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ManDownUnder
10th December 2003, 11:10
Anyone riding around in Auckland this morning will understand why I raise this...

Some leather parts do need to be exposed to the weather - boots and gloves come to mind. When going from A to B... slowly, in traffic - they get WET.

I know the trick of spraying CRC 808 (aka Silicone lube) onto them, sitting them int he sun, doing it again... and again... etc till they take up no more, but it does raise the issue.

Anyone out there with better waterproofing suggestions - or anything you'd swear by (even though it might be a little strange).

MDU

Motoracer
10th December 2003, 11:35
This isn't that helpfull but I think that Motomail has a specific waterproofing product for leathers. You'll have to ask them for info about it.

merv
10th December 2003, 11:47
I'm an old fashioned biker not too keen on hard work so if it rains and I haven't stayed home I put on the high class yellow over trousers (used to have NZ Railways ones but they finally wore out and now I have Warehouse ones) and rubber overboots (from Motomail). I have rubber over-gloves too but rarely use those. Carry all that stuff in my Ventura bag along with the storm cover for my Ventura bag itself because you can't trust the bags to be waterproof either. I can't be bothered waterproofing my leathers because the effect of most of that stuff is to attract dirt e.g. if you use sno-seal or dubbin or anything like that. I spruce up my leathers with that black liquid nugget stuff from the supermarket which is as cheap as you can buy. So I wear leathers for protection and wet weather gear over top for the rain. Now that might be a pain if you are commuting but as you have heard me say many times I treat my bikes as toys not transport so I travel into town on the train and don't worry about the rain then.

Now this isn't a great photo that someone else took but here's me in my flash yellow plastics with the silver cover over my Ventura bags on the VFR at Lake Pukaki.

MikeL
10th December 2003, 12:39
I have tried Snoseal and Dubbin and they both work to a certain extent. You will be O.K. in a light shower but persistent heavy rain (not entirely unknown in Auckland) will have you soaked through before long. I don't wear my leather jacket if there's a chance of heavy rain - I wear a Teknic instead. It has the advantage of more protection but its weatherproofing is not perfect - will take a lot more than the leather jacket though. I always wear leather pants but carry a pair of the same sort of yellow plastic pants that Merv mentioned which I can slip on if it starts to rain. Not exactly an elegant fashion statement but nothing beats them for keeping out the wet (you need to sew or tape up the pocket slits though). Boots can be a bit of a problem. I have been known to slip a couple of plastic bags over them in heavy rain (secured with gaffer tape)- works if you don't mind looking like a dork, and you have to remember you have them on when you put a foot down...
I suppose all in all it's a lot easier to stay at home or take the car when it rains, but for those of us in Auckland that would cut down our biking quite considerably!

Big Dog
10th December 2003, 15:59
If you wanna ride in serious rain you need serious gear. But if your like me too cheap to buy a proper rain suit.

Techy gear is good for up to an hour in persistant rain but beyond that expect to get your pecker wet.

The best weather protection I ever experienced was actually womens golf style (nylon with rubber backing) overtrou and storm cuffed jacket from the warehouse. $40 total cost 100% waterproof where it covers. Lasted about 2 years. And it fit in side pocket on any normal back pack or under the seat on the gpx.

The down side? Dayglo purple and pink, but at least no-one ever said they didn't see me.

I still have a pair of the same style trou (in Blue) in case I ever need to go for a long ride in the wet.

Very ugly but good wind resistance, low interference and I used to get to work/polytech drier than those in cages.

ManDownUnder
10th December 2003, 16:06
Yup - I got me one of those one piece Go Karting suits - cheapest ($180) decent solution there is... and they are actually really good!

It is the gloves and boots (aka extremities I am personally worried about, but while asking that question, I got to wondering about any other wisdom that's out there that maybe we could all benefit from.

MDU

Motoracer
10th December 2003, 16:15
I bought a second hand Dainese armored textile jacket and its soo good. I had a high speed come off and walked away with out any injuries. The Jacket now has a few tears in it but its still 100% waterproof!! When I ride with that thing, it might as well bucket down with hail and I couldn't care less. :rolleyes:

If you are traveling overseas, it might be a good option to pick one up. Otherwise, you might find a good second hand one in e-bay for cheap.

madandy
10th December 2003, 16:56
Is it the gloves and boots you're worried about or your hands and feet getting wet?

