Gear in the RAIN

[yoassizmine]

i was wandering what are some good types of gear out there for you to ride in the rain
Also, what type of gear would you recommend wearing in the rain?
What do you wear when you ride in the rain?

JAMES
Thanks

[Green Knight]

Something that is A: warm B: water proof

But what I ware ussually is a jacket and jeans. I have to change pants when I'm done though, hehe.

[1Adam12]

Sorry James - Too wimpy to ride in the rain. When I know about it the bike stays in the garage comfy, but I can tell you this. If you ride in the rain make sure your gear is breathable - Gortex and other types of fabrics breathe and let the moisture out. Either layer or get a jacket that will keep your body warm and breathe. I wear a leather jacket that has a removable liner and my gloves keep the wind from coming in with large gauntlets. Also find a balaclava or something to keep the air from shooting down your neck into your jacket.

I have summer and winter gloves. Last year was the last year that I just toughed it out as I went to a friends house to see his new bike and just about froze my hands off. It happened to be a light drizzle, but my hands absoloutely froze - I would have done better with my ski gloves that night.

If I remember right I think Aerostich makes some good rain gear.

[1Adam12]

www.aerostich.com

[Green Knight]

Yeah, I'm the same as Adam. I don't ride in the rain if I can avoid it. I dont' like to expose my baby to that. If I do have to though I just tuck in behind the wind shield and tuff it out.

[ZX-2R]

Dry Rider (tm) for the rain...buy it so that you already have your gear on..it rolls up nicely and stows away great...it has reflective (3M) stripe so it's great...I agree on the goretex gloves from one of your sporting stores or cold weather stores...it breathes and it's light weight...definately need a taller windscreen in the winter months and be more selective on those days when it might rain...Hate to turn a shiny pretty machine into several hours of cleaning road scum off of your machine...

[yoassizmine]

really? it takes that long to clean your bike after a ride in the rain?
how often do people or you clean your bike after riding in the rain?

[1Adam12]

I clean my bike after each ride unless I get really lazy and took a long ride. Normal clean - which is minor takes about 1/2 hour. If I wax it - 1 hour and polishing the pipes is another .5. Z maybe not too far off if you are super neurotic clean like I am. If you just wiped it down and moved on - maybe .5 hour. To get the road grime off - depends on road conditions and previous cleaning done.....

A little secret - if you put wax on your fairing/tank and parts that need it -it will take less time.

[ZX-2R]

Sodium Chloride, potasium chloride, and ask, including sand and all sorts of mixtures of liquids in some areas After it dries out you need to get off of your biek just as soon as you can. In fact if you have it on your bike get it off hwile it is still wet. Problem is the freezing temps, so yo have to wait till a warmer day...it could literally take HOURS ofd cleabubg, double digit hours depending upon what yo are riding through...the snow drifts were so bad 5 years ago that even our 2504X4 diesel couldn't get throug an di t was loaded with sandbags, because of the pending storm...better to much weight in the bed than not enough...Had snow over the hood not just flying bloing snow...had to back out and stay home...3 days worth as the road graders and bulldozers couldn't get through either...so you ask about sand, ash and salt...and cleaning???

[yoassizmine]

cleaning the bike after every ride? does everybody do that? that kind of takes time off your schedule... don't it?

[Stuart]

pfft, I don't wash my bike, because it rains once a week, so after it's been raining an hour of if I get caught in it, I just ride an enjoy the fact that there are less cars on the road, when i get home I shammy everything off, then if I'm feelign really nice I'll polish my pipes, handlebars, everything chrome.

[ZX-2R]

Everything eats at your chrome and aluminum and even your steel...bearings, electrical contacts...if you know you are going ot have to ride in the mud/rain you can spray wd40 an dlet it dry foirst then wash it off later. If you don't wax and keep your chain lubed (you lube your chain AFTER a ride becaue it is still warm and it then cools sucking the lube into the chain rings) things will rust. Keeeping it properly waxed and lubed it will clean off in about 10-15 minutes until yo need a better clean....Some people ride them hard, put them away wet and that doesn't last long...

