The Motorbikerist Thread

[JLv3.0]

Having spent the most I've ever spent on a single item of clothing, I was quite disappointed to not test the waterproofyness of my awesome new Klim Badlands Pro jacket on the recent SA trip.

I know, I know - time will heal - one day at a time.

[Barry]

I realised that all you're doing by buying more expensive kit is buying a bit longer before it lets in water, so I stopped pondering spending big dollar on a fancy suit and just buy a half decent one twice as often. My Halvarrsons Prime jacket is a few years old now and struggles in rain so I might treat myself this winter again. Need to buy a new lid too, the GT Air is four years old and with the mileage it's done I think its time for a new one.

Yamaha have just decided to do 0% on Tracer GTs too, so I might have to see if I can squeeze a deal out of my two local dealers

[NotoriousREV]

My jacket is usually really good but today the water just soaked through, including into the normally waterproof pockets. It’s like it’s forgotten how to be waterproof.

I’m definitely getting new textiles before winter and I think I’ll treat myself to a new lid in spring.

[JLv3.0]

I realised that all you're doing by buying more expensive kit is buying a bit longer before it lets in water

Really? It's Goretex, never knew that had a sell-by date.

Anyway I can't hear you lalalalalala

Oh and go buy the new bike you want.

[JLv3.0]

Eargasm for the new Moto2 Triumph 765cc triples for next year. I may have said before that I'll miss hearing "my" old engine being ginger-stepson'ed around the track but fk me how good does this sound:

[Marv]

I realised that all you're doing by buying more expensive kit is buying a bit longer before it lets in water, so I stopped pondering spending big dollar on a fancy suit and just buy a half decent one twice as often.

Yeah, me and my friend have found with technical hiking jackets & other gore-tex type clothing, that after a while they all give up their water repellency to varying degrees. I imagine motorcycle textiles can't be any different, as they're by-in-large using the same technology.

When I was doing the training for my test, I had one day where it was light to medium rain the whole day and all of my RST textile gear stood up fine. The next morning (on day of my mod 1), it rained torrentially on my way into ipswich and my gear lasted about 15minutes before it gave up.

I'm going to re-proof it all probably at the end of October and see if it makes any difference.

I need a new lid too and I know in the next few months they'll start putting them on sale, so I'm going to keep an eye on if the ones I'm interested in come up at a decent price.

[dinny_g]

Yeah, me and my friend have found with technical hiking jackets & other gore-tex type clothing, that after a while they all give up their water repellency to varying degrees. I imagine motorcycle textiles can't be any different, as they're by-in-large using the same technology.

Is it not more likely that over time, the rain is ‘driven’ down the collar, and up from the bottom rather than leaking??

I’ve NEVER got wet wearing Gore-Tex, albeit not on a bike but I’ve been in the hills in 30 or 40 mpg winds with driving rain and after a 6 or 8 hour day, I’m dryazabone

[JLv3.0]

Marv - Goretex isn't repellent as such. It's a material that has pores sufficiently large to let sweat out, and sufficiently small to not let water in. I just can't see how that could stop "working".

[dinny_g]

More likely the wrong base layers and sweat retention.

Some’s got to go down your neck on a bike though surely?

What’s the helmet / Collar connection like??

[Barry]

Marv - Goretex isn't repellent as such. It's a material that has pores sufficiently large to let sweat out, and sufficiently small to not let water in. I just can't see how that could stop "working".

The pores get blocked with dirt, which can damage them IIRC. Friend of mine bought a Rukka jacket and he reports his will leak eventually. I suspect once enough water hits or pools on a piece of clothing it'll get through.

[Marv]

Marv - Goretex isn't repellent as such. It's a material that has pores sufficiently large to let sweat out, and sufficiently small to not let water in. I just can't see how that could stop "working".

The pores get blocked with dirt, which can damage them IIRC. Friend of mine bought a Rukka jacket and he reports his will leak eventually. I suspect once enough water hits or pools on a piece of clothing it'll get through.

Yeah, also as the fabric wears those tiny pores open up ever so slightly and when it rains, the fabric wets out eventually letting through moisture. Particularly in areas like your wagina

Don't get me wrong, Gore-Tex is bloody brilliant and seems to resist the longest.

[Barry]

I realised that all you're doing by buying more expensive kit is buying a bit longer before it lets in water

Oh and go buy the new bike you want.

I tend to do just that, I just need to justify the spending mentally first

Test rides are fun too.

[JLv3.0]

Wouldn't know - never done one

[evostick]

As others have already said, even with the best waterproof kit you will get wet eventually. I've found the best way is just to wear a rain suit over your other gear.

That said, I got suckered into paying £300 for some apparently amazing waterproof jeans the other day, even though I know that they won't fucking work at all.

Felt a bit nippy this morning. Now the XJR was a bike built for men, not little poofs who get cold hands and shit. Hence Yamaha didn't put heated grips on it.

Unfortunately, I must just be pretending to be a proper man because I don't like getting cold hands one little bit. I also don't like shitty looking aftermarket Oxford type heated grip controllers on the bars.

Luckily, Yamaha consider the more effete amongst us and do these not too ugly jobbies with an integrated controller.

They heat up pretty nicely so I'll be able to ride around pretending to be tough until the council cover the roads in salt again.

[Barry]

I have cheap Oxford rain gear that I throw over textiles in proper rain too.

Had heated grips on my Speed Triple, never used them. I have heated gloves for deep winter riding instead. That said I won't pretend the Tracer GT coming with heated grips and cruise isn't a tempting upgrade.. QS too.

[NotoriousREV]

I’ve got heated grips, winter gloves and I’ll be buying hand guards before Autumn starts.

[speedingfine]

Eargasm for the new Moto2 Triumph 765cc triples for next year. I may have said before that I'll miss hearing "my" old engine being ginger-stepson'ed around the track but fk me how good does this sound:

[Barry]

The 675 motor sounded fab onboard, I found the new 765 a little too refined. Goes well but a really flat power curve, useful on the road but not much fun to use. My 847cc triple gives it a good run for its money aurally too IMO.

[NotoriousREV]

So quads are weird. We went to an ATV centre today and did half an hour. Youngest REVlet on a 50cc, Eldest on an 80cc and me on a 125.

The course was nicely laid out, without being overly busy but had some tricky sections, massive berms and 3 or 4 jumps. My brain couldn’t quite cope with handlebars and not needing to put my feet down and the handling is just so oddly inconsistent: either you get some roll but not much steering or you get pin-sharp turn-in that threatens to launch you off the bike. And let’s not even talk about bump steer.

We had fun, although the eldest managed to launch himself upside-down into a hedge, because he’s a bit of a nutter who gives it full throttle everywhere. He ended up with a slightly bruised thumb.

[JLv3.0]

Need to get your arse out of the seat mate and use the pegs to shift your weight around, lean into the corners and so on. They're very physical when ridden properly and very twitchy and odd if you're not committed when riding. Bump-steer - out of the seat, lean back to un-weight the front and pin it.

Beyond the controls, I don't think there's much crossover between bikes and quads - I certainly didn't feel like I carried anything over when I started riding bikes.