Rain gear DIY

Jerbear

Jerbear

Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
70
Age
55
Location
60046
Bike
'95 ST1100, '02 919
A Day in the Rain post reminded me of a trip 30 some years ago.

I lived in South Africa at the time and had only a GPZ750 as the only mode of transportation, rain, or shine.

One of my late dad’s friends passed away and I felt obligated to pay my respects. Didn’t have much money then, still don’t, so my riding gear consisted of an old hand me down leather motorcycle jacket, pair of gauntlet leather gloves, pair of jeans where my then girlfriend had sewn additional padding onto, pair of high-top gym shoes and a good helmet. Helmet was a top-of-the-line Shoei, complements of the said girlfriend.

As soon as I left the little town I used to live in, it started to pour. Trust me it can RAIN in South Africa.

I had a 300 km trip ahead of me, and seriously considered turning back. However, when you’re 20 yrs. old you think nah, it will stop pretty soon. I rode in pouring rain almost all the way to Newcastle from town called Kriel. It stopped raining a couple of kilometers from the church where the services were held. Because I was soaking wet, I decided to head back right after the funeral. Hoping that the weather will hold. Guess what, it started to rain as soon as I left.

About halfway back I have had enough. I pulled into a gas station; soaking wet all the way thru. I asked the clerk for one of those big black garbage bags. I thought that the plastic might create some kind of barrier from the wet, penetrating cold. I wanted to cut out holes for my arms and neck and wear this contraption under my soaking gear. Went to the restroom and proceeded to undress in the middle of it.

And at this precise moment walks in this older, straight and narrow, farmer type gentlemen. He took one look at me standing there shivering in my skivvies among the pile of wet clothes, and without a word or change of expression just turned around a walked right out. I will always remember his expression of utter disbelief and surprise.

I dressed as quickly as I could, put on all the wet stuff back on and rode home in the pouring rain.

It stopped raining just as I got off my bike in the driveway.
 
Aahhhh, yes, the impetuous youth.
I have stories much like yours, from my teenage years, and a couple of others since when I should have known better -- and even had the right gear by then.
Actually, I DID know better, but made poor decisions.
 
I rode from Casey IL (on my way home from Moonshine) all the way to a rest stop just outside of KC Kansas... it was pouring all 460 some odd miles till that rest stop! The only failure I had was water leaking in a seam in the seat of my overpants... the heated liners were just toasting... well, you get it. I was so happy to change out my gear at that stop!!!!! :run1:
 
One of my most waterlogged rides was coming back from New Mexico to Alabama, through Texas... started raining early in the morning, so I put the gear on... it kept raining, miles of miles and hours of hours... I kept telling myself, "This will end sometime. I know I will punch through the other side. Sometime..."
After 14 hours, there was nothing dry on me. All my "waterproof" raingear had long ago succumbed to the incessant rain, and it all just completely gave up and accepted the deluge.
Although I had planned on riding straight through to my home in 'Bama, I was exhausted, and obviously completely drenched from head to foot. Well, the top of my head was dry because I never took my helmet off, but everything else just gravity-fed the rain into my waterproof boots. They're waterproof from the outside, but not when the water comes in from the inside. The water just stayed in my boots, no escape.
Finally I decided I was whupped, and bit down on my pride and checked into a Fairfield Inn box hotel off the freeway. Dripping water as I got off the bike, I continued to trail water through 2 sets of double doors, into their lobby, and I was soon standing in a wide-growing puddle of water, because I happened to glance over at the dry patrons lounging about on the dry cushioned furniture in the dry tv area... CNN was on, and I instantly learned that I was tracking Hurricane Rita west-to-east. We were both moving at the same speed, and I was in the middle of it.
So I was NOT going to "punch through it" that day. The entire state of Texas, at least following I-20, was colored in greens, yellows and reds with all the thunderstorms and cells.
I really, really slept well that night.
Took off all my wet clothes first.
 
Sadlsor said:
One of my most waterlogged rides was coming back from New Mexico to Alabama, through Texas... started raining early in the morning, so I put the gear on... it kept raining, miles of miles and hours of hours... I kept telling myself, "This will end sometime. I know I will punch through the other side. Sometime..."
After 14 hours, there was nothing dry on me. All my "waterproof" raingear had long ago succumbed to the incessant rain, and it all just completely gave up and accepted the deluge.
Although I had planned on riding straight through to my home in 'Bama, I was exhausted, and obviously completely drenched from head to foot. Well, the top of my head was dry because I never took my helmet off, but everything else just gravity-fed the rain into my waterproof boots. They're waterproof from the outside, but not when the water comes in from the inside. The water just stayed in my boots, no escape.
Finally I decided I was whupped, and bit down on my pride and checked into a Fairfield Inn box hotel off the freeway. Dripping water as I got off the bike, I continued to trail water through 2 sets of double doors, into their lobby, and I was soon standing in a wide-growing puddle of water, because I happened to glance over at the dry patrons lounging about on the dry cushioned furniture in the dry tv area... CNN was on, and I instantly learned that I was tracking Hurricane Rita west-to-east. We were both moving at the same speed, and I was in the middle of it.
So I was NOT going to "punch through it" that day. The entire state of Texas, at least following I-20, was colored in greens, yellows and reds with all the thunderstorms and cells.
I really, really slept well that night.
Took off all my wet clothes first.
Click to expand...
Been there done that. Happened to me last year coming home from Nashcat's Johns RTE. Storm followed me dang near the whole way. It was so bad the rest stop was flooding.
 
Rita was my last hurricane in Texas (Katy). I'll never forget the Walking Dead look of I-10 near where I lived. I ran bottled water over to the Katy Civic Center on my ST for the stranded drivers. What a weird eerie scene that was.
 