I got a Dririder 'Hurricane' wet weather suit($110) which is brilliant in even the heaviest rain(and keeps me warm) we get in the BOP...I ride every day 40K return trip for work.

I've worn surgical type gloves under my Darbi's and plastic shopping bags inside my boots-over socks!- to keep my hands and feet dry!

Coldkiwi
10th December 2003, 17:13
cheapest and best waterproofing is like the boys have said... get a 1 piece rain suit. I picked my WFO one up from Leading edge for $120 early this year and its great. A bit of a knack to get into it but 100% waterproof and ultra fast drying.

I use beeswax on the boots/leather to keep it up to scratch anyway and like Mike said, it helps in showers but won't last long in heavy rain. Synthetics are what you need for proper protection and the Spidi hyper gloves ($275 from motomail) I bought last year have been fantastic for it although a little warm right now.

As for boots, the stiffness and thickness of the Stylmartin Yukons ($250 from motomail) I use for everyday riding repel the water quite well anyway and the beeswax does the rest. Only on odd occasions do I get wet feet.

 

 

Big Dog
10th December 2003, 17:22
Originally posted by Coldkiwi
Only on odd occasions do I get wet feet.

 

 
With sno seal applied properly and renewed every year my old Johnny Rebs were excellent. They could even be used as gumbootsup to about half calf. Lasted me 9 years of wearing in all conditions and very little care taken (had to have them resoled four times cos I kept wearing the rubber out) I only thew them out because the heel on opne cracked.

Jackrat
10th December 2003, 17:38
I use NIKWAX on my jacket,works ok,But if things get real nasty I have a line7 sailing suit.Nothing will get thru, that thing.
Just got to take the thing with me I guess,:doh:
NIKWAX is a leather cleaner and water proofer from England,I get it from a horse gear shop.

130wide
10th December 2003, 20:25
Gloves, take a spare set when it stops raining put the dry pair on.$80-$120
Boots, New world plastic rubbish bags, be carefully at petrol stations it gets slippery.$$what every you brought for tea
Jacket - pants, wind breaker/rain coat from Doyles outdoor stores, have had for nearly 4 years just starting to leak in the seams in very heavy rain, Speed tested to 290km/h in the rain $30.

merv
11th December 2003, 08:13
The good old yellow plastics I was talking about supplied by NZ Railways were high class NZ made Skellerup and they lasted me over 20 years on the job and on the bike. I finally ripped the trou on the footrest of my dirt bike last year and bought the Warehouse ones that like a lot of stuff these days are made from the highest quality materials from China. I don't how they will last but they look fairly tough. 20 years though I'm not so sure.

The old ones in 20 years never leaked a drip and kept my leathers warm and dry underneath. Same as 130wide though I carry spare gloves too but seldom would need to use them.

What?
11th December 2003, 08:53
Originally posted by Coldkiwi
As for boots, the stiffness and thickness of the Stylmartin Yukons ($250 from motomail) I use for everyday riding repel the water quite well anyway and the beeswax does the rest. Only on odd occasions do I get wet feet. 

 :gob::gob: My Yukons are about as waterproof as Jandals!!:gob::gob:

I have another pair of StylMartin boots which are totally waterproof, and ditto for Spidi gloves. Only way to waterproof leathers is to apply an oversuit. I currently use a 2-piece fro Jet Leathers. Cost around $90 and very effective.:niceone:

Coldkiwi
11th December 2003, 11:23
as bad as jandals? thats odd. does it come in the zips or just through the leather?

