Keep ya pants on

[Wenier]

ive got a pair of draggin jeans and a expensive jacket (amoured, waterproof) cant remember the name, T-shirt underneath it on a -3 day and you will still be toasty warm, or maybe i jus like the cold too much. I also have some amoured waterproof pants. I realy need to get a pair of leather so i can do some race track opendays.

[FROSTY:Me]

The weather here in dorkland is too bloody unpredictable for leather usually.
I wear cudura trou and jacket -and just slide it all over my work clobber.
Cudura has plusses and minuses -pluses -a shit load more weather protection than leather. Minuses Cudura tends to be single crash only stuff-

[erik]

I've got a cordura jacket and pants. The pants are supposed to be waterproof, but I have found they are not! I've ended up getting a pair of $8 rainpants from the warehouse, melting the pockets shut, and wearing them over the cordura pants when it looks like it's going to rain. It's a nuisance, but it's either that or have embarrasing wet patches on my pants at uni or take an extra change of pants in. It could be that the pants only leak because of my bike, I think the bike directs air/rain down the back of the tank and into the crotch area, maybe with a bike with fairings the pants would be sufficiently waterproof.

Basically, I think if you get pants that are supposed to be waterproof, you should test them thoroughly on your bike in the rain soon after you buy them so that you can return them if they aren't waterproof. If they leak at the seams (like in the crotch area), I don't think there is anything much you can do about it. Water repellent sprays (like Gecko Guard and Watershield) don't help in that case.

HTH

[greenhorn]

I wear Armour-Tech gear, it's heavey duty nylon...possibly that codura stuff. It's good stuff but the draw back is it gets a bit smelly It also has armour in it but to be honest next time I'm buying riding gear I'll buy leather b/c I wear it everyday. My theory is it's better to be over protected than not waering enough gear.

This is the only link I could find & it's not that good sorry.http://www.northacc.co.nz/site/pages/rgear.htm

So whats the story? Can this stuff be washed/dry cleaned?

[Posh Tourer :P]

Ok. I have slowly progressed in the gear stakes. I used to wear jeans, then it was jeans plus covering.
Firstly some thin nylon with brush cotton liner (enough to stop ragdolling), and I came off at 40 in the wet and only just got thru to my jeans on chipseal.
Then it was those in the dry and heavy duty PVC in the wet. Then when the heavy duty PVC was passed on, I went to light duty PVC with a pocket, which hardly ever got water in it, but the crotch split pretty easily, so wasnt very comfortable sometimes.
Then I got some wax cotton belstaff pants, which have been very waterproof if a little cold.
Finally, I have just bought some HD Nylon Fieldsheer pants with knee armour, which are not very waterproof at the moment, but are very good. Side zips up to mid thigh means no matter how big your boots are, they slip off over them very easily and you dont look stupid fighting with your trousers in public places

Always had a touring jacket and leather gloves to go with that, although I occasionally wore other, lesser gear when I was commuting in the summer heat. Dont do that no more, I'm too attached to my skin. I wouldnt wear leather personally, just because of the not waterproof/long time to dry issue..

Maarten

[vifferman]

So whats the story? Can this stuff be washed/dry cleaned?

Well, I've washed my Teknic jacket several times (I HAVE to, it gets so bloody grubby commuting in all the traffic fumes, and like CSL says, it gets smelly). I just take out all the armour and the liner, and chuck it in the machine with some SnoSeal Sport Wash, which doesn't ferk up the breathability. Or at least - I used to. Now that it's been repaired and has leather bits on the sleeves and shoulders, and I've run out of Sport Wash, I just use wool detergent, like Softly or summat, and don't worry about the breathability, but spray the fooker with LOTS of silicon, as that's easier than separately treating the leather bits. It doesn't breathe that well with several layers on the arms anyway...
You're not supposed to dry clean the breathable Cordura stuff, or the stuff with Gortex-type liners, due to the breathability thing.
I dunno if anyone's tried this, but research I've done suggests the best way to clean leather suits is also to just chuck 'em in the washing machine! (Not that I've ever washed any leather stuff, apart from gloves and the leathery bits on my jacket. Takes an absolute age to dry....

I read that (in the US at least), skin costs about $1000 per square inch to have grafted. Pretty convincing argument for protecting it.
Another thing to consider is that the time most people DON'T wear their gear is on the short trips around town. Coincidentally, this is when you're at most risk (most accidents happen within 15km of home?) Of the 4 "offs" I've had in the last 5 years (since moving to Auckland - none in the 25-30 years before that), all were within a couple of km of work, and in town. Of those, I wasn't wearing leather trou in 2 cases, and was lucky it was only my trousers that got shredded and not my legs.

[White trash]

ive got a pair of draggin jeans and a expensive jacket (amoured, waterproof) cant remember the name, T.

Belstaff! It's the best damn textile gear made.

Makes Spidi, Clover, Dri-rider all look average.

Another good one if you think you'll crash alot (like me) is "Hit Air).

