Tips for ryding in the rain?

[SpyderAnn01]

I wear good textile gear that is waterproof so I'm ready rain or shine. As others have said don't wait until it starts raining to put the gear on because it doesn't do much good once you're already wet. The hood under the helmet is s big help just be sure you don't leave anyplace open for drops to run down. Make sure you don't have any none waterproof gear sticking out of your rain gear. Yuck your shirt in and roll up your pants so the don't stick out or they will wick water to places that you really don't want to be wet. It feels really creepy when you have water dripping down your back or your front.

We tode 7,900 miles to Valcourt and it threatened rain for most of those miles but it was never a problem since we all had on the proper gear. We rode in another 500 miles of rain this week on our way to Washington and while it was cold we stayed mostly dry.

I say say don't stay home because it is raining. Your a Spyder won't melt and neither will you.

[fetermel]

What do all you peeps do to keep your hands dry? I see there are a lot of options out there for waterproof gloves, anybody have any experience with them, and do they really keep you dry.

[Bob Denman]

Ogio waterproof mitts... but I don't leave my riding gloves on underneath them: things can get awful "sweaty".

[Peter Aawen]

What do all you peeps do to keep your hands dry? I see there are a lot of options out there for waterproof gloves, anybody have any experience with them, and do they really keep you dry.

I wear leather gloves with thermolite (or similar) internals; over silk liners if it's cold, & the leather has been well treated with Wapro conditioner & water proofing (similar to Dubbin or other leather treatments)... And if it really looks like I'm gonna get really wet I pull a pair of 3XLarge kitchen gloves on over the top of that lot - if they aren't waterproof enough NOTHING is gonna help! I must admit that these days I try to avoid the bright pink or lemon kitchen gloves, but day-glo green or orange work well!!

I've recently seen a few Spyders with 'Bark-Busters' fitted that bolt only on the outer ends of the bars, they might help cut the wind & keep the rain off a bit more too - I'm investigating!

[Deer Slayer]

Very good lists, everyone!
Another thing to be aware of is hydroplaning. If you hit deep enough water fast enough, it will happen. DO NOTHING! Slightly back off the throttle and let the nanny do her job until you regain control. That has saved my bacon several times.

Good idea... I follow a truck at a distance, and let him clear the standing water from the tracks in the lane. Most problem on Southern asphalt pavement that has been dished out by heat and traffic. If this does not work get off the road for a bit.

[IGETAROUND]

What do all you peeps do to keep your hands dry? I see there are a lot of options out there for waterproof gloves, anybody have any experience with them, and do they really keep you dry.

Aerostich makes a great 3 finger slip on for over your gloves; keeps em dry and lets your hands breathe

[tomand]

Klim badlands gortex will keep you dry

[Yazz]

Gerbing gloves keep my hand dry...

Usually a big rain storm will drop the temps around it. If it's cloudy and the temps drop, put on your rain gear.

[Bob Denman]

We REALLY got to feel this phenomenon in Springfield last year...
As we were riding up the exit ramp and getting ready for that "last mile": the temperature felt as if it dropped twenty degrees...
We JUST made it to the Best Western Coach House, before the skies opened up!

[PistonBlown]

Tip I learnt - if you've got waterproofs with separate waterproof inner then make sure the waterproof layer is in the right way around. I got myself a pair of Rev-it Sand II trousers. In the first big downpour I rode through I couldn't work out why they let the water in but not out so I was sitting in a puddle. Finally twigged that the inner waterproof lining was inside out:-)

A visor with a pinlock anti-mist insert is just fantastic, particularly if you do city riding. The number one greatest invention for all weather riders as far as I'm concerned as it reduces a lot of the stress with visibility.

I must admit I've not had that much success with Rain-X, never noticed much difference when I've tried it. However I do replace my visor relatively often so the water just beads off anyway - it's only as they deteriorate that the rain doesn't clear so well and probably at that point Rain-X would work better.

