revtothelimit - motorbike forum

I’m commuting by bike again - all weathers. Not in ice or snow but otherwise. Until my bike dies and I have to rewire it.

Should I get a big actually waterproof Richa or should I get a £50 over jacket on top of my leathers?

I used to have a a £600 jacket but it still let water in. My commute is 25 mins of motorway, 45 mins of racing through London at 30mph.

I don’t want to have to have a shed ton of bulky gear so I’m hoping a waterproof outer layer on top of my normal jacket will do the do.

Thoughts?

Cheapish waterproof jacket and trousers + boil in through bag layer on top. If your boots are well worn consider waterproof overlooks too. If it is really really pussing down add waterproof overmis over the gloves.

That recipe kept me entirely dry for 300* miles of biblical rain.

* The last fuel stop buggered it all up. Make absolutely certain EVERYTHING is sealed up. I didnt, I was only 30 miles to go but I got wet!

fingerpuk wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 2:48 pm I’m commuting by bike again - all weathers. Not in ice or snow but otherwise. Until my bike dies and I have to rewire it.

Should I get a big actually waterproof Richa or should I get a £50 over jacket on top of my leathers?

I used to have a a £600 jacket but it still let water in. My commute is 25 mins of motorway, 45 mins of racing through London at 30mph.

I don’t want to have to have a shed ton of bulky gear so I’m hoping a waterproof outer layer on top of my normal jacket will do the do.

Thoughts?

It all depends on whether or not you're going to be putting the wets on BEFORE you leave or not.

If it pisses it down just as you hit the elevated M4 (or similar) with no safe space to stop... you get soaked and it doesn't matter how cheap your overjacket/trousers are, you're soaked.

TBH, the best gear I ever had was Hein Gericke Voyager, it was a "drop-liner" system (the waterproof layer is "floating" between the cordura outer and the inner lining. However - it DID "wet out" frequently and was miserable to wear when it did (think: December downpour in the morning, jacket still sodden and cold for the ride home, after dark, when it's colder).

The thing is - 75mph into driving rain is pretty much the worst-case-scenario for motorcycle gear (even more so if the bike doesn't have any fairings or screens - I can't remember what you're riding), so, yes, even the most expensive stuff available will fail sometimes. All you can really do is take a damned good look at the market, see what seems to be the best, and when you buy: choose the garmet that has NOT been touched by ANYONE else. Try the stuff in the shop off the rack to find your fit, then ask for another one, same size, from the storeroom, and keep asking until you get one that's obviously fresh from the factory - because that one won't have been tried on by a heifer who still has illusions of calf-dom, and so hasn't have every seam stretched to bursting point.


Also - where are you going to keep it at work? If you walk in soaking wet and your jacket is going to drip water all day, you will NOT be popular if the only places to store it are the company IT cupboard (because you haven't got a proper IT department), or the back of your chair..... With a decent laminated jacket you can give it a shake and 90% of the water will come off before you enter the office.

fingerpuk wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 2:48 pm I’m commuting by bike again - all weathers. Not in ice or snow but otherwise. Until my bike dies and I have to rewire it.

Should I get a big actually waterproof Richa or should I get a £50 over jacket on top of my leathers?

I used to have a a £600 jacket but it still let water in. My commute is 25 mins of motorway, 45 mins of racing through London at 30mph.

I don’t want to have to have a shed ton of bulky gear so I’m hoping a waterproof outer layer on top of my normal jacket will do the do.

Thoughts?

EBay ex RAF or Army Gore-Tex jacket and trousers

I did the 'boil in the bag' over jacket over the top of a Dainese jacket that had long lost it's water-proofness for a winter, it was ok and obviously worked well when it was raining, but there was niggles that royally pissed me off.

when not wearing the jacket it took up a surprising amount of room in the top box which meant that on occasion I had to wear the jacket to free up space in the box. I'd put my gloves on before the jacket so that the elasticated wrists would just slip into place, but when I stopped for petrol and took my gloves off it was an absolute battle to get the gloves back on and under the Dainese jacket cuffs and then getting the overjacket cuffs in the right place.

So I bought a Rukka suit.

I spent over 2 hours riding in biblical rain on Saturday afternoon and the only water that got in was a couple of drops down the back of my neck. I noticed that the outer coating needs refreshing and the outer got a bit waterlogged in places but by sunday morning it was pretty much bone dry.

