rain and fairings?

[Guest seuadr]

this may not be the ideal place for this question and if so i appoligize.

 

I am waiting till i can pick up my venture, and i was thinking:

 

i've never had a bike with a windshield, much less a fairing.. How's light and medium rain with a fairing? seems like it would block alot of it, but i find too often when i make an assumption it bites me in the butt

 

so opinions? experences? should i still be looking for a full set of good rain gear?

 

thanks in advance, guys.

[SapperMedic]

It all depends on the rain and your speed , a light or medium rain will be OK with the fairing and windshield as long as you are moving. I was coming home one day and it started to rain lightly, my boots got a little wet from the road but I arrived home almost completely dry.........but another time I was feeling pretty good and the rain was barely hitting me on the freeway then I got to the exit and the light at the bottom. I got more soaked in the 2 minutes waiting for a green light than the 20 minutes on the freeway. Buy a set of rain gear and store them in a saddlebag. You never know

[6pak]

Buy a set of rain gear and store them in a saddlebag. You never know

[StuD]

If you lived on the West (wet) Coast you wouldn't worry about the RAIN. I remember having a dream as a young man about a Day that it didn"t RAIN............. You just never forget your first "Dry Dream" :canada:

[LilBeaver]

In my opinion it never hurts to have a good set of rain gear. As others have stated, if you are moving on the freeway, there is pretty good protection for the driver so long as it is not too windy or anything. But if you slow down, stop or get some enjoyable crosswinds you are going to get wet. After all, you ARE exposed to the elements.

 

If you plan on riding 2-up, the passenger is guaranteed to get soaked, period.

I have only been in Texas for 2 years now, before that I lived in the midwest, and the start and end of the season I found the rain gear to be handy - just in case it started to sprinkle, mostly because I did not want to be wet AND cold all at the same time.

 

Again, like everyone else has said, get some and stow it in the saddlebag -- the bags are plenty big and it doesn't hurt to keep it with you.

[Snaggletooth]

I ride a 1st gen and was amazed the first time I got caught in bad weather. I was headed back to Omaha when a severe thunder storm hit leading a tornado. All I had was a jean jacket and gloves. It was pouring down rain so hard the only thing that helped was the driving lights let me see the lines on the road.

 

I had about 20 miles left and was running about 50 to 60 mph all the way back. When I hit the garage I was laughing my butt off. I was pretty much bone dry except the toes of my boots and my hair. (I hadn't closed the vents in my helmet) My gloves weren't even damp.

 

That lil ride also sold me on Avon Venoms X's. Of course since then I've added Baker Built Foot Wings, a full rain suit and a 1/2 cover in case I decide to wait the next one out like a sane person.

 

But gear up if you even suspect rain rather than being caught in a downpour and distracted by trying to find a place to pull off and get into the rain gear. You will stay drier moving than stopped and trying to gear up in the rain.

[KiteSquid]

Full set of rain gear and use Ace-it on both sides of the windshield.

 

carry the little 2 oz bottle on the bike for cleaning off bugs.

 

I have a 1/2 helmet so I carry a three snap face shield with my rain gear. I coat both sides of it with Ace-it too

[bongobobny]

Use furniture polish such as Pledge on your windshield and it will act the same as rainex. I would rather ride a bike with a fairing in the rain than one without one myself, but rain gear is also a good thing to have...

[V7Goose]

I find the coverage from the Venture fairing excellent (a bit too excellent in the summer - extra hot if you don't vent the windshield). As for rain, I stay virtually completely dry in anything but a frog-strangler as long as I am running at least 60 MPH. But as a few others have stated, when you slow down, the rain gets a chance to drop in behind the fairing!

 

For reference, I am 6'5" and I have about 1 1/2" cut off the top of my stock windshield. My wife rides with me a lot, and she generally stays dry under those conditions also. Ride safe,

Goose

[Snarley Bill]

one thing i found along time ago about riding in the rain. don't stop. thats when you get wet. the faster you ride the drier you stay.

[Red1]

Ditto on the rain gear, especially if your gonna be a distance from home and dry clothes. I treat my leather jacket every spring and that keeps me dry execpt during a real drencher. And I've discovered that I do not melt in the rain - although it has caused my hair to rust. The lowers keep most of the rain off your legs and feet (unless you have some big 'ole flippers.)

 

No matter what you put on the windscreen - Pledge, Rain-X, Plexus - after an hour in a good rain you won't be able to see thru it. I installed the lower windshield so I could look over the top when needed. And there have been times when it was needed. And if you ride 2-up - a GOOD rain suit and goggles for the passenger (those rain drops HURT at 60 mph w/o the screen - she will get smacked in the face something awful) will reduce complaints from the rear seat. Here in WI - a pair of waterproof gloves is also a good idea - they give you better grip on wet handlebars and keep your hands from getting too cold. I also picked up some anti-fog goggles that I put on when it looks like an all-day rain.

[Guest seuadr]

I installed the lower windshield so I could look over the top when needed. And there have been times when it was needed. And if you ride 2-up - a GOOD rain suit and goggles for the passenger (those rain drops HURT at 60 mph w/o the screen - she will get smacked in the face something awful) will reduce complaints from the rear seat..

All good info guys, thanks.

 

as for the goggles, we both wear full faces and water proof jackets, but lets face it, the jackets all leak sooner or later

 

how much shorter is the windshield you installed? i'm 6'0'' just curious if we are about the same height to get an idea of how short i might like to go. i definitally need to be able to see, i'm not so good i can ride by feel

[StarQ]

In a pinch you can use a large trash bag with three holes cut or ripped in it. Works for cold, too. A dollar store rain poncho in the saddlebag as a backup.

 

My Firstgear Kilimanjaro Jacket that I wear as part of my riding gear keeps me dry enough that I don't bother carrying a rain coat anymore. For my legs I carry something like the REI Marmot PreCip Full-Zip Rain Pants http://www.rei.com/product/740035. They have a full zipper on the legs like chaps and work to keep me dry or warm. I like to carry things in the saddlebags that have multiple uses. I also have a pair of Rain Gators that I used a lot before getting the rain pants. Rain Gators keep your lower legs and feet dry.

 

I usually don't stop to put on rain gear unless I am just heading out or it is really coming down. Usually, by the time I stopp to put on rain gear I found that I could keep riding to a dry location to stop and get less wet because of the fairings and windshield.

 

Ditto on the rain gear, especially if your gonna be a distance from home and dry clothes.

[Guest seuadr]

hmm. just rainproof pants i like that idea..

 

i got a joe rocket balistic 2.0 jacket. it's mostly waterproof. it leaks a little at the arm vents and a little at the bottom of the zipper.

 

it's got the zippers to attach pants.. i wonder if i could get a pair of rain pants that would hook right up to it?

 

thanks for that, i like that idea alot.

[Red1]

how much shorter is the windshield you installed? i'm 6'0'' just curious if we are about the same height to get an idea of how short i might like to go. i definitally need to be able to see, i'm not so good i can ride by feel

 

It's the Clearview shield - about 3" shorter and a few inches wider, I think. I'm 5'8" and I still have to sit up REAL straight in order to see over the top of it in a downpour. The shorter shield with a taller person might no be such a good idea - all the rain will roll off the top right into your face.