If you’re going to tour, you really do want some good motorcycle rain gear in your bag. While finding room to pack it can sometimes be a pain, it does seem we often get the good Karma benefit of “if you are prepared for rain, it will not rain.” Well, it works some of the time.
For his trips, MC editor Richard Backus prefers a one-piece motorcycle rain suit. Though generally a bit bulkier to pack and often harder to get into than a two-piece rain suit, a good one-piece offers the best weather protection in serious driving rain. This is especially key when touring on bikes lacking any real weather protection (i.e., no fairing or windshield), as the one-piece doesn’t expose your midriff to a seam. The closer fit through the middle of a one-piece suit (versus the overlap needed between the jacket and pants of a two-piece suit) can also result in more comfort and less “flappage.”
Editor Landon Hall prefers a two-piece motorcycle rain suit. They’re often less bulky to pack, and a two-piece rain suit gives you the flexibility to leave one piece at home if you don’t need it. In cooler weather, Hall likes to ride wearing a Tour Master Transition Series II motorcycle riding jacket, which is waterproof, and Firstgear Kwik-Dry Sport Tour overpants, which are water-resistant. When it’s cold, he just packs the rain pants in case of really bad weather. Alternatively, when it’s warm, he often wears a Joe Rocket Sonic 2.0 Perforated motorcycle riding jacket and the same Firstgear overpants. In this situation the pants provide enough weather protection that he often leaves the rain pants behind but takes the rain jacket along, just in case.
As with most gear, it comes down to personal preference. But we will say this — one piece or two, any rain suit in your bag is better than none at all. Call us Boy Scouts, but we’d rather be prepared and dry than four days from home, dripping wet and with no place to dry out our duds.
Read more about motorcycle rain suits:
• Six Motorcycle Rain Suits to Keep You Riding Dry