[yoassizmine]

Gosh... seems like riding in the rain is such a hassle...so much cleaning... isn't it frustrating some times washing your bike all the time... and about that spray.. you have to spray that stuff on after every ride?...just wandering, not that that is something that is much of a hassle

maintinence on bikes seems so complicated... i have yet to own a bike, but soon it will come a long.. but until then i really apprieciate all your facts and opinions so keep it coming. AAAAaaaaaaa... MAInTINence hassle hassle hassle.... i might be wrong or i am wrong just a new kid on the verge of the motorcycle world

JaMEs
THanKs aLL

[1Adam12]

If you are in Frisco you probably don't see some of the caustic chemicals that they throw down in other states. Referring to areas where road salt is used. If you want to see the effects of road salt, go look on ebay for cars from the 70-80's from areas like Alaska, Michigan, Ohio etc. Pretty much where they have snow.

If you wax your bike once a week or so and keep a coating of wax on it your woes will diminish by that much. There is almost no chrome on the Ninja 250 and the pipe is black. Simple inspection and wipe down won't take long at all. I've seen a Toyota 4runner from 1984 that was 100% original and the owner lived in the eastern belt of road salt, but because he washed down his truck and underside the thing looked super clean..... In Ca. our bikes and cars are coveted due to the no salt on the roads and pretty much dry weather we enjoy. Now you might take on a little more rain as you are San Francisco, but I wouldn't lose my head over the cleaning piece. Its what you put into the bike and trust me when its your bike and its shined and someone says how nice it is....You'll want to keep it that way.

[yoassizmine]

WOW!! thats a real good way to look at something like that
ThanKs for that great comment

JaMEs

[ZX-2R]

Cleaning bcomes part of the fun. As you clean you check hoses, brakelindes, lube the kickstand, check for mising or loosend things like screws and oil leaks where you need to retorque...It's FUN...Setting on a short bucket next to the bike under a shade tree, or in the spring/fall setting in the garage listening to music, sipping a fine wine or drinking a beer...whatever, working on the bike. lubricating the cables, polishing the bike, even cleaning the inside of the fenders, laying on the floor looking up at the bike standing on two tires and one sidestand...you see the awesome powerhouse of a motor, the chain drive...then some chain lube where it doesn't belong...ah, the music continues, as you do from front to back (stem to stern), top to bottom, a break or two then everything in reverse...Oh for a break in the weather, and fun in the sun...checking tires for wear, airfilter cleaning and hoses...replacing stock parts like the horn witha Fiamm dual 129db horn system, replacing yor windscreen and posishing it...so many things to do and clean...so much love and attention into what yo want and how you enjoy the process...then again yo ucould just get an old bike and let it rust, primer the paint, get cheap tires, never lube your chain or replace your sprockets, AH, to listen to a stretched dry chain rumble it's way down the road as you pull in the clutch and listen to it creak to a stop...

[yoassizmine]

Does any wash their bike once every yeaar or something close to that time span?

thanks ..jus wandering

[Stuart]

I wash it once a month at least sometimes more depending on whether or not I get caught in any good rain showers.

[ZX-2R]

It depends upon te weather and the elements around you! I live on a farm with dirt roads. Surrung te summer I can get by with a couple of wax jobs then just a rince with the soft wqter from the house and dry it off with an old bath towel. When we have dew I rince it off then towell down the bike before I ride it (time to start taking it into the barn and keeping it covered)...in the winter or muddy season it has to be washed down with a hose from top to bottom even under the fenders and under the motor, the wheels and then dry it off. If it's realy cold and ice or snow best to leave it at home, but if the toads are clear then it HAS to be rinced of because of the chemicals and salt that will eat at your bike like it is candy. On nicer days when things are still cold and there is nothing but sand and dry stuf on the road it may be dangerous because of the dry stuff on the raod in corners and intersections but worse flying in te air when vehicles get ip to speed...this is like a sandblasting...it is not good for you or your paintjob...

[vaporgas2000]

if I get caught in the rain or run into a lot of bugs I'll wash it after the ride. otherwise I just wash it about every 2 weeks with a couple rinse and shammy sessions tossed in.