Quote:
Originally posted by Jeff Williams
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To the people who ride in the rain regularly my helmet is off to you.
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I have a BMW Rally suit with the zip in goretex liners. It keeps me dry in even really heavy rain but I still get cold.
I also have the BMW Tourmaster suit with the goretex bonded to the outer fabric. This I have worn up to 90 degrees without being totally miserable. Again, it keeps me dry and as an added advantage it seems to keep me warm too.
The boots are the BMW Savannah model. They are great; my feet NEVER get wet.
I can wear my Boxer gloves in the rain for a long time with the grips on but eventually they are uncomfortable. They also take about three days to dry completely. I bought the BMW summer rain gloves: they are OK, I just don't like the difficulty and feel when putting them on. Even though they are at least one size too big for me there was one time my hands were so cold and wet (rain, 38 degrees) that I could not get them back on after a gas stop. Haven't tried any others.
My helmet is an Arai Corsair and I have found that the only thing that almost works to keep the face shield from fogging up is a Fog City insert. Not too difficult to install, but a real bear to clean the first time. This thing is a godsend. It has some drawbacks when its not raining but I rapidly got used to it. Way better than the chemical preparations.
When it is raining and I have a choice I like to ride where there is less traffic and less artificial lighting. The cagers seem to tailgate more often in the rain or sort of either hang back on your left or alongside. And of course my favorite thing is the idiot who pulls back into your lane right in front of you! Instant IFR! They simply have no conception of what they are doing to your riding environment.
If I can't have a route with nice dark and quiet secondary roads then it is the slab for me and I slow down to the limit and use my superior maneuverability to stay in a safe zone.
Of course, it goes without saying that smoothness counts when it is wet along with proper tire pressures. In fact according to Metzler if the tires are over inflated they don't work as well in the rain.
Yes, you do get wetter when you stop.