Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I run a Firstgear Kilimanjaro jacket. It works pretty well, I've never had water penetrate (although pocket contents have gotten soggy before) and I stay fairly warm. I also wear a pair of Cortech over pants that keep most of the water out, and help a huge amount when the temperatures start to drop.


Just remember three things:

Water resistant is just that, if you go through much rain you'll get wet eventually.

Water proof fabric is, generally, waterproof. However, the construction of the jacket has much to do with whether it will leak around seams and zippers.

You get what you pay for. Good gear is expensive.

thanks for your help. i trust you know plenty about staying dry... as much as it rains here in tacoma, doesn't bremerton get something like twice the rainfall as the seattle-tacoma area? or am i thinking of snow?

on that note, any tips for driving on wet streets?

and back to the subject of transporting a motorcycle in a pick-up, thanks to whoever posted those links, they helped out a lot. in the event i can't get my hands on a ramp, i think the two of us shouldn't have much of a problem lifting a 300 pound bike onto the truck... is there anything specific we should be careful of?

Our weather is pretty much identical to Tacoma, we're really not all that far away.

Rain riding- Be smooth with the throttle and brakes. Leave yourself lots of room to stop. Avoid painted lines and manhole covers, they get slick. Be careful downshifting, it's easier to break loose your rear tire. As long as you're not in a hurry it's not that big a deal to ride in the wet.

Loading the bike- It's one thing to lift 300lbs between two guys, it's a totally different thing to lift a top-heavy 300lb bike. I'd advise you to get a ramp if possible; if not, go buy a 2"x10" and a ramp topper kit at Home Depot. I'm sure it's possible to lift the bike safely, but the ramp is going to be safer and easier.

my friend with the truck couldn't make it so i borrowed a friend's trailer instead. it had a built in ramp and it's only about two feet high anyway so it wasn't a problem.

but thanks for the help!

Sooo, you bought the bike?

i did! i posted a picture in the new bikers forum, but i'll post it again here because it's so awesome:





i will confess that, against the advice of almost everyone here, i've put about 60 miles on it already and i haven't taken the MSF class yet (although i do have my permit). i can't help it! i'm learning quite a bit on my own, however. i *almost* dropped it trying to u-turn on my street but thankfully the bike is so light i caught it just in time (i thought i was in first when i was still in second and it stalled on me).

next on my list are some motorcycle-specific boots (my steel-toe work boots are too clunky to get in under the shifter) and a pair of riding pants. unless it's hot and sunny out, jeans aren't really enough. plus they'd tear through in a second if i fell.

i've heard a lot about the benefits or switching out the 15-tooth sprocket for a 16-tooth sprocket... what's the deal with this? i've heard it makes first gear more useful and also helps out with your top speed. is this true and is it worth doing?

one thing i noticed now that i'm looking at these pictures again... at some point between when i took these and today, i think lost the right-hand side bar end. weird.