Kornbread - 2008-11-23 6:59 PM Just buy a pair of leather pants.Wear those in the winter and chaps in the summer.

Thanks Kornbread, that is one option, and probably the one I will go with. I prefer wearing the leather and not worrying about stopping when it rains, but wearing the leather paints when the threat of rain is in the forecast would work. I know the whole idea sounds crazy, but wearing chaps are convenient and when it rains it would really be something leather that would cover that middle area to repell the rain for that short period, then it could easily be removed and packed away. I guess I think too much. With leather, I don't see the point of putting on a rain suit. I use my togg top to cover the dash when I'm out and stopped and it is going to rain. I guess I'll be adding leather pants to my growing inventory.

I like to incite mayhem Don, and figure that would get a reaction among "bikers". After riding a year on the Vision, I've yet to don my frogg toggs. The only thing I'll use them for is covering my electronics when stopped and no cover. When I would ride the wing I would put on the bottoms and my leather jacket would be the top but after getting the Vision and my chaps, I just won't put them on. Maybe it is the stupidity in me, and I have plenty, I just don't know. If it wasn't for the wind prior to reaching Winnie on my way to see my son, I'm afraid I would have gone through the worst storm I've ever riden in. But by what the girl said the next morning that the roads had deep water, I think that I would have met my match. The hard gusting winds made me stop before I hit the storm and I never even thought of putting on my toggs. I had just came through some rain but I considered it a heavy rain and not a down pour and my seat was a little wet from the rain that runs down the jacket and across the bike to my crouch.

So there is no hope for me in suggesting this rain gear or another, I think I'll have to do the leather pants thing which is just another large clothing article to lug around. I was looking for a simple covering of the mid-section for the chaps that could be added and removed when rain showed up. I found that wearing long-johns, insulated chaps is sufficient for my lower body, and longjohns and a sweat shirt with the leather jacket works for me on the top, even down to 19 degrees. I can go at least two hours if I have the boot warmers before I have to stop and raise my temp up, which doesn't take long. I'm cheap and I'm not into the fancy stuff and perfer my leathers.

donetracey - 2008-11-24 1:09 PM Chris, I did some thimkin about the diaper thing after I added my comments, above. I think you might be on to something good. I got rained on several times this season - usually just rain that comes at you quick, and is gone in a few minutes - not enough to want to get 'geared up' - but enough to get the crotch wet. So - what I thimked about wuz - get a large pair of rain pants - 1 or 2 sizes bigger - and cut them off - maybe at the knees - so they would slip on easily over chaps and boots. In the rain I got caught in - my leathers kept me dry, and the bike protected my feet and legs, and my leathers have waterprotectant on them - so they dry very quickly when the rain is gone. So the half-pants would stop the crotch-rot and solve the carrying problem - as they would not be as bulky as a complete set. Hmmmm????

Necessity is the mother of invention -- Ride on! What about leather shorts? Unless they matched the black leather it might look rather odd and really look like a diaper. My toggs are gray, almost white looking, and I could see that now, all black leather and white shorts. But that does sound to be the solution though, oversized leather shorts that would keep the majority of the rain off. I showed up at work drenched in the crouch one day because as soon as I got to the first light it had to be red in a downpour. That would have solved my problem.

Tarpits99 - 2008-11-25 3:19 AM Lederhosen Dr. Frankenstein? Anyone got a Riccola? The laughter is making my throat a little raw, and my butt is already getting sympathetic bedsores from all the seams in the three layers of clothing you're getting ready to wear. Think I'll stick with my rain-gear, which the weather girl says I may get to use for the first time this year later this week. How about using Scotch-guard on the jeans that you wear when the weather looks iffy? Then if you get wet at the stoplight it just runs off? Lasts about three washings. Happy thanksgiving!

Glad to put a little life in the forum along with the motivation posters thread. The rest has been pretty bleh

As a serious thought, anything we do when we ride, for the most part is out of necessity. For those who ride rain or shine, hot or cold wants something to make it through the uncomfortable moments like a drenched crouch. Reasoning says leave the bike home and take the jeep, the heart says, if you do that you'll regret it. It's interesting when I show up to work and I have to go to the bathroom to dry my crouch because I'm drenched in the mid-section. I could buy the thousands of dollars worth of gear for the few moments that has to be endured, but I say if I have to do all that I'll sell the bike and forget about it.

I don't have a problem with rain gear but most of the time it turns into an aggrevation for me. I found that leather, straight up is the best all around protectant and I don't have to stop and put something else on. I'm looking for a summer jacket with vents, because I have the regular leather jacket and will revert to just wearing my vest and long sleeve for the summer. But if it rains then, I might have to put on my jacket.

I guess real bikers don't care either way, it is an opportunity for a bath when it rains.

Okay, sorry to bore or entertain you all with this diaper thread and it just adds to my useless chatter, which leads to global warming which leads to all year round riding for some of us. But wait, where is the global warming, did someone forget to turn it on? 

I gotta admit, when I saw the topic, I thought that this was another long distance riding question (ala that crazy atronaut a few years ago...), and how to handle the long distance between fill ups on the Vision......

I just got back from doing the Ride Like A Pro class in FL. I rode my VTX down there (I wanted my little bike for that class). I was dying with 150 miles between fill ups.... I was really wishing I was on the Vision then (not to mention how cold it was and I was missing the heated seats and grips....)

BlueOx USA - 2008-11-25 9:05 AM I understand your question and will give you my answer. Cork and a tie wrap. Butt.... really you are looking at the wrong leather pants. Chaps have a zipper up both legs and a belt. That's just what my leather pants have so it takes the same amount of time off and on. I hated chaps because my (you know) would get cold and wet. I bought a pair of leather pants with zippers and real deep pockets for $99 many years ago. Victory also sells them but check Sportsmen Guide for better prices if they have them in stock.

Thanks BOUSA, I think you have the answer, and I'll check those out. My wife egged me to get the chaps so maybe she'll get them for me for Christmas if I can hold out that long. She wouldn't want my (you know) getting cold and wet, so I think she'd spring for them.

Leather man, all leather. Black leather, leather, leather, leather. All I want for Christmas is leather. I'm doing my wish list at the dealer today. I don't have any problem looking goofy, as I've got that covered already.

I know PETA don't like me because I wear leather and eat beef, I hope to conserve so I hope they came from the same cow. I'm almost at the two cow size, people think I ride a Hog. That reminds of this feller I met one day who told me he rode a bike. He was a quite a big dude and was rather gerthy, and I asked him what did he ride. He looks at me and says, "What do you think?" A Fat Boy of course!"

GAgirlTrixie - 2008-11-25 9:20 PM I highly recommend the course. I have several of their DVD's, and, while I definitly learned from the DVD's, there's no comparison to having Motorman's personal instruction. Well worth it. They've not had a Vision take the class yet. (I rode my VTX, as my 'smaller' bike. I feel more comfortable maneuvering on it)

Well Trix you may have just blown you and your Vision to be on the next edition of RLAP

I want to take the course so I can pretend to have been riding a zillion years like others act like they have. Great feedback, thanks!

GATrix, I'll probably do cones in my local large parking lot if I ever order the tape, you're still welcome to come on down. When I did the MSF ERC the main thing I had problems with was the serpentine, I'd have to give it up after the third cone. I don't know if it was just me or the bike was to bike for the cones, it is two inches than a harley.

SC, I don't if you're pulling my, uh, leg or not, I tried a google search and have come up, uh, empty handed.