For my wife and I, we were on our ST 1300 coming back to Ohio from a trip to Bar Harbor Maine and got caught in one of those eastern seaboard storms. Started in southern Maine along Rt 1. We stopped and put on rain gear. It rained hard, really hard, thru Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and all the way to Catskill NY where we got a hotel room. Our normally reliable Frogg Toggs failed to keep it all out and we were soaked all the way to our skin...and shivering cold. Hot showers cured the cold part. The hotel room looked like a Chinese laundry room with riding gear hanging everywhere trying to dry out before morning. By the next morning the jackets, pants, gloves and boots were just damp lol, but dried out before our next stop in NE Ohio that night.
 
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I've also experienced disappointing Frogg Toggs failures, on my lower half. Jacket is fine, but my newest bibbed overalls style failed me at BRG last year... right in the crotch, much like the recent Aerostich thread.
Only his 'stich did NOT leak, but we did talk about it.
 
sherob said:
I rode from Casey IL (on my way home from Moonshine) all the way to a rest stop just outside of KC Kansas... it was pouring all 460 some odd miles till that rest stop! The only failure I had was water leaking in a seam in the seat of my overpants... the heated liners were just toasting... well, you get it. I was so happy to change out my gear at that stop!!!!! :run1:
Click to expand...
Maybe April 14th, 2012? On that day I rode about 460 miles from Moonshine to Knoxville with Shuey and h20rider. The weather was miserable with 40 degree temps in a constantly pouring rain. If it was not for electric jacket and gloves I don't think I could have done it. I was dry in my Roadcrafter while riding until we went through a large town (Evansville, IN?) and got caught at a series of traffic lights. Rain got inside my collar and inside my gloves a little at a time until the water wicked throughout my layers.
 
I'm thinking of carrying a couple one-pound propane bottles a big tarp and a buddy heater. Maybe not a polyester tarp... a cotton drop sheet would do it. Beats freezing to death.
 
One of the greatest things about mobile technology is the ability to have weather radar at your fingertips. I use it regularly to avoid inadvertently launching into a deluge. Numerous times I have found leaving a bit early, or delaying a bit will put me in front of or behind a weather cell on my commute sparing me the full experience.
 
Oh, you mean, like ...planning?
Foreign concept, apparently, when it comes to some of my endeavors.
Most of the time, however, I'm reminded of John Lennon's observation: Life is what happens while you're making OTHER plans.
And I guess he would know, sadly...
 
As an early twenties youth, I could barely afford the rather run down bodge job of Russian BMW knock-off Cossack Ural and sidecar (Actually a BMW made after Russia 'acquired' the production tools. Allegedly.) Protective and waterproof gear was a secondary luxury. Although it seemed that it wasn't much good anyway, when I was able to afford it. In winter I'd ride about half an hour and then stop to warm my hands on the exhaust pipe. There was nothing that could be done to stop the gradual seep of water. But wool retains heat insulation properties when it is wet. Allegedly.

Things are different now. My gear doesn't leak, I have heated gear and I stay dry and comfortable through the harshest weather. I only get wet when I take it all off !

But, especially solo, I use always have emergency space blanket, sleeping bag, walkers 2 man bivvi shelter, flask and food. Not for accidents. I doubt I'd be in a fit state to get to any of those, but for survival during the long wait for recover breakdown in the event of a breakdown.
 
Jerbear said:
A Day in the Rain post reminded me of a trip 30 some years ago.

I lived in South Africa at the time and had only a GPZ750 as the only mode of transportation, rain, or shine.

One of my late dad’s friends passed away and I felt obligated to pay my respects. Didn’t have much money then, still don’t, so my riding gear consisted of an old hand me down leather motorcycle jacket, pair of gauntlet leather gloves, pair of jeans where my then girlfriend had sewn additional padding onto, pair of high-top gym shoes and a good helmet. Helmet was a top-of-the-line Shoei, complements of the said girlfriend.

As soon as I left the little town I used to live in, it started to pour. Trust me it can RAIN in South Africa.

I had a 300 km trip ahead of me, and seriously considered turning back. However, when you’re 20 yrs. old you think nah, it will stop pretty soon. I rode in pouring rain almost all the way to Newcastle from town called Kriel. It stopped raining a couple of kilometers from the church where the services were held. Because I was soaking wet, I decided to head back right after the funeral. Hoping that the weather will hold. Guess what, it started to rain as soon as I left.

About halfway back I have had enough. I pulled into a gas station; soaking wet all the way thru. I asked the clerk for one of those big black garbage bags. I thought that the plastic might create some kind of barrier from the wet, penetrating cold. I wanted to cut out holes for my arms and neck and wear this contraption under my soaking gear. Went to the restroom and proceeded to undress in the middle of it.

And at this precise moment walks in this older, straight and narrow, farmer type gentlemen. He took one look at me standing there shivering in my skivvies among the pile of wet clothes, and without a word or change of expression just turned around a walked right out. I will always remember his expression of utter disbelief and surprise.

I dressed as quickly as I could, put on all the wet stuff back on and rode home in the pouring rain.

It stopped raining just as I got off my bike in the driveway.
Click to expand...
 
Walmart sacks and duck tape will work for keeping your feet dryish in the rain. My son still has the picture.
 
When your rain gear starts leaking in the crotch, use duct tape on the seams.

When you put the rain gear on, chances are you're still wearing your boots. The boot soles will drag on the material, and eventually start loosening the seams. You can put seam seal on them, but duct tape works great too.

Sent from soggy Seattle where it has rained, is raining, or soon will be.

Chris
 
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