Wet Weather Jacket for Streety riding in PNW

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by ANZAC

Thanks guys

I have heard about that guy in the car wash - I think it was on Youtube by a Busa rider. It worked though

Yep - goes by Busasaurus Rex, lol. He's actually got several bikes and did a 2 month tour up to the Arctic circle on a KLR, in his Aerostich. Even rode through the snow, lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai9-hCrS8k4

[Lucky 13]

Totally agree (i.e., lesson learned) that waterproof outer shell is the way to go.

I have a BMW Comfort Shell jacket & pants. I've ridden several full days through steady hard rain and stayed completely dry. The Comfort Shell was discontinued so you might be able to find a deal on leftover stock on eBay, etc. Or they've replaced it with a model called the Tour Shell, which also looks nice.

My GF has Dainese D-Dry gear (like dlounge posted about above) and it's worked well for her so far on a couple rainy commutes.

[ANZAC]

All good stuff guys - thanks

A word of advice - don't wash your jackets at home. Use the large washers at the laundrymat or give it a sponge bath

[MacBandit]

The Rev'it stuff is excellent and definitely top tier. That said I have never seen anything last as long as a BMW suit. I know of several people that still have there with several hundred thousand miles and 20 years on them and they still do not leak. The shells are faded to hell and they really do look worn out but they still hold together despite being crashed in and do not leak.

You really do get what you pay for.

For 100% lifetime waterproofing you need a separate waterproof liner. This doesn't mean the shell can't be waterproofed as well but it well. Vinyl coated shells work great for a while but the vinyl is always prone to wear especially at the taped seams. Gore-Tex liners can last pretty much forever if taken care of and if a seam splits it can be repaired by a shop that knows how to care for gore-tex.

Aerostitch is definitely one of my favorite suits but I have yet seen one stay waterproof forever like the BMW suits.

[Lucky 13]

Originally Posted by MacBandit

The Rev'it stuff is excellent and definitely top tier. That said I have never seen anything last as long as a BMW suit. I know of several people that still have there with several hundred thousand miles and 20 years on them and they still do not leak. The shells are faded to hell and they really do look worn out but they still hold together despite being crashed in and do not leak.

Aerostitch is definitely one of my favorite suits but I have yet seen one stay waterproof forever like the BMW suits.

Yeah, the BMW Riders Gear is spendy but seriously top-notch. I got turned on to it when I had a BMW bike a while back. I may or may not own another BMW moto, but for "bombproof" and versatile textile riding gear, I think they'll always be my first go-to. My Comfort Shell combo has >20,000mi on it and looks basically new, except for some dead bugs and a small patch on the pants needed after a crash. (The material didn't come anywhere close to wearing through, but the waterproofing was gone in a small area from sliding across the tarmac.)

I also have another pair of non-waterproof BMW pants I wear a lot, probably >50,000mi on those...The only obvious effect is that they're becoming more comfortable over time... ;)

One thing I hated though was the BMW armor -- way too big and inflexible for me. It feels like it would stop an AK-47 round but I just couldn't stand it. YMMV. I sold it all on eBay and replaced it with TPro ForceField pieces. Much better!

[MacBandit]

They've changed their armor though out the years so depending on what you get it may be more or less comfortable. Also most of their high end suits have a separate gore-tex liner and they also include a gore-tex bag to keep your wallet and other items water safe in an outside pocket. The suit I have from back when I still worked at a BMW dealer is one of the BMW Ralley 2 suit. It has a removable pocket that zips into the back of tail portion of the suit and turns into a hip bag for when your off the bike in warm weather. The arms also unzip and come off for when you want to still bring your jack but it's too warm for the sleeves. The shell itself is water resistant and it has a gore-tex shell inner liner. It also has unbelievable venting. There's also a map pocket that snaps over the entire front of the suit so that you can glance down at it if you are riding a ralley. Very well thought out very durable and I suspect it may very well be my last all season suit I buy in my life. I've had it for 10 years now and it's still like new but I've only got about 50k on it. I did take the big rubber roundels off the shoulders because they were quite tacky.

One thing to consider is that you can often pick up these high end BMW suits used. It's the typical yuppie thing. People that don't really ride are the ones that have to have the newest stuff to show off so they buy new suits and sell the old ones at swap meets and club rallies. They also hold their value very well. I had a pair of BMW Kalahari pants that I sold and even with a lot of miles on them and them being the old ugly grey and purple colors I got $250 for them.

[Spearo]

...dbl post

[Spearo]

I have an Aerostich Transit suit. Great suit that keeps you dry, and provides the protection of leather with TF-5 protective armor. I have crash tested the suit, held up well. Not a cheap suit though.

Aerostich Roadcrafter in hi-viz yellow/green would be nice too. You get what you pay for. A Roadcrafter suit will last you a couple decades.

[tm850r]

My "waterproof" tourmaster epic jacket leaks on the shoulders. The matching pants leak as well so I bought a waterproof shell to go over everything. I believe its the high vis tourmaster two piece suit. That suit works amazingly. I rode through Sandy here in Northern Virginia and I was completely dry. I can't complain one bit about it.

Sent from my EVO using Motorcycle.com App

[ANZAC]

Originally Posted by tm850r

My "waterproof" tourmaster epic jacket leaks on the shoulders. The matching pants leak as well so I bought a waterproof shell to go over everything. I believe its the high vis tourmaster two piece suit. That suit works amazingly. I rode through Sandy here in Northern Virginia and I was completely dry. I can't complain one bit about it.

Sent from my EVO using Motorcycle.com App

This is the route I will go - for now. Rain jacket for me until the Kili is well and truly worn out. Then maybe the BMW route will be the way to go