What worked and what didn't...

[Karma]

I've got a regular pac-a-mac type thing that I can wear under the jacket if needs be, my jacket is big enough as it is, putting more stuff on top might start to act like a parachute in the wind.

Also... worst thing I have on the 4r is that the tank and my riding position seems to be perfectly aligned to ensure that it's always my nads which get cold and wet first, leading to a somewhat unpleasant trip from there...

[scumdog]

I've got a regular pac-a-mac type thing that I can wear under the jacket if needs be, my jacket is big enough as it is, putting more stuff on top might start to act like a parachute in the wind.

Also... worst thing I have on the 4r is that the tank and my riding position seems to be perfectly aligned to ensure that it's always my nads which get cold and wet first, leading to a somewhat unpleasant trip from there...

And just wait until you have riden 20km+ and THEN find out that 90% of the hail you've just ridden through has ended up in your lap.....

[Swoop]

with ex-army gaiters (also well dubbined)

How the hell did Ixion get access to Scummys login details???

[The Pastor]

Real men don't mind the wet. Toughen up!

[Wolf]

Real men don't mind the wet. Toughen up!

Wisdom from years of camping:

Rain will not kill you - being wet is quite safe.

Wind will not kill you - wind is harmless.

Rain and Wind is lethal. Being wet and exposed to wind will rob you of heat and bring about hypothermia.

I've seen hypothermia in action and it is insidious, the victim had no idea of what was happening and presently she was incapable of walking unassisted. She was dazed and confused and completely incapable of surviving by herself. Had she been alone she would have collapsed and frozen to death. Had she been riding a motorbike she would have crashed and probably died.

I walked out of the bush one day (2.5 hours of continuous torrential rain) wearing an absolutely saturated Swandri (woolen bush jerseys are not waterproof) over which I had put a thin nylon windcheater (of the "folds up into its own pocket for storage" variety) - likewise not waterproof but a damned sight more windproof than a wet Swandri.

Saturated to the skin but quite warm with all the exercise of walking two and a half hours and trying to stay upright on a steep clay track.

"Real men" can and do get hypothermia. If your gear is not waterproof, at least make sure it is windproof (against winds of at least 100km/h). The last thing you want is to start losing cognitive ability at 100km/h on a motorcycle.

[scumdog]

FWIW Have a look at the "Genuine 100% waterproof gloves" thread, will buy some myself - one day! (after the next wet ride probably)

[GSX-RJIM]

I always wear wet weather gear over my leathers - doesn't let any water through. My boots look they might need a bit of work - they leak a bit after a while now

I always do the same dhunt, it works very well, especally in the snow & sleet ran I rode in when I lived down south.

[pritch]

Last week I bought a new pinlock visor for the Shoei, so far so good.
No fog, even when manhandling the bike around. Normally that'd do it if I hadn't used the Scott anti-fog.

I haven't tested it in a torrential downpour yet but I'm in no rush.

One dealer I spoke to expressed some reservations about the system, but his experience was with an Italian helmet system which apparently doesn't seal all the way round.

Now I have to trim the Sunblocker to fit...

[Zapf]

Last week I bought a new pinlock visor for the Shoei, so far so good.
No fog, even when manhandling the bike around. Normally that'd do it if I hadn't used the Scott anti-fog.

I haven't tested it in a torrential downpour yet but I'm in no rush.

One dealer I spoke to expressed some reservations about the system, but his experience was with an Italian helmet system which apparently doesn't seal all the way round.

Now I have to trim the Sunblocker to fit...

Recently made the same investment myself. After riding back at night in wind and rain last monday along SH3 and then riding in similar conditions last night. I would vouch 100% for the system. My glasses fogs up before the visor, and even if the visor does fog up its only for a sec when I exhale deeply.

[Roj]

Last week I bought a new pinlock visor for the Shoei, so far so good.

I must be old school, I wax my visor inside and out, a good furniture polish works well, the water slides off and it doesn't fog up, the only downside is the need to regularily polish the visor, usually every 2-3 weeks. I have used this trick when riding through very thick fog on early morning commuttes from Hamilton to Auckland, and the fog around mecer was thich enough to cut.

[idb]

I rode through driving rain for two and a half hours on Sunday.
All my kit is less than a year old.
All leather, no wet weather gear.
Got completely soaked.
First was my hands through my new waterproof DriRider gloves.
Then my trou and jacket were leaking.
The only parts of me that didn't get wet were my feet.
I highly recommend Stylmartin boots!

I'd rather not have to get wet weather gear so I'd welcome any recommendations for waterproofing leather.

[Zapf]

I'd rather not have to get wet weather gear so I'd welcome any recommendations for waterproofing leather.

nikwax........

[pritch]

I haven't tested it in a torrential downpour yet but I'm in no rush.

Well somebody wasn't listening. I rode from Orere to New Plymouth today, wet roads all the way, rain most of the way. The pinlock visor worked a treat.

Having seen the particularly depressing forecast, and having got soaked on my last wet outing, I adopted a modified version of bike couture as practiced by Saslex. I cut holes in a rubbish bag and wore it under the riding jacket.

It worked a treat.

My Oxford heated grips failed on the way north and the (wet) fingers got a bit cold so I changed gloves at the gas stop. That worked so well I did the same coming home. That will be standard practice from now on. Possibly even if they do fix these (un)heated grips...

[Highlander]

Thin disposable latex gloves inside the real gloves works on wet days too.