“ With a decent laminated jacket you can give it a shake and 90% of the water will come off before you enter the office”

Wry good point. We have a room for bicycle people to store wet gear, but yeah if I get the over jacket I can just shake it off and I’m done.

My backpack is waterproof and I’ll keep my spare clothes in a dry bag inside that.

If I arrive and I’m soaked, I’ll just go home

Pondering this: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... od/2342951

But for that money - surely it won’t work. Or this: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... od/2268812

Again, only 20 mins of motorway. I ride a Triumph Scrambler - no fairings or screens.

Man maths incoming - for winter I could get a different bike…

fingerpuk wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 6:51 pm But for that money - surely it won’t work. Or this: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... od/2268812

I bought the Oxford Rainseal trousers but not the jacket - I'd already bought a Knox rain-jacket. My brother bought both Oxford jacket and trousers. We had a four hour ride in hard rain and both had dry legs but up top, he won.

Cracking gear not *for* the money but despite how cheap they are.

My riding gear for work is bates goretex boots, hood jeans and an alpine* goretex jacket. I have some £20 raf goretex over trousers in the panniers for when it throws it down. Has worked for me for years now.

Agree about the HG goretex suits - they were really good and nothing has compared to them for the money they were.

Buy a car

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 8:24 pm Buy a car

Commuting to London by car is not happening.

fingerpuk wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 6:51 pm “ With a decent laminated jacket you can give it a shake and 90% of the water will come off before you enter the office”

Wry good point. We have a room for bicycle people to store wet gear, but yeah if I get the over jacket I can just shake it off and I’m done.

My backpack is waterproof and I’ll keep my spare clothes in a dry bag inside that.

If I arrive and I’m soaked, I’ll just go home

Pondering this: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... od/2342951

But for that money - surely it won’t work. Or this: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... od/2268812

Again, only 20 mins of motorway. I ride a Triumph Scrambler - no fairings or screens.

Man maths incoming - for winter I could get a different bike…

Keep office clothes in the office. Much easier.

fingerpuk wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 6:51 pm But for that money - surely it won’t work. Or this: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... od/2268812

I bought that and the trousers for a trip away last year. We had about 3 hrs of proper rain and neither leaked. However, I was wearing my Oxford Mondial jacket and bull-it jeans underneath and both were a little damp from condensation as it was summer (allegedly). I wore the trousers for my trip to the peaks this year and again no leaks but an air of dampness as they are not breathable. For this trip I just trusted the Mondial not to leak and it didn't. These were rides of around 5hrs though each time. In my experience over trouser leak eventually sometimes not for a year or 2 others almost from the off but they are cheap enough.

My brother had army surplus gore tex trousers and they are better, easier to get on and off with a full leg length zip, more breathable and far better quality seem sealing with everything double taped.

I've not winter commuted in years but when I did I ended up in leathers top and bottom with over jacket and trousers dealing with rain as well as cold. It wasn't the most comfortable though. I think if I did it now I'd be looking at fairly expensive textiles to do the job whilst keeping me comfortable.

My brother uses these and rates them highly.
He ordered bigger than he needed so they are loose over his clothes so that the seams are not pulled
when sitting on the bike.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CQ199VW?th=1&psc=1

fingerpuk wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 9:12 pm

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 8:24 pm Buy a car

Commuting to London by car is not happening.

Don't work in London

On the way home this evening I left with blue skys, 5 miles later I was in the heaviest rain that I've ridden in for years, 10 miles later I was back in sunshine with flooded roads.

by the time I got home 10 miles later my kit was pretty much dry. If I was using the extra jacket over the top I would have been absolutely piss wet through.

get a decent laminated goretex suit

@fingerpuk you have a PM

wheelnut wrote: Wed Sep 03, 2025 8:05 pm
Agree about the HG goretex suits - they were really good and nothing has compared to them for the money they were.

Master V LockOut jacket and trousers still going strong after 15+ years.

For any gear I've used Moto Legends in the last few years. GoreTex drop liner should do the business.

Thin thermals for when it gets chilly.

Shoes and spare socks in the office. Trousers and shirt in a waterproof rolltop bag.

Did me ok for years.