[Peteoz]

Klim badlands gortex will keep you dry

Yeah......and your wallet empty .......you have to pay for the best

Pete

[PistonBlown]

Yeah......and your wallet empty .......you have to pay for the best

Pete

I hate stopping to put on my waterproof over jacket so of course by the time I do it's often too late. Thought perhaps I should finally retire my leather jacket and get a replacement motorcycle jacket that's actually waterproof. Decided that a Gortex inner liner wasn't a good idea as it would be just as much faff as an over jacket. Looked at the Klim Badlands and Rev-it Poseidon jackets. Both were around NZ$1700 (US$1250) here so decided I'd continue to put up with my old jacket and getting wet after all:-)

[Road-Kill]

My experience with riding in rain is simple, don't if you can avoid it or put on Frogs-Toggs and breath through your nose.

[nealperkins]

Those seem to hang in there far too long!

[kngfsh27]

Those seem to hang in there far too long!

I use Lamonts Black Dymond Cleaner on both the outside and inside of both my windshield and face shield. Give them a couple coatings and it works about as well as Rain-X.

[nealperkins]

Well, Peter was just kind enough to tell me something I did not know: If I put text in the title field, after the first post, no one else sees it. Thank you, Peter!

So, here it is again...new and improved!

"Any tips to manage the raindrops in the inside of the windshield? Those seem to hang around for far too long!"

[Peter Aawen]

It's not quite 'no-one' Neal, just many of us who don't get to see what you put in the title field... I think it's something to do with the devices we use to view the Forum, but it is quite annoying at times, cos we can see that you tried to say something else, but we can't actually see what that was, so hafta guess!

As for the inside of your windshield, I don't get much in the way of raindrops there, I have a Safe-T-Cam recorder suctioned onto the screen! Buuut, I have used Rain-X (appropriate for the w/shield) there as well as on the other side, & if I still get any raindrops that become annoying on there (or inside my visor) I have a small microfibre cloth that lives in the 'pie warmer' glovebox or if it's mounted on my Spyder at the time, in the tank bag that sits on the pie warmer - & it's easy enough to pull it out & give the screen or visor a quick wipe. Altho I do hafta try & keep it protected & dry inside my gloved hand until it gets to the screen, especially if it's pouring rain - it doesn't work anywhere near as well once it's soaked! It's there, & I have used it often enough over the last 4 or so years that I know to keep it there, but it really doesn't get much use at all, there just isn't a great call for it!

[cognaccruiser]

Klim badlands gortex will keep you dry

Yeah......and your wallet empty .......you have to pay for the best

Pete

I hate stopping to put on my waterproof over jacket so of course by the time I do it's often too late. Thought perhaps I should finally retire my leather jacket and get a replacement motorcycle jacket that's actually waterproof. Decided that a Gortex inner liner wasn't a good idea as it would be just as much faff as an over jacket. Looked at the Klim Badlands and Rev-it Poseidon jackets. Both were around NZ$1700 (US$1250) here so decided I'd continue to put up with my old jacket and getting wet after all:-)

My wife and I bought Klim Latitude Gortex jackets and pants last year. Yes they are expensive but we are so impressed and happy with them. We thought long and hard over spending that much and we got them at a great price but they have been worth every penny to us.

On our most recent trip using them across Canada and back we couldn't have been happier. They absolutely kept us dry in heavy rain and were extremely comfortable. They have lots of venting if desired. We wear them in all weather and just wear either very little or some smart wool type layer and our electric vests underneath as required. No longer take rain gear with us. We used to take our leather jackets and our mesh jackets and their liners and all that took up extra space which we no longer need to do.

For wet weather we bought Alpinstar Drystar gloves. They worked well and weren't too expensive. In heavy rain they were soaked on the outside but dry on the inside.

Unfortunately our 15 year old boots need to be replaced as they are now letting water in but they don't owe us much after lots of use.

Gary

[UtahPete]

Just a little tip------ In a really hard rain put the hood of the rain gear jacket UNDER your helmet. Zero water down your neck. The does a surprisingly good job of keep the rain off you at speed. We came though a Utah downpour with just the jackets on and our jeans never got wet and boots stayed dry.

Kaos

We don't bother with rain gear in Utah. Ours is a dry rain

[UtahPete]

Well, Peter was just kind enough to tell me something I did not know: If I put text in the title field, after the first post, no one else sees it. Thank you, Peter!

So, here it is again...new and improved!

"Any tips to manage the raindrops in the inside of the windshield? Those seem to hang around for far too long!"

I could see the title in your post. Can you see the title in mine?

[Bob Denman]

We don't bother with rain gear in Utah. Ours is a dry rain

Please send me some of that: I'd like to try it out!