Un-armored motorcycle jackets?

[blaine]

Originally Posted by alantf

How do you stop them getting soggy? Mine are the worst gloves / gauntlets I've ever had for letting water in, when it rains.

I have never had a problem with water getting in my gloves/gauntlets as they fit snugly over my jacket. :??: I have never heard of anybody with that problem before.

[alantf]

What I meant was that the rain soaks through the leather, so that all the inside gets soggy.

[blaine]

Originally Posted by alantf

What I meant was that the rain soaks through the leather, so that all the inside gets soggy.

Ok.Now I got ya. :tongue: What if you water proofed them with a good quality leather dressing? :cool:

[burkbuilds]

I soak mine down with "silicon water-guard". The can says only one treatment needed, but I've found 2-3 applications are required for 100% effectiveness. One treatment

would probably work if you were just sitting still, but at 70 mph it doesn't seem to be enough. I found this stuff at Wal-Mart but I've also used similar products from

Sportsman's Warehouse and I bet most sporting good suppliers have a spray on waterproofing treatment available. I re-apply every couple of months to maintain the effect.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by blaine

What if you water proofed them with a good quality leather dressing? :cool:

Well, here's the problem with that: Leather is porus. To make it truly water PROOF, you must seal up those pores. If you do that, it doesn't breath anymore (hot, sweaty feet!) and it tends to crack sooner than normal.

I prefer a heavy oil treatment, which makes them "water resistant" without the above drawbacks. Of course, I also make it a point to never ride in rain heavier than a shower and prefer occasional wet feet over all the trouble necessary to try and prevent it.

YMMV. :cool:

[Water Warrior 2]

My Red Wing gauntlets seem to be fairly water proof. My hands have always stayed dry. I suppose they may be helped somewhat by the fairing and factory handguards but they still do get wet on the outside in heavy rain. It is possible they were treated during manufacture but I can't remember if there was a tag stating so. I bought the Red Wings after nearly drowning in a 5 hour ride and finding out how well my first pair of gloves did not resist water. That was also the trip when I bought a rain suit after the rain. The entire trip was an education including heat prostration to hypothermia in less than 24 hours. Definitely a lesson well learned.
The boots I eventually got are waterproof and have a breathable liner that keeps my feet dry in hot weather. A lot of riding gear is a trial by error sort of thing but I seem to have it nailed down pretty well now.

[mrlmd1]

There are all sorts of nylon waterproof gators that easily slip over boots for waterproofing in the rain rather than spending a fortune to find truly waterproof boots. They pack very compactly too when not in use.

[b1pig]

i get lucky for boots. we weat danner or rocky boots at work, and they pay for them. when they start reaching the end of their "useful" life, i rotate them into m/c gear. the latest pair, Rocky zip-side boots, waterproof above the ankles with goretex.... IIRC... but the certainly are waterproof.

raingear... i just use the wal-mart gear for the time being with some duct tape over the front flap. havent had a leak yet. you can likely find any good commercial waterproofer to work with leather. like most, it'll probably require periodic treatment to retain the waterproofing.