Airbags are inflated the instant you're thrown from your bike. Once deflated, you back 'em away back in the jacket, replace the gas cannister and you're set for crashing again.

Only $900 which is about on par with any excellent touring jacket.

[vifferman]

Belstaff! It's the best damn textile gear made.

Makes Spidi, Clover, Dri-rider all look average.

Another good one if you think you'll crash alot (like me) is "Hit Air).

Airbags are inflated the instant you're thrown from your bike. Once deflated, you back 'em away back in the jacket, replace the gas cannister and you're set for crashing again.

Only $900 which is about on par with any excellent touring jacket.

Do they do inflatable helmets?

[greenhorn]

Belstaff! It's the best damn textile gear made.

Another good one if you think you'll crash alot (like me) is "Hit Air).

Airbags are inflated the instant you're thrown from your bike. Once deflated, you back 'em away back in the jacket, replace the gas cannister and you're set for crashing again.

That Hit Air jacket sounds really good. Thanks WT, just the sort of info i was after. Do you have any link to it? Where abouts does the gas cannister fit in the jacket?
Such a good idea its a wonder no one thought of something like that a long time ago.
It reminds me of a mate of mine who just finished doing up an old Holden. He's got the classical modified look going on with the slightly larger diamater wheels at the back. I like the car but dont really go for that look and told him so. He informed me that he didnt do it for looks, it' really for fuel economy. Because the wheels are larger on the back it has the effect of the car allways traveling slightly down hill, thus he reckons he gets awesome fuel economy.
I wonder why more people dont do that, i would even work the same for bikes too i guess?

[riffer]

Because the wheels are larger on the back it has the effect of the car allways traveling slightly down hill, thus he reckons he gets awesome fuel economy.
I wonder why more people dont do that, i would even work the same for bikes too i guess?

I have a 17" on the front and an 18" on the back, and my bike uses no more or less gas than any other 750...

[SILVER SUZI]

My best suggestion would be go check out Moto Mail, or the likes. They have heaps of gear. Iv'e got jacket and pants from them, just goes over what I'm wearing (I work in an office). I look a bit like the michelin man, but at 6ft 2 tall, 5ft wide (in my gear) no one disses me.

[MikeL]

The weather here in dorkland is too bloody unpredictable for leather usually.

I have found that leather will cope quite well with intermittent or light rain - particularly in summer, but even at this time of the year it's not too bad for short distances. I commute from Onehunga to the CBD and always wear leather pants. Only if the rain is heavy will I bother to put the plastic overpants on. Likewise I wear my leather jacket most of the time. If the leather is a bit damp by the time I arrive at work it will dry out in the office during the day. Frequent applications of Dubbin are quite effective at providing moderate water protection, but there are limits. If it looks like heavy or persistent rain I wear the Teknic jacket instead. For long rides where there's any possibility of a real soaking I always wear the Teknic.

[greenhorn]

I have a 17" on the front and an 18" on the back, and my bike uses no more or less gas than any other 750...

Thats wierd... I'd say the laws of physics would demand that you'd get better fuel economy as your always traveling slightly downhill..

[750Y]

...It reminds me of a mate of mine who just finished doing up an old Holden. He's got the classical modified look going on with the slightly larger diamater wheels at the back. I like the car but dont really go for that look and told him so. He informed me that he didnt do it for looks, it' really for fuel economy. Because the wheels are larger on the back it has the effect of the car allways traveling slightly down hill, thus he reckons he gets awesome fuel economy.
I wonder why more people dont do that, i would even work the same for bikes too i guess?

Man, with all due respect... it is Your mate who is the classic not his car.
Dam that is one of the funniest things i've heard in a little while.
There is some truth the the larger diameter wheels eg 15" instead of 14 or 14" instead of 13(depending on which model holden it is).
Effectively it lowers the gear ratio so that when travelling on the open road at say 100kms he is now pulling less revs which equates to engine working less & therefore using less gas.
I think he is winding You up(hill) 8-)

[Kwaka-Kid]

Ive tried a range of the gear... Orina, Dririder, spidi, spool. All in all the dririder was the best (nylon style gear) for all conditions although mainly streaked ahead of hte rest in the wet (didnt let anthing in till i put holes in in).

What have i personally settled on? a Pair of Levi Red Tabs, aplne star boots (more enduro style, dont let anyhting in!)the Orina jacket (cordura) and a pair of 3m thermal gloves or whatever.
sometimes if the weather is looking really good then my 4year old pair of Globes take to my feet in place of the boots, they let air thru quite nicely and cool my feet down.

All in all dude if you aint travelling for more then 20 odd mins i find jeans rocks! i get saturated in jeans and it doesnt get that cold. and you can wear them at work (more places) as with the casual shoes. - just dont go 1 piece leathers as its a load of effort and they are not usually very warm or water-proof + all the dudes at work would prolly call me a poser (in saying that its not going to stop me bringing me new leathers in oneday soon!)