered if those " waterproof leathers" were really waterproof. Do they absorb water thoug, weigh a ton and take a week to dry out like regular leathers?

 

[Lord Popgun]

Why don’t cows take a week to dry out?

 

[Houtman_imp]

Love that question ! Oily skin ?

 

[Banned_imp]

I always wondered if those " waterproof leathers" were really waterproof. Do they absorb water thoug, weigh a ton and take a week to dry out like regular leathers?

I have the same HD FXRG suit as Cookiemench and I have ridden in some torrential downpours and it has always kept me perfectly dry.

The only problem I have with it, is it that it is way too hot for me in dead of summer.

And yes, it does get heavy when wet but dries fairly quickly at 75mph:biker:

 

[emptysea]

The HD FXRG gear uses waterproof liners, correct?

 

[Django]

Why don’t cows take a week to dry out?

Cow skin is alive, leather is dead but tanned to avoid it rotting away.
Yes Guth, I'm really happy with my Roadcrafter R 3. And it is 100% dry indeed, if you cared to close it the rigth way: collar up and close the velcros really flat. The material is Cordura 500, laminated with a membrane inside.

Sometimes, on a Sunday ride, when I know, weather will be fine, I take my ol' leathers, which I rode for about 20 years now. Still a good feeling and I look cool at the biker's inn.

But for commuting and for long rides or trips I happily take the R3. That one does not look cool at the biker's meeting, but I really like the function.

For commuting, I just take on my boots, wear a down jacket now at lower temps, pull over the R3, close the zippers and I'm ready to go, takes me just seconds. Before I had the R3, it took quite some time to change clothes every time and then feeling like a sausage with all the layers underneath the leathers.

In summertime, I just have a t-shirt and shorts under the R3, but still wear boots (atgatt). When I arrive, I replace the boots by sandals and I'm really comfortable.

On long trips, I really like to be relaxed, wearing the R3. Comes rain or not, it just doesn't matter. Also I don't have to stop to get out the rain gear. I just ride on.

June 2016 I did an IBA ride: 4 corners, visit Germany's most east, south and west corners in 24 hours. Those were more than 2,200 km for me. I had to go thru 2 really heavy thunderstorms: no issue with my R3. Last year the R3 was my companion along 5,500 km in one week thru sometimes difficult weather conditions.

Meanwhile my R3 has shared about 45,000 km with me and I don't want to miss it. Also, last autumn, when I had the crash with a car hitting me, the protections all where just at the right places.

So, Aerostich does not know, how to make it look cool, but they know how to make it function, at least for me.
Cool leather jacket versus Roadcrafter R3:

 

[Banned_imp]

The HD FXRG gear uses waterproof liners, correct?

Correct, it has a non-removable gortex membrane inside.

The other thing I like about the FXRG gear is that it doesn't have giant HD logos all over it, just a small rubber on the left chest. I like my HD bike and the gear is great I just don't need to scream it out the world.

 

[cookiemech]

Yeah, the FXRG leathers do pick up a bit of weight from the water, but I never noticed it becoming unreasonably heavy. Didn't seem to take too long to dry the next day, hanging in the garage.

 

[the Ferret]

Compromises.. we all have to settle for compromises in our riding gear. It just depends on which compromises we are willing to put up with. I can't imagine giving up the air flow of my mesh jacket in the heat of the summer. I like the look of a 2 piece pants/jacket, and the ability to remove just the jacket at a rest stop and have several combos of each from heavy duty cordura, to light weight cordura, and solid leather to ventilated leather, from waist coats to 3/4 length, and from jean type cordura and leather pants to touring type cordura pants. I am willing to stop and put on a rain suit occasionally so as not to give up the versatility of the riding gear I have now. It's why I also wear the Hi Viz vest which will go over any jacket I have from mesh to heavy duty leather.

 

[jedd_imp]

compromises is right.
I'm up to 4 different sets of street riding gear now.
started w/ a 1 pc aerostich roadcrafter light, but that's too geeky for bar hopping and day rides, so,
bought kevlar jeans + 2 leather jackets, one black, one brown, but leather's too hot for TX summers, so,
bought a mesh jacket for summers, but the jean pants don't offer enough protection w/o pads,
I wanted aerostich pants, so decided to buy roadcrafter 2 pce combo. I think I've got my bases covered for now.

But, I'm lacking in hard core ADV gear...

 

[rboe]

I'll be in Duluth next month, plan on visiting Aerostich (again), this discussion on the R3 may cost me some $$,

 

[emptysea]

I prefer my rain gear to be the outer layer rather than the inner layer. Main reasons are: Easier to add/remove and keeps my regular jacket and pants dry. My regular gear does have waterproof liners, but I only wear them to keep the wind out.

 

[Cormanus]

Why don’t cows take a week to dry out?

They do. :banana: