Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Helmets and Gear Rain Gear

Hey all...

Looking for some advice on rain gear. I currently have the standard issue Home Depot yellow rubber banana suit. Bought it in a pinch during the MSF course. Started to Noah's Ark pour and since they weren't cancelling due to weather, it was the quickest solution.

So anyhow...recommendations??

One-piece, two piece?
Brand?
Cost?

I'm leaning towards one piece but I'm not committed to anything. Like to see what people have and are happy with.

Thanks...
BB

Tad,
I have the Triumph one piece rain suit and it works great. Howvere it was pricey and would not have spent the $$ on it if not for the voucher last year.
I looked at the Frog Togs and impressed with their quality and breathability.
CMS just got in a whole new line of the Triumph rain gear too, they have some nice two piece suits or buy each piece by itself.

I have an Alpinstar two piece. I like the two piece cause you can put on the pants as a sort of pre-emptive thing, then if it starts raining, you only have to break out the jacket. These pants are little more than a shell with suspenders, but they do work! But the jacket is nice, vented, lots of pockets, can unzip from the bottom up to take a leak, etc. And it works as an awesome windbreaker if it's cold!! And the collar is lined with cordoroy so it's soft on the neck.
Oh and it has reflective stripes.

Pat and Benny,

Thanks for the input. I do have to consider cost since I am still house (and bike) poor. Nevertheless, Jenny and I are riding to Montreal and Quebec this summer and being a long way from home is no time to be in a poorly made suit. I'll go look at the Alpinstar and see what they have to say for themselves. Cruiser Magazine rated the Trump Chevrons best in class over all. For 100.00, that's not bad. I've seen far more expensive.

I will be in CMS in the next week or two for them to check the explosion-proneness of my bike, I'll take a look. Gotta hurry...Dover is around the corner.

Thanks again guys...

BB

Yeah I would definitly suggest trying something on, because I needed sometihng to fit over my super thick jacket, ya know? Mine was less than 100 bucks, but I would think the Triumph gear would be well worth it for that!!

BB,

I purchased a Triumph Chevron one piece suit a month or so ago. I debated all winter over different products, including frog togs and others. What swayed me was I was able to try them on over my normal riding gear and the arms and legs fit fine. I'm a touch over 6'5", so arms and legs don't always fit fine. The fabric is mentioned as waterproof, to me water resistant means you still get wet, only slower. Construction features a sort of overlapping velcro covering the zippers. I needed a short course to learn how to put it on. Where I bought it they said Beemer riders have been buying them. And we all know Beemer riders are Gonzo when it comes to weather. Looking at other stuff, by the time I added the price of two piecers, they were all pretty close to the Triumph gear ($120??).

Time will tell, since I haven't given them the washing machine on spin cycle test yet.

john

Tad,
I have a two piece rain suit that was given to me as a present and it keeps me dry, but I do have some complaints with it. The two biggest are 1. trying to put it on on the side of the road is a PITA (the pants have to slip over my boots which are already wet) and 2. lack of pockets (trying to get money out or put Thruway ticket away is a ******) there are two pockets on the coat (non-zippered) but none on the pants. Like I said it was a gift and it does keep me dry so I can't complain too much. I was looking at the Triumph suit and it looks nice, has alot of pockets, and it should be easy to put on when on the side of the road.

Let me ad a little more about the Triumph one piecer i have.
It is very easy to get on/off, even on the side of the road. After a few times it becomes second nature.
It is 100% waterproof. I rode to Georgia last year for 3 days straight in pouring rain and stayed dry and warm. To take a leak you have to take the whole thing off though. That is a minor pita. It's all or nothing with this suit.

Joe Rocket pants and jacket. Great gear, lined and very waterproof. Wasn't very expensive, because if it ain't on sale, I ain't buyin it. Maybe $30 for the set at competitionaccessories.com. I also had a DryRider set ($19) that I gave away with the Trident, also a very good deal on gear that works that won't take up too much space in a saddlebag. Good rain gear makes it easy to ride in the rain. Sidi waterproof boots work great, too. The hardest time I'm having is finding waterproof gloves that really are and that are good for daily wear.

JJ,

Thanks for the reply. I will check the gear at the site you mentioned. I have seen thin "waterproof" vinyl over-gloves that are supposed to do the trick but I have no experience to confirm such claims. Made of the same ripstop stuff tents and rain covers for T-Bags. Seen 'em for boots too. Can't be too pricey I wouldn't think.

BB

Jim,

That's the problem with the yellow banana suit. It does NOT go on quickly. I am familiar with the hopping around on the side of the road gig. or sitting in the water you're trying to keep off you. Harley's one-piece looks good from what I could tell on my brother-in-law. Trump's looks good. I checked a catalog at a local shop and he showed me a decent one-piece by River Road, 70.00. That falls about where I was hoping to find a decent one. I can't find the company's website yet so I don't have any other info.

Tad

Pat,

Is what you have the Trump Chevron?

Also, I'm trying to figure out why you'd have to completely take the thing off to take a leak? How does it open and shut? Course, someone here DID say they needed an inservice course on getting in and out of it. Just curious...

Tad

John,

I'm leaning towards the Chevron myself. The only other one that seems close is the River Road product for 30.00 less but if the Trump's really is as superior as everyone says, I'd pay the additional loot.

Have you had a chance to wear it in downpour conditions yet?

Thanks...

Tad

Sorry BB,

We have been cursed with nice weather since I bought it. We had a real downpour Saturday night shortly after getting back from a perfect Spring ride around by Flathead Lake, but I wasn't up to going back out again. The suit actually isn't difficult to get in to, I just wish I'd got in on the ground floor of the velcro revolution. Construction & materials are excellent. I'll be surprised if the Chevron suit doesn't perform as indicated.

john

If Triumph made stuff in my size I'd buy it. I went to the one place they make stuff specifically big enough for fat hairy bikers: The Harley dealership.

Ya always hear great things about Frogg Toggs, but has anyone here actually used them? I was thinking about trading in my HD rain pants for some FT bibs.

I have the Frogg Toggs Pro Action Suit and love it. I have only had to ware it one time in the rain and it kept me dry. It is not as hot as some rain suits because it dose breath some, but not as much as they would have you believe. I do ware the pants a good bit as over pants for the ride to work. As far as the size I ware an XL riding jacket and the froff togg XL jacket fits over it fine.

Here is a link to the one I have. http://www.brown.com/store/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=136&Category=37

Whitt,

Thanks for the note and site. After reading the description however, I'm wondering, with pass through pockets, how waterproof is "completely" waterproof?

Guy I was talking to at the shop yesterday said the FT suit his buddy had kept him dry for about four hours then started to soak through. No idea if it's the same suit, but any trouble with water getting in through those pass through pockets?

BB

Like I said I have only used it one time in the rain. I was stuck in Atlanta traffic during a downpour and it kept me dry no leaks. The way the pocket is made if the rain was blowing from behind you it might seep in.

a garbage bag will work.......

Thanks Whitt, I think I'll give those Frogg Togg bibs a shot.

The Frogg Togg bibs arrived yesterday. They really seem entirely too thin to do anything but I'll give them a shot. They certainly fit over my chaps with room to spare. My company is cracking down on the dress code so I may take Whitt's idea and use them as overpants for commuting, just to keep the bugs off my khakis.

I know they seam way to thin, but I spent the whole day last Saturday riding in them and they kept me dry. The only problem I had was the boots I ware are only ankle high, one time when I stopped one of the legs popped up over the top of my boot and filed it with all of the water running down my leg. So it sucked riding the next 2 hours with a wet foot but at least that was the only part of me that was wet.

Tad,
I have a yellow Triumph one piece suit, I think it's a couple seasons(model years) old. It is 1piece, takes a little time to get on, with my achy back and limbs, it is also a little small on me, because I am shaped funny with a too long torso, but that's neither here nor there.If you get one that fits you, I think it's great, dry and warm, and some nice size pockets with zips and flaps. It is the yellow one with checkers at the top of shoulders. I got a deal from Palm Beach on ebay for $35-ish, list about $100.
I don't know if Pat has the next newer model, but I got the course on wearing that one at CMS, it's like 1 zipper from top to bottom and you wrap parts around then zip, kinda strange but they say it works. CMS likes to stick to their prices, but customer appreciation day is near the end of MAy,20%off, check their website for exact dates.
MAybe I'll see you in PD.
jeff