I thought mine would be worse to be honest but they appear to be ok.  Maybe it has something to do with the angle I have my feet compared to your riding position? 95% of the time I ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs so the boots would be tilted a reasonable way forwards because of the riding position on my 600.

k14
11th December 2003, 15:20
I have some alpinestars SMX-3 boots, they seem to be fairly waterproof. Havent walked in ankle high water yet, but seem to be rain proof from what i have had them in so far. Pretty good crash protection aswell.

babyB
12th December 2003, 03:02
leather is a natural material made fron the hide of animals.  if you want to protect & prolong the life of your leathers - you must clean and condition them.  rain will really dry out leather because the rain evaporates from your leathers.  it pulls moisture away from the skin. i recomend conditioning your leathers once it dries, when ever caught in the rain.

leather requires frequent conditioning to replace the natural lubricants lost during normal use, just as your own skin dries out when exposed to the elements, so will your leather.  a good conditioner will help stop rain, spills, or anything wet from getting into your leather and staining it.

never use waxes, silicon products, or aerosol sprays, they will impair the leather's ability to "breath".  products will clog the pores of leather, that is why they make leather accessories waterproof.  it will also eventually dry out your leathers because the pores are cloged. (may have an advantage for boots though)

Wet Leathers

ok so you get caught in the rain and your leathers are soaked

1. if possible use a dry towel & soak up as much as you can - dont rub - just blot. if towel not handy shake as much wetness feom the leather

2. let leathers dry naturally avoiding direct heat or sunlight

3. when leather nearly dry, apply a little conditioner to restore flexibility. followed by full conditioning treatmedt when leather is totaly dry.

New Life 4 Leathers      babyB

 

get some good wet weather gear. waxed cotton is premo

What?
12th December 2003, 08:02
CK: As far as I can figure, most of the water seems to enter through the join between the sole and the upper, as the soles of my feet get wet, but not the tops. They are fine weather boots only.

jrandom
12th December 2003, 10:34
Originally posted by What?
CK: As far as I can figure, most of the water seems to enter through the join between the sole and the upper

Yup. I've been wearing a pair of some-brand-or-other boots with that Te-Por membrane lining, dry feet all year so far up until Wednesday (same day this thread was started...) when I arrived at work and noticed my left sock had wet toes due to the sole starting to peel away from the upper at the front. A bit of Selleys something-or-other blobbed around the toe area should fix 'em right for another year I reckon :2thumbsup

Pity we don't have any Aerostitch dealers here. If we did, I'd be wearing a Roadcrafter (one-piece cordura and goretex). As it is, I find my Orina two-piece does fine but after half an hour or so in heavy rain I get the wet pecker syndrome from the water blowing up under the jacket and trickling down... might be time to add one of those rain suit overalls to the mix.

I bought the cheapie Spidi waterproof gloves for $160 but they've done the job nicely, haven't leaked a drop. Getting a bit warm now, but I want a new pair of summer leather gloves... my old ones feel too flimsy after wearing the Spidis all winter.

Yarg
14th December 2003, 17:03
I wear a pair of skin seal socks (waterproof socks) inside the boots , so if the boots leak the feet stay dry.Got them from The Outdoor Centre, Takapuna.
Cheaper than water proof boots.
My.02 worth.
GD

Hitcher
17th December 2003, 21:38
Anyone riding around in Auckland this morning will understand why I raise this...

Some leather parts do need to be exposed to the weather - boots and gloves come to mind. When going from A to B... slowly, in traffic - they get WET.

I know the trick of spraying CRC 808 (aka Silicone lube) onto them, sitting them int he sun, doing it again... and again... etc till they take up no more, but it does raise the issue.

Anyone out there with better waterproofing suggestions - or anything you'd swear by (even though it might be a little strange).

MDU
Don't fart around with lotions and potions. Fork out some cash and buy good kit. One of my best investments are my Daytona Goretex boots -- waterproof even when standing in a puddle. Another of my best investments are my Alpinestars gloves -- again with a Goretex liner. On a pissing-down wet day you can put wet hands in them and your hands dry out! Woo hoo and your hands stay nice and toasty warm too.
:sunny:

ManDownUnder
18th December 2003, 07:56
Don't fart around with lotions and potions. Fork out some cash and buy good kit. One of my best investments are my Daytona Goretex boots -- waterproof even when standing in a puddle. Another of my best investments are my Alpinestars gloves -- again with a Goretex liner. On a pissing-down wet day you can put wet hands in them and your hands dry out! Woo hoo and your hands stay nice and toasty warm too.
:sunny:

NICE!!! I like it... and with Christmas coming up I might see if I can bludge a pair at minimal (i.e. NO) expense...